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The goal next year is to get a spot in the CFP. To do that requires having 2 losses or fewer in the regular season (preferably no more than 1). In the past 70 seasons, a UW coach has had back-to-back years of 2 or fewer regular season losses 6 times:
Jim Owens (1 time: 1959/1960)
Don James (4 times: 1980/1981, 1981/1982, 1990/1991, 1991/1992. 10-1 in 1984 but couldn’t repeat)
Jim Lambright (9-2 regular season in 1996. Couldn't repeat)
Rick Neuheisel (10-1 regular season in 2001. Couldn't repeat)
Ty Willingham (None)
Steve Sarkisian (None)
Chris Petersen (1 time: 2016/2017)
Jimmy Lake (3-1 in 2020 [COVID season]. Couldn't repeat)
That DeBoer has a realistic shot to do it in his first two seasons underscores what a difference he's made for the program.
* Side notes: only Jim Owens did his back-to-backs following a worse year (3-7 in 1958 vs 4-8 in 2021)
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Happy 55th Birthday to @CFetters_Nacho_Lover
Beating the ever present fading hour glass of time, and what will most certainly be your heart exploding out of your large supple chest and making it to 55 is a substantial accomplishment!
Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.
2019: Arizona State (Lost 10-7)
2017: Notre Dame (Lost 38-18)
2016: BYU (Lost 31-14)
2015: Oregon (Won 31-28)
2012: Notre Dame (Lost 20-3)
This list is going pretty far back and covers teams having nothing to do with present-day Sparty, so worth noting that they don't really have a lot of home field advantage in conference games either:
2022: 3-2 (excluding Michigan & OSU for extra fairness)
2021: 3-0
2020: 1-2
2019: 2-3
2018: 2-1
ESPN will allow our one loss to be to USC……maybe Utah if beat SC That’s it
Sorry to hear about the BWS though