Three things: Will Huskies build on 12-2 season, or will departures on defense be too much to overcome?

The Washington Huskies had unquestionably their best season of the past 15 years, finishing 12-2 overall, winning the Pac-12 North Division and conference title outright and even giving top-ranked Alabama a game in the College Football Playoff semifinal Peach Bowl on Saturday. Here’s a look at what 2016 taught us and what we’re still trying to figure out about head coach Chris Petersen’s program.

Three things we learned:

Petersen and his coaching staff are for real.

In just his third year at the helm, Petersen did something that has only happened once since the day Don James last coached Washington in 1992 – he led the Huskies to double-digit wins. Yes, in the 23 seasons that have passed since James’ tenure ended with UW, only Rick Neuheisel’s 11-1 Rose Bowl-winning squad in 2000 had the Huskies in the national consciousness during bowl season. What makes the turnaround under Petersen all that more remarkable is how far – and how long – the Huskies were from being a true Pac-12 power when Petersen took over ahead of the 2014 campaign. Five coaches led UW between James and Petersen, and in that time the Huskies finished a season with an AP Top 25 ranking just five times. Previous coach Steve Sarkisian did that just once in his five years (No. 25, 2013), and that came in his last, which ended with Marques Tuiasosopo coaching a season-ending Fight Hunger Bowl win after Sarkisian had moved on to USC. And while Neuheisel’s teams returned to Earth in his final two years after that stellar 2001 season, there’s a big difference between then and now, and it’s all about the way Petersen and staff have already set up UW to stay on an upward trajectory through recruiting and coaching.

Jake Browning is good, but he needs to be even better.

Speaking of upward trajectories, that’s what UW needs to see from Browning in his junior season. His sophomore year was, for the most part, one to remember. He threw for 3,430 yards, 43 touchdowns and just nine interceptions, completing 62.1 percent of his passes along the way. But there were also a fair amount of instances that served as reminders that he is still just 20 years old and needs to improve his poise in big situations and keep his confidence from being rattled when things go wrong. His performances in the Huskies’ two losses were rough – he was picked off twice by both USC and Alabama – and his completion percentages in those two games and the Pac-12 championship against Colorado were three of his four worst of the year. Browning was good, and he has a chance to be great, but he needs to play up to the level of the better teams on UW’s schedule to get there.

The Huskies will have targets on their back in Pac-12 play.

The 2016 season was one that saw a changing of the guard in the Pac-12. Oregon and Stanford, who entered as the standard bearers in the conference, saw big falls in midseason. The Cardinal recovered, finishing with a 10-3 record and win over North Carolina in the Sun Bowl. The Ducks did not, going a disappointing 4-8 and firing head coach Mark Helfrich. Both of those teams will certainly be looking to get back in the mix in the Pac-12 North in 2017, as will Washington State, which was still in play for the North title until the Huskies beat the Cougars in the Apple Cup. Then there’s USC, Utah and Colorado, who should engage in a dogfight in the Pac-12 South next year. All of those teams have one thing in common – they’ll have a target firmly placed on the backs of the Huskies, who became just the second team from the Pac-12 to play in the College Football Playoff. Stanford will want to prove it’s better than UW’s statement-making 44-6 win over the Cardinal suggested. Under a new head coach, Oregon will have a chance of making a statement of its own when it comes to Husky Stadium. A WSU win in the Apple Cup may bring the Cougars their first Pac-12 title under Mike Leach. And the three contenders from the South all gave UW tough games – especially USC, the lone Pac-12 team to beat UW in 2016 – so each will likely have something to say about the Huskies’ pursuit of a second straight conference title.

Three things we’re still trying to figure out:

Who is coming back?

When you have a 12-2 team that wins the Pac-12 championship and plays a competitive national semifinal game against a historically good Alabama team, you’re bound to lose some talented players as early entries in the NFL Draft. That’s the exact situation the Huskies find themselves in. Junior wide receiver/kick returner John Ross is already gone, and with good reason as he’s been said to have first-round potential and has drawn comparisons to NFL stars DeSean Jackson and Brandin Cooks. And while Ross is the player NFL teams are coveting the most, it’s actually UW’s defense that could take the biggest hit. The school announced Tuesday that in addition to Ross, safety Budda Baker, cornerback Sidney Jones and defensive lineman Elijah Qualls are forgoing their final seasons and entering the 2017 draft, which will leave plenty of opportunity available on that side of the ball. That brings up another question.

Will the defense take a step back in 2017?

Perhaps most impressive about the Petersen era for UW has been its ability to maintain a great defense despite big departures. In 2014, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s unit had one of the best pass-rushes in the country, and it featured four players selected in the first 44 picks of the 2015 draft. The next season, the expected slide on defense was nowhere to be seen as the Huskies improved from 80th to 31st in total defense and capably replaced top pass-rusher Hau’oli Kikaha with 2016 NFL Draft pick Travis Feeney. This season, the Huskies took yet another step forward, moving up to 12th in total defense thanks to an elite secondary that had gained valuable experience over the past two years, a deep crew of linebackers and one of the better defensive fronts in all of college football. But with the defensive backfield and line at risk of being raided by the pros, plus the graduations of cornerback Kevin King and linebackers Joe Mathis and Psalm Wooching, 2017 appears to be Kwiatkowski’s toughest challenge yet. Based on his track record, though, it would seem foolish to think UW will suddenly be an average defense next season.

Will the offense be even better in 2017?

While the defense has its work cut out to be as strong as its been, Browning and company just might be in line to be even more dangerous. Even if Ross doesn’t come back, Dante Pettis and Chico McClatcher will be there to catch passes, and both proved to have strong chemistry with UW’s quarterback. In fact, Pettis had the kind of numbers some FBS teams would be more than happy to have out of a No. 1 receiver, hauling in 53 receptions for 822 yards and 15 touchdowns, including the Huskies’ only score in the Peach Bowl. The lightning-and-thunder combination at running back of Myles Gaskin (1,373 rushing yards) and Lavon Coleman (852) should also be back, but the most important part of the equation will be the offensive line they’ll be running behind. The line’s most talented players will be upperclassmen in 2017, and their expected leap in production could turn UW into a true offensive powerhouse.

Follow @BrentStecker