Paul Finebaum on Washington's chances to win Pac-12: 'I'm pretty confident'

Washington is not only the highest-ranked team in the Pac-12, they’re the only unbeaten team in the conference through seven weeks this season.

In a conference filled with seven ranked teams heading into the weeked, Washington should be considered the favorite to win the Pac-12 in its final season as we know it after defeating Oregon 36-33, according to Paul Finebuam.

“I’m pretty confident after yesterday, but that game was at home and it did take some unbelievably bizarre coaching by Dan Lanning to put them in that position,” Finebaum said on SportsCenter Sunday morning. “They will likely play again. If you thought yesterday was the biggest game of the year, just wait until the Pac-12 Championship.

“I was No. 1 on the list to declare the Pac-12 officially dead after Oregon and Washington bailed, and so did everyone else. But right now, it’s the most exciting and best league in college football.”

The conference is far from wrapped up for the Huskies, however. After the next two week’s matchups against Arizona and Stanford, respectively, Washington has four-straight ranked battles to round out their regular season in USC on the road, vs. Utah, at Oregon State and the season finale at home vs. in-state rival Washington State.

The toughest test for Washington, on paper, will be the matchup in Los Angeles against USC. The Trojans are fresh off their first loss of the season against Notre Dame 48-20. Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams threw three interceptions in a single game for the first time in his career and what was the nation’s highest scoring offense with 51.8 points per game coming in was a shell of itself in South Bend.

Add in the fact that Washington is one of the only schools in the country with an offense that can rival USC’s high-powered unit. QB Michael Penix Jr. has been nearly unstoppable for the Huskies this season. 20 passing touchdown, 2,301 passing yards and a 91.7 QBR, all of which are ranked in the top 10 in their respective categories.

That matchup won’t happen until Nov. 4, but until then, the Sun Devils and Cardinal are upset-minded and ready to ruin Washington’s season before they even get there. Looking past either team would be a mistake — but after Saturday’s victory over the Ducks, a bit of confidence is warranted for a team with legitimate College Football Playoff hopes this season.