30 Day Countdown- Day 18: Biggest Threat in the North

The Washington Huskies are the odds-on favorite to win the Pac-12 conference this season, but before that can happen, they need to win the North Division. Earlier in this countdown series, I asked readers what they considered a “Must Win Game.” Only 23% of readers thought any Pac-12 game was more of a must win than the Stanford game, with the Cardinal taking nearly half of the overall vote.

We have come to expect David Shaw’s Stanford teams to be good. Last season they overcame quarterbacking issues and a sometimes-hobbled Bryce Love to win the North. While I don’t think many Husky fans would concede that the Cardinal were a better team than the Huskies last season, they played better when…