Desmond Howard was asked on ESPN’s First Take Friday morning if No. 3 Texas has looked like the best team in college football through the first five weeks of the season.

With the Red River Rivalry on tap for Saturday and the Longhorns already holding a road win over No. 11 Alabama, the “Texas is back” crowd is living their best life in more than a decade. But instead of focusing on the Longhorns, Howard pivoted and made the case for No. 7 Washington to get more credit.

“One of the best teams that we’re not talking about is out there on the West Coast in the Pac-12,” Howard said. “The Washington Huskies, this group right here is a problem, especially offensively. So make sure you pay attention to the Washington Huskies because they’re a team to be reckoned with, too.”

“The way that Michael Penix Jr. is playing, he got the three best receivers in college football. You look at Rome Odunze right there, and then you got Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan. They have the best trio of receivers in the FBS, so keep an eye on the Washington Huskies. They’re gonna make some noise. And they have a big one next week against the Oregon Ducks.”

Stephen A. Smith quickly veered the topic back to Texas, but not before taking a little swipe at UW’s strength of schedule to this point.

“Come holler at me when they face Oregon,” he said.

The Oct. 14 matchup at Husky Stadium between the Huskies and Ducks promises to be one of the best games in the Pac-12 this season. It’ll be the first meeting between the two teams in which both enter as AP Top 10 teams, and it should have College Football Playoff implications.

That matchup between UW’s wide receivers and Oregon’s defensive backs will be a huge one to watch.

The Ducks are third nationally in pass efficiency defense, allowing just 4.8 yards per pass attempt this season. Corner Khyree Jackson has been phenomenal in recent weeks, and he holds the fourth-best coverage grade from PFF among all Pac-12 defensive backs. He’s been targeted 17 times and has only given up eight catches for 57 yards. The longest reception he has allowed was an 18-yarder.

All Washington throws is 20-plus completions.

Odunze, McMillan, and Polk are No. 1, No. 3, and No. 5 (respectively) in the Pac-12 in average receiving yards per game. The Husky offense leads the nation in pass efficiency, producing 11.6 yards every time Penix throws the football.

If UW does, in fact, have the best collection of receivers in the country — quite the claim given how much attention is paid to the Ohio State group — this will be the game to prove it.