Y’know, games between Michigan football and Washington used to mean something. The Wolverines and Huskies met four times in the Rose Bowl in the 1970s and ’80s, not to mention a College Football Playoff championship game only about 21 months ago.
And now? Big Noon Saturday. Doesn’t quite have the same gravitas, eh? (Not to mention, for the Dawgs, they’ll be barking at a Big 9 a.m. Saturday, thanks to Big Ten expansion. Well, better this than a 9 p.m. Friday game against Rutgers. Oh, wait …)
The Wolverines are looking to prove they can beat somebody from the old Pac-12 after taking a beating down in SoCal last week — and thankfully, the mighty UCLA juggernaut still isn’t on the schedule. (Yeah, we know they beat the Trojans last year. They also lost to the Huskies in Seattle then, too.) The Huskies, meanwhile, are looking to prove they’re among the Big Ten’s, ahem, top dogs (and also looking for a place to watch the Mariners’ ALCS game on Sunday if their flight gets delayed).
Who’ll get their wish? Four Free Press sports writers chime in:
Tony Garcia
The season hangs in the balance for the Wolverines and fortunately this kick time will be equivalent to a 9 a.m. body clock for the Huskies. The hope, for U-M, is Washington starts the game a bit sleepy, as the Huskies did against Maryland a few weeks back (though they scored 21 unanswered in the fourth quarter for the win). If Haynes doesn’t play, this will be tough, but U-M has largely been good at home the past two years. We will trust that to be just enough to get a much-needed victory. The pick: U-M 27, Washington 24.
Carlos Monarrez
After getting run over on the LA freeways, Michigan returns to its Midwestern pothole wonderland and sees how Washington likes the cross-country travel. The Huskies did win at Maryland and are 5-1, but they haven’t beaten any remotely good teams. Perfect time for a get-right game for the Wolverines. The pick: U-M 31, Washington 19.
Jeff Seidel
What’s the one thing Michigan does well? Run the ball. What’s one thing Washington does well? Stop the run (ranked 7th in the country, allowing 83.2 yards per game). Oh, and Washington is particularly good offensively on third down. That sounds like trouble for Michigan unless the Wolverines can win the turnover battle. The pick: Washington 28, U-M 24.
Shawn Windsor
This is the season for the Wolverines. Lose to the Huskies and a chance at the College Football Playoff is done. Yes, it’s a longshot even with a win, but USC humbled U-M in Los Angeles in every way, and while Washington is good offensively, they don’t present quite the same challenge the Trojans did. Expect the Wolverines to rebound defensively and score just enough. The pick: U-M 23, Washington 19.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football vs Washington picks, predictions for Big Ten showdown in Week 8
Reporting by Tony Garcia, Carlos Monarrez, Jeff Seidel and Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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