On paper, it’s a step down for the Washington Huskies.
Last season they were in the College Football Playoff and played Michigan for the CFP national championship game. Head coach Kalen DeBoer then left for the vacancy at Alabama and the Huskies were hit with a ton of turnover. Jedd Fisch came in from Arizona for the opportunity to bring the Huskies back to the top, but in Year 1 he finished with a 6-6 record and a berth in the Sun Bowl against Louisville.
That is, objectively, a step down from the CFP and in general, the 12-game CFP has seemed to have the effect of devaluing some of the lesser bowl games on the schedule that aren’t a part of that playoff.
Fisch could be disappointed at Washington, and perhaps internally he is, but on the outside, he’s made it clear that he absolutely sees value for his team in playing in the Sun Bowl — or any non-CFP bowl game for that matter.
“I don’t like the fact that people don’t give credit to bowl games. I think bowl games are exactly what they were, and people have decided not to make them that,” Fisch said in a news conference (h/t On3).
He went on to say that he views this game as an opportunity for his players. They are the ones who put in all the blood, sweat and tears throughout the offseason and regular season, and now they have a chance to play one more game and win something meaningful in the process.
That shouldn’t be devalued, per Fisch. He and his players are taking the opportunity to play Louisville seriously.
“I don’t think it matters if you’ve won six and you’re 6-6 or if you’ve won nine and you’re 9-3 — if you have a chance to play in a bowl game, it should be a championship mentality, a championship opportunity, and our goal is to go into that bowl game and win,” the Washington head coach said. “Our goal is to go into that bowl game and compete at the highest level. Play our absolute best. Practice our hardest.”
Washington does have a test ahead of it in this 8-4 Louisville team. Louisville hung with all the ranked teams it played this season and even beat Clemson, 33-21, when the Tigers were ranked No. 11. Clemson, of course, went on to win the ACC Championship, so this is a Louisville team that won’t just roll over for the Huskies.
And it sounds like Fisch wouldn’t have it any other way.
