Have you noticed that there has been a great deal of discussion about the “legacy of Jake Browning” being bandied about as we lead up to the 2019 Rose Bowl? It is understandable. Browning has unquestionably become a lightning rod topic among indignant Washington fans who have yet to really come to grips with the fact that his unbelievable 2016 season was probably more of a mirage than an indication of the trajectory of the program.
Still, the results of 2016 count just as much as those in 2017 and 2018 do. As I wrote in my own “legacy of Jake Browning” piece before the Apple Cup, the Rose Bowl represents the third step in a three-step process that will either make or break the four-year starter’s place in Washington lore.