Can Washington Huskies overcome tough road and make a bowl game this season?
SEATTLE — Coming off a second straight loss, let's make a couple things clear about the state of University of Washington football:
- There's no shame in losing to an undefeated, 13th-ranked Indiana team
- Nobody thought this was going to be a repeat of the magical 2023 run to the national title game
Neither of those facts are reason for a rightfully proud fanbase to hang their heads over. But not making a bowl game?
That's well below standards for UW, regardless of conference affiliation. While so many hope it's not the case, it's still quite possible.
The Huskies are 4-4 on the year, needing at least six wins to qualify for a postseason bowl.
ALSO SEE | Here's when and where UW and WSU will play in the 2025 Apple Cup
Getting two wins is also quite possible, but it most certainly won't be easy with just these four games remaining:
- Saturday vs. USC (4:30 p.m.)
- November 9 at (3) Penn State
- November 15 (Friday) vs. UCLA
- November 30 at (1) Oregon
The Penn State and Oregon road games may just represent the toughest two games on any school's slate and barring an upset in either matchup, the Dawgs would need to sweep the southern California schools.
Thankfully, both of those games are at home on Montlake.
"There's a legitimate home-field advantage across the country in the Big Ten," UW Football Head Coach Jedd Fisch said Monday. "Hopefully we can take advantage of that."
Washington is undefeated at home, boasting the second-longest home win streak in the nation behind only Georgia. The Huskies have won 18 straight at Husky Stadium, not losing there since 2021.
There's certainly hope, but the road to any bowl game will have to start by knocking off a good USC team this weekend. A loss in that game would require a big upset against Penn State or Oregon on the road.
So the stage is set, forging a nice finish would go a long way in setting up year two of the Jedd Fisch era next season.
Whether or not the Dawgs can do it is another question, but one that a positive answer would go a long way in putting at ease a fanbase that expects greatness every year.
USC is favored by two points on Saturday, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m.