PAC-12 CFB: Huskies 2012 Success or Failure Rides on the Decision of Chris Polk

I might as well say it right off the bat: The Washington football team will go to the Rose Bowl next year.

Okay, okay. Now before you get bent out of shape and dismiss me as yet another person jumping on the UW bandwagon, let me deliver the kicker. The Huskies will go to the Rose Bowl if running back Chris Polk returns for his senior season.

Don’t believe me? Well let’s take a look, because when you do, it does not sound as egregious as it does upon first read. But although this is all about Polk, you can’t start with him. First, you have to start with the rest of the offense.

And the offense begins with quarterback Keith Price. The redshirt sophomore is having a magical year in his first season as the starter, making UW fans easily forget legend Jake Locker. At 156, Price’s passing efficiency rating is just under Brock Huard’s UW record of 156.761. At 25 touchdowns through the air, the first-year starter already has tied the record for passing touchdowns for a sophomore, and is four away from breaking Cody Pickett’s record for a season.

Sure, senior receivers Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar will be gone next season, but Price will have perhaps a stronger group of downfield threats. Junior James Johnson has come into his own this year, living up to the high bar he set after a phenomenal freshman campaign. Sophomore Kevin Smith has shown explosive playmaking ability (also as a kick returner) and true freshman Kasen Williams looks like 30-year-old playing with a group of pre-teens. And you can’t forget freshman sensation, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

So, what does all this tell us? Well, the aerial attack will be vicious.

Now, one more note before we get on with Polk: For as much heat as the defense has taken this season, it is only improving. Although defensive coordinator Nick Holt is in the hot seat after three years and little results, a quick look at the depth chart shows 13 players who play significant minutes that are just freshmen or sophomores. That does not include the juniors, which is a group that includes safetys Justin Glenn and Nate Fellner and cornerback Desmond Trufant.

Let’s say for fun that the Huskies improve on defense—which is not a large stretch in any way. So now we have a prolific passing offense and a defense which is better than one on a team that is currently bowl eligible.

And don’t forget Stanford will be without Andrew Luck and the Ducks looked very beatable in Seattle a week ago.

Okay, now we get to the reason why we’re talking about the Rose Bowl and the Huskies in the same sentence. Polk is arguably the best back in Husky history. That’s a prestigious list, which includes names such as Hugh McElhenny, Napoleon Kaufman, Greg Lewis and Corey Dillon (although Dillon was at the UW for just one season).

In one game this season Polk broke or tied three school records. Yes, three records. One game.

There was the 18th-career 100-yard rushing game (breaking Kaufman’s record), the record-tying five-touchdown performance, and then the big one—the first time a Husky has rushed and received for 100 yards in a game. Polk is closing in on Kaufman’s record of career rushing yards (he’s about four hundred yards off) and if he closes the season on a tear he can break Dillon’s record for single-season rushing yards.

Polk said he won’t leave the UW early unless he has, A.) perfected his craft and B.) been the best that there’s been. Well he’s closing in on the second one, that’s for sure. But has he done the former?

He’s pretty darn close. In the offseason, Polk concentrated on losing weight and gaining breakaway speed. He’s shown that he was successful in that endeavor, without losing his ability to run in between the tackles. Polk rarely goes down on first contact and has the drive to be great that is contagious.

Polk adds another degree to the UW offense. He can catch the ball anywhere on the field (he was recruited as a receiver), he can carry the offensive load as a workhorse and he also can turn into an explosive player.

In short, he adds another dimension to the UW offense. Or two. Or three.

Enough so, that if he returns for one more year, the Huskies will go to the Rose Bowl.