One full calendar year ago the Washington Huskies were on nobody’s radar.  However, after an 11-2 season, finishing th in the nation and tops in the Pac-12 Conference there are many believers around the country as Kalen DeBoer has his Huskies at 10th in the nation in the 2023 AP Poll.

With returning the core of its statistical offensive production there are

“I could see them rated higher,” said RealDawg.com’s Trevor Mueller.  “The Huskies return the core of their offensive production and one of the top defensive lines in the nation and have answered most of the questions in the defensive backfield on a team that finished seventh last season.”

Could the ranking will put a chip on the Huskies’ shoulder?

“I think DeBoer will embrace the rankings for what it is–someone else’s opinion before a single play has been run.

“We didn’t win a thing last year,” Washington receiver coach JaMarcus Shephard said.  “It’s Us versus Us, now.”

The poll includes 4 Washington opponents this year with USC at 6, Utah and Oregon back-to-back at 14th and 15th respectively and Oregon State at 18.

Interestingly, UW is 2nd in the Pac-12 behind USC but if this poll was next season the Huskies would be 4th in the Big 10 behind Michigan, Ohio State, USC, and Penn State.

Washington opens the regular season at home at Husky Stadium on September 2 at 12:30 pm against the unranked Boise State Broncos.