ESPN lays out how Washington can make it to the College Football Playoff
Washington is 4-0 and starting to generate buzz as a College Football Playoff contender.
What a four weeks it has been for coach Kalen DeBoer and the Huskies. Even the biggest Husky supporters might not have been able to dream up the kind of start UW has enjoyed. It has a top-15 win over Michigan State, at least 39 points and 470 yards of offense in every game, an aggressive and attacking defense, a Heisman Trophy darkhorse threat, and, according to ESPN, a real shot at making it to the CFP.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich labeled 18 teams as contenders for the four spots heading into October.
The Huskies are in the third tier, the “Undefeated by need to show more” group alongside Oklahoma State, Penn State, Tennessee, Kentucky, and NC State. Dinich wrote that while the Spartans were hammered by Minnesota a week after losing to Washington, that might say more about the Huskies and Gophers than it does the Spartans.
Dinich had this to say on what the Huskies need to do going forward:
Even if Washington loses to Oregon, it could still be considered as a one-loss Pac-12 champion. The Huskies could redeem themselves by beating Oregon in the Pac-12 title game. Washington doesn’t have to face USC or Utah during the regular season, but a win against one of them in the Pac-12 championship also would put Washington back in the playoff conversation if the Huskies can finish with one loss or undefeated. If Michigan State can finish above .500, that win can still hold more value than some nonconference wins of other Power 5 contenders.
The Huskies hit the road for the first time this season in the upcoming week. They’ll play UCLA (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) on Friday night at the Rose Bowl.
It’ll be another test for DeBoer and the Huskies, but they’ve passed every other one put in their path so far.