With Levi/Molden coming back (and assuming KT does as well) here’s where I see the D next year:
1st, with Pete K going back to DC I see us blitzing less than Jimmy did, and frankly as ineffective as we were at doing at the last two seasons I won’t miss seeing that. Plus if the light has went on with Tyron, along with a natural progression of Latu we could get the edge pressure necessary to take the next step.
We will be better on the front and back end, and there’s no way we could be worse in the middle.
So where does that leave us? I think we will be back under giving up 20 ppg in the Michigan and Pac-12 play games.
The Defense will keep us in 8 games. There will be 2 games where I could see them surrendering in the upper 20’s where they give up a bust or two long plays/td. Those will be on the Offense to try and bail them out
The final two games will look much like the Stanford/Cal/ASU games the last three years where they can’t get off the field all game, can’t generate turnovers, and lose the time of possession badly, yet through timely penalties, poor decisions by the other teams OC, and holding them to threes, will be in a position to still win the game if they can get one final stop, giving the offense one last chance to win it.
It’s those last two games they have to stop having if they want to take the next step, and until they show that they have, are guilty until proven innocent.
8-4 imo
If we go 8-4 fire Jimmy Lake and burn Husky Stadium to the ground.