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The Washington Huskies have gotten off to a shaky start to the 2024 college football season as they are sitting at 3-2, including splitting their first two games as a member of the Big Ten. After beginning their season with back-to-back blowout victories over the FCS level Weber State Wildcats and Eastern Michigan Eagles, they suffered a close loss against the intrastate rival Washington State Cougars in Week 3.
The Huskies bounced back in their first Big Ten game, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats. They went on to suffer their first loss in the conference to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights last weekend.
Washington is set to welcome the Michigan Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) to the Pacific Northwest on Saturday in a rematch of last year's College Football Playoff national championship game.
Here's a closer look at three reasons why the Huskies could beat Michigan in Week 6.
3 reasons why Washington Huskies could beat Michigan Wolverines in Week 6
#1. The Michigan Wolverines passing game has been awful
The Michigan Wolverines have struggled to throw the ball. They have averaged just 115.4 passing yards per game, ranking just 130th out of 134 qualified teams. Over the past two weeks, that number sits at an abysmal 59.0 passing yards per game.
The Washington Huskies have been strong defensively, ranking No. 10 in the nation in both scoring defense and yards allowed per game. Facing such a one-dimensional offense should allow them to stack the box and focus all of their efforts on stopping the run.
#2. Michigan will be traveling across the country for a late-night game
The landscape of college football has been drastically altered by conference realignment. The Huskies will face a Wolverines team that will travel across the country for a game that will start at 10:30 p.m. ET. While that is a 7:30 p.m. kickoff locally, it will be interesting to see how Michigan adjusts to the long travel and playing at a later time than they are accustomed to.
#3. The Wolverines defense hasn't looked as dominant as recent years
Michigan's defense has been strong in 2024, but it has not been the juggernaut that it had been in recent years. The Wolverines are allowing 21.4 points per game and 317.6 yards per game, ranking 51st and 43rd in the nation, respectively. While they are still a good unit, they have not been the dominant unit that was able to carry Michigan when their offense struggled in the past.
On the other hand, Washington has moved the ball well, averaging 469.4 yards per game, which ranks No. 21 in the nation. If they are going to pull off the upset, the Huskies will need to put pressure on the Wolverines' defense.
Can the Michigan Wolverines come away with a win over Washington, or will the Huskies prove too strong at home? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
