Husky quarterback, Jake Browning made a bold statement this week while talking to the media about the Pac-12. He addressed his critics, but also talked about his time at Washington, and where the program is now compared to what it was before he got to Seattle.
While saying it’s best to let the fans decide what that legacy is, however, Browning also pointed out that he knows he has had some big critics.
“People are ready for the next thing”, Browning said, “Sucks for them because I’m still here.”
In retrospect?
He’s gotten UW to the mountain: The College Football Playoff, and getting over that mountain and into the promised land is when you win it all.
As we all know from Sunday School, sometimes the guy that leads everyone up the mountain might not be the same guy to get all the way to the promised land, but just getting to the mountain is a huge accomplishment.
For those who continue to bleat about how Browning “just can’t win the big games”, the fact is that there would be no “big games” if not for Jake Browning. Not everyone gets a shot at Alabama or Penn State in the College Football Playoff Semi-Final or the Fiesta Bowl.
If you look back to before Browning took his first snap at Washington, the last quarterback at UW to take Washington to a Pac-12 (then, Pac-10) title was Marcus Tuiasosopo.
No Husky quarterback has done it since, except for Jake Browning.
So if fans have “Jake-Lash” and want to keep bleating until the Rose Bowl for what Browning didn’t do, you have to also give him credit for what he did do:
[icon name=”angle-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Two Pac-12 championships
[icon name=”angle-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] One College Football Playoff berth
[icon name=”angle-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Three double-digit win seasons in a row
Message boards and Twitter are very manipulated — anyone can be anyone. I cover UW and yet I could sign up and say I am a Stanford fan and start ripping on Stanford players and recruits — which makes Stanford’s fans look bad.
The social media (and talk radio) piling-on of Jake Browning has been incredible by actual Husky fans; fans who obviously have a miserable outlook on college football in general and seem to forget about the depths of horror this program was in just 10 years ago.
It’s frustrating, I get that — everyone wants to win it all. Yet Washington is the clear Pac-12 champion the last two out of three seasons — and this year they’re back in the Rose Bowl.
This is what the Huskies are supposed to do, right? Win the conference. Go to the Rose Bowl. Stay in the Top 10. Except now we have the College Football Playoff too — and Browning got them there too.
So there are three losses this year — let’s break these losses down.
Auburn — Washington loses 21-16. Jake Browning threw a touchdown that got called back. Good throw, poor execution by the receiver (illegal pick). Browning gets blamed for that loss.
Oregon — Browning outplayed Justin Herbert in every facet. In the second half he was 7 for 7 and put the Huskies in a position to win — the kicker missed it. Browning gets the blame.
Cal — Coach Petersen knew there were issues with the offense; Myles Gaskin was out, the starting left tackle was out, the back up left tackle, was out, and Hunter Bryant was still out. Browning gets pulled, the back up goes in and throws a pick and Washington loses 10-12.
Browning got blamed for that loss — but he wasn’t the one who threw the pick.
“Definitely some games we wish we could have maybe had a play or two different,” he said this week at a press event for the Rose Bowl, “But I think there’s some peace of mind that I’ve been able to work really hard and put as much effort and energy into this as I can”.
There are 11 starters on offense and they all have to play in sync — If there are missing pieces it doesn’t work together.
In fact, after the Cal game the Huskies had all five starters on the line together for their remaining four games, and they won every game. Up until then, the starting five had been different every single week due to injuries.
So what’s Jake Browning’s legacy? He said it best, himself:
“I think the Pac-12 runs through Washington”, he said, “I don’t see that changing.”
