Huskies’ odds looking good
Victory in title game likely would send Washington to CFP.
SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — Washington coach Chris Petersen is happy to let others do the politicking and lobbying when it comes to the College Football Playoff.
He believes what the fourthranked Huskies do on the field will speak loud enough. Washington has its final chance to state its case tonight in the Pac-12 championship game against No. 8 Colorado.
“I have confidence that the powers that be will get these things right,” Petersen said. “I felt that way when I was at Boise, and they usually did. We’ll see how this plays out.”
Things are looking good for the Huskies (11-1) after they moved up a spot in the playoff rankings this week. One more win and they will likely make the semifinals in Petersen’s third season at the helm. Washington had not reached double figures in wins for a season in the 13 years before Petersen’s arrival.
B u t Pe t e r s e n h a s b u i l t Washing ton into a power just as he did at Boise State when he led the Broncos to seven straight double-digit win seasons and t wo BCS bowl games.
“I expected to be good from the second we got here,” he said. “I think that’s what players expect, I think that’s what coaches expect, and when it’s not like that, you’re frustrated as all get-out and trying to figure out why it’s not right. With that being said, we all know it takes some time to develop a program and how you’re going to do things.”
Mike MacIntyre had a much tougher turnaround task with the Buffaloes (10-2). Colorado was 25-61 in seven seasons before MacIntyre arrived from San Jose State.
But he methodically rebuilt the program to where it is now: a surprise participant in the Pac-12 title game with an outside chance of making it to the playoff with a win over the Huskies and some help elsewhere.
“I just think a lot of people on the outside didn’t expect us to be here,” quarterback Sefo Liufau said. “They want UW for playoff implications or anything like that. Basically the most important thing is what we want in the locker room and we want to win.”
Here are some other things to watch:
Big-time QBs: Both teams rely heavily on their quarterbacks. Washington’s Jake Browning was selected as the top offensive player in the conference after throwing for a school-record 40 TDs and only seven INTs. Browning ranks fourth in the FBS in passing efficiency (181.6). Colorado’s Liufau wasn’t quite as efficient but was almost as effective despite missing time with an ankle injury. He threw for 2,150 yards and 11 TDs and ran for 481 yards and seven scores.
Dominant defense: The game features the top two defenses in the conference, with both the Huskies and Buffaloes allowing just 4.7 yards per play. They are both led by their secondaries, with Washington’s Budda Baker and Sidney Jones making firstteam all-conference, and Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie and Tedric Thompson earning second-team selections.
Take it away: Both teams have thrived on turnovers this season. Washington led the nation with 30 takeaways and a plus-18 turnover margin. Colorado was second in the Pac-12 at plus-10 in turnovers.
On the grass: The Huskies will play their first game of the year on natural grass. The playing surface at Levi’s Stadium has had issues with footing over the years but has been better this season. against the 7-foot-1 Gobert and finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Here are our five t ake - aways:
S h o r t - h a n d e d : Wh o would have t hought t he Miami Heat would be relying on Ellington and Rodney McGruder and James Johnson to play such significant roles in a tough road win? But the Heat were down to nine players, and coach Erik Spoelstra was forced to improvise with his lineups. Every available player (after Luke Babbitt left with a hip flexor) played at least 11 minutes, including four players off the bench with at least 25 minutes. In fact, the Heat received a season-high 55 points off the bench, topping the previous mark of 52.
Johnson & Johnson: Earlier this year, the talk was about Tyler Johnson’s play off the bench. But lately, Tyler has had some competition for that top reserve honor. James Johnson continues to be a rock for Spoelstra’s second unit, providing energy, defense and, most surprisingly, offense when needed. James had a season-high 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting, plus six rebounds, He scored 14 in the second half. James Johnson entered the game averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 45 percent.
To u g h t u r n a r o u n d : Every team has certain spots on the schedule where the odds are stacked against it. One of Miami’s was Thursday. The Heat had a long flight to Denver on Tuesday, played the Nuggets on Wednesday night and took off after the game for Salt L ake Cit y. But they overcame fatigue and injuries for their most impressive win of the season.
The hits keep coming: Not only did the Heat send home guard Josh Richardson to start receiving treatment on his sprained right ankle, but forward Babbitt left the game late in the first quarter and later was diagnosed with a right hip flexor. He did not return. Not only that, forward Derrick Williams was out with back spasms. Already without guard Dion Waiters (groin) and forward Justise Winslow (wrist), the Heat had four players on the bench for majorit y of the game.
Ellington strong again: Ellington picked up where he left off Wednesday in Denver. He entered the game with four minutes to play in the first quarter and made five of his first six shots, including two 3-pointers, to score 14 points in the first half. He started the second half for the ailing Babbitt and immediately made his third 3-pointer. After scoring 22 in the win at Denver, Ellington followed that up with 17 points against the Jazz on 6-of-9 shooting.