Let’s start learning about our newest conference foes
Hello TOC! First and foremost, sorry for the hiatus in new articles. I think most of you get it, though. Not much to cover right now in these dog days of the offseason. But I have this for you today, and I am working on getting similar articles for the other three B1G newcomers, though those writers are proving harder to track down.
I sat down with Mark Schafer from UW Dawg Pound to discuss the Washington Huskies. Here is what he had to say.
TOC: What were your initial thoughts when you heard that Washington was going to join the Big Ten? How have those thoughts changed since then? Is there any sadness about the disappearance of the Pac 12 Conference?
MS: After the initial shock wore off, I think that this was the best move for UW in the long term, even though I was incredibly upset about the breakup of the PAC 12, and the inaction of the university presidents to get a favorable media deal (which was the match that lit the whole powder keg of realignment in the first place). I do think that this year is going to be an adjustment for sure, because the regionality of the whole ecosystem of college sports has been replaced.
TOC: What are your thoughts about the increased travel that Huskies teams will now have to do for games? In this upcoming football season, you do play your three former Pac 12 conference foes, but you also have road games at Rutgers, Iowa, Indiana, and Penn State. Do you think this disadvantages the west coast teams? For example, MSU only travels west for one game this season while having the rest of its games in the Midwest and east coast.
MS: The Iowa-IU back-to-back is softened slightly by the fact that there’s a bye week in between, but the Rutgers game is on a Friday night in Piscataway, so traveling pretty much as far as you possibly can, on a short week, could lead to the Huskies coming out slow, or give Rutgers the momentum early. This was actually the impetus for Jedd Fisch changing up the spring practice routines for his first year, holding spring practices outside, and having the Spring Game kick off at 6:30 at night on Friday. We’ll see if this pays dividends, or if this move will end up backfiring. To answer your question, I think West Coast teams will have to prep differently, and we will see if they’re prepared, but I wouldn’t say that they’re disadvantaged necessarily.
TOC: Washington obviously had a great season last year. How much talent from that team is returning? Who will be replacing Michael Penix at QB? Do you think Washington can be an instant contender in their new conference?
MS: The returning talent is not very much, I’m afraid. Almost all of the starters on offense have departed, either for the NFL or different schools after the coaching change, but on defense, the linebackers (Carson Bruener, Alphonzo Tuputala) are probably our 2 most experienced players. Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers will replace Michael Penix, giving UW an experienced hand at the controls of new coach Jedd Fisch’s offense. the Huskies got plenty of help in the portal though, and Fisch has proven to be a solid recruiter. I think this year, the Huskies could make a bowl game, and be set up to contend, that is if they can hold on to Fisch for more than 2 years.
TOC: Speaking of Michael Penix, I was a big fan of his work at Washington, and I believed he may have even been the most talented of the QBs heading to the NFL draft this past April. But he seems to have landed in the worst situation of the six QBs selected in the first round. I am still baffled by that selection. What were your thoughts of Penix’s pro prospects before the draft? Are you upset with where he was picked? What are your expectations for his pro career at this point?
MS: Michael Penix rose up draft boards after a great senior bowl and Pro Day. I slowly warmed to the idea that he could be a first round pick, but I didn’t think he was going to go eighth. I was surprised, but I wasn’t upset. If anything, I was happy for him, because somebody in the Falcons organization saw what we all saw for 2 years. But, I do think the second Penix uncorks a 50 yard bomb in the preseason, people are going to call for him to start. Realistically, let’s assume Kirk Cousins plays this season. Penix will be a backup for 2 years, and then be ready to come in and quarterback the Falcons.
TOC: Enough about football. The Big Ten is a very deep conference when it comes to basketball. Is the Huskies hoops squad ready for life in the Big Ten?
MS: First year coach Danny Sprinkle is going to have a tough task ahead of him, rebuilding the program that had caused a malaise to set in among fans during the Mike Hopkins era. So far, at least, he has done a phenomenal job, saying all the right things and getting a few big commitments in the transfer portal (most notably forward Great Osobor following his coach from Utah State). The floor now should be a tournament berth, as this is a solid roster with room to grow.
The Big Ten is incredibly competitive, however, and teams like Michigan, Purdue, and yes, Michigan State, will not be easy wins for the Huskies in this brave new world.
TOC: Bonus Question: What is one thing Big Ten fans should know about the University of Washington?
MS: UW is a very scenic campus, and Big Ten fans have no doubt heard about the environment inside Husky Stadium. As somebody who has attended games both before and after the renovation in 2013, the atmosphere is electric, and it is absolutely worth a visit if you’ve never been. The Huskies are also a powerhouse in rowing and softball, having won 20 National Championships in rowing (most recently this year), and being a near constant presence in the softball tournament and College World Series, winning a championship in 2009. Softball coach Heather Tarr is one of the best of all time and has built a juggernaut, but has recently seen a surge in exits from the program, which will test her mettle as a recruiter in this new age of college sports.
TOC would like to thank Mark Schafer for his contributions to this article. Welcome to Big Ten Country.
OK, TOC, I am asking for your help until some new talent is brought on around here and I am not flying this plane alone. It was discussed in the last comments section. If you would like to pen a fanpost and have me put it on the main page, please email me the article at theonlycolorseditors@gmail.com. I will make an article of it and make sure everyone knows you wrote it.
One more favor to ask you all. I have started my own blog, O For 4 , to give myself the opportunity to write about sports beyond East Lansing. It would mean everything if you all would check it out. I will be putting out a new column once a week to discuss recent topics. And there is even a comments section at the bottom so I know you all will love it! Thanks in advance.