UW Football: Who will challenge for the Pac-12 North crown?

The Washington Football team won the Pac-12 North division last season enroute to capturing the crown for the Pac-12 championship. Now, the Huskies enter the new year as the favorite in the northern half of the league.

College football is right around the corner. And that bodes well for the Washington Football team, defending Pac-12 champions. But, with the release of the preseason Coaches’ Poll, we get a glimpse at the national media’s favorites in each conference.

Three teams will pose challenges to UW–Stanford, Oregon, and Washington State. Cal and Oregon State are projected to fall near the bottom of the conference and stay well out of the division race.

Pac-12 loaded for NCAA football

The Pac-12 is a major NCAA football conference now, and the outlook for a number of team’s in the Pac-12 are undervalued.  The conference boast some of the best quarterbacking talent in the nation, with as many as five programs led by a quarterback who could conceivably end up with the Heisman trophy.

That’s impressive on it’s own, but even moreso when you consider some of the best defensive players in the nation call the Pac-12 home as well.  All this rolls up into a difficult road for the Washington Football team.  Can they repeat?

In a conference as unpredictable as the Pac-12, here’s a look at the contenders in the North division.