Washington's rise ahead of schedule, raises hopes for '17
When Chris Petersen was introduced in December 2013, the clock started on the next chapter of Washington football and bringing the program back into the national conversation.
[...] when the Huskies emerged this season, becoming Pac-12 champions and reaching the College Football Playoff before being overwhelmed 24-7 by top-ranked Alabama in the Peach Bowl on Saturday, they were in theory a year early.
That's the thing we noticed last year with these guys is they had a chip on their shoulder and there was a mindset that did not go away all season long from a year ago.
[...] I think hopefully they've gained good confidence from this season, but I think there's also some lessons to be learned in this game, you know, what we have to do to truly compete on this elite level.
The 2016 season for Washington will be remembered for the return from injury of John Ross and his 17 touchdown receptions ; another 1,000-yard rushing season from Myles Gaskin; a defense that overall was the best in the Pac-12; and the rise of quarterback Jake Browning .
There will be a cost associated with Washington's success, with a handful of underclassmen possibly making the jump for the NFL.
The majority of the offense is back, including Browning, Gaskin, wide receiver Dante Pettis and four starters on the offensive line.