As the Washington Huskies prepare for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday in Houston against the Michigan Wolverines, you might be wondering: Has USC ever prevented UW from winning it all? The answer is yes.
In 1984, Washington finished No. 2 behind No. 1 BYU. The reason why the Huskies couldn’t rise above the Cougars in the final rankings — even though they had a much tougher schedule and bigger wins, such as the 1985 Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma — was that USC dealt Washington a loss. The Trojans defeated Washington, 16-7, on November 10, 1984, in the Los Angeles Coliseum. The year 1984 was marked by the Los Angeles Olympics. This was a final mountaintop moment for the venerable Coliseum in a landmark year for L.A. sports.
This win not only denied UW a national title; it lifted USC to the Pac-10 championship and its first Rose Bowl appearance since the 1980 win over Ohio State. From the 1980 through 1986 seasons, this was USC’s only Rose Bowl. The 1984 team gave coach Ted Tollner his only Rose Bowl appearance at USC. The Trojans defeated Ohio State in the 1985 Granddaddy in Pasadena.
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