Winner: Washington Huskies (No. 10 up to No. 5)
The Washington Huskies haven’t had much exposure before Week 5. People weren’t quite sure of what to make of this team that hadn’t really played anyone whose best win was Arizona and the Wildcats haven’t exactly been all that great this year.
Hosting No. 7 Stanford in Week 5 would be the ultimate test of strength. How good is this Washington team, really? Well, Jake Browning and Co. showed just how ready they are to contend for a Pac-12 title and represent the conference in the third annual College Football Playoff.
Not only did No. 10 Washington beat the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal on Friday night, but the Huskies destroyed the Pac-12 foe, 44-6. The game was never close as Washington took a 13-0 lead after the first quarter and a 23-0 advantage into halftime.
The Huskies clearly deserved a bump in the rankings and moving up inside the top 10 ensures that, barring some major upsets, they’ll be the team from the Pac-12 representing the conference in the playoff race.
Washington is solid and Browning is the real deal at quarterback.