The Washington Huskies and their nonconference schedule were convenient punching bags for everyone agitating to keep them out of the four-team College Football Playoff.
I think it's a lazy argument. Let's look at Washington's non-conference opponents.
-- Rutgers, which is part of the Big Ten, the conference man contend is the toughest in the country this season.
-- Idaho, which went 8-4 and is bowl bound.
-- Portland State, 3-8 this year, is a member of the FCS Big Sky Conference. The thing is, though, PSU beat two FBS teams last year, clobbering North Texas 66-7 in Denton, Texas, and knocking off Washington State 24-17 in Pullman.