Last year, Washington Huskies rookie head coach Jimmy Lake didn’t get much of a debut. Lake led Washington to three wins in four games and a berth in the Pac-12 championship game. However, the Huskies had to forego their chance for the title due to the pandemic. It was a fitting end to a bizarre College Football odds season for Washington. Lake had taken over for retired coach and Northwest legend Chris Peterson. But it was impossible to get a read on his coaching ability based on such an incomplete season.
2021 Washington Huskies Betting Odds
| Huskies | Odds |
|---|---|
| Odds to win National Championship: | +6600 |
| Odds to win Pac 12 Conference: | +350 |
| 2021 Regular Season Win Total: | 9 |
2021 Washington Huskies Team Overview
For the 2021 season, Jimmy Lake will get his chance over a full schedule. His first order of business will be the determination of a starting quarterback. Namely, Dylan Morris emerged as the starter from a four-man competition. But the arrival of Sam Huard clouds the QB picture for the Huskies. Huard is the son of Damon Huard and the nephew of Brock Huard. Damon and Brock quarterbacked the Huskies before moving on to the NFL. Fans are screaming for Sam to get the nod, but Lake may want to wait and allow for developmental time.
Old School fans will take a liking to Lake. He’s worn caps embroidered with the phrase “Run the Damn Ball.” And with the largest offensive line in school history, that’s the online wagering plan. Washington has great roster depth at all offensive positions making for the opportunity to employ a diversified attack. Richard Newton leads a talented room of running backs.
Meanwhile, on defense, the Huskies are also loaded and deep with eight returning starters. Linebacker coach Bob Gregory was promoted to defensive coordinator after Pete Kwiatkowski moved on to Texas.
Correlate Jimmy Lake is a long-time Chris Petersen loyalist and understudy. Lake was with Petersen at Boise State and moved with Coach Pete when he took the Washington gig. At Washington, Lake began as defensive backs coach. But he quickly moved up to defensive coordinator
Washington has a proud football tradition and was a national power under the late great Don James. Under James, the Huskies went to six Rose Bowls from 1977 through 1992. Six times, Washington finished in the top ten of the national rankings. However, since James’ retirement following the 1992 season, the Huskies struggled to maintain his level of excellence.
Chris Petersen’s Arrival
Petersen’s arrival changed UW’s fortunes. To show, from 2016 through 2018, Washington finished in the top 16 of the national charts. Petersen led the Huskies to the 2016 College Football Playoff.
Petersen retired after the 2019 season, citing burnout. But in Lake, Washington gets a coach trained in the Petersen tradition of excellence. And a man completely familiar with the Northwest United States.
2021 Washington Huskies Schedule Highlights
On September 11, the Washington Huskies will face the Michigan Wolverines at the Big House in Ann Arbor. Specifically, it’s one of the biggest intersectional inter-conference games of the entire year. ABC will televise the College Football odds matchup in prime time.
Fashion that on October 16, the UCLA Bruins will come calling to Husky Stadium. UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is in his fourth year facing a virtual bowl-or-else scenario.
A potentially tough Pac-12 away game beckons on October 30. Accordingly, Washington travels to Stanford to face the Cardinal.
2021 Washington Huskies SBG Best Bet: Washington Over 9 Wins.