Bow Down to Washington!
What an epic year for the University of Washington football team.
The Huskies are undefeated, finishing the regular season with a narrow victory in the Apple Cup game against the Washington State University Cougars. The Huskies had not won all their games since 1991.
Team Quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, which is the highest individual honor in college football. It’s the best placement for a UW team member ever and Penix’ second time being voted in to the top ten.
UW went on to win the Pac-12 Championship game, defeating the University of Oregon Ducks, another significant local rival. The win earned the Huskies the number two seed for the College Football Playoffs and a spot in the upcoming Sugar Bowl, which will be held on January 1 in New Orleans. A victory there would mean a spot in the National Championship Game on January 8.
All of this is perhaps even more meaningful due to the likely end of the Pac-12. Formed as the Pacific Coast Conference in 1915 in Portland, the Huskies and Ducks are original members, with the Cougars joining one year later. The division expanded gradually in the west to become the Pac-12. However, ten of the member teams will join other conferences next season.
The Huskies are moving on to the Big Ten in 2024. Fortunately, the local rivalries will live on. UW and WSU have formed an agreement to keep the Apple Cup going through 2028 and the Huskies will play the Ducks, who will also be in the Big Ten, in their final game of the 2024 regular season.
For now, it’s not too late to catch the Huskies in New Orleans. Alaska Airlines has added six extra nonstop flights to its schedule for UW Fans!