In USC’s Triumph, Hope for the Huskies

Fig Jam

Watching USC romp over Penn State in the Rose Bowl brought a flurry of conflicting emotions.  On the one hand, the Trojans proved once again that they are a program that is a dynasty in almost every sense of the word, not likely to suffer a major drop in performance or results in the near future.  As a husky fan, this is disheartening.  There are no ‘negatives’ to pin your hopes on. 

On the other hand, 1/2 of that USC machine was directed by new UW head coach Steve Sarkisian and watching his players execute to near perfection, make plays in key situations, and generally enjoy playing the game of football was absolutely thrilling.  I had fun watching USC’s offense and imaging the possibilities.  For far too long Husky football has appeared to be more of a job and less of a passion for its players, but watching Sarkisian run up and down the sidelines dishing out congratulations, sharing high fives and hugs, and beaming with pride as his guys came of the field  made me believe that this era of joylessness is coming to an end.

Make no mistake about it, Sarkisian will not have the talent at Washington that he did at USC.  When asked after the game what he would take from his time at USC he immediately recognized the importance of recruiting and getting great talent.  He’s not a fool.  He knows that passion can only take you so far.  However, thus far it appears that he also knows that football is a game and is meant to be enjoyed by the players and the fans.  I am hopeful that he will bring back my passion for what is truly one of my favorite pastimes: college football.

What I will forever remember and never forgive the previous regime at Washington for is the total disregard for the notion of enjoyment.  It was robotic.  It was mechanical.  It was a job.  Whether it was coming from the coaching staff, the players, or the fans, nobody was having any fun. 

Sarkisian has a ton of obstacles in front of him as he takes the helm at Washington.  Watching him coach the USC offense in the Rosebowl, however, made me believe that he will at least bring back the passion to Husky Stadium and allow those of us who care about Husky football to enjoy ourselves in our support of the program once more.  Even if wins are hard to come by for a little while.