(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

The Washington Huskies, the only team last year to finish without a victory, look to bounce back in the 2009 campaign.  UW Athletic Director Scott Woodward chose to put the future of the program into the hands of former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.

Coach Sarkisian looks to rebuild a program that ranked 118th in the nation in scoring and 117th in defense.  Sarkisian also looks to further along the development of QB Jake Locker.

As we look into the Washington Huskies schedule, it would be asinine to think they could compete for the Pac-10 Championship in 2009. UW, which historically has never scheduled an opponent lower than Football Bowl Subdivision (formally Division 1-A), has again given the Huskies a brutal schedule.

I have broken down the 2009 season into the top 5 toughest position battles they will face. Let’s begin with their September 5th battle against LSU.

LSU’s rushing defense vs. Washington’s offensive line

The Washington Huskies were terrible in every statistical category last season, including rushing yards per game. In 2008, the Huskies averaged 99.3 yards per game, good for 107th in the nation. 

LSU ended last season as the 15th ranked rushing defense in the nation.

The Huskies offensive line will look to open holes LSU’s defense with wide bodies Ryan Tolar, Cody Habben, and Drew Schaefer

Even though they lost Tyson Jackson to the NFL Draft, the Tigers are still stacked on the defensive line. The Tigers are one of the favorites as always in the very tough SEC. 

The Huskies young offensive should be overmatched against the vaunted LSU defense.

Advantage:  LSU’s rushing defense

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