Washington hopes to ride Pac-12 title to playoff berth

Washington and Colorado will battle for Pac-12 supremacy Friday at 6 p.m.in Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium. This year, they went 8-1 in Pac-12 conference games and have won 10 games.

This match-up will be exciting to watch.

Spread: Washington is favored by 7.5 points. Sophomore quarterback Jake Browning has been mentioned in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy after his performance this season.

The Huskies are coming off a almost flawless 11-1 season, dropping their only game in a shocker against the USC Trojans in week 11. The committee has shown us in the past that it does not necessarily penalize teams heavily for conference title game losses, but this one was significant. With wideouts who have proved to be reliable targets, and an offensive line that has grown into its role of protecting Browning, the Folsom, Calif., native should be as potent as he has been all season. Jake Browning threw two touchdowns passes despite a poor night through the air (9-of-24 for 118 yards). That run was fueled in part by back-to-back interceptions from the defense to start the half, which clamped down on the South Division champions like they were the Colorado of old. He’s been aided by a talented receiving corps featuring juniors Dante Pettis and John Ross III, who have combined to catch 30 of those TDs. Colorado hasn’t allowed a rushing TD in seven of its last eight games. He may be the X-factor against the Buffs.

Liufau threw another interception on the ensuing drive and Colorado could never recover. Moeller was one of only two players on the team to garner first-team recognition. He is a leader and sets an example with his toughness. It will be most important for Washington to take what the Colorado defense is giving.

Phillip Lindsay has been a blessing for the Buffaloes. The Huskies are second in sacks (36) and interceptions (16) in the Pac-12, and know creating pressure on Colorado’s senior quarterback Sefo Liufau will be of the utmost importance Friday night. With the 49ers having been on the road last week, the field should be in good shape. Liufau sat on the turf for a while before struggling to walk off the field, then trainers worked on him on the sideline, then he headed for the locker room.

This game is very hard to pick.

For the Pac-12, it would be better for Washington to win, and have someone in the race for the National Championship. The Trojans were ranked No. 11 last Tuesday, only three spots behind Colorado.

“That might sound a little insane to some people, but each game each game was really important if we wanted to reach this one”.

The Pac-12 Championship game between the CU Buffs and Washington is a big game for Colorado.