Washington’s stay in the Associated Press Top 25 is over, and after Saturday’s loss to Minnesota, the Huskies didn’t even crack the vote-getters list.
The Huskies fell 27-24 to the Golden Gophers on Sept. 26 in Seattle, opening Big Ten play with a loss that dropped Washington to 3-1. When the AP released its latest poll Sunday, there was no Washington to be found among the nation’s top 25 teams - and no votes at all for the Huskies.
That’s a sharp turn for a team that started the season at No. 17 in the country. Washington slipped to No. 19 after beating Washington State, then disappeared from the poll entirely after its win over Utah State.
Even so, the Huskies were still the highest vote-getting team outside the Top 25 after their Week 2 and Week 3 wins. Now, they’re fully off the board.
The Big Ten still had plenty of representation in the poll. Ohio State checked in at No.
5, Indiana at No. 6, Iowa at No.
14, Oregon at No. 15, USC at No. 18 and UCLA at No.
- UCLA’s ranking is its first of the season after spending the first four weeks unranked.
A few other Big Ten teams hovered just outside the rankings. Wisconsin led that group with 102 votes, followed by Penn State with 98, Michigan with 54, Nebraska with 36, Minnesota with seven and Northwestern with one.
Washington’s next two chances to climb back into the national picture come against ranked opponents. The Huskies travel to No.
18 USC at 4:30 p.m. PT on Oct. 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, then return home to face No.
14 Iowa at 6 p.m. PT on Oct. 9 at Husky Stadium.
In Other News...
USC Heads To Washington With One Huge Concern After Oregon Loss
USC left Eugene with a 41-27 loss to Oregon in a top-20 matchup, but the Trojans still got a few useful offensive signs heading into their trip to Washington. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt was the most productive pass catcher, finishing with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, while King Miller chipped in 74 rushing yards to help keep the offense moving at times.
The bigger issue came on the other side of the ball, where Jahkeem Stewart returned to the lineup but the Trojans also lost Desman Stephens II after he was ejected for targeting on a hit to Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. With Washington next on the schedule, USC will have to sort through both the emotional and competitive fallout from a physical game that ended with Moore injured and taken to the hospital. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Just Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Loss
Washingtons loss to Minnesota landed as more than a bad night in September. The Huskies went in as double-digit favorites and came out with a 27-24 defeat that raised real questions about where this offense is headed, especially with Demond Williams still trying to settle in and Jedd Fischs playcalling suddenly under the microscope.
The deeper concern is how many pieces were already working against Washington before the result ever became a headline. Injuries have thinned the backfield, the run game has not offered much help, and the protection problems have left the offense too vulnerable when drives stall. For a team with bigger goals, the issue now is not just one upset, but whether this version of the Huskies has enough answers to keep winning the games left on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Jedd Fisch Just Put Washingtons Biggest USC Concern Into Focus
Jedd Fisch spent part of his postgame assessment of Washingtons 27-24 loss to Minnesota circling the same theme that has followed the Huskies at different points this season: execution, especially on third downs. He touched on the offensive and defensive lapses that helped turn a winnable game into a setback, while also noting quarterback Drake Lindseys play, the protection in front of him and the continued growth of young tailbacks Brian Bonner and Trey Cooley.
For a Washington team heading into a tougher stretch, the bigger concern may be what the roster looks like when the Huskies try to clean it up. Fisch also updated several injury and eligibility situations, including Landen Hatchett, Christian Moss, Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei and Rahshawn Clark, leaving a few key pieces in varying states of limbo. Those answers matter even more with the line and skill positions already under scrutiny, and theyll be worth watching closely as the USC week conversation starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]