The college football offseason is almost over as we are halfway through July. The season will get going in about a month and a half, and college football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but also because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that just came out in mid July. All in all, it’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Washington football fans. The Huskies have a big season ahead of them.
This college football season is going to be a big one for a number of reasons. The sport is going through big changes, and some of those changes are going to be seen for the first time this season. Let’s take a look at what some of them are.
First off, there are going to be some new rules seen this year in college football, and some fans aren’t really in favor of them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning. Fans have already started getting sick at all of the commercials that are happening in today’s era of college football, and the two-minute warning is another way for tv networks to get more commercial times in.
The bigger changes, however, come with conference realignment and the expanded College Football Playoff. College football is going to look completely different next year because of those two things. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has shaken things up big time in college football. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams and seem on the verge of forming two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren’t in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it’s hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Washington football
The Washington football team was one of the best teams in college football last year as they went 12-0 in the regular season, won the Pac-12 and made it all the way to the national championship game. The Huskies magical run came to an end in that final game as they lost to Michigan, but it was still an incredible year.
Shortly after the national title loss, head coach Kalen DeBoer announced that he was leaving. Nick Saban retired from his duties as the head coach at Alabama, and DeBoer is now leading the Crimson Tide. He had done a remarkable job with the Huskies, so it was unfortunate that Washington lost him.
Now, Washington has former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch leading the way. Fisch had a similar run with the Wildcats to DeBoer's run with the Huskies. He more than exceeded expectations.
Losing Kalen DeBoer was unfortunate, but Washington football could not have asked for a better replacement than Jedd Fisch. What he was able to do with Arizona last year was extremely impressive, and he is going to be able to lead this Washington team to big things. However, it make take a year or two.
Not only did Washington lose their head coach, but they also lost just about every single starter from last year's team. The Huskies are not bringing back much, but here are their best returners.
Elijah Jackson, CB
Elijah Jackson was a playmaker on this Washington defense last season, and he will need to have another big year if this unit is going to keep up in the Big Ten. In 2023, he racked up 43 total tackles, five passes defended and he also forced two fumbles. Jackson is certainly going to be one of the most important defenders on this team, and he is also one of the most experienced. He is going to have a very big role this year and there will be a lot of younger guys looking up to him.
Giles Jackson, WR
Giles Jackson is getting set for his fifth season of college football and his third season with the Washington football team. He spent the first two years of his career at Michigan before transferring over to the Huskies. He is definitely one of the most experienced guys on this team, and he should be one of the main targets for new quarterback Will Rogers, who transferred over from Mississippi State. Jackson had 28 catches for 328 yards and one touchdown in 2022, so he is capable of putting up some good numbers.
Carson Bruener, LB
Carson Bruener is arguably the most important player coming back on this Washington defense. He had a big 2023 season as he finished the year with 43 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception. He will have a similar role as Elijah Jackson in terms of leadership and playing time. He is another player that is going to need to step up big time this season as he is one of the few experienced guys on the team.
Washington football certainly has to reload after losing a lot of talent from 2023, and these returners that have experience are going to be extremely crucial for their success. They need to have big years on the field, but their roles off the field might end up being more important for the team's overall success.
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