The new era of college football will collide with the recent past on Oct. 5 when the University of Washington hosts the University of Michigan at Husky Stadium at 7:30 pm ET. The game, available on NBC Sports and Peacock, will not only be a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff final, but also a new matchup in the expanded Big Ten.
The Wolverines capped off an undefeated season with a 34-13 victory over the Huskies in the title game, but the rematch will have a much different feel than previous years, with both teams undergoing significant changes: Michigan and Washington both have new head coaches (Sherrone Moore replacing Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, Jedd Fisch replacing Cullen DeBoer in Seattle) and have replaced many starters (20 for Washington, 17 for Michigan).
Most importantly, both schools are adjusting to new expectations in the new Big Ten. With so much turnover, Michigan entered the season as the defending national champions with their lowest ranking since 2011, while Washington has yet to crack the Associated Press top 25 this season. And both schools have already gotten a taste of what the new Big Ten will be like, with Michigan winning a thrilling game against new conference rival USC and Washington winning its Big Ten Conference opener against Northwestern in Week 4.
Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup and how the Wolverines and Huskies have performed so far.
Michigan
Despite a lackluster offensive performance and a shaky first three weeks, there is hope in Ann Arbor. On Saturday, Michigan hosted USC in Big Ten action and came away with a 27-24 win, a shocking victory for the Wolverines’ season. After a tough loss at home to Texas and lackluster performances against Fresno State and Arkansas State, the Wolverines were in desperate need of an impressive win to get their momentum back on track.
The addition of Alex Orji as the starting quarterback made all the difference. Orji’s athleticism allowed Michigan to develop a creative running game, overwhelming USC with 290 yards rushing on 46 attempts. Orji still has a lot to improve on, completing just 7 of 12 passes for 32 yards, but the combination of a strong running game and the Wolverines’ relentless defense will make them tough to beat.
Michigan’s win over USC was a close one.
The Big Ten College Countdown crew breaks down Michigan’s close win over USC, including Alex Orji’s play, the Wolverines’ emphasis on the run game, and USC’s entry into the Big Ten.
Washington
The Huskies missed some opportunities offensively, and while they’re moving the ball pretty well, they’re only allowing 27.0 points per game, which is 86th in the country. That didn’t matter to Washington against an offensively lackluster Northwestern, but it did cost them the Apple Cup. The Huskies only managed one touchdown on 10 true attempts against Washington State, and despite outgaining the Cougars 452-381, they lost to their rivals 24-19.
But Washington’s defense has filled the gap, allowing 237.5 yards and 10.3 points per game, good for 11th in the nation. The Huskies’ pass defense has been especially strong, allowing 131.3 yards per game and just one passing touchdown in four games, good for 13th in the nation. It will be interesting to see how that translates against Michigan’s power game.
Behind the scenes of Washington State’s ‘hard-earned’ Week 3 win
Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge look back on the meaningful rivalry between Washington State University and the University of Washington and how the Cougars’ defense was the difference between winning and losing the game.
Series History
Last year’s national championship game was the latest outcome in an incredibly historic matchup. Michigan leads the series 9-5, but Washington is 4-2 in games played in Seattle. Michigan and Washington have met four times in the Rose Bowl, alternating victories in 1977, 1981, 1992 and 1993. Michigan has won the last three meetings dating back to 2002.
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How to watch Michigan vs. Washington:
Date: Saturday, October 5th Location: Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington Time: 7:30pm ET TV Channel: NBC Live Stream: Peacock
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