A win is a win, but it was less simple than that on Sunday when the Huskies won the Apple Cup.

Washington looks to put some meat on what is essentially a three-game preseason sandwich when Utah State visits Husky Stadium. UW struggled to run the ball in the season opener against Washington State, in part due to a lackluster performance by what is expected to be a solid offensive line.

The Huskies, down their top two running backs, will look to get more production from the big guys up front. Washington led just 10-7 in the fourth quarter before pulling away for a 24-10 win against WSU, mostly via the passing game.

The results have not been there for the Washington Huskies’ men’s basketball program, sitting near the bottom of the Big Ten standings each of the past two seasons and continuing a prolonged March Madness drought in the process. Despite the lack of on-court success, however, head coach Danny Sprinkle has still been remarkably successful on the recruiting trail.

In his first year, Sprinkle landed two four-star recruits, according to the 247Sports Composite: local star Zoom Diallo (No. 42) and California product Jase Butler (No. 113).

In his second year, Sprinkle signed four-star recruits J.J. Mandaquit (No. 52), Hannes Steinbach (No. 68), Jasir Rencher (No. 125), and Courtland Muldrew (No. 128).

This year, now entering his third season, Washington signed three-star Lattimore Ford (No. 263), who projects as a developmental prospect more than a rotational player.

As a result, this will be the first year in which a freshman is not projected to have significant playing time. That is likely due to the veteran-laden roster Sprinkle built in an effort to win games and get himself off the hot seat, but that also puts pressure on recruiting for the future of the program as well.

It lacked the offensive outburst the Washington Huskies expected, but the Apple Cup trophy will stay in Seattle this year.

Washington pulled away from an outcome that was in doubt until the final minutes for a 24-10 victory to secure the second straight win over the Washington State Cougars after head coach Jedd Fisch lost his first attempt in 2024.

With its future uncertain, the Apple Cup kicks off this Sunday as the season opener for both Washington and Washington State.

There’s a lot in that lede that would have sounded absurd a few years ago. Welcome to college football in 2026, a time in which traditions are maintained — as long as they come with maximum revenue streams.

In-state recruiting has been a fixture for Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch since he arrived at Montlake two years ago. He has secured a commitment from the best player in the evergreen state in consecutive years.

“It’s important to us to get the best players in the state to stay here, and to get back-to-back No. 1 players in the state. It’s critical.”

Combining the chance of playing for their local school and getting an opportunity to play early will carry a lot of sway with these recruits. 247Sports recently listed four Huskies on its preseason Freshman All-America watch list. This highlights the recruiting angle Fisch gets to pitch to recruits, as they will get the chance to play as true freshmen.

Eight days from now, 22 players will become official offensive or defensive starters for the Washington Huskies football team.

The Washington football program might release an official depth chart. If there is one, it will likely contain some inaccuracies and be partially incomplete. We’ll see the word “Or” multiple times for a real position battle, but more likely to make the opposition prepare for multiple players at certain spots. Let’s cut through the mystery and figure out who the starters and key backups are for the Huskies this season, and in particular for the Sept. 6 Apple Cup against Washington State.

What’s the difference between nine and 10 wins?

The simple answer is “one.”

If you’re talking about regular-season wins for a Big Ten team, however, the real answer is:

Everything. 

Ten, and you’re almost certainly in the College Football Playoff. Nine means you’re out. 

Ten puts a team in the heavyweight division. It’s one extra mile per hour for an airplane to break the sound barrier. It’s not the summit of Mount Everest, but it's The Balcony, a stop way up there that means you’re getting close to reaching the world’s highest mountaintop. 

Can the Huskies ascend to The Balcony of the college football world this season, or will they stumble at the base camp? 

While it’s important to avoid reading too much into the Washington Huskies’ “mock game” on Saturday, true freshman edge Ramzak Fruean once again looked like a future star.

By future, we mean when UW kicks off the season Sept. 6 against Washington State in the Apple Cup. As has been the case for much of fall camp, Fruean once again proved difficult to contain on Saturday. He broke through for, unofficially, 2½ touch sacks against UW’s offense in a scrimmage that served as a dress rehearsal for the season.

After the mock game, head coach Jedd Fisch confirmed Fruean will become Washington’s third true freshman starter, joining defensive lineman Derek Colman-Brusa and left tackle Kodi Greene.

Christian Moss’ trip to the University of Washington began with the hiring of an attorney.

A common part of one’s journey in modern college football, Moss and his lawyer, Darren Heitner, appealed a decision by the NCAA to deny Moss an extra season of eligibility after he missed all of 2023 with a hand injury. He won, and Huskies receivers coach Kevin Cummings wasted no time convincing the 6-3, 205-pound X receiver to take a trip from Atlanta to Seattle after the injury waiver was granted.

“Literally an hour into me getting it, I got the call from KC and set up a visit, and everything just worked out,” Moss said. “… Coach Fisch has a lot of good people in the building and the vision. They have a really good quarterback coming back, so it just felt like home as soon as I got on campus.”