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2 hours ago
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The initial AFCA Coaches Poll is out and the Big Ten is well-represented.
Six Big Ten teams were listed among the top 20 - Ohio State (2), Penn State (3), Oregon (7), Illinois (12), Michigan (14), Indiana (19) - while USC, Iowa, Nebraska, Washington and Minnesota also received at least 10 votes.
But that still doesn't sit well with radio host/podcaster Jason Scukanec, who believes the Huskies and Trojans are dangerous sleepers in the conference.
In fact, he projects Washington and USC's combined win total to outpace Illinois and Indiana, a pair of top-20 teams.
"We're giving Illinois and Indiana a lot of love and we're dismissing and Washington," Scukanec said. "I'll lay it on the line... USC and Washington will be better than Indiana and Illinois."
The snippet comes from the (aptly-named?) podcast "West Coast Biased" and the latest episode centered on the expectations of the Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, USC Trojans and Oregon State Beavers.
After a complete rebuild in Year 1 under Jedd Fisch, there's significant optimism surrounding Washington.
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. looks like a future star, running back Jonah Coleman is among the best backs in the country and Denzel Boston has quickly emerged as Washington's next big-time wide receiver.
There's questions on defense, but the Huskies brought in a number of transfers to correct any issues.
If Washington can improve to "average" in the trenches along the offensive and defensive lines, the Huskies could be in for a big year.
USC returns quarterback Jayden Maiava and one of the nation's best pass-catching duos in the country in Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane.
No one questions whether a Lincoln Riley-led team can score points, though.
The question is, "Can they stop people?"
Year one of D'Anton Lynn was a success, as USC made massive strides, allowing 10.3 fewer points per game (34.4 to 24.1). That's a jump from 121st nationally to 56th.
If the Trojans can hover around No. 40 defensively, and Riley cooks on offense, the Trojans should significantly outpace their 7.5 over/under win total in Las Vegas.
Listen to "West Coast Biased" wherever you get your podcasts.
English (US)