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College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Top 25 after Week 1

By Michael Whitlow

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 02: Bo Scarbrough #9, head coach Nick Saban, and Jalen Hurts #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate with the Chick-fil-A Kick-Off Game trophy after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 24-7 in their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 02: Bo Scarbrough #9, head coach Nick Saban, and Jalen Hurts #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate with the Chick-fil-A Kick-Off Game trophy after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 24-7 in their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Jake Browning, QB, Washington Huskies
PISCATAWAY, NJ – SEPTEMBER 01: Quarterback Jake Browning #3 of the Washington Huskies warms up before a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on September 1, 2017 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

8. Washington Huskies

Ranking coming into Week 1: No. 8

The Pac-12 Conference and games that aren’t played on Saturdays — i.e. games played on Thursday or Friday — tend to get a bit strange.

This past Friday was no different for Jake Browning and the Washington Huskies in their season-opening 30-14 victory in New Jersey against Rutgers and their hot tub-hosting stadium.

Friday wasn’t an inspiring performance for one of the final four in college football last season, but that’s expected when names like Budda Baker and John Ross are in the NFL now. Still, it was a win for the Huskies, who have won 13 of their last 15 games dating back to the last season and will still be one of the top contenders out west to win the Pac-12.

Dante Pettis is still with the Huskies and made his presence felt with a big-time punt return for a score to contribute in putting the game out of the reach for the Scarlet Knights, who to their credit, hung tough with the No. 8 Huskies throughout most of the night on Friday at home.

The Huskies will go off the grid with the next couple of weeks, including a matchup at home with Montana next weekend, but have a favorable schedule this season. They’ll get UCLA, Oregon and in-state rival Washington State at home and they don’t have to play USC. That meeting with Stanford on The Farm on Nov. 10 could very well decide their season.

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