1960 Washington Huskies football team

The 1960 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington during the 1960 college football season. Home games were played on campus in Seattle at Husky Stadium, known at the time as University of Washington Stadium. Under fourth-year head coach Jim Owens,^[1] Washington was 9–1 in the regular season, 4–0 in the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU), defeated top-ranked Minnesota in the Rose Bowl, and outscored its opponents 272 to 107.^[2][3] The Helms Athletic Foundation, which considered bowl games in its ranking, awarded the Huskies the national championship.^[4][5][6][7]

The University of Washington officially recognized the 1960 football team as national champions in 2007,^[8] wearing throwback uniforms in their game vs. USC. A flag was raised over Husky Stadium honoring the team as national champions.^[9][10]

Led on the field by senior quarterback Bob Schloredt, an All-American the previous year, the Huskies started the season ranked third. Schloredt broke his collarbone in the fifth game, against UCLA,^[11] and did not play again in the regular season.^[12][13] Bob Hivner took over as quarterback and won the game plus the next five.

A one-point loss on a last-minute field goal by Orange Bowl-bound Navy two weeks earlier in Seattle was the season's only blemish.^[14][15] The Huskies returned to the Rose Bowl to meet the top-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Big Ten Conference on January 2. A seven-point underdog,^[16] sixth-ranked Washington upset Minnesota 17–7 for consecutive Rose Bowl wins.^[13][17][18] Schloredt returned at quarterback and was the player of the game for a second straight year.^[13][19]

The final rankings in this era were released at the end of the regular season (in late November), prior to the bowl games.^[20][21] Washington was ranked fifth and sixth in the respective polls.