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Week 6 is upon us, temperatures are dropping and, as they say, the shit is getting real.
Your beloved Huskies are clearly in the chase for the P12 Championship and the thick of the playoff hunt. There has never been a more relevant day for a UW themed rooting guide than on this day.
Yes, I’m sorry, it is this day.
To make this easier, let’s recognize that UW is #6 in the nation (AP poll) and acknowledge that, of course, losses by the teams in front of us would be ideal. For the most part, each of those teams (all of whom play at the same time slot on Saturday morning) has a cupcake ahead. Rooting for any of them to lose is probably a waste of energy, so we’ll focus our energies on other interesting opportunities that reflect good things for the Huskies.
UW Fan Rooting Guide
#4 Penn State at Northwestern
Root for: Northwestern
I realize that I noted above that the teams ahead of UW all have cupcakes ahead. On paper, this looks like it should be an easy win for PSU. But, sometimes the paper doesn’t tell the whole story.
First of all, these teams have been on very different sides of the turnover luck story with the Wildcats among the most unlucky in the nation. If that happens to normalize tomorrow, this game could look a lot like the Iowa game for PSU.
The second issue is an intangible. After this week, PSU begins a gauntlet of Michigan, @ tOSU and @ Michigan State. That is a make or break stretch for James Franklin’s team and Saquon Barkley’s Heisman hopes.
Put Penn State on upset alert, my friends!
Ole Miss at #12 Auburn
Root for: Ole Miss
Remember last week when I warned you that Georgia would jump UW if they won (they did and they did)? Auburn is on a path to also jump UW at some point this season. All of the factors they need are out there for them to capitalize.
To make things less muddled for UW, it would sure be nice if Shea Patterson and the Rebels could pull off the road upset. Were they to do so, it would have the benefit of boosting Cal’s strength of schedule just before UW kicks off against the Bears.
#23 West Virginia at #8 TCU
Root for: West Virginia
TCU is undefeated and has the big win over OKST on their resume. This game, which is the ESPN Gameday site, is TCU’s last legitimate threat for a loss until they get to Oklahoma late in the season. A win over WVU here could theoretically result in a jump over UW and create a second legitimate B12 playoff candidate. In fact, you could easily see a scenario where the winner of that TCU / Sooner game (if the Frogs beat WVU) becomes a clear favorite to take a slot in the Final Four.
We really need WVU to pull this off, as unlikely as it seems.
#21 Notre Dame at North Carolina
Root for: ND blowout
Given that ND still has Stanford and USC on the schedule, I’d like to see them destroy UNC and continue to move up the rankings. It would make hypothetical wins over Stanford and USC potentially more impressive.
#9 Wisconsin at Nebraska
Root for: Big Ten chaos
This is an interesting one. Wisconsin is a near certainty to win the B1G West. But guess what? Nebraska actually happens to be a percect 2-0 in conference play. Should they win at home, not only do they take another unbeaten off the board, they (believe it or not) put themselves clearly in the driver’s seat of the West division race. Go Mike Riley!
A Nebraska win at home would put another monkey wrench in the works for the B1G which, all things considered, is a good thing for P12 fans.
And, for the record, I think there is a clear 40% chance that the running Riley’s win this game.
#11 WSU at Oregon
Root for: UW to win the North
Since John raised the topic a few days ago, I’ve gone back and forth on the question of who I ought to root for in this game. Emotions aside, what is the best outcome for UW?
I’ve gotten to the point of view that whatever increases the odds of UW winning the North is the best outcome. I get that a loss to Oregon means nothing if WSU goes undefeated afterwards. However, a loss in their first road test significantly increases the likelihood of WSU getting to the Apple Cup with a second loss somewhere along the way (vs Col, vs Stan, @ Utah are the biggest threats). That, my friends, would increase UW’s room for error in winning the North and getting to the P12 championship.
Since UW has to win the North before any theoretical playoff scenario plays out, I’m all in favor of UW locking it up as soon as possible. An Oregon win helps that process along more than an Oregon loss. So...
...quack, quack bitches.
College Football TV Schedule and Viewing Guide
Friday Games
Matchup | Time (PT) | TV | Streaming |
---|---|---|---|
Matchup | Time (PT) | TV | Streaming |
Memphis at Connecticut | 4:00 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
Boise State at BYU | 7:15 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
and Saturday.
Saturday Games
Matchup | Time (PT) | TV | Streaming |
---|---|---|---|
Matchup | Time (PT) | TV | Streaming |
Wake Forest at #2 Clemson | 9:00 AM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |
Iowa State at #3 Oklahoma | 9:00 AM | FOX | FoxSportsGo.com |
#4 Penn State at Northwestern | 9:00 AM | ABC | WatchESPN.com |
#5 Georgia at Vanderbilt | 9:00 AM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
Ole Miss at #12 Auburn | 9:00 AM | SEC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Temple at East Carolina | 9:00 AM | ESPNU | WatchESPN.com |
Eastern Michigan at Toledo | 9:00 AM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
Illinois at Iowa | 9:00 AM | BTN | BTN2Go.com |
Texas Tech at Kansas | 9:00 AM | FS1 | FoxSportsGo.com |
Duke at Virginia | 9:20 AM | ACC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Pittsburgh at Syracuse | 9:30 AM | ACC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Central Michigan at Ohio | 11:00 AM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Bowling Green at Miami (OH) | 11:30 AM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Louisiana Monroe at Texas State | 12:00 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Florida Intl at Middle Tennessee | 12:00 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
#23 West Virginia at #8 TCU | 12:30 PM | FS1 | FoxSportsGo.com |
#13 Miami at Florida State | 12:30 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
#21 Notre Dame at North Carolina | 12:30 PM | ABC | WatchESPN.com |
LSU at #21 Florida | 12:30 PM | CBS | CBSSports.com |
Minnesota at Purdue | 12:30 PM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |
New Mexico State at Appalachian State | 12:30 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Ball State at Akron | 12:30 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Air Force at Navy | 12:30 PM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
Kent State at Northern Illinois | 12:30 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Western Michigan at Buffalo | 12:30 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Charleston Southern at Indiana | 12:30 PM | BTN | BTN2Go.com |
Maryland at #10 Ohio State | 1:00 PM | FOX | FoxSportsGo.com |
Oregon State at #14 USC | 1:00 PM | Pac-12 Networks | Pac-12.com |
Tulsa at Tulane | 1:00 PM | ESPNU | WatchESPN.com |
Arkansas at South Carolina | 1:00 PM | SEC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Louisiana Tech at UAB | 1:00 PM | None | CUSA.tv |
Colorado State at Utah State | 1:30 PM | AT&T SportsNet | None |
Louisiana at Idaho | 2:00 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
Marshall at Charlotte | 3:00 PM | WCCB | None |
Florida Atlantic at Old Dominion | 3:00 PM | WTVZ | WatchStadium.com |
Army at Rice | 3:30 PM | beIN Sports | None |
Georgia State at Coastal Carolina | 3:30 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
SMU at Houston | 4:00 PM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
Kansas State at Texas | 4:00 PM | FS1 | FoxSportsGo.com |
Southern Mississippi at UT San Antonio | 4:00 PM | KMYS | |
#1 Alabama at Texas A&M | 4:15 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
#16 Virginia Tech at Boston College | 4:15 PM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |
Michigan State at #7 Michigan | 4:30 PM | ABC | WatchESPN.com |
Missouri at Kentucky | 4:30 PM | SEC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Fresno State at San José State | 4:30 PM | None | WatchESPN.com |
#9 Wisconsin at Nebraska | 5:00 PM | BTN | BTN2Go.com |
#11 Washington State at Oregon | 5:00 PM | FOX | FoxSportsGo.com |
#25 UCF at Cincinnati | 5:00 PM | ESPNU | WatchESPN.com |
Western Kentucky at UTEP | 5:00 PM | None | CUSA.tv |
Arizona at Colorado | 5:00 PM | Pac-12 Networks | Pac-12.com |
Stanford at #20 Utah | 7:15 PM | FS1 | FoxSportsGo.com |
Hawai'i at Nevada | 7:30 PM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
California at #6 Washington | 7:45 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
#19 San Diego State at UNLV | 7:45 PM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |