The 2025 Washington football Huskies have started the year playing well, but the schedule ramps up this week with Ohio State visiting Seattle. The Huskies are undefeated with a 3-0 record, but the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are a massive leap from the teams they played previously. However, if the Huskies beat the Buckeyes, they will announce themselves as players in the College Football Playoff race this season.
FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt passionately defended the Huskies on “The Joel Klatt Show” and thought they deserved to be ranked heading into the matchup against the Buckeyes this week. He did not hold back in his criticism of the Associated Press poll this week, blasting voters for leaving Washington completely off their ballots.
“The AP poll is such a joke,” Klatt said. “Washington got zero votes in the AP poll. Are you guys willfully ignorant or just ignorant? Because that’s a joke.”
Klatt argued that this year's Washington football team deserved far more respect due to Demond Williams Jr.'s play at quarterback, the success of Jedd Fisch, and running back Jonah Coleman playing well.
“This is a legitimate team with the second-longest win streak at home in all of college football, and they don’t have one vote in the AP poll,” Klatt said. “What a joke. What a joke.”
He also said that the fact that the Huskies play on the West Coast, with games kicking off later, could be a factor in why they have not gotten more respect. He added that betting markets have shown more faith in the Huskies than pollsters, citing the shrinking line in Saturday’s home matchup against No. 1 Ohio State.
“That game against Ohio State started like an 11-point line,” Klatt said. “It’s been bet all the way down. Why? Because the public is smarter than the AP. Period. Facts.”
As senior college football writer Chris Vannini also pointed out, Washington has had an awful schedule up to this point in the season, but with Ohio State coming to town, voters will adjust.
He said, “Washington's schedule thus far is 133rd in the country. Their three opponents are 1-5 against FBS teams. They haven't played anybody, so they haven't moved. Now they play OSU so that voters will adjust. It's SEPTEMBER. Let's relax.”
The key for Washington will be Demond Williams Jr. running this offense. Ryan Day and Matt Patricia praised him glowingly, comparing him to Kyler Murray. If Washington wins, it will be due to him.
