The Washington Huskies are no longer the doormat of the Pac 10 conference. Two years removed from former head coach Tyrone Willingham’s disastrous 2008 season, during which the Huskies won no games, the table is set for Washington to return to postseason play. Second year head coach Steve Sarkisian looks to build off last year’s five-win campaign that included a huge upset of USC in Husky Stadium. This year the Huskies have a somewhat favorable schedule and a load of experienced talent, and have an outside shot of winning the Pac 10 conference, which appears to be up for grabs.

The first test of the season will be tough. Washington travels to Provo, Utah to meet up with the BYU Cougars. BYU has had four straight 10+ winning seasons, thanks in large part to now-departed quarterback Max Hall. According to our college football betting lines page, the Cougars opened up as 3 point favorites and the line has held steady. With several marquee match-ups in week 1 (TCU vs. Oregon State, Boise State vs. Virginia Tech, to name just a couple), it seems this game is flying under-the radar.

As mentioned above, the Washington Huskies have a wealth of experience this year. 18 starters return from last year’s 5-7 team, with 10 coming back for Sarkisian’s offense. No one is more important than senior quarterback Jake Locker, who NFL draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. puts at the top of his draft board. Last season Locker threw and rushed for over 3,000 yards, putting up 28 total touchdowns along with 11 interceptions. He should have no trouble finding capable receivers as Locker’s top 3 wide outs return. Taking pressure off the passing game (and Locker’s wheels) will be tailback Chris Polk. As a freshman last year Polk rushed for over 1,100 yards and 5 touchdowns, garnering 2nd team all-Pac 10 honors. The majority of the O-line returns, which means this offense could rival Oregon’s for Pac 10 supremacy.

The defense won’t be as good as the offense, but they’ll be good enough to keep the Huskies in most of their games. Last season the D gave up 26.7 points per game, which was second to last in the conference, but still nearly two touchdowns better than in 2008 when the Huskies gave up nearly 40 points a contest! In other words, the defense is improving but still has a ways to go before Washington can aim for a trip to Pasadena. 8 starters are back, though the losses of defensive end Daniel Teo-Nesheim and linebacker Daniel Butler will hurt. Nevertheless, the d-line, linebackers, and especially the secondary should be serviceable. Senior ‘backer Mason Foster and sophomore cornerback Desmond Trufant lead the way in 2010.

BYU might struggle this year, and barring a miracle coaching job by Bronco Mendenhall, the Cougars will fail to reach the 10 win plateau. Only 11 starters return, with 7 on offense and 4 on defense. The quarterback position seems unsettled. Utah State transfer Riley Nelson and true freshman Jake Heaps will both likely see playing time this season. Heaps is generally regarded as one of the nation’s top prep quarterbacks. Unfortunately for Cougar fans, stalwart running back Harvey Unga was dismissed from the team for violating the school’s Mormon honor code. Unga had rushed for over 1,000 yards each of his first three seasons and was a 1st team all-Mountain West performer. But all is not lost for the offense. Several top pass catchers return, along with four offensive linemen from one of the conference’s best units. Coach Mendenhall will undoubtedly rely heavily on the hogs up front.

For the defense, BYU brings back only 4 starters. However, the Cougars have two senior defensive backs to anchor the D. Andrew Rich and Brandon Bradley will make the secondary respectable, at least. The defensive line took some hits but enough players with experience return to make that unit appear useful. The linebackers are a different story, though. The Cougars lost all three ‘backers from last year and will have to rely on some freshmen players. If the D-line plays well, and with a solid secondary behind them, the linebackers will get some much needed help. But it may take a few weeks for that unit to gel.

All things considered, I’m a bit surprised that BYU is favored in this game, even though they are at home (which is probably why they are favored). Washington hasn’t won a road game in the past two years, though two years ago they didn’t win at home, either. But this Huskies team is far better than any team they’ve had in recent memory. Locker is a sure-fire 1st team all-Pac 10 quarterback this year, assuming he stays healthy. And with such an inexperienced defense in Provo, look for Locker and company to win this game straight up. Next week they should take care of Syracuse at home with Nebraska looming the week after.

Don’t forget about the Huskies and Cougars this Saturday. This is a game bettors shouldn’t miss. The public is betting Washington at over 80%, so don’t be surprised if the line comes down a point or so. Get in early and grab three points, if you can. And make sure to sign up for Saturday college football picks so you have a guaranteed return on your sports betting investment.