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Washington fell to Michigan in the national championship game on Monday night at the NRG Stadium in Houston. While the Huskies were widely expected to pose some challenge, especially on offense, that wasn't the case against the dominant Wolverines.
Fox Sports college football analyst Robert Smith believes Washington's flaws as a team were exposed by Michigan in Houston on Monday night. On the sports talk show “Undisputed,” on Tuesday, he said about the struggles of the Huskies in the game:
“The Victors were certainly valiant last night, and I think you're absolutely right. They're just too dominant, offensive line - defensive line. What a performance in that first half with those long runs. I think Washington really got exposed.”
“They would have been the lowest-ranked total defense to win the national championship in the BCS era. They got really exposed. You can see how this runs right here. They just really didn't have the speed at the second and third level of that defense.”
Will Washington come back stronger next season?
Washington was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant teams throughout the 2023 college football season. The red-hot team finished the regular season undefeated, winning the Pac-12 Championship and going all the way to reach the national championship game.
While the season didn't end as expected for the Huskies, they will look to bounce back next season. The program has experienced a significant resurgence since Kalen DeBoer's arrival in 2022. The coach reckons there's a lot to improve at the program following the loss.
“We came out, and I know our mentality and mindset was to come in and win the football game. But sometimes things don’t always go the way that you want.
"I’m proud of what these guys have done this year, and over the last two years. And we got a lot of great things happening within our program and a lot to build off of.”
Without a doubt, Washington will look to make significant improvements on the defensive side of the game. Led by Heisman Trophy finalists Michael Penix Jr., the Huskies offense ranked as one of the best in college football this season, showing DeBoer’s brilliant work.
However, the defensive side was not productive as much, and that really counted in the national championship game against Michigan. They will look to make necessary improvements on defense ahead of the 2024 season, where they will be competing in the Big Ten.
