NEW ORLEANS — Maybe it was Arizona State (15-7). Or Stanford (42-33). Or Southern California (52-42), Oregon State (22-20) and Washington State (24-21).
Maybe it’s because Washington was the champion of the Pac-12, a collapsing league that was supposed to exist in any form for just one more game before becoming a college football footnote. There is.
Even the two wins against Oregon weren’t enough to change the narrative. Overshadowed by the big three brands in college sports, no Power Five team has ever made it to the College Football Playoff undefeated, and no team has taken a backseat to the championship race like the Huskies.
For weeks, months in fact, the Huskies have shown similar respect for playoff members Michigan, Alabama, and Texas, as well as near-missers Georgia and Ohio State, as well as the Ducks. I’ve been trying to find out.
To say the Huskies deserve a little respect from all over the country after surviving a frenetic fourth quarter to defeat the Longhorns 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl would be an understatement.
“It just adds fuel to the fire,” sophomore offensive lineman Julius Buelow said. “Everyone on the West Coast thinks we just play basketball on the grass. We hear all this stuff about softball and whatnot. But I mean, hats off to Texas. That’s the best I’ve ever played in my career. The best defensive line in the league.” It was definitely a battle. ”
Respect seems natural. If for no other reason than quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Huskies might have what it takes to beat Michigan and win the first unshared national championship in program history.
Penix had a great regular season in January with a near-perfect game. And the Huskies needed every ounce of his talent to fend off a late run by the Longhorns and produce the fourth undefeated championship game in playoff history.
“I thought he was really good at putting his foot in the pocket and resetting and throwing, which is something we know he can do,” Washington coach Karen DeBoer said. “And with a good defense like the one we faced today in Texas, he has all the tools he has and what makes him special and makes him the best player in college football in my opinion. “I had to rely on all my skill sets.” ”
His first pass in the Sugar Bowl was a 77-yarder to Jalyn Polk, a beauty that should have been wrapped in a sash and tiara. He threw in enough money to open a bank account. His accuracy would have made an atomic clock sit up and say, “Wow, that guy is accurate.”
Starting with that first attempt, Penix unleashed a series of laser-guided strikes over, under and around the fingertips of Texas defenders and into the arms of the nation’s top receiver corps, including Joe Burrow and Trevor in 2019.・Achieved the second match after Lawrence. He won the 2018 National Championship Game against Alabama as the best quarterback in College Football Playoff history.
“I always said he was different, brother,” junior running back Dillon Johnson said. “He’s a once-in-a-generation guy. He’s a leader. He’s just a rallying guy. Thank you Mike. We wouldn’t be here without him.”
The performance marked a new high point for a quarterback who has experienced incredibly painful setbacks along with success. Penix suffered season-ending injuries in each of his four years at Indiana, then transferred to Washington and finished two seasons unscathed.
“He’s been through a lot of adversity,” said All-American wide receiver Roman Odunze, who finished with six catches for 125 yards. “I always say, he was at the bottom, he was at the top, he was at the bottom again, and here he is at the top, shining in his biggest moments.”
Penix gained 430 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and completed 29 of 38 attempts. He spread the ball around, with four players making at least five catches, five of which accounted for at least 48 receiving yards.
“We will attack,” Odunze said. “At any given moment, we are in attack mode. We continue to do so. We do not change our identity because of circumstances or different events that are happening. Continue to be yourself.”
The Huskies planned three runs for Penix, who had 29 carries for -18 yards, including a sack, during the regular season, revealing a new wrinkle. He gained 31 yards on those three carries as Washington and DeBoer look for ways to offset the Longhorns’ size and strength along the defensive line.
But the Huskies relied on Penix and his arm time and time again to deliver the biggest win in program history.
He put together seven scoring drives in 12 total possessions, one of which was a knee-jerk snap before the end of the first half. Five of the scoring drives lasted at least four minutes, including a pair of field goals in the third and fourth quarters, lasting more than 10 minutes total.
“That’s just Mike,” Bulow said. “I’m not surprised, you know what I mean? He works every day. He’s the same guy every day. There’s a reason he’s the leader of this team and we’re in this position. There’s a reason why they’re there.” So I’m not surprised at all. ”
Thanks in large part to his accuracy, Penix and the offense held the ball for 36:20, well above Washington’s season average. Texas should have been able to control the line of scrimmage and take the Huskies out of their comfort zone. In fact, the opposite was true.
Flipping the script against a seemingly more physical opponent speaks to the flexibility of this offense, the adaptability of DeBoer’s scheme, and the potential for the Huskies to do the same against Michigan. scrimmage.
The Wolverines will completely change Alabama’s offense by focusing on quarterback Jalen Milroe, who ran for 63 yards on 21 carries but passed for just 116 yards on 23 attempts. I was able to do that. Michigan could try to do the same in the championship game, forcing the Huskies into a similarly sloppy, run-heavy matchup.
After pushing back against Texas, the Huskies looked more poised than ever to succeed against an opponent like the Wolverines.
“I think they need to watch this movie and do a little more homework,” Bulow said. “They can’t ignore us because of physical problems or whatever.”
And the Wolverines have never faced a quarterback close to Penix. The closest parallel may be Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa. He threw for 247 yards on Nov. 18, completing 67.7 percent of his throws, but had two interceptions in Michigan’s 31-24 win.
Penix is in a different class. On the biggest stage of his career, he showed why he is the best quarterback in college football and why Washington is on his way to a national title.
“Hey, the job’s not done yet,” Penix said. “I definitely feel like it’s going to take more time. I’m going to push myself next week to further develop this team. And, oh, we’re certainly very excited about the opportunity.”