Washington Huskies Take the Pac-12 Crown
By Ben Renner
The Washington Huskies crushed Colorado 41-10 to claim the Pac-12 title on Friday for their first conference championship since 2000. Is the College Football Playoff next?
Before we start the speculation and the “Bring on Bama” chants, we have to look back at a dominant season and Pac-12 title game for the Washington Huskies. Heisman hopeful quarterback Jake Browning didn’t have his best day against a stout Buffaloes defense, completing only nine of 24 pass attempts for 108 yards and two scores. But the Huskies still controlled the game in all phases.
One of Browning’s touchdowns was this throw-away pass, and John Ross wasn’t the only one helping his teammate out in one of the most significant games in UW football history. The Washington Huskies’ defense played one of its best games this season, which is a large accomplishment for this swarming turnover machine.
Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau was injured on a sack in the first half, but he wasn’t effective when he returned in the third. His first pass in the second half was intercepted by UW safety Taylor Rapp and taken back to the house. Rapp had two picks in the game and earned Most Valuable Player honors.
The running game also picked up Browning. Myles Gaskin ran for 159 yards on 29 carries. Lavon Coleman added another 101 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. The Washington Huskies now stand in unprecedented territory. According to fivethiryeight.com, UW has more than a 99% chance of making the College Football Playoff. Nate Silver and company have been wrong before, but with a Pac-12 title and 12 wins for the first time since 1991, most think the Dawgs will play in the national semifinals.
Who they play is another question. Alabama and Clemson still have to play for their conference titles, and both are expected to win. Most assumed that Washington would be ranked fourth after this weekend, which would presumably match them with college football behemoth Alabama, but after such a convincing win against a top-10 opponent, it’s possible the Huskies will end up number three, which most would assume pairs them with Ohio State.
No matter what comes next for the Washington Huskies, Chris Petersen, with his excellent defense and sophomore quarterback, has achieved a magical season quicker than most expected and brought the Dawgs to the national stage.