UW Football Schedule Goes From Extra Tough to Tolerable

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 3:21 PM ET

Optimism surrounds Jedd Fisch's second University of Washington football team for a number of reasons.

The offensive line is much better. Elusive quarterback Demond Williams Jr. will be a handful for defenses. Cornerbacks Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock will be the tallest set of cornerbacks anywhere.

Oh yeah, someone decided to go easier on the Huskies this time as they navigate the challenging Big Ten landscape.

Consider that in 2024, ESPN deemed the UW to have the 13th-toughest schedule in the nation largely because of road games to Indiana, Iowa, Penn State and Oregon.

Today, college football magazine publisher Phil Steele says the Huskies have the 14th-easiest schedule in the Big Ten alone.

That's quite a welcome jump in the degree of difficulty for Fisch's guys from season to season, making it possible for them to go from a 6-7 record to possibly eight to 10 victories this coming fall.

Toughest to Easiest Big Ten Schedules, per Phil Steele pic.twitter.com/rmGBThvGpi
— The Big Ten Huddle ️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) July 13, 2025

To open the season, the Huskies should go 3-0 in non-conference play against Colorado State and UC Davis at home and Washington State in Pullman, with no letdowns against the Cougars this time because John Mateer now plays for Oklahoma and Fisch likely won't run an option play to the short side of the field again for the win.

Ohio State comes to Montlake at the end of September -- and the UW will be hard-pressed to maintain its home-field unbeaten streak that should be at 22 consecutive victories when going up against the defending national champions.

The Huskies next will travel to Maryland and host Rutgers in games in which they should be favored before traveling to Michigan to play in the largest stadium in the United States with its 107,601-seat capacity. Almost no one goes into the Big House favored to the Wolverines.

Fisch's guys next host Illinois and travel to Wisconsin for games that are winnable but difficult.

Next up, the Huskies will host hapless Purdue and likely give new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters a win over his old team that fired him as head coach. Then it's on to UCLA and a Rose Bowl match-up, followed by a visit to Seattle by Oregon.

If the Huskies' home win streak is still intact at 26 going into the game, anything things on November 29 against the Ducks.

Eight of the 12 teams on the UW schedule come off winning seasons, with Maryland (4-8), Purdue (1-11), UCLA (5-7) and Wisconsin (5-7) looking to bounce back this fall, as well as the Huskies (6-7) from the sub-.500 level.

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This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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