Washington Huskies Football: UW Moves Up To 16 In AP Poll

The Huskies have moved up a single spot to number 16 in the AP poll released just a few minute ago. Meanwhile, UW comes in at number 20 in the updated version of the USA Today Coaches Poll. This week’s changes represent the continuation of a steady upward climb over the course of the season. Coach Sarkisian’s team began the year unranked in both polls, but entered the top-25 after a week one defeat of then-19th ranked Boise State. Since that first win the Huskies have moved up at least one slot in each poll over the course of a bye week, a road win at Illinois, and now a home stomping of FCS Idaho State.

Washington will likely be favored to defeat the Arizona Wildcats at home next Saturday. A win would mean bringing a 4-0 record and a top-15 ranking into a brutal three-game stretch. First a road trip to #5 Stanford, followed by a home game against arch-rival #2 Oregon, finished off by a final road trip to Arizona State. It will be difficult for the Huskies to win more than one of those games. As far as poll position is concerned, a loss to Oregon or Stanford, or both, would likely be met with a relatively small slide down the top-25, as long as the losses were competitive. But if UW manages to beat either Stanford or Oregon, they would likely be boosted into the top-10.

For now Husky fans can simply enjoy the fact that Washington is ranked higher than they have been in many years.