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- It has been a tough week for Husky fans. The team had a clear path to get to 9-2 going into a home game with Oregon. There were many ways to have a successful, memorable season. Even a loss to Oregon would have the team sitting on a three-win improvement going into a bowl game with a chance at double-digit wins. Beating Oregon would have elevated the season from good to great in that scenario. Now, the paths to a very good season are narrower. Maybe going 9-4 with a bowl win and a loss to Oregon would still be pretty good, but it will always feel marred by a missed opportunity in a game they absolutely should have won. All of that context leads to Matt Calkins’ article on Jedd Fisch and the CFB coaching carousel. Calkins writes that, no matter what Fisch says publicly, he is destined to always be at the center of coaching the coaching rumor storm as long as the Dawgs are successful.
- Christian Caple has his own analysis of Fisch’s statement. Caple had a similar reaction to me; while there are no guarantees in anything Fisch said, it is the most passionate he has been in talking about the future of the program. Plus, the most persuasive reason for him to stick in Seattle for a few more years is probably that he has built a good foundation in the program, through recruiting, player development, facility improvement, and more. Fisch focused on those factors, which gave his statements the imprimatur of believability. In other words, if he had said, “I want to stay at UW because it is the best and most prestigious job in the country,” it would have meant less to me than focusing on things that are true.
- Back on the field, the Huskies will go into this week’s game against Purdue at less than full strength. Drew Azzopardi, Jonah Coleman, and Denzel Boston are all dealing with injuries of varying severity. While it sounds like Coleman and Boston may be able to play at less than 100%, the Dawgs could well be without their starting right tackle. Hopefully, there is still enough available to handle a mediocre Purdue team at home.
- Jon Wilner looks at UW and the other former Pac-12 teams in the Big 10 from a different angle. He writes this week that the teams have started find more success adjusting to the more physical, run-oriented style of play in their new conference. While last week’s game against Wisconsin is not a great example, he’s right that each of these teams have found ways to play more physical defensively and win lower-scoring games.
- As long as Fisch and his staff remain in Seattle, they will continue trying to build the roster. They are currently hot on the trail of one of the top defensive linemen in the country, Carter Gooden is a four-star DL who committed to UCLA, but may reconsider with the Bruins’ coaching change. Gooden is working out a visit to Seattle, though it will likely have to take place mid-week due to scheduling conflicts.
- Following the emotional victory for Women’s Soccer in last week’s Big 10 Tournament, the Men’s team has its own chance to bring home silverware. The Dawgs play today (Wednesday) against Michigan in the semi-final. The winner of the match will play the winner of Maryland vs. UCLA on Sunday.
