Washington routs Colorado to win Pac-12 title, secure playoff spot

No. 4 Washington rolls over No. 8 Colorado for Pac-12 title
0:50 | College Football

Turns out, the hype was spot on. Favored since the spring, when they were picked by nearly every media outlet to be the team of 2016, the Washington Huskies lived up to the talk Friday night when they won the Pac-12 championship with a 41–10 victory over Colorado in the conference title game. It’s the program’s first conference crown since 2000.

Here are three quick thoughts after UW’s win:

1. Washington is in the playoff—and may be higher than No. 4

The Huskies are going to the postseason that matters, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It does not matter what happens in other championship games this weekend—UW will be in the College Football Playoff. The question is, will the Huskies move up from the No. 4 spot? Washington looked dominant in its win over Colorado, proving yet again that it is a complete team (more on that below). If Clemson wins big in the ACC title game on Saturday night, the rankings will probably stay the same, but if the Tigers only squeak by Virginia Tech, or if Virginia Tech wins and the Big Ten champ sneaks in, the Huskies might be heading to a party in Arizona instead of the Peach Bowl to face Alabama. Regardless of where it ends up, know this: Washington can give anyone a game, including ‘Bama, particularly because Chris Petersen is known for being good with a…