The Huskies have officially booked their ticket to the College Football Playoff. Before Washington football plays for its chance to win the national title, though, Michael Penix Jr. could make just as significant an individual history—especially after his performance in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Penix led Washington a thrilling 34-31 win over Oregon on Friday night in Las Vegas, earning the Huskies their first conference crown since 2018. The senior signal-caller went 27-of-39 for 319 yards, one score and one interception against the Ducks, putting his team up 10 midway through the fourth quarter when an 82-yard drive culminated in a two-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Moore.
The win keeps the Huskies perfect at 13-0, effectively clinching them a spot in the Rose or Sugar Bowl for a national semifinal. Kalen DeBoer's team was third in the latest College Football Playoff rankings that were unveiled earlier this week. The question now isn't whether Washington will get a bid to the Playoff, but who they'll face on New Year's Day with the opportunity to play for a national championship on the line.
But now isn't quite the time for Washington to worry about its next opponent. On the postgame podium celebrating their Pac-12 crowning, all the Huskies seemed concerned about was promoting Penix's case for the Heisman Trophy.
Penix will no doubt be a finalist for college football's top individual honor after finishing eighth in the voting a year ago. He'll take a resumé reading 3,899 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, eight interceptions and 65.6% completion rate into New York on December 10th, not to mention an undefeated record.
Will it be enough for Penix to become the first Heisman winner in Washington history? That's up to the voters to decide, but Penix's case was objectively strong before Friday night. After winning the last Pac-12 championship, his Heisman credentials are even stronger.
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