Five Questions With a Washington Writer Ahead of the Pac-12 Championship
The No. 6 Oregon Ducks are looking for revenge. After suffering their only loss of the season to the Washington Huskies in October, they'll get another shot at Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies in Las Vegas this week.
To help get ready for Oregon's rematch with Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game on Friday, I asked Dan Raley, Publisher of SI Fan Nation's Inside the Huskies five questions.
1. What's the main difference between this Washington team and the Washington we saw the first time the Huskies played Oregon?
Two things: the Huskies have found more ways to run the ball, with Dillon Johnson piling up 256 yards at USC after his 100-yard game against the Ducks, but the passing game has tailed off some in overall accuracy, which has led to a lot of close games.
2. What do you view as Washington's biggest weakness?
The secondary. It's better than it was a year ago, but it's still not a lockdown crew. Bo Nix likely will be looking at exploiting Husky cornerback Elijah Jackson. Everyone else has.
3. How big do you think the gap is between Washington's defense and its offense? Can you speak to the defense's growth?
The offense is one of the nation's best. The defense is average and does just enough to keep the Huskies in the game. The UW has three players who are consistently good in edge rusher Bralen Trice, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and Oklahoma State cornerback transfer Jabbar Muhammad. They could use about three more.
4. Washington edged Oregon in October. Knowing how difficult it is to beat the same team twice, what do the Huskies absolutely have to do to come away with a win in the Pac-12 title?
If you think about it, Washington already has beaten Oregon twice, with largely the same lineups facing each other in Eugene and Seattle over the past 12 months and now they go at it a third game in a neutral setting.
The Huskies need to be able to throw and run the ball, such as they did against the Ducks in October and USC earlier this month. If one of those doesn't areas doesn't work, the Huskies will be staring at their first loss.
5. What is your score prediction for Friday's game?
It's a pick-em game for me. I can see each side winning. Both teams have plenty of talent to go around. Great quarterbacks. Lots of motivation. I do think the Huskies have a coaching edge.
That's how the UW has been able to win eight consecutive games with a 10-point margin or less. The Ducks have an abundance of confidence, plus the point spread is on their side, but they have to be wondering: Will DeBoer find yet another way to beat us again?
Washington 27, Oregon 23
