After finishing the regular season at 6-6, Jedd Fisch’s Washington Huskies are nowhere near the Week 15 installment of the US LBM Coaches Poll. However, three of Washington’s Big Ten opponents rank inside the top eight.
Leading the way are Washington’s arch-rivals, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks, who received every first-place vote after finishing the regular season as the nation’s only undefeated team following a 49-21 dismantling of the Huskies inside Autzen Stadium.
Next are the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions, who will face Oregon in the Big Ten championship game following Ohio State’s loss to Michigan. Coach James Franklin’s team also gave the Huskies plenty of trouble, routing them 35-6 in their annual White Out.
Finally, there is the upstart No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers, who finished the regular season 11-1 in their first year under coach Curt Cignetti. Relying on backup quarterback Tayven Jackson, the Hoosiers ran all over the Huskies in Bloomington in October in a 31-17 win.
Washington’s schedule ranks No. 45 in ESPN’s FPI and has been very top-heavy, as the Huskies also suffered a 24-19 loss in the Apple Cup to the Washington State Cougars in September, who held a spot in the Coaches Poll for multiple weeks before ending the season on a three-game losing streak.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | 12-0 | 1,325 (53) |
| 2 | Texas Longhorns | 11-1 | 1,272 |
| 3 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 11-1 | 1,192 |
| 4 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 11-1 | 1,165 |
| 5 | Georgia Bulldogs | 10-2 | 1,104 |
| 6 | Tennessee Volunteers | 10-2 | 1,025 |
| 7 | SMU Mustangs | 11-1 | 977 |
| 8 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 10-2 | 976 |
| 9 | Indiana Hoosiers | 11-1 | 895 |
| 10 | Boise State Broncos | 11-1 | 840 |
| 11 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 9-3 | 733 |
| 12 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 9-3 | 700 |
| 13 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 10-2 | 665 |
| 14 | Miami Hurricanes | 10-2 | 646 |
| 15 | Ole Miss Rebels | 9-3 | 638 |
| 16 | Iowa State Cyclones | 10-2 | 565 |
| 17 | Clemson Tigers | 9-3 | 457 |
| 18 | BYU Cougars | 10-2 | 419 |
| 19 | UNLV Rebels | 10-2 | 255 |
| 20 | Missouri Tigers | 9-3 | 229 |
| 21 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 9-3 | 225 |
| 22 | Colorado Buffaloes | 9-3 | 215 |
| 23 | Army Black Knights | 10-1 | 196 |
| 24 | Memphis Tigers | 10-2 | 187 |
| 25 | Syracuse Orange | 9-3 | 108 |