Colorado’s own Roger Rosengarten holds one of the nation’s most important jobs | College Football Insider
Roger Rosengarten stood in the huddle with his Washington team down four points with 2:11 left on the clock. The Huskies had to go 53 yards for a go-ahead touchdown against their biggest rival, Oregon, with Pac-12 supremacy on the line.
The calming presence provided by quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was all Rosengarten and the rest of the UW offense needed. The Huskies needed just two plays and 33 seconds to take the lead. The Ducks missed a field goal as time expired to give Washington the 36-33 win — and the current top spot — in the conference.
As Rosengarten went to class with a few teammates on Wednesday, his professor gave them a shout out for the win and the rest of the class gave them a round of applause.
“I tell you what, it’s been crazy,” Rosengarten told The Denver Gazette this week. “The city of Seattle is backing the Dawgs 100%, and I think that was pretty evident last Saturday. That was probably the loudest game I’ve ever played in.”
The Highlands Ranch native has one of the most important jobs in all of college football, serving as the Huskies’ right tackle and blind side protector for the Huskies’ left-handed QB, who is currently the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
“Mike is one of the best football players I’ve ever played with,” Rosengarten said. “Going back to my high school days, I played with Luke McCaffrey and that’s (a) football bloodline. Come over here to UW and I have the (top) Heisman candidate in my opinion.”
It’s true, Rosengarten played for one of Colorado’s most successful programs at Valor Christian, where he won a pair of state titles in 2016 and 2018. But, despite the fact, he’s still a sophomore in terms of eligibility. Rosengarten has been in Seattle for four years and is now a part of one of the top programs in the country on a UW team that has a clear path to the College Football Playoff.
“I came to UW to be developed as a football player and to win football games, to win Pac-12 championships and shoot for that national championship,” Rosengarten said. “It’s just slowly been rising and we’re gonna keep on rising up and up and up. Coach (Kalen) DeBoer has done a great job with the guys he’s brought in. Last year, we had a great season, but we wanted more and more and more.”
All the key pieces from the team that finished 11-2 with a win over Texas in the Alamo Bowl are back, and the Huskies might just have three NFL Draft picks at wide receiver and two on the offensive line in Rosengarten and left tackle Troy Fautanau.
But it all starts with Penix, the sixth-year senior quarterback who leads the country in passing yards per game and is third in passing efficiency, fourth in passing touchdowns and 11th in completion percentage.
“What impresses me so much about Mike is that he never skips a beat,” Rosengarten said. “He knows every working part of this offense. Him and (offensive coordinator Ryan) Grubb have a great game plan coming in (to) Saturdays. When we’re out on the field and it’s third-and-10 (or) third-and-11 and it’s a loud stadium, he’s so calm. It’s like he’s been there a million times before. He doesn’t miss a beat. He’s just such a calm player.”
Part of the reason Penix is able to be so calm, though, is because of the play of Rosengarten and the rest of the UW offensive line.
They’ve allowed four sacks in six games, tied for fourth fewest in the country after replacing the three interior spots in the offseason, and the unit as a whole was one of 23 honored mid-season by the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the country’s top o-line unit.
“We take a lot of pride in our offensive line play,” Rosengarten said. “It all stems from our off-the-field workouts this winter. We wanted to make sure we were the group that set the tone for everything. When it comes down to it, you think about great offenses, great coaches, great players, great teammates, everyone kind of congregates toward the offensive line. We have to set the tone all the way from Tuesday practice all the way through Friday walkthrough.”
It’s not the most glamorous job in the world, but if Penix goes on to win that iconic trophy in early December and then lead the Huskies in a potential playoff game, Rosengarten will have played a big role in all of it. The road continues for Rosengarten and the Huskies on Saturday night against Arizona State.
“I think it’s pretty special that I have the Heisman quarterback and I’m his blind side protector,” he said.
5 Games to Watch
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No 7. Penn State (10 a.m., FOX)
ESPN’s Rece Davis had a great line on the College GameDay podcast this week. If not now, then when for Penn State? The Nittany Lions are 1-8 against the Buckeyes in James Franklin’s tenure, but this is the best roster they’ve assembled in a long time in Happy Valley. A win on the road over an Ohio State team that hasn’t had the same look as the ones in years past could be transformational for Penn State.
Navy vs. No. 22 Air Force (10 a.m., CBS)
As The Gazette’s own Brent Briggeman said this week, this is the biggest game on the schedule for Air Force and as long as they keep winning, the games are going to get bigger and bigger each week. Without starting quarterback Zac Larrier, can the Falcons go to Annapolis and get to 7-0 for the first time since 1997 and just the fifth time in program history?
No. 11 Alabama vs. No. 17 Tennessee (1:30 p.m., CBS)
This game certainly doesn’t have the same feel as last year’s all-timer, in which the Volunteers finally got over the hump in the 52-49 win at Neyland Stadium. Now, a very different Tennessee team has to go down to Tuscaloosa to face a very different Alabama team, but that doesn’t mean the game matters any less to the fans on either side.
No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 16 Duke (5:30 p.m., ABC)
If Duke does, indeed, get QB Riley Leonard back this week, that changes everything. Both teams know the winner of this one has a clear path to the ACC championship game, and, without Leonard, the Blue Devils don’t have much of a chance against Jordan Travis and the Seminoles, but with him, this could be a darn good football game.
No. 18 USC vs. No. 14 Utah (6 p.m., FOX)
Caleb Williams played as poorly as anyone has ever seen in his near-perfect college career to this point. The reigning Heisman winner struggled in the loss at Notre Dame last week, and now the Trojans face another stout defense this week as the Utes come to the Coliseum. This week will tell a lot about Williams and Lincoln Riley’s program as a whole.
King’s Top 5 Heisman candidates
1. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
There’s no denying it now, after Penix’s late game heroics in the big win over Oregon and Williams’ dud in South Bend, the Huskies QB is the undisputed frontrunner for the award. He still leads the country in passing yards per game and will have several more big games to cement himself as the winner, including in two weeks at USC.
2. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Despite the loss, Nix was absolutely terrific last weekend in Seattle. The late-game turnover on downs will stick in everyone’s minds, but Nix still threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns and was the biggest reason the Ducks were so close to heading back down to Oregon with a win.
3. Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Williams threw three interceptions for the first time in his career and had a season-low 199 passing yards as he looked out of sorts against a good Notre Dame defense. It’s make-or-break time for Williams and the Trojans, whose difficult run continues this week at home against Utah.
4. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State
Travis was dominant in the Seminoles’ rout of Syracuse last week, throwing for 284 yards a touchdown, adding a pair of touchdowns with his legs. He and Keon Coleman continue to be one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the country as FSU is a bona fide championship contender.
5. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Daniels is having one of the more underrated seasons in the country and it’s not his fault. Leading an LSU team that is 5-2 and really only has an outside shot of reaching the SEC title game, Daniels leads the country in quarterback rating, and he is third in the country in passing yards and second in touchdowns, solidifying that his leap as a passer is for real.
Where to watch
Here’s our pick to watch this week’s game, a great place to hang out with fellow Penn State Nittany Lion fans:
Larimer Beer Hall (2012 Larimer St.)
