Inside The Huskies

Huskies Jump Past Florida State in AP Top 25

The UW has its highest national ranking since 2016.

Dan Raley

In this story:

Florida State's football misfortune is the University of Washington's gain in the Associated Press poll, with Kalen DeBoer's team switching places with the Seminoles and jumping to No. 4 — the Huskies' highest national ranking since 2016.

Both teams won on Saturday to move to 11-0 but Florida State lost its quarterback Travis Jordan to what appeared to be a gruesome ankle injury that led to him being hospitalized and the pollsters making the ACC school pay for it.

The Seminoles and Huskies had been No. 4 and 5 for five consecutive weeks.

Ohio State and Michigan also flip-flopped, with the Buckeyes advancing to No. 2 and dropping the coach-less Wolverines, with Jim Harbaugh suspended for three games, to the third slot.  

Georgia continued to top the poll and received 61 of 62 first-place votes, with the stray ballot going to Ohio State.

For the Huskies (11-0 overall, 8-0 Pac-12), it's been a steady and methodical climb up the poll after beginning in the 10th spot when the season began. Being No. 4 is akin to qualifying for the College Football Playoff.

Voters previously had been reluctant to reward the UW, which has the nation's top passing offense, because its defense appears a little soft at times and its victories have been by narrow margins.  

After winning 22-20 at then 10th-ranked Oregon State on Saturday, DeBoer's team has won its past seven games by 7, 3, 8, 9, 10, 7 and 2.

The Huskies clinched a Pac-12 championship game berth against either sixth-ranked Oregon (10-1, 7-1) or 16th-ranked Arizona (8-3, 6-2) on Dec. 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

"It's not some big, off-the-wall celebration," DeBoer said. "They know there's more to the business to take are."

First, they'll have to face state rival Washington State (5-6, 2-6) in Saturday's Apple Cup at Husky Stadium. The UW has won 18 consecutive games stretching back to last season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL

1. Georgia, 11-0, 1,549 (61 first-place votes)

2. Ohio State, 11-0, 1,447 (1)

3. Michigan, 11-0, 1,440

4. Washington, 11-0, 1,367

5. Florida State, 11-0, 1,324

6. Oregon, 10-1, 1,219

7. Texas, 10-1, 1,180

8. Alabama, 10-1, 1,139

9. Louisville, 10-1, 1,017

10. Missouri, 9-2, 964

11. Penn State, 9-2, 894

12. Mississippi, 9-2, 878

13. Oklahoma, 9-2, 766

14. LSU, 8-3, 748

15. Oregon State, 8-3, 714

16. Arizona, 8-3, 625

17. Notre Dame, 8-3, 502

18. Tulane, 10-1, 499

19. Kansas State, 8-3, 418

20. Iowa, 9-2, 352

21. Oklahoma State, 8-3, 329

22. Liberty, 11-0, 229

23. Toledo, 10-1, 118

24. James Madison, 10-1, 75

25. Tennessee, 7-4, 72

Also receiving votes: Utah 69, North Carolina State 66, UNLV 56, SMU 49, North Carolina 26, Clemson 20, Kansas 7, Fresno State 6, New Mexico State 3, UCLA 1, Miami-Ohio 1, Texas A&M 1.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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