Back in the saddle again

[dude82]

Trap games are like the one we just had where you can overlook it after a big game and before another big game. I don't see Utah being a trap game. It's just a tough game because it's on the road against another team with a solid defense that is now 7-1. And it'a CGD game which means the national ESPN guys will be doing interviews and production pieces on the some of the team. That brings other distractions and pressures.

That's how I would describe a trap game too. If everything stays as is for the next few weeks, with Wazzu in second place in the Pac-12 North with no conference losses heading into the Apple Cup, I'd say that the remaining trap games on the schedule are @cal and home for ASU. The Cal game would be a trap because the Dawgs would theoretically be coming off of the high of beating Utah on the road and having to go on the road again to face an inferior team. The possibility of the Apple Cup also turning into a battle for the Pac-12 North title in the final week of the regular season could turn the ASU game into a trap game because of the temptation to look past ASU towards the Apple Cup.

 

[WizardHawk]

UW's Jake Browning rises to No. 2 on Sports Illustrated, ESPN Heisman Watch lists
Browning now #2 on SI and ESPN's heisman watch lists.

Going to take some amazing football to overtake #1, but damn, how cool is it to have someone that high up at all?

 

[WizardHawk]

This is such an unreal ride.

I have been following 3 teams this year (No, not a droider thing) that have a combined record of 19-1-1.

My daughters high school is 8-0 and winners of their league with still one game to play before they go to the state playoffs. And I've been able to watch one of their star players in future UW tailback 4* Connor Wedington.

Seahawks are NFC West leaders at 4-1-1 and at least control their own destiny.

And our beloved dawgs are freaking 7-0 and #4 in the country.

Hell of a football year.

 

[mcnabb7542]

I'm proud of you that you got that "tie" in there.....

 

[TheDayMan]

In other news, they flashed that Gaskin is averaging over 100 yards/game during the Utah game. That's damn impressive, considering they didn't really do shit on the ground the first 3 weeks.

 

[WizardHawk]

So, where will the committee have UW tonight when the first ranking comes out at 4pm? And what does it say about the status of what role SoS will play in it moving forward? I mean if you put UW at 2 or 3 aren't you clearly sending a signal that it's perfectly fine to schedule nothing but garbage in your OOC schedule?

Also, would having them above 4 give you any better feeling that a loss to say USC might not entirely derail their chances of getting in anyway as long as they finished very strong?

Most pundits have them at either 3 or 4 right now. Could they come in at 5? Would the overall committee put Louisville and their one very high quality loss above them?

The AP has UW closer to the 3rd spot than the 5th spot in terms of points. 32 from 3rd as opposed to 107 away from 5th.

 

[DHoey]

So, where will the committee have UW tonight when the first ranking comes out at 4pm? And what does it say about the status of what role SoS will play in it moving forward? I mean if you put UW at 2 or 3 aren't you clearly sending a signal that it's perfectly fine to schedule nothing but garbage in your OOC schedule?

Also, would having them above 4 give you any better feeling that a loss to say USC might not entirely derail their chances of getting in anyway as long as they finished very strong?

Most pundits have them at either 3 or 4 right now. Could they come in at 5? Would the overall committee put Louisville and their one very high quality loss above them?

The AP has UW closer to the 3rd spot than the 5th spot in terms of points. 32 from 3rd as opposed to 107 away from 5th.

It all depends on how late their loss is. The team that loses first, usually wins.

 

[dude82]

I'd feel better about UW's chances if they just ran the table and let the committee sort it out, but even then I'm not entirely convinced it'll be enough given how things have shaken out in the conference this year. If they get one loss between now and selection time, they're as good as done unless one of the teams currently ahead of them also loses. Despite the fact that 8 Pac-12 teams, including the Huskies, have been ranked in the top 25 at one point or another this season, the chances of the conference ending the regular season with just two ranked teams are pretty high and of those two, Washington is the only legitimate contender in the conference for a spot in the playoffs. A loss for the Huskies over the next month would effectively end those chances.

Their best case scenario is to run the table, beating a ranked Washington State (requiring Washington State to win all their games between now and the Apple Cup) and beating a presumably still ranked Utah (requiring Utah to win the rest of their regular season games) in the Pac-12 title game for the second time this season to give them four wins over teams that were ranked when they played them. Those wins, combined with wins over USC and Oregon (on the road) and a win over a power-5 conference team when other teams near the top were scheduling FCS teams, will hopefully be enough to get the Huskies in.

 

[WizardHawk]

I see basically no way they reach the playoffs with a loss to anyone other than USC. Losing to Cal would be too low of an opponent to lose to even if it's early in the process. Losing to the cougs would take you out of the CCG and losing in the CCG is right before the last vote. Hard to get in with that kind of a game so fresh.

Even with a 1pt loss to USC and USC winning out every other game you'd still need help in others losing to get in and how likely is that?

Bama losing changes nothing. They could lose this week and still be #1, or certainly no lower than #3.

The real problem is Ohio State and Louisville would be right there with you at one loss. There would be a very strong case for taking Louisville over UW by nature of only losing to a top 5 team in a close game.

 

[dude82]

The first playoff ranking is out and the Huskies were left out of the top 4. Texas A&M got the spot instead.

 

[WizardHawk]

Not really worried about it. I had figured they would be somewhere between 3 and 6. Last year's first release only had two of the eventual top 4.

There is little chance they put A&M in over an undefeated UW when they won't even be in the SEC championship, more or less win it.

 

[dude82]

Not really worried about it. I had figured they would be somewhere between 3 and 6. Last year's first release only had two of the eventual top 4.

There is little chance they put A&M in over an undefeated UW when they won't even be in the SEC championship, more or less win it.

I didn't really think Washington would start in the 4th spot with the first playoff rankings just because of the SOS issues that people keep bringing up. Hopefully running the table the rest of the way will be enough to get them there in the final playoff rankings, as I said before.

 

[WizardHawk]

These are much better problems to have and things to discuss than why does our offense suck so much and why does our defense give up leads late like we have had in past years.

 

[mcnabb7542]

#unfinishedbusiness!


Maybe just maybe this will light under some players arses and they take it out on the Cal, SC ASU, and of course my favorite the Cougs!

 

[WizardHawk]

USC doing their part to Oregon. CGD hinted that both teams taking care of business this week could mean them coming to UW next week. Not a lot of great games on the docket next week. Good chance USC breaks into the top 25 this week. Only game listed for next week with two ranked teams in it is Baylor at Oklahoma and Baylor got train wrecked this week.

Go beat Cal by double digits and UW just might be in their second college game day of the year and only the second one at home ever.

 

[dude82]

As much as I hate to say it, I don't think it'll matter in the rankings that A&M lost. If the committee that picks the playoff teams is determined to go by SOS as their biggest determining factor, Ohio State will probably jump back in front of the Huskies this week and keep the Dawgs at #5. The things that had to happen before the Cal game for the Huskies to have the best chance of ending up in the top 4 at the end of the season still have to happen. Washington State has to win their next two games, staying in the top 25, and lose the Apple Cup to the Huskies. USC has to sneak into the top 25 this week and lose to the Huskies next Saturday. Either Utah or Colorado has to win the South and stay ranked for the Pac-12 title game, and the Huskies have to win the Pac-12 title. The most important part is the Huskies have to win all these games. They'd make it harder on themselves if they lose, especially as long as they're neck-and-neck with Wazzu for the Pac-12 North.

 

[WizardHawk]

Even if the cougs, usc, and south winner don't run the table outside of their games with us, UW is still in if they just handle business. Being a conference winner will be enough.

Where they rank until then doesn't matter much. Ohio State and Michigan will handle each other. One of them will eliminate the other.

Everyone agrees that UW has the toughest schedule down the stretch of any team in the top 10. There were soft up front, but very heavy at the back. That will count for a LOT with the committee. They are simply sending a statement about that soft front end. And it's a good message to send. Was any of our fans happy with the garbage they put in front of us in our OOC games? I sure wasn't. Let all of college football be on notice that your OOC games matter and you will be punished for soft schedules.

 

[WizardHawk]

 

[mcnabb7542]

Well CGD is Seattle bound.... Can't wait this is going to be huge!

 

[mcnabb7542]

I got concerns:

Punt team, seriously what the frick was that last night? Is it because they score so damn much this season that they forgot how to get a punt off?

Jake's arm, I can't be the only one to notice the ducks he threw up to Ross that seriously were timed with serious hang time and he was behind a few receiver's all night...