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The Washington Huskies are doing just about everything that one could ask for in terms of earning the style points that pollsters, who invest not nearly enough time in examining how games are won and lost, look at when determining how they are going to vote.
Blowout wins? Check
Wins on the road? Check
Wins against legit FBS competition? Check
Pure domination against FCS competition? Check
Big offensive output? Check
Serviceable if not outstanding defensive prowess? Check
Good output from "name brand" players? Check
As a result of hitting all of the right checkboxes, the Huskies are College Football's version of the Jeffersons - they are movin' on up. The problem? Most of the other teams ahead of them in the polls are taking care of their own business. Thus, while the pressure and credentials are mounting, the actual slotting hasn't changed all that dramatically. In this week's AP Poll, the Huskies improved a slot moving from 17 to 16 thanks to the ongoing jitters that Michigan keeps having with less-than-acceptable levels of competition. The USA Today Coaches Poll isn't ready to reward the Huskies, holding them at 20 while inexplicably allowing both one-loss Florida and a reeling Michigan team to hold their spots ahead of UW.
No matter what you think of the Huskies in terms of where they ought to be ranked, things are going to start swinging for them pretty rapidly. This week's opponent, Arizona, is a "receiving votes" team and will be a good measuring stick for the Dawgs. A dominating win would put pressure on the pollsters while any kind of W would essentially ensure their current positioning. The following two weeks are #5 Stanford and #2 Oregon. The Huskies, who are sure to be underdawgs in both affairs, could make wild swings up or down in the polls depending on how competitive they are in each game.
Week 5: AP POLL
| Rank | Team | Record | Votes | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (56) | 3-0 | 1,496 | 1 |
| 2 | Oregon (4) | 3-0 | 1,418 | 2 |
| 3 | Clemson | 3-0 | 1,340 | 3 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 4-0 | 1,320 | 4 |
| 5 | Stanford | 3-0 | 1,270 | 5 |
| 6 | LSU | 4-0 | 1,167 | 6 |
| 7 | Louisville | 4-0 | 1,088 | 7 |
| 8 | Florida State | 3-0 | 1,049 | 8 |
| 9 | Georgia | 2-1 | 1,029 | 9 |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 3-1 | 1,011 | 10 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 3-0 | 849 | 11 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 2-1 | 828 | 12 |
| 13 | UCLA | 3-0 | 798 | 13 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 3-0 | 689 | 14 |
| 15 | Miami (FL) | 3-0 | 687 | 16 |
| 16 | Washington | 3-0 | 559 | 17 |
| 17 | Northwestern | 4-0 | 477 | 18 |
| 18 | Michigan | 4-0 | 450 | 15 |
| 19 | Baylor | 3-0 | 441 | 20 |
| 20 | Florida | 2-1 | 414 | 19 |
| 21 | Mississippi | 3-0 | 342 | 21 |
| 22 | Notre Dame | 3-1 | 256 | 22 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 3-1 | 130 | 24 |
| 24 | Texas Tech | 4-0 | 127 | 25 |
| 25 | Fresno State | 3-0 | 110 | NR |
| Others Receiving Votes: Arizona State 41, Georgia Tech 30, Maryland 24, UCF 19, Nebraska 13, Northern Illinois 9, Arizona 8, Virginia Tech 4, Michigan State 3, Missouri 2, Rutgers 1, Navy 1 |
Week 5: USA Today Coaches Poll
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (59) | 3-0 | 1547 | 1 |
| 2 | Oregon (3) | 3-0 | 1480 | 2 |
| 3 | Ohio St. | 4-0 | 1399 | 3 |
| 4 | Clemson | 3-0 | 1332 | 4 |
| 5 | Stanford | 3-0 | 1312 | 5 |
| 6 | LSU | 4-0 | 1161 | 7 |
| 7 | Louisville | 4-0 | 1140 | 6 |
| 8 | Florida St. | 3-0 | 1121 | 8 |
| 9 | Texas A&M | 3-1 | 1044 | 9 |
| 10 | Georgia | 2-1 | 1020 | 10 |
| 11 | Oklahoma St. | 3-0 | 909 | 11 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 3-0 | 863 | 12 |
| 13 | South Carolina | 2-1 | 825 | 13 |
| 14 | UCLA | 3-0 | 731 | 15 |
| 15 | Miami | 3-0 | 613 | 17 |
| 16 | Northwestern | 4-0 | 560 | 16 |
| 17 | Michigan | 4-0 | 534 | 14 |
| 18 | Baylor | 3-0 | 465 | 19 |
| 19 | Florida | 2-1 | 449 | 18 |
| 20 | Washington | 3-0 | 427 | 20 |
| 21 | Mississippi | 3-0 | 331 | 22 |
| 22 | Notre Dame | 3-1 | 317 | 21 |
| 23 | Fresno St. | 3-0 | 156 | 25 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 3-1 | 98 | NR |
| 25 | Texas Tech | 4-0 | 92 | NR |