After the Huskies lost to Oregon last weekend, the Ducks, Cougars and, maybe, Colorado, now stand the best chance of representing the Pac-12 in the College Football Playoff. Problem is, those chances are looking very slim when you consider history, weak non-conference slates and the national picture.
Not all one-loss teams are created equal, either across the FBS in mid-October or in a committee room on the first weekend of December.
That’s the potential challenge facing a one-loss Pac-12 champion, whether the team resides in Eugene, Pullman or Boulder.
And that’s why the conference is on the brink of playoff elimination, once again, before the stretch run arrives.