National rankings notice Washington Huskies victory

The Washington Football team victory kept Huskies on track for Pac-12 championship game. And perhaps with a chance at NCAA playoffs

The Washington Football team is still in the hunt for post-season play.  At 8-1, this team is still mathematically in the hunt.  But the Huskies are competing for several opportunities.  The team has it’s sights set on one game at a time.

But this team is loaded. Boasting the nation’s best defense, an NCAA punt return record setter, and an offense that scores touchdowns, Washington is capable of running the table.

Fans, however, continue to see the season with the eventual Pac-12 repercussion. The North has a cluster of good teams in 5-1 Washington leading, but both 5-2 Washington State and 5-2 Stanford close behind.  Washington will settle it on the field this year as the Huskies take on Stanford, Utah, and Washington State to close out the season.  Win out, and the Huskies are the undisputed champions of the Pac-12 North.

The Pac-12 South battle appears to be settled now with USC’s 49-35 win over Arizona.  Now 6-1 USC leads both 4-2 Arizona and 4-2 Arizona State.  USC must travel to Colorado, and closes out the season with a game against UCLA.

Related Story: 7-1 Washington Football team ranked 12th in CFB Playoff ranking

NCAA Playoff shakeup

The weekend shook up the NCAA playoff rankings. While the official ranking is not yet published, the top ten found a number of teams coming up short. Both Ohio State and Penn State lost, and will likely vacate their sixth and seventh spot in the ranks.  11th ranked Oklahoma State lost as well.

As a result of the events, the Washington Huskies have made it to the 9th spot in the AP ranking, and 8th spot in the Coaches poll.  If the national ranking weighs a ranking from these polls, Washington will be in the top ten.

Huskies built to win in big games.

Washington boasts a great defense and a solid offense. While that may not capture the imagination of national rankers, it remains a basis to win championships.  Some polls weigh those factors, like Bill Conelly’s ranking which currently boasts Washington at three.

Next: Dante Pettis is the best punt returner in NCAA history

The Huskies can only control the game they play in.  That is plenty, as they face two ranked teams in the last three games.  Right now, they need to focus on those three opponents.  With any luck, the season will include defending the Pac-12 championship. The rest will just have to take care of itself.