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Washington vs Michigan, CFP Championship -- Jan. 8th ESPN 6:30p CT

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LTtxfan

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Article about how old the Washington players are and how their roster was assembled...

How the College Football Playoff finalist Washington Huskies were built

If not for a season-ending injury to their sixth-year starting center, every single Washington starter would be in their fourth, fifth or sixth year of college football.

ZACH BARNETT          JAN 5, 2024

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This week, it finally clicked with me. 

I was reading a discussion online about how to classify the 2023 Michigan team, and saw a comparison of these Wolverines to past Villanova basketball teams that won national titles. Those Wildcat teams were talented, with multiple future pros, but not as a step below overall talent compared to Duke or Kentucky. 

Moving forward with the basketball analogy: Alabama and Georgia are Duke and Kentucky, juggernauts that overwhelm 95 percent of the competition on pure talent but are vulnerable to similarly-talented teams that can out-execute them through superior experience; Michigan is Villanova, a highly (but not supremely) talented team that's going to be really good year-in, year-out, but still needs time to rise from good to elite.

And if that's the case, Washington is the proverbial mid-major that surprises everyone but themselves. 

In the 247Sports team talent composite rankings, Alabama and Georgia are first and second; CFP semifinalist, and two-time Husky chow, Texas is sixth; Michigan is 14th; and Washington is 26th, one spot above 4-8 Michigan State.

Don't get it twisted: Washington is no mid-major. This team is one game away from officially joining the ultimate college football super-conference in the Big Ten (they'll host Michigan in a conference game in October). And they did not come out of nowhere. The owners of the nation's longest winning streak at 21 games, Washington started the season ranked 10th.

But the mid-major analogy tracks. This team is extremely experienced. They start one (1!) player who entered college after 2020, and that's only due to injury. If not for a season-ending injury to sixth-year senior center Matteo Mele, Washington would not start a single first-, second-, or third-year player. 

Starters by recruiting class
2023 -- 0
2022 -- 1
2021 -- 0
2020 -- 7
2019 -- 7
2018 -- 7

Starters by recruiting designation (per 247 composite)
5-stars -- 0
Top-50 recruits -- 1
Top-200 recruits -- 3
Low 4-stars -- 5
3-stars -- 12
Walk-ons -- 2

Like a mid-major, this team also runs a long-ball dependent offense that can bury opponents on the right day. The Huskies have completed 382 passes of 10-plus yards over the past two seasons; the next-closest team has hit 350. 

This Washington group is a special team experiencing a special season, and it took special circumstances to get here. Here are a few lessons from examining the Huskies roster:

-- Vacation in the Portal, but don't live there. Washington would not be in the Playoff if not for Indiana transfer Michael Penix, Jr. That goes without saying. They also wouldn't be here without starting running back Dillion Johnson (Mississippi State), wideout Ja'Lynn Polk (Texas Tech), and their best corner Jabbar Muhammad (Oklahoma State).

But those are the Huskies' only transfer starters. The entire offensive line signed with Washington out of high school. Ten of 11 defensive starters did as well.

-- Talent matters, but there's no substitute for experience. Monday night marks Penix's 45th career start, and his 48th career game. He's thrown 1,634 career passes. Nine of Washington's 11 defensive starters are fifth or sixth-year players. 

-- Even if you build an experienced team, they have to stay healthy. Washington brings 21 of 22 Day One starters into Monday night's title game. Other than center Mele, slot receiver Jalen McMillan is the only starter who's missed what I'd characterize as significant time. He missed or saw limited action in eight mid-season games, but he's returned to catch 19 balls for 215 yards and a touchdown over Washington's last three games. 

-- There are really, really good coaches at the sub-FBS level. It goes without saying Washington is not here if not for the Kalen DeBoer hire, and Kalen DeBoer became Kalen DeBoer by spending the first 17 years of his career in high school ball, the NAIA, or FCS. That obviously includes his 67-3 run over five seasons as the head coach at Sioux Falls. 

All that said, here's a look at Washington's starters as a recruits cast against what they've accomplished as college players. 

OFFENSE

QB: Michael Penix, Jr. 
As a recruit: 3-star out of Tampa (signed with Indiana in 2018) | As a player: Maxwell Trophy winner, Heisman runner-up

RB: Dillon Johnson
As a recruit: 3-star out of Greenville, Miss. (signed with Mississippi State in 2020) | As a player: Second Team All-Pac-12

WR: Rome Odunze 
As a recruit: 4-star out of Las Vegas (class of 2020) | As a player: Consensus First Team All-American, Biletnikoff Award finalist

WR: Ja'Lynn Polk
As a recruit: 3-star out of Lufkin, Texas (signed with Texas Tech in 2020) | As a player: In his third year as a collegian, a Third Team Freshman All-American in 2022

WR: Jalen McMillan
As a recruit: Top-50 recruit out of Fresno (class of 2020) | As a player: Honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2022

TE: Devin Culp
As a recruit: 3-star out of Spokane, Wash. (class of 2018) | As a player: Honorable mention All-Pac-12

LT: Troy Fautanu
As a recruit: 4-star out of Henderson, Nev. (class of 2019) | As a player: AP Third Team All-American, 2-time First Team All-Pac-12

LG: Nate Kalepo
As a recruit: 4-star out of Seattle (class of 2019) | As a player: We've reached the first Husky not to garner any all-conference honors, yet

😄 Parker Brailsford 
As a recruit: 3-star out of Scottsdale, Ariz. (class of 2022) | As a player: Consensus Freshman All-American, Second Team All-Pac-12

RG: Julius Buelow
As a recruit: 4-star out of Kapolei, Hawai'i (class of 2019) | As a player: No individual on-field awards

RT: Roger Rosengarten
As a recruit: Top-200 recruit out of Littleton, Colo. (class of 2020) | As a player: Honorable mention All-Pac-12 

DEFENSE

EDGE: Bralen Trice
As a recruit: 3-star out of Phoenix (class of 2019) | As a player: AP Third Team All-American, First Team All-Pac-12

DL: Ulumoo Ale
As a recruit: 3-star offensive tackle out of Tacoma, Wash. (class of 2018) | As a player: No individual accolades 

DL: Tuli Letuligasenoa
As a recruit: Top-125 recruit out of Concord, Calif. (class of 2018) | As a player: Second Team All-Pac-12 in 2022

EDGE: Zion Tupuloa-Fetui
As a recruit: 3-star out of Pearl City, Hawai'i (class of 2018) | As a player: Earned First Team All-Pac-12 and Second Team All-American... as a third-year player in 2020

LB: Edefuan Ulofoshio
As a recruit: Walk-on out of Las Vegas (class of 2018) | As a player: AP Third Team All-American, First Team All-Pac-12

LB: Alphonzo Tuputala
As a recruit: 3-star out of Federal Way, Wash. (class of 2019) | As a player: Honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2022

NICKEL: Mishael Powell
As a recruit: Walk-on out of Seattle (class of 2019) | As a player: No on-field accolades

CB: Jabbar Muhammad
As a recruit: 3-star out of DeSoto, Texas (signed with Oklahoma State in 2020) | As a player: Second Team All-Pac-12

SS: Dominique Hampton
As a recruit: 3-star out of Peoria, Ariz. (class of 2018) | As a recruit: Honorable Mention All-Pac-12

FS: Asa Turner
As a recruit: 4-star out of Carlsbad, Calif. (class of 2019) | As a player: Honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2022

CB: Elijah Jackson
As a recruit: 3-star out of Harbor City, Calif. (class of 2020) | As a player: No on-field accolades 

 

 

 

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TexArcher
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Every time Michigan runs for a first down against Washington, I die a little inside.

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Bogeywon

Bogeywon 2519

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7 minutes ago, Longhornstampede said:

GO BLUE. If it wasn't going to be Texas, Michigan is the only other team I would want to win it all.

Always been my 2nd favorite college football team. 

I feel the same way about Texas. Go blue and HOOK EM

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ousux

ousux 5596

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Asteroid bowl for me, especially after the behavior of U-dub players during and after our game.

Having said that I'm picking them to win it all, but if we really took out their top RB it could make them one dimensional and give the Fightin' Harbaughs the advantage. I'm not emotionally invested either way, just watching because it's the last true game of CFB for a looong time.

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bschoolprof

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Michigan by 10.  Washington can't run and can't stop the run. In all my years watching CFB, I don't ever recall a championship team with those two traits.    

Khakis will run the gameplan Sark should have pivoted to: pound the rock and keep it away from Penix.  Their pass rush and secondary is much better than ours.  I think Big Blue pulls away in the 4th.

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Juicy

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Michigan may throw less than 15 passes in this game. Corum is about Greg Jennings the shit out of this game and put the team on his back doe.

The defense built to stop Ohio state is going to help against the Washington passing attack. Make them go the length of the field, convert multiple 3rd downs, and try to make them settle for FGs.

Penix played out of his mind last week. Hopefully he doesn’t have another one in him tomorrow.

34-24 Michigan.

Go Blue!

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Macklemore

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I have always liked Michigan and have always pulled for them since they’re basically the UT of the B1G. Love their school and campus and can’t wait to play them this upcoming season. Go Big Blue. Their running game is going to win the game for them.

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choripan

choripan 790

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My prediction: Washington only wins if Penix drops dimes and plays out of his mind like he did vs Texas. Michigan will stick to the run, unlike what Texas did last week when just mashing away at Washington, and bust at least two big 30+ plays off of play action. 

With God-Penix: Wash 38, Mich 34

With anything less: Mich 34, Wash 24

 

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Surly Bevo

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First 15 or 20 minutes seems like it will be key.  Washington MO has been to click offensively early. It won’t matter much if Michigan goes on some 6.5 minute opening drive if Penix is all “lollers watch me toss this 40+ yard dime on you and score in 3-5 plays” almost every time they have the ball.  It could be demoralizing to Michigan to have to work that hard at offense and then quickly give it all back up. 
 

On the flip aide if Michigan controls clock, puts points on the board and frustrates Washington offense early the demoralizing could go the other way. 

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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 76869

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1 minute ago, CastHorn said:

Washington & Michigan fans are deep at IAH right now. Just seen a plane empty full of purple & navy, must have been a fun flight.


theyre all over my neighborhood, 2nd ward. 
 

all over downtown 

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66BUFF

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4 hours ago, Macklemore said:

I have always liked Michigan and have always pulled for them since they’re basically the UT of the B1G. Love their school and campus and can’t wait to play them this upcoming season. Go Big Blue. Their running game is going to win the game for them.

This is Big Blue

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