Both Washington and Texas head into their Sugar Bowl matchups riding high. The Huskies have won 20 straight games, while the Longhorns overcame a loss to Oklahoma to win the Big 12 and earn a playoff bid. Each team put their stamp on their seasons by winning their respective conferences before parting ways in 2024. How do they stack up, with a National Title bid on the line?
Matchups that will decide the Sugar Bowl
Washing pulled out three consecutive one-score games to close the season. On the flip side, Texas bullied opponents lately, winning their final three games by a combined score of 132-44. The Longhorns appear to be finding their groove, but will have their hands full against a potent Huskies offense.
Where Texas Wins
The Longhorns strengths are along their defensive line and in the secondary, as well as at receiver and quarterback on offense. A healthy Jonathon Brooks rounds out an impressive set of skill players for Texas, which spans beyond Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell at receiver and includes tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. The diversity of weapons and the creativity of head coach Steve Sarkisian, who can concoct different ways to feed his playmakers, will give Quinn Ewers and the offense many ways to attack Washington’s defense.
That same defense for Washington has been a bend-but-don’t-break kind of unit all year.
Late defensive stops have helped the Huskies close out close games, especially as of late. Despite surrendering more than 260 yards per game through the air (12th worst in the country), the Washington defense has only allowed 23.6 points per game (per ESPN stats). Against Washington State, the Huskies defense prevented the Cougars from scoring when the game was tied with under five minutes to play. When Oregon State was rallying to score a game-winning field goal on their last possession, Washington’s defense came up with the stop that allowed the offense to salt away the win.
For Washington, the secondary can and will be tested against Texas. Ewers has been playing some of the most consistent football of his career. His completion percentage in year two at Texas jumped from 58.1% to 70.7% (per ESPN stats). An improved group of skill players, a clutch defense, and maybe the new haircut, all made a difference for Texas and Ewers in 2023. Ewers’ decision-making and scrambling ability have all been reasons why Texas won the Big 12 after an up-and-down season in 2022. The Longhorns four losses in 2022 all came at a combined 18 points. In 2023, they were able to put teams away, but not without a few scares. At various times throughout the season, Sarkisian made questionable—if not, downright bold—decisions in crunchtime.
Sarkisian’s game management could be another key to Texas winning or losing the game. Against Alabama in Week 2, the Longhorns attempted three 4th-down conversions. One of those attempts came early in the game when the score was still 0-0, but also occurred in the red zone when Texas had a chance at an easy field goal. Being aggressive has its advantages, but those choices can separate a team from either being successful or coming up short. The contest against Washington is expected to be tight, which means a few decisions by Sarkisian could swing the game drastically.
Where Washington Wins
Washington brings to the table the nation’s top passing attack. Led by Michael Penix Jr., the Huskies have been able to carve up opposing defenses. At receiver, Washington boasts three NFL talents in Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan. A fully healthy McMillan means Penix has a trio of receivers with diverse skill sets and strengths, which the Huskies have not had all season.
Odunze is known for his clean route-running and ability to make contested catches. McMillan gives the offense a player who can stretch the field and generate explosive plays. Polk possesses good body control and gives Penix another reliable receiver in the red zone. The scheme at Washington has helped Penix put up gaudy numbers, with his receivers being able to exploit one-on-one matchups. But like Sarkisian on the other side, Kalen DeBoer for Washington has cemented himself as one of the nation’s top offensive minds.
Against Texas, Penix will be challenged by a stout defensive line that features at least two potential NFL prospects. How the Longhorns pressure Penix and the impact that has on the secondary will largely dictate how successful the Huskies can be against Texas. Through 12 games, Penix has only taken 10 sacks (per ESPN stats). Forcing him into a few bad throws and hurrying him from the pocket will be key for Texas if they’re going to disrupt the Huskies offense.
Not only will Penix be challenged, but the Huskies’ rushing attack might also be in trouble. In the aforementioned three-game stretch to close out Texas’ season, the Longhorns’ defense surrendered a total of 150 rushing yards to opposing offenses. The key to slowing down Penix and forcing the Huskies into long conversions will start with slowing down Dillon Johnson at running back. Washington favors throwing the ball on first down, which could help them keep Texas honest and allow Johnson to churn out important yards.
One Key Player on Each Defense
Jabbar Muhammad for Washington made several key plays throughout the season, especially in tight moments. On the season, Muhammad has recorded 16 pass breakups, three interceptions, and five tackles-for-loss (per ESPN stats). He came up huge for the Huskies against Oregon State with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The matchup Muhammad faces against Worthy and the Texas receivers will be one to watch.
T’Vondre Sweat on the other side gives Texas a menace at defensive tackle. Lauded for his athleticism at 360 pounds, Sweat secured Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. For teams facing Texas, Sweat made it difficult to do anything up front. How Sweat is handled by Washington’s offensive line could have much to do with how successful Penix and the Huskies are against Texas.
On paper, these teams appear evenly matched. One team will emerge victorious and take on the winner of Alabama-Michigan. From the coaching prowess to the explosive quarterbacks on both sides, this game has plenty of intrigue and is poised to deliver a classic.
The Cool Ticket 
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