The Huskies weren't overmatched against Alabama, but poor field position killed Washington.
Here are my three first impressions from the Peach Bowl:
1. The Huskies were not as overmatched as most pundits around the country thought they would be.
The Husky defense was just as tough and stingy as the more vaunted Alabama defense. If these teams play 10 times, I believe UW would win three times.
2. Poor field position killed UW.
The Huskies scored early when starting a drive from their own 36, but from that point on, it seemed as if UW started at its 20 or worse while Alabama continually started with great field position. Only a great effort by the UW defense kept the Huskies in the game.
3. Jake Browning needs to take a step forward next season.
It was a great sophomore season for the UW quarterback, but when teams put pressure on him like USC and Alabama did, he seemed rattled and made poor decisions. His interception that Alabama returned for a touchdown at the end of the first half was an absolute killer. If UW were down just 10-7 at halftime instead of being down 17-7 because of the pick six, the second half most likely would have been much different.