In the upper left corner of school football, the trajectories have crossed.
The school left behind is on the forefront. Washington State is undefeated, won the Apple Cup, is gaining momentum and has a loose schedule that has sparked rumors of a possible College Football Playoff berth.
Meanwhile, the varsity with a promising future has a shaky present. Must-win games in September are rare, but Washington is facing just such a challenge.
If latest coach Jedd Fisch and his newly assembled squad need to earn a bowl berth in the approaching weeks, they'd higher face Northwestern on Saturday afternoon.
If the Huskies (2-1) lose – and we should always note: They are double-digit favorites – their postseason math will probably be difficult.
They would want to win 4 of their last eight games, however the schedule will not be for the faint-hearted, featuring two top-flight teams, three top-ranked teams, 4 cross-country trips and five away games.
In our opinion, UW can be the clear favorite in one in every of the eight games when UCLA visits Seattle in mid-November. And by then, it might not matter. The dates with USC, Michigan, Penn State and Iowa present obvious challenges. The trips to Rutgers and Indiana are harder than they appear.
If the Huskies beat Northwestern, the mathematics will probably be simpler and their path will probably be broader. And they need to beat Northwestern, which has two close wins (Miami-Ohio and Eastern Illinois), one close loss (Duke) and an absence of top-tier talent.
But after the Apple Cup, where UW committed 16 penalties, did not rating from the one on the crucial moment and was defeated on the decisive down (third), one can only assume one thing: the importance of a victory on Saturday afternoon.
It's not even fall yet and UW already has its back against the wall.
To the picks …
Last week: 2-6
Season: 13-12
Five-star special: 1-2
(All times Pacific Time)
Stanford (+8.5) in Syracuse (Friday)
Start: 4:30 p.m. on ESPN
Comment: The Cardinals' ACC opener requires a cross-country trip, but they were inactive last week and needs to be ready for the physical challenge. Does Stanford have the defensive manpower to decelerate Orange quarterback Kyle McCord, who transferred from Ohio State and has thrown eight touchdowns in two games? Not likely. Selection: Syracuse
San Jose State (+11.5) at Washington State (Friday)
Start: 7pm on The CW
Comment: The post-Apple Cup festivities were long and continued in The Palouse, which raises the one necessary query: Did the Cougars focus enough on SJSU during their short week of preparation? The Spartans are 3-0 under latest coach Ken Nuimatalolo and are coming off a win at Air Force in Week 2. Selection: San Jose State
Arizona State (+3) at Texas Tech
Start: 12:30 on FS1
Comment: The Sun Devils are 3-0 against the spread, and we're riding that train as an alternative of standing in its way. Plus, Texas Tech's defense is terrible until proven otherwise: The Red Raiders couldn't stop Abilene Christian (51 points) and are allowing 182 yards per game on the bottom. ASU tailback Cam Scattebo can do whatever he wants. Selection: Arizona State
USC (-6) at Michigan
Start: 12:30 pm on CBS
Comment: Once upon a time (a number of weeks ago, that’s), the Wolverines were favored by double-digit odds to win, but their early struggles and USC's surprising defense have led to a remarkable turnaround in the cash flow. Given Michigan's offensive prowess, the Trojans have a very good likelihood of winning so long as they don't contribute to their very own demise with turnovers and drive-killing penalties. However, the bar is a bit of high for our tastes. Selection: Michigan
UCLA (+24.5) at LSU
Start: 12:30 pm on ABC
Comment: After a foul home loss to Indiana, the Bruins head to Death Valley for the afternoon kickoff, where temperatures on the sector can reach 100 degrees. This will not be an elite LSU team – that was clear within the loss to USC. But the Tigers have good enough talent to dominate at the road of scrimmage. The spread is wide enough to make us consider a backdoor hedge. Selection: UCLA
Utah (+2.5) at Oklahoma State
Start: 1pm on Fox
Comment: Our pick for the sport of the day, not only within the Big 12 but nationally, with the winner taking pole position within the conference race. OSU's running game with Ollie Gordon is an enormous test for the Utes. But can a defense that allowed 648 yards and 31 points to Arkansas decelerate Cam Rising and Utah's array of playmakers? We're skeptical. Selection: Utah
Northwestern (+10.5) at Washington
Start: 4pm on FS1
Comment: There's a very good likelihood UW fans will confer with this because the Jonah Coleman game tonight, however it might be an uphill battle for 3 quarters. Selection: Northwest
Cal (+2.5) at Florida State
Start: 4pm on ESPN2
Comment: The roles are reversed when the undefeated Bears face the winless Seminoles. FSU quarterback DJ Uialagelei threw five touchdown passes against Cal last yr for Oregon State and needs to be confident. We wonder if the Bears will return to the southeast quadrant. They beat Auburn two weeks ago, but will jet lag play a job? Selection: Florida State
Purdue (+4.5) at Oregon State
Start: 5:30 p.m. on The CW
Comment: Two teams are attempting to rebound from losses on home soil. The Beavers lost to Oregon 49-14, while the Boilermakers were crushed by Notre Dame 66-7. Their only touchdown got here after the Irish had already scored seven touchdowns. Selection: Oregon State
Clear winners: Syracuse, Washington State, Arizona State, USC, LSU, Utah, Washington, Florida State and Oregon State
Five-star special: Florida State. We feel just like the hype across the Bears is a bit of an excessive amount of. They usually are not used to success on this scale, while FSU is on the verge of a resurgence.
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