Washington Football Vs. LSU: The Good, The Bad And The Unknown

I think a lot of Husky fans viewed the LSU game the same way a child does a vaccination, they had seen it looming on the calendar for a long time and knew that it was going to hurt, but also knew there was no getting out of it so they kind of just had to go to an uncomfortable environment, close their eyes and take the pain. Fortunately for Husky fans though, there is a customary ice cream dessert as an award, in the form of a game against Portland State and a bye week.

Since the Huskies honestly can't really be judged for their performance against what might be the best team in the country, and a terrible match-up, I feel we still don't know much about the 2012 team and like any college football game, we are left with the good, the bad and the unknown.

The Good

Keith Price is still healthy - The importance of this cannot be understated, the Huskies are an injured Price away from a 3-9 or 4-8 season and the LSU was the scariest game on the schedule this year. Price took a few shots during the game but appeared to be fine when he was taken out and he should be fully healthy heading into Pac-12 play barring a random injury.

Kevin Smith is back and improved - Smith was one of the few bright spots for the Huskies offense as he made some key grabs when they needed them and seemed to be the only receiver that could get open at all. Smith could be the number two option after Kasen Williams if he can get back to full speed.

The cornerbacks are aggressive- I don't think LSU even tried to throw against Desmond Trufant once, and Tre Watson gave up some catches, but he is always attacking and isn't afraid of contact or taking risks - both traits Husky cornerbacks have lacked for years. Also, he showed some savvy by picking up a backwards pass and taking it all the way to the end zone in what should have given the Huskies a touchdown had it been called on the field correctly.

The Bad

The offensive line is offensive - I have a bad feeling that the offensive line is going to open up this section every week. The line struggled to even get a yard or two on the ground, and that was before they lost Erik Kohler. They won't face a front nearly as good as LSU's again all year, but they haven't done anything to instill any confidence as of yet with their inefficiency being a big part of why the offense hasn't scored a touchdown in 7 quarters.

The defensive line is small - Yes, this defense is designed to be fast and rangy to compete with the big boys of the Pac-12 (Oregon and USC), but the defensive line just isn't big enough to stand up to an offense with big linemen that wants to run over them. Josh Shirley can get to the quarterback but is too small to hold up against the run and Danny Shelton and Semisi Tokolahi have size, but simply aren't the kind of difference making defensive tackles that can slow a running game.

Playmakers need to emerge - This game really showed how much the Huskies miss Chris Polk. For the first time in three years, the Huskies don't have a reliable player to consistently make plays and essentially manage their offense. It is already obvious that the Huskies are going to be going to Austin Seferian-Jenkins whenever they need yards and defenses are already starting to key on him.

The Unknown

Mental health - One of the biggest problems Sarkisian has faced the last couple of years is the team becoming demoralized after beatings like the one they sustained against LSU. Sarkisian needs to make sure that the Huskies can move on without questioning themselves and handle Portland State with ease.

Who's next? - Injuries are just something that every football has to deal with, but it seems like the Huskies have been particularly snakebit this year, particularly on the already thin offensive line. It could get ugly if players keep dropping at the rate they are thus far.

Price point - Once again, I doubt many quarterbacks will look sharp against LSU this year, but Price hasn't looked good since the first quarter of the San Diego State game. Hopefully it is just because of good defenses, but with a complete lack of a running game, the Huskies can't afford to have Price not on point for more than a few plays a game.