SEATTLE — In one Seattle-based conversation, people might be talking about a certain West Coast conference's 108-year history and its imminent demise. In another one, people might be discussing a certain Midwest conference and how its recent acquisitions will shape college football for decades to come.
But in between those chats about the past and future should be one involving these present-day Huskies, who have the chance to achieve something on the football field we haven't seen in a long time — and might not see again anytime soon.
A year ago, the Huskies — like other schools in the Pac-12 — were essentially in audition mode. In the wake of UCLA's and USC's announcement that they would leave for the Big Ten, the Dawgs had to impress in order to latch on to a power conference and not be left behind, a la Washington State.
Well, impress they did — going 11-2 last season and finishing eighth in the country behind a core of teams that remains virtually intact. So now, with the school moving to the Big Ten next year, the financial future of Washington athletics is more secure than most of its athletic brethren's.
That's either a sigh of relief or a punch in the gut depending on how you feel about college football these days. But perhaps lost amid all this realignment talk is that the Huskies have a legitimate chance to reach the College Football Playoff and compete for a title — and it could be a while before that sentence is written again.
Did you get caught up in the realignment news? Huskies receiver Jalen McMillan was asked Wednesday.
"Not really," said McMillan, who turns off social media during fall camp. "When the news dropped, everyone was talking about it, but as players, we just want to win the game and win the national championship."
It was McMillan, remember, who predicted a "natty" after the Huskies beat Texas in the Alamo Bowl last December to cap their top-10 season.
Ambitious? Sure. Improbable? Yes. Completely out of the question? Not sure you can say that.
This is a team bringing back Michael Penix Jr., the quarterback who led the nation in passing yards per game last year and finished eighth in the Heisman voting. This is a team bringing back wide receiver Rome Odunze, who made first-team All-Pac-12 last year. Second-team offensive lineman Troy Fautanu also comes back, as does first-team edge player Bralen Trice.
Yes, Washington did have the benefit of avoiding USC and Utah last season, the two schools that met in the Pac-12 title game. And yes, the Trojans bring back Heisman winner Caleb Williams, as QB Cam Rising returns to the Utes and QB Bo Nix rejoins Oregon. But anybody who watched Penix's final seven games last season — all of which ended in Huskies wins — saw a potential first-round NFL draft pick who could very well snatch up college football's top individual honor next season.
The thing about the Huskies, though, is that they're more Lake Washington deep than they are Pacific Ocean. This isn't an Alabama or Ohio State or even USC situation, in which an abundance of five-star recruits are lying in wait behind the upperclassmen.
When the likes of Penix and Odunze and others go, the program is at a serious risk to dip to the middle, save for an A-list transfer-portal haul. In other words, while a Pac-12 title (and beyond) would be a great jumping-off point before changing conferences, if you're a UW fan — don't forget to enjoy this season.
That doesn't mean that Washington — picked to finish second in the Pac-12 by the media — is going to coast into the conference title game. They do play USC and Utah this year, and have their annual matchups with Oregon and Oregon State. Each of those programs has a chance to wear the league crown by season's end, and given that ESPN's Power Index predicts the Huskies to win (roughly) eight games next season, any semblance of complacency would be a grave error.
Such contentment is unlikely to happen. But it's not all that likely that Washington is in this type of position next year.
Lots to reminisce about when it comes to this team and conference. Lots to contemplate going forward, too. Just don't forget about the here and now.
Conference realignment was the most colossal story to hit UW sports in years, if not decades. Perhaps in a few months' time, the 2023 Huskies can provide even bigger news
