Washington tops Colorado 41-10 for Pac-12 title

SANTA CLARA - Washington did what it had to do Friday. Now the Huskies must wait until Sunday morning to see if what they did was enough.

With freshman safety Taylor Rapp intercepting two third-quarter passes, returning one for a touchdown, and sophomore quarterback Jake Browning throwing for two more scores, fourth-ranked Washington blitzed Colorado 41-10 in the Pac-12 Conference championship game at Levi’s Stadium.

Now the Huskies’ fate rests with the 12-person College Football Playoff committee, which votes on the four-team playoff field Sunday. And though Washington’s one-sided win would seem to guarantee it an invitation, as we’ve seen once already this fall, elections don’t always follow form.

Washington won’t be the only one interested in the results because the committee will also set the rest of the top 25. And if it punishes No. 8 Colorado harshly for Friday’s loss, that could open a path to the Rose Bowl for No. 11 USC.

What is certain is that the resourceful Huskies made a strong case they’re a playoff team. When Washington’s high-powered passing attack sputtered in the first half, the Huskies kept the ball on the ground. And when it needed some offense, it turned to its defense, with Rapp picking off the first two Colorado passes of the second half.

Washington (12-1) got off to a quick start, marching 65 yards in seven plays on an opening drive capped by Lavon Coleman’s one-yard run.

It was the first time this season that Colorado gave up a score on an opponents’ opening possession.

And when the Buffaloes lost quarterback Sefo Liufau for the rest of the first half two minutes later, it looked like they were in for a long night.

Backup Steven Montez stepped up on Colorado’s next possession, however, completing a key third-down pass to set up Phillip Lindsay’s tying three-yard run.

That would be the only time the Buffaloes would see the end zone. When Browning found Darrell Daniels for a 15-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter, Washington went ahead to stay.

It was Rapp who put the game away, though, intercepting Liufau’s first two passes of the second half to help turn a seven-point halftime lead into a 17-point advantage less than four minutes into the third quarter.

On the Huskies’ next possession, John Ross made a spectacular catch of a pass Browning was simply trying to throw away before dashing 19 yards up the sideline for a touchdown, and the rout was on.

Washington sliced up Colorado’s vaunted defense, with Coleman and Myles Gaskin each rushing for more than 100 yards.

The Huskies finished with a 17-minute advantage in time of possession and a 220-yard edge in total offense, exactly the kind of dominance they hope will sway the playoff voters’ minds.

Washington came into Friday’s game holding a tenuous lead over Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State - two-loss teams ranked fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively - in the battle for the fourth and final playoff berth. But the CFP committee looks at more than won-loss records in making its picks.

Conference championships are also important - the Huskies checked that box Friday -as is strength of schedule. And there Washington was lacking; although it matched a school record with 12 wins, it did so while playing the weakest schedule of any Power Five team ranked in the CFP top 25.

Beating Colorado (10-3) will help the Huskies’ case by giving them two wins against top 10 teams this season.

Whether the win also helps USC (9-3), which beat both Colorado and Washington this season, is less certain.

Either way, this wasn’t the end Colorado had hoped to write to an otherwise spectacular season. Last in the Pac-12 South a year ago, the Buffaloes made it to the conference title game this fall while posting their first winning record since 2005.

Now their fate is in the hands of the CFP voters, too.