Pac-12 playoff hopes rest with Mike Leach and Washington State

Following Utah’s loss to USC, Washington State currently provides the Pac-12 its best shot at making it into the College Football Playoff.

Things are, uh, bleak for the Pac-12, the self-branded “Conference of Champions.” Right now, it looks unlikely that any team from the Pac-12 can even make it into the college football playoffs to compete for a championship this season. After Utah fell to USC, Washington State is the conference’s last best hope to make it into the playoffs.

Oregon and Washington entered into the year as the two teams from the Pac-12 North who seemed most capable of making it to the College Football Playoff. Utah came into the year as the lone team in the Pac-12 South that really had a shot.

All three of those teams now have one loss. Oregon fell in its season opener against Auburn. Washington lost to Cal, and Utah fell to USC (who has had to replace two quarterbacks due to injury already).

So who is left?

California, technically, does have a shot. The Golden Bears are, uh, interesting and might be good. They did defeat the Huskies and are (currently) undefeated, but this team is thoroughly incomplete on offense, relying primarily on its defense to be able to win games.

There’s a chance that Oregon, USC, Washington, or Utah could make a run into playoff consideration if enough chaos happens around the country. However, banking on chaos to get this conference into the College Football Playoff probably isn’t something that most Pac-12 executives really want to do right now.

So that leaves Washington State.

The Cougars are currently undefeated after they traveled to Houston (to face the Cougars) and came out on top last week.

Mike Leach has the No. 19 team in the country and will have some opportunities to get attention with a few possible notable wins up ahead. As of right now, Utah, Arizona State, Oregon, California, and Washington are all ranked. Assuming that holds (it might not), that gives Wazzu five games against ranked foes up ahead.

All of those games are on the road.

Assuming Washington State can find a way to make a run through that gauntlet and can make it to the end of the season unscathed, they would have an argument that they deserve to be in the playoffs.

That’s not going to be easily accomplished, but quarterback Anthony Gordon certainly seems trustworthy as he’s thrown for over 400 yards per game and the Cougars have four receivers with at least 150 receiving yards this season. If this offense can continue to click as it has so far, then there’s a chance that Washington State might be able to make it all the way through this year.

That’s not a great chance, but it’s a chance. And it’s probably the best chance that the Pac-12 has right now.