The University of Washington Huskies lost the national championship game to Michigan 34-13. Many Huskies alumni and fans were initially bitter about the defeat, but the losing didn’t stop there. Once hearing the news that Nick Saban was stepping down as the coach of Alabama, UW head coach Kalen DeBoer bolted the program to become his successor. Upon hearing the news DeBoer, who led the Huskies to a 25-3 record over the last two seasons, was leaving for southern pastures, many of the top recruits de-committed from the university, and nearly half of the current Husky players entered the transfer portal.
If that wasn’t bad enough, all three starting wide receivers (Ja’Lynn Polk, Rome Odunze, and Jalen McMillan) and the starting running back (Dillon Johnson) declared for the NFL draft. In the blink of an eye Husky football went from the cusp of greatness to a team that probably won’t have a winning season next year. What went wrong?
Absolutely nothing. The Washington Huskies are simply a victim of circumstance and an example of what the new landscape of college football looks like. It is a sobering reality, but the Husky football program cannot compete with the bluebloods of college football.
Philosophically, football is more important to the alumni and fanbase of schools like Alabama, Penn State, LSU, and Notre Dame. Those schools commit more resources to their football programs and prioritize winning football games above everything else. The University of Washington football program is the focal point of the university’s athletic department, but not the end all, be all.
The University of Washington appears to be at a disadvantage in recruiting, because of its geographic location. Top recruits primarily come from Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, or Southern California. They typically choose schools that are near where they live. It’s not impossible, though it is often more challenging to get top recruits to come up North, to the Pacific Northwest.
Traditionally, the University of Washington has not experienced sustained greatness. For every 12-0 season, there’s a 0-12 season. For every win over schools like Oregon, USC, and Texas, there are losses to Alabama, Penn State, and Michigan. UW is seen nationally as a school that can do some good things from time to time, but not a school that is committed to producing a potential national champion year after year.
“This is one of the few places, maybe the only place that I would have left to come coach at, because I understand what Alabama football is all about,” coach DeBoer said with his backhanded compliment during his introductory Alabama press conference.
In other words, the University of Washington will always be at a disadvantage to the “big schools,” and there’s nothing they can do about it. College football has evolved to a place where the rich get richer, and those trying to climb the mountain have more obstacles to overcome than just results on the football field. Good luck Husky football; you’re gonna need it.
By Cleavon Steele
