Washington's Preseason Ranking Breaks 73-Year College Football AP Top 25 Poll Streak

The AP Top 25 preseason ranking was officially released on Monday and we now have an idea of where some of the major programs are starting the year. One noticeable absence from the rankings was the Washington Huskies football program.

After playing in the College Football Playoff last season and finishing as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, Washington is officially unranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. Christian Caple, a writer for the Huskies football program, confirms the team came in as the No. 32 ranked team in the nation.

This makes Washington the first team in 73 years "to be unranked after finishing the previous season No. 2 in the AP poll," according to the Associated Press. The last team to accomplish that abysmal feat was Army in 1951.

"The Huskies are the first team to reach the CFP and be unranked the following season, and the first team to be unranked after finishing the previous season No. 2 in the AP poll since Army in 1951. The rankings were Top 20 then."

Breaking a 73-year-long streak is impressive in its own right. But there's reason for optimism for the Huskies, especially considering how much change Washington has gone through this offseason.

Kalen DeBoer left as head coach to replace Nick Saban in Alabama. Meanwhile, numerous top players on last year's roster either entered the NFL Draft or hit the transfer portal. It's essentially a new team moving forward.

With so much turnover, it makes sense why the Huskies are out of the preseason AP Top 25 rankings. Despite that, this Washington football program still has a bright future ahead.

Former Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch replaces DeBoer in Washington. Fisch is a seasoned coach with 26 years of experience under his belt. He's also known for being a solid recruiter. His recruiting for the 2022 class played a big role in Arizona's success last season.

Five-star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan led the way while quarterback Noah Fifita was brought in as the program's future. Fisch also reeled in transfer quarterback Jayden de Laura, who has plenty of potential himself. Arizona finished with a 10-3 record last season after having losing records the previous two seasons.

Considering his experience rebuilding and turning a program around, Washington could be on a path to success in due time. Another reason for optimism is the Huskies are now in one of the major conferences after joining the Big Ten alongside former Pac-12 rivals Oregon, USC, and UCLA.

Washington has the opportunity to jump back into the rankings as the season progresses. But only time will tell if they can outplay their current preseason ranking. The Huskies open the season in Washington against Weber State on Saturday, August 31.

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