USC's total humiliation of Washington makes Huskies' rise more impressive

Washington football achieved in 2023 what USC football fans have not yet tasted over the past 10 years. Washington made the College Football Playoff, won a semifinal game, and played in the national championship game. USC, in 10 years of playoff competition, has not yet participated in the event. The Trojans won the Rose Bowl in the 2016 season but were never in real playoff contention due to three early-season losses. The 2017 team won the Pac-12 championship but was similarly never a factor in the playoff chase after a midseason blowout loss to Notre Dame. The closest the Trojans came to making the playoff was in 2022, when they fell one win short in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah in Las Vegas.

These are rough times for USC, but if you think these are bad moments for the Trojans, compare that to what Washington Huskies fans endured in 2008. That was the 0-12 season under Ty Willingham. UW hit rock bottom. Roman Tomashoff is the editor of UW Huskies Wire. He grew up in Los Angeles. He was at the Coliseum for a 56-0 USC win over that terrible U-Dub team in 2008. USC led 35-0 with nine minutes left before halftime. Tomashoff talked to us about how that miserable 2008 experience makes Washington football’s return to prominence that much sweeter.

Here’s the full show with UW Huskies Wire:

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.