The Pac-12 schedule is out. Again.
(Again.)
After the Saturday morning announcement of the newest 2020 football schedule slated to begin the weekend of Nov. 6-7, each Pac-12 team now knows the opponent and location for its first six games — five against division opponents plus one crossover game against a team from the opposite division. Every team also is guaranteed a seventh game the weekend of the Pac-12 championship, but those matchups will be determined at a later date.
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(For updated coverage of today’s Pac-12 schedule release, see The Athletic’s breaking news headline here.)
For now, we examine what this means for Washington and rank the Huskies’ first six games from least to most interesting. We carried out the same exercise on UW’s original, normal-times schedule back in January, but with so many transfers and NFL Draft declarations since then, it’s worth revisiting where each team currently stands. With no Michigan on the schedule, UW’s most interesting games will all come away from Husky Stadium — but with no fans allowed in the seats, that might not be the worst thing.
No. 6: vs. Arizona, Nov. 21
2019 record:4-8 overall, 2-7 in Pac-12 (6th in South Division)
Coach (record):Kevin Sumlin (9-15 in two seasons at Arizona, 95-58 in 12 seasons overall)
Key returning players:QB Grant Gunnell, RB Gary Brightwell, WR Jamarye Joiner, CB Lorenzo Burns
Key losses:QB Khalil Tate, RB J.J. Taylor, WR Cedric Peterson, CB Jace Whittaker, WR Brenden Schooler, LB Colin Schooler, LB Tony Fields II
No griping necessary for the Huskies on the crossover draw. They were originally scheduled to host Arizona and Colorado from the South Division in 2020, so it makes sense they would be matched up with one of those teams in this format. The Huskies used a second-half burst to pull away from the Wildcats for a 51-27 victory in Tucson last year. Arizona quarterback Grant Gunnell did end up playing a lot last year, so the transition from Khalil Tate to Gunnell as the full-time starter should be fairly seamless. But it hasn’t gone well for Sumlin in the desert so far — particularly defensively — and the Wildcats lost a few key players to transfers during the pandemic. This is a welcome draw for the Huskies.
No. 5: vs. Oregon State, Nov. 14
2019 record:5-7 overall, 4-5 in Pac-12 (T-2nd in North Division)
Coach (record):Jonathan Smith (7-17 in two seasons at OSU and overall)
Key returning players:RB Jermar Jefferson, WR Tyjon Lindsey, WR Trevon Bradford, LB Hamilcar Rashed Jr., LB Avery Roberts
Key losses:QB Jake Luton, RB Artavis Pierce, WR Isaiah Hodgins, TE Noah Togiai, OT Blake Brandel, S Shawn Wilson
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Overview: UW’s home opener was supposed to come against Michigan on Sept. 5 with 70,000-plus in the seats. Instead, it comes in mid-November in an empty stadium against the Beavers — just a slight difference. OSU showed pluck last season and nearly made a bowl game, but Jonathan Smith has a lot of important talent to replace, particularly at quarterback and receiver. The good news for OSU: The Beavers haven’t had any reported opt-outs and it even appears Hamilcar Rashed, their star edge rusher, plans to stick around for the season. Don’t count OSU out, but this isn’t a game the Huskies should lose.
Oregon State’s Jermar Jefferson rushing for 685 yards in 2019. (Casey Sapio / USA Today)
No. 4: vs. Stanford, Dec. 5
2019 record:4-8 overall, 3-6 in Pac-12 (T-5th in North Division)
Coach (record):David Shaw (86-34 in nine seasons at Stanford and overall)
Key returning players:QB Davis Mills, WR Michael Wilson, WR Simi Fehoko, C Drew Dalman, CB Kyu Blu Kelly
Key losses:QB K.J. Costello, RB Cameron Scarlett, TE Colby Parkinson, LB Andrew Pryts, LB Casey Toohill, OT Walker Little, CB Paulson Adebo
Overview: As it currently stands, this will be the first December game at Husky Stadium since 2009, when the Huskies hosted California, also on the fifth of the month. A lot has changed for the Cardinal since last season ended. First, they lost K.J. Costello, who grad-transferred to Mississippi State and threw for a zillion yards last week against LSU. Then they lost Walker Little and Paulson Adebo to the NFL Draft during the pandemic. The key to improvement this season will be keeping their offensive line healthy and finding some playmakers for Davis Mills to throw the ball to. Depending on how the season plays out, this could be a trap game for the Huskies, with the big date at Oregon looming the following week.
No. 3: at Washington State, Nov. 27 (Friday)
2019 record:6-7 overall, 3-6 in Pac-12 (T-5th in North Division); lost to Air Force in the Cheez-It Bowl
Coach (record):Nick Rolovich (first season at WSU, 28-27 in four seasons overall)
Key returning players:RB Max Borghi, OT Abe Lucas, LB Jahad Woods, LB Justus Rogers, S Skyler Thomas
Key losses:QB Anthony Gordon, WR Easop Winston, WR Brandon Arconado, WR Dezmon Patmon, WR Tay Martin, NT Misiona Aiolupotea-Pei, CB Marcus Strong
Overview: The Cougars already were losing a bunch of receiving production and then one of their top returners, Tay Martin, transferred to Oklahoma State during the pandemic. It’s still going to be interesting to see what Nick Rolovich comes up with in Year 1 as WSU transitions from the Air Raid to the Run-and-Shoot offense. Rolovich needs to find a new starting quarterback to replace Anthony Gordon — sophom*ore lefty Cammon Cooper, perhaps? — but the Cougars have some experience returning on the offensive line, and junior running back Max Borghi is the best player on the team. (Note that this was the originally scheduled date for the Apple Cup, the day after Thanksgiving, as usual.)
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No. 2: at Cal, Nov. 7
2019 record:8-5 overall, 4-5 in Pac-12 (T-2nd in North Division); beat Illinois in the Redbox Bowl
Coach (record):Justin Wilcox (20-18 in three seasons at Cal and overall)
Key returning players:QB Chase Garbers, RB Christopher Brown Jr., WR Nikko Remigio, LB Kuony Deng, OLB Cameron Goode
Key losses:LB Evan Weaver, S Ashtyn Davis, CB Camryn Bynum, S Jaylinn Hawkins, DE Luc Bequette
Overview: I would have put Cal on the (very) short list of teams the Huskies did not want to see in their opener because even though the Golden Bears lost players such as Evan Weaver, Ashtyn Davis and Camryn Bynum, they still have a solid defensive foundation and will really test UW’s new-look offense and first-year starting quarterback. Chase Garbers is the only returning starting quarterback in the division, and one of only four in the conference. Plus, the Bears have beaten the Huskies two years in a row, and Cal is one of only two teams on UW’s schedule that had a winning record last season. And this game is on the road, even if that means less this year than ever. It’s not an ideal start, but hey, at least it’s interesting.
No. 1: at Oregon, Dec. 12
2019 record:12-2, 8-1 in Pac-12 (1st in North Division); beat Utah in the Pac-12 title game and Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl
Coach (record):Mario Cristobal (48-54 in eight-plus seasons overall; 21-7 in two-plus seasons at Oregon)
Key returning players: RB CJ Verdell, WR Johnny Johnson III, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, NT Jordon Scott, LB Mase Funa, LB Isaac Slade-Matautia
Key losses:OT Penei Sewell, QB Justin Herbert, TE Jacob Breeland, WR Juwan Johnson, OT Calvin Throckmorton, G Shane Lemieux, LB Troy Dye, CB Thomas Graham Jr., CB Deommodore Lenoir, S Jevon Holland
Overview: No Pac-12 team has lost more talent from its original 2020 roster, as Penei Sewell, Thomas Graham, Deommodore Lenoir and Jevon Holland all declared for the draft at some point during the pandemic. But this still is a talented team coming off the momentum of a Rose Bowl victory, and this game could have major North Division title implications since it’s the finale of the six-game regular season. Both teams — with new offensive coordinators and new starting quarterbacks — will have five weeks to find themselves a bit before renewing the rivalry. Besides adjusting to their new scheme, the Ducks’ priority will be putting together an entirely new No. 1 offensive line — with no Sewell to anchor it — and replacing all the talent they lost in the secondary the past few months. The Ducks’ cross-division draw (UCLA) is also favorable, so it’s possible Oregon could be 5-0 going into this game.
(Photo of Tuli Letuligasenoa: Christopher Mast / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
