The Washington Huskies played like they knew the College Football Playoff committee was paying close attention, picking apart Washington State 45-17 to capture the 2016 Apple Cup and win the Pac-12 North title.
The Huskies entered Friday's matchup with a 10-1 record and ranked fifth in the playoff standings. Their resume to this point has been lacking, with just two wins against teams currently ranked in the Top 25 (Stanford and Utah) and a nonconference schedule that included Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State.
After losing to USC at home two weeks ago, Washington knew this was one of its last chances to make a statement.