Handing Out Washington Husky Football Schedule Superlatives

Remember getting your high school yearbook as a senior and excited to look at the superlatives, to see who was named “most likely to do this” and “who was the biggest something?”

With the Washington Huskies officially kicking off their football season in fewer than three weeks, I, Kaila Olin, am giving each one of the Huskies’ seven games a superlative.

Most Likely to Win – Oregon State, Nov. 14

Not knocking Jonathan Smith and the program he's building at Oregon State, but he still has a couple more years to really get his system in place before the Beavers become too big of a worry. Oregon State is in a similar situation as Washington. It needs to replace its starting quarterback from last season. Yet the depth in the QB room for OSU simply is doesn't match the Huskies. Not to mention, the Beavers need to replace offensive stud Isaiah Hodgins, as well. With OSU starting the season off with WSU and then traveling up to Seattle, I think this is Washington’s most likely-to-win game on the schedule.

Most Likely to Panic the Fan Base – at California, Nov. 7

I will be the first one to say it, I am extremely nervous going into this season opener against Cal. I previously have mentioned how this is actually a great set-up for Washington, in terms of the Golden Bears not having any film on the new team, knowledge of the eventual starting quarterback and insight on the offense that new offensive coordinator John Donovan will run. However, it is unsettling for the Huskies to be going down to the Bears’ lair for the first game and facing one of the best defenses in the conference. I am not saying the Huskies will lose, but if they do, the fan base is certain to panic over the new QB, the new offense, Jimmy Lake, etc. The match-up between Washington and Cal always goes down to the wire and I wouldn’t expect anything less this time around. That's why this is named the game most likely to panic the fan base.

Most Underrated – Arizona, Nov. 21

While Arizona is a mid- to third-tier program in the Pac 12 South entering the season, the Wildcats are never a team to sleep on. Washington, for some reason, always has difficulties with the Arizona schools. Leading receiver Jamarye Joiner returns along with QB Grant Gunnell, who split time last year. Gunnell passed for more than 1,200 yards. The Wildcats, in my opinion, are very underrated, which is why this is the most underrated game on the UW schedule.

Most Overrated – Stanford, Dec. 5

The UW-Stanford game is what kicked off the hype and excitement of the Washington program back in 2016, when the No. 7 Cardinal came to Montlake and got manhandled by the 10th-ranked Huskies. Davis Mills got the most snaps under center last season and the majority of the Cardinal receivers are veterans. However, the run game is what Stanford lacked the most last season. If the UW can shut down the passing game and force the Cardinal to run, this could be over quick. Stanford accounted for only eight rushing touchdowns in 2019, just one by a returning back. This could be almost a sure win for the Huskies.

Most Surprising – at WSU, Nov. 27

The Cougars and Huskies are very similar heading into the season. They replace a head coach, a starting quarterback and the offensive coordinator, to name a few. That might level the playing field for these teams coming into the Apple Cup. If you're a Husky fan and expect to waltz into Pullman and automatically win the day after Thanksgiving, think twice. WSU will be more challenging to prepare for because the Air Raid offense is gone. Cougar game-planning could be a big surprise to the Husky coaches, players and fan base, which is why I have it as the most surprising.

Biggest Dogfight – at Oregon, Dec. 12

This will be one of the most anticipated games of the season. Pac-12 Networks’ Yogi Roth calls it a top-three game of those that he wants to watch. The tension of the ongoing rivalry and the intensity of ending the regular season in Eugene will ramp this one up a little more. No team wants to lose this game. Jimmy Lake and Mario Cristobal, as assistants elevated to head coach and bringing lots of energy, won't wave the white flag at any time, and you can bet their players won't either. This game potentially could have championship implications – the winner represents the North in the Pac-12 championship game. Which is why it will be the biggest dogfight on the Huskies’ schedule.

Biggest Trap Game – Pac-12 championship game/South Division match-up

Coming off Oregon, the UW will either play in the Pac-12 championship game, at home if they're seed No. 1, or playing out the string against a lower-ranking South Division team. More unknowns surround this game than any other. The UW may or may not know who it is playing until a few days before. What will the elements be like? Will they Huskies be playing in the heat, the rain, at home or who knows where? That makes this the perfect trap game. So little certainties, so little time to prepare.