CFB Playoff Committee Not Ruling Out Washington For Fiesta Bowl Selection

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Published Dec 3, 2016

CFB Playoff Committee Not Ruling Out Washington For Fiesta Bowl Selection

Lars Hanson • TheDawgReport

Publisher

@LarsHanson

SEATTLE -- Washington wide receiver John Ross used every inch of his 5-foot-11 frame to haul in an errant throw from quarterback Jake Browning and turn up field for a 19-yard touchdown, extending the UW lead to 31-7 with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter in Friday's Pac-12 Championship Game.

The No.4 ranked Huskies added another 10 points in the fourth quarter to seal their 41-10 victory over No.8 Colorado, all but securing a trip to one of the two College Football Playoff semi-final bowl games. With a 31-point victory over a top 10 opponent late in the season UW has positioned itself to potentially avoid Alabama in the semi-final round.

One CFB Playoff committee member told Rivals on Sunday that the committee wouldn't rule out Washington vaulting up to No.3 when the final rankings are revealed Sunday at 9 a.m. on ESPN.

Alabama will remain No.1 after defeated Florida 54-16 in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. Behind the Crimson Tide stand Washington, Michigan, Ohio State and Clemson with each making an argument for a spot in the final four.

The Buckeyes defeated Michigan last week 30-27 overtime in Columbus, Ohio to remain the No.2 team in the country. However, with Ohio State as the only team in the current top four rankings to not play a conference championship game, the case has been made to move OSU down in the rankings but still in the playoffs at as the No.4 team.

With OSU at No.4 and Alabama at No.1 the two would face off in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31. That would push Clemson up to No.2 and Washington to No.3 with the two meeting in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl on December 31 in Glendale, Arizona.

Between the two semi-final bowl games the Huskies would geologically prefer the Fiesta Bowl over traveling across the country to Georgia, with Tuscaloosa just over 200 miles west of Atlanta.

However, if Washington is able to win its semi-final game the Huskies will play for the National Title in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Monday, January 9. The game will be televised on ESPN with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST.