Inside The Huskies

Huskies Reach CFP Promised Land — No. 4 Ranking

The UW leapfrogs hardluck Florida State to move up.
Dan Raley|
Huskies Reach CFP Promised Land — No. 4 Ranking
Huskies Reach CFP Promised Land — No. 4 Ranking

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Washington Huskies

In the end, Kalen DeBoer's unbeaten University of Washington football team treated the College Football Playoff rankings a lot like stalwart edge rusher Bralen Trice does chasing down a quarterback — you can hold off the Huskies for awhile but eventually they're going to reach the promised land. 

On Tuesday, the UW (11-0 overall, 8-0 conference) moved past still unbeaten Florida State (11-0, 8-0) to the fourth CFP slot, just as it did two days earlier in the Associated Press poll, which would mean it was in the playoffs if everything was settled, which it's not.

Earlier this week, DeBoer acknowledged that all of the different football foibles surrounding the Huskies, being lower ranked in the CFP poll and entering the Oregon State game as an underdog, all served to motivate his team.

"Yeah, there were a lot of things last week, you know, we got to kind of play an underdog role, the chip on your shoulder-type piece," he said. "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it."

If the playoff were held today, the Huskies and No. 1-ranked and two-time defending champion Georgia (11-0, 8-0) would meet in the Rose Bowl in Southern California, a game set for Jan. 1. 

Those teams would be on the opposite side of the bracket that currently would have No. 2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) meeting third-ranked Michigan, (11-0, 8-0), a game that ultimately will be held on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The national championship game will be held on Jan. 8 in Houston.

Ah, but there is much work to be done before any of this takes place. For one thing, the Buckeyes and Wolverines must play each other in Ann Arbor this weekend and it might be tough for both to advance. 

The Huskies moved up the rankings after beating their third consecutive ranked opponent in as many weeks, edging then-10th-ranked Oregon State 22-20 in Corvallis, this after wins over then-No. 18 Utah and then-No. 20 USC, giving the UW strength of schedule over everyone in playoff consideration. 

Florida State had the great misfortune of losing quarterback Jordan Travis to a broken leg, greatly diminishing the Seminoles' playoff chances even after a 58-13 victory over FCS North Alabama though they're not out of it. 

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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