Coming out of last season, Washington had a lot of momentum. The Huskies went 9-4 with the duo of Jedd Fisch and Demond Williams Jr. entering their third year together. It seemed like Washington was set up to be a dark horse Big Ten championship contender, but those hopes have been derailed rather quickly.
Following back-to-back losses to Minnesota and USC the Huskies are 0-2 in the Big Ten, 3-2 overall and may have to battle just to reach bowl eligibility if things don't improve soon. The million dollar question is why haven't Fisch and Washington been able to capitalize on that nine-win season last fall. Despite some key losses on offense, Williams was supposed to be one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
Instead, he's plateaued as the Huskies have faced tougher competition. There are still seven games left for Washington to get back on track, but the road won't get any easier. Between Williams' struggles and a markedly more difficult road ahead, the Huskies are poised to take a step back after beginning the season with eyes on another nine-win campaign.
Allow me to propose the idea that the 2025 version of Washington wasn't drastically better than the 2026 version. The biggest difference between the teams -- and their final records -- might be the schedule. Last fall, the Huskies played the third-easiest schedule in the Big Ten, according to ESPN FPI.
Only Nebraska and Maryland had easier paths. Looking ahead for the rest of this season, Washington faces the fifth-toughest remaining strength of schedule. Washington deserves credit for taking advantage of a soft Big Ten slate last year, but the team's resume is relatively easy to pick apart in hindsight.
Against conference opponents with winning records, the Huskies went 1-3. That record improved to 4-1 against Big Ten opponents with losing records. Four of Washington's wins last fall came against Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue and UCLA.
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