Washington football projected to make slight improvement in 2026

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After the Washington Huskies went 9-4 in Jedd Fisch's second year at the helm, including a win over Boise State in the LA Bowl, the program is expecting to take another step forward in 2026 thanks to some promising building blocks and an infusion of young talent.

However, according to CBS Sports' Brad Crawford, it may not be enough for the Huskies to return to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2023. In an early projection of all the Big Ten teams' schedules, he predicted UW to go 9-3 in the regular season with losses at USC and Oregon, and a home defeat at the hands of the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers.

Over Fisch's first two years, the Huskies have been looking to find more success away from Husky Stadium, and the October 3 matchup with the Trojans will be a critical measuring stick to see if Washington can overcome the road woes that have plagued the young and somewhat inexperienced rosters over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

"The road schedule is unforgiving, and losses at USC and Oregon will be the setbacks that keep the Huskies out of CFP contention against competition that's built to punish mistakes at home," Crawford wrote in his reasoning.

"Outside of those trips, Washington has enough balance and experience to stack wins and stay inside the top 25 deep into November. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr., if he can steal one against the Trojans or the Ducks, could have Washington back in the playoff bracket for the first time under Jedd Fisch."

Finding a way to win at least one of those three games starts with Williams, after the Huskies averaged 9.3 points per game and 4.3 yards per play in their four losses last year. Fisch has been vocal about his junior quarterback needing to step up in the big moments, which will be critical as the Huskies search for new playmakers to step up after running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston moved on to the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington football projected to make slight improvement in 2026

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