As Washington pulled away from Colorado in the second half of the Pac-12 championship game on Friday, Huskies fans rejoiced. Surely, a 41-10 win against the No. 8 team in the country was enough to solidify their spot among the top four and ensure a place in the College Football Playoff.
This, of course, turned out to be true, and now Washington is preparing for a date with No. 1 Alabama.
But the Huskies’ win had more than playoff ramifications. Sitting at home, USC’s chances at playing in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual received a huge boost by the lopsided nature of the game.