The University of Washington Huskies travel south a few miles to Qwest/CenturyLink Field to face the San Diego State University Aztecs. The Aztecs are sporting a shiny, new quarterback in Ryan Katz who transferred from Oregon State; but overall, SDSU faces long odds to beat the 2TD-favorite Huskies.
The biggest question facing coach Steve Sarkisian and the Huskies this year is whether they will take the "next step" in their development as a football program. For many UW fans, the "next step" includes the following:
- Blowing out bottom feeders
- Winning at least 2 of the games we are not expected to win.
- Being competitive in every game.
As the 2012-2013 season progresses with each game, Husky fans will decide for themselves whether or not the Huskies will fully or partially reach that "next step." However, this game against SDSU is not when or where we will find all of those conclusions. From this game alone, win OR lose, there is no certain way for us to determine whether or not the Huskies will reach that "next step" and beat LSU, USC, or Oregon down the line. Remember that.
So while it will be tempting to judge the team's performance on Saturday and to project it across the following 11-12 games this season, we must be prepared to see a young team that will provide both exciting and underwhelming performances. There will only be so much that we can expect to observe and conclude from this game alone.
So suit up, beer up, and cheer up. It's football season, dammit.