SEATTLE — Washington D.C doesn’t shy away from expectations or big goals after an 11-win season and the return of several national award contenders. Huskies are setting them up.
“Our expectation is the national championship,” midfielder Michael Penix Jr.. told ESPN on Monday. “It’s something we all want, and it’s something we believe we can achieve. That’s just my confidence.”
Penix, the national leader in average passes (357 yards per game) in his first season in Washington, finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy vote in 2022. Washington jumped from 114th nationally in 2021 to second last year, when coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff installed a dynamic pass scheme.
Last season, the Huskies didn’t make it to the Pac-12 championship but won their last seven games to finish eighth nationally. Several star players skipped the NFL draft to return in 2023, including Penix, the top wide receiver Rome Odunze and edge presses Trice Bralen And Zion Tupuola-Fetui.
The Pac-12 hasn’t won a national championship since USC in 2004 and no team has made it to the College Football knockouts since Washington 2016.
“I know that some people are scared to do that, like ‘What if we don’t win the national championship? The season ends in defeat’, but it would be a mistake if We’re not trying to get to the top.” Odunze, who leads the Pac-12 with 1,145 yards in 2022. “If we want to be the best version of ourselves, then what’s possible for us is the national championship. won’t shy away from that fact, and neither will we sulk and whine, if that’s not how it turns out exactly.
“We’re going to give our best and go out there and compete.”
Odunze and his teammates say their coach encourages a player-driven program, including goal-setting. He wants to help Penix become Washington’s first Heisman winner, while also trying to win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top recipient.
The fourth-year player admits Washington is “skipping steps,” but he and the others felt they were good enough to win the Pac-12 last year, despite finishing 3-6 in 2021 and undergo a change of coach.
“We all hate our positions,” says Trice. “We were crazy, we were angry, and helping our new coaches helped fuel the hunger we had. Pac-12 championship, Mike got Heisman, I hope. We’re going to get defensive player of the year and go all the way, CFP, we’re more than capable.”
Tupuola-Fetui noted that Washington’s schedule is better established for promoting the CFP. After not facing Utah and USC, who have met for the Pac-12 title in 2022, the Huskies are in the standings as are Oregon and Oregon State, as well as Boise State and Michigan State in the game. non-tournament match.
Tupuola-Fetui, the third-team member selected by the AP All-American in 2020, who won the All-Pac-12 title last year, said: “If we get out of that situation without a hitch,” said Tupuola-Fetui. spotless, you have to respect us. “SC is there, Utah is there, Boise State is a quality non-conference competitor, Michigan State. All the excuses that could have been thrown at us before were impossible, as long as we were still dealing with it. manage your business.”
Despite the Pac-12’s CFP drought, Tupuola-Fetui thinks the league is set to get through this season. Five teams won 10 or more games last season, and the league has an impressive set of quarterbacks, led by USC’s Caleb William2022 Heisman Trophy winner, along with Penix, Utah’s Cameron Tang and of Oregon Bo Nix.
Washington last won the Pac-12 in 2018 and the show’s last national championship was in 1991.
“We don’t underestimate the potential of this team,” said Tupuola-Fetui. “We have a lot of people who may have been in the draft last year who decided to come back. It’s not common. Being open about what we want, that keeps us on the right track towards it. why we come every day.”
