Ohio State Loss Doesn't Dampen UW Long-Range Plans

Husky rebuilds always have taken at least three years to show major returns.

Demond Williams takes on Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. | Dave Sizer photo

It's a process.

Ten months ago, Jedd Fisch took his University of Washington football team in face sixth-ranked Penn State on the road and watched his guys get shoved around and held to a pair of field goals in a 35-6 loss, and afterward he vowed to make the Huskies more physical.

On Saturday afternoon, with a few people caught up in the hype surrounding sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and even predicting an upset of No. 1 Ohio State, everyone was treated to a reality check -- the UW got held to a pair of field goals once more and lost 24-6 in Seattle.

It might not be readily apparent to some, but progress was made. The Huskies are bigger and better -- though they're not there yet.

While the presence of Williams on a good day makes anything seem possible, program rebuilds are rarely ever instantaneous, though the work done by Kalen DeBoer was the rare exception.

No, previous longer-term UW football coaches such as Jim Owens, Don James and Chris Petersen each had to wait until their third years before they could get their teams competitive enough to advance to the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin and Michigan, respectively, or the CFP playoffs against Alabama.

Fisch has a team that's a step up from last season but still a step behind college football's elite such as Ohio State, Oregon and Miami.

Raiden Vines-Bright looks for running room against Washington State. | Dave Sizer photo

Once this UW coach enters his third season in 2026, he'll have a much more seasoned Williams surrounded by current freshmen starters in offensive guard John Mills, cornerback Dylan Robinson, and wide receivers Dezmen Roebuck and Raiden Vines-Bright, and countless others.

They could be ready to play with Penn State, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and anyone else on that schedule.

While this season is not a write-off, though a lot of air went out of the momentum balloon against the Buckeyes, the Huskies still could be good enough to beat everyone left on the schedule with the possible exception of, groans all around, Oregon.

While Fisch is just 9-8 as the UW football leader over two seasons, he''s recruited well -- see the aforementioned four freshmen starters, not to mention Williams in 2024 -- and the UW is steadily getting better.

Consider the following starting lineup in a year from now, with some of those players draft eligible but choosing to return simply to improve their NFL stock:

Offense: WRs -- Rashid Williams, Roebuck, Vines-Bright; OL -- Mills, Paki Finau, Landen Hatchett, Champ Taulealea, Drew Azzopardi; TE --Decker DeGraaf; QB -- Williams; RB -- Adam Mohammed.

Defense: ERs -- Jacob Lane, Zach Durfee; DLs -- Jayvon Parker, Elinneus Davis; LBs -- Buddah Al-Uqdah, Devin Bryant; CBs -- Leroy Bryant, Robinson; Ss -- Alex McLaughlin, Rylon Dillard-Allen; NB -- Rahshawn Clark.

Jacob Lane sacks Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. | Dave Sizer photo

Consider the Huskies don't play Ohio State or Michigan in either of the next two regular seasons, which is a scheduling bonus for any Big Ten team trying to move up and become a national player and a playoff team.

Williams, as advanced as he is, still has started just six Husky games. Imagine what he might be like with another nine games, counting a bowl game, under his belt.

Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson, compact players he compares to favorably, didn't enjoy significant individual or team success until their fourth seasons of college football.

It's always a process.

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