That other college football team from the Pacific Northwest has been doing its best to lay low through the first weeks of the season.
The Washington Huskies quietly went about winning their games, nothing too flashy, lurking in the shadows of traditional powerhouse Oregon.
But a statement victory over Stanford has pushed the Huskies to No. 5 in this week's Associated Press poll and keeping the whole thing a secret might be tough, no matter how hard coach Chris Petersen tries.
"It was one of those nights where we are good and took the next step," Petersen said after the 44-6 win. "That's really all it is."
Approaching the midway point of the season, the weekend offered a number of big games, not to mention a flurry of last-second, last-gasp finishes. When the dust settled, the national playoff picture looked a little clearer.
No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Michigan made all the right moves to put themselves just behind top-ranked Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State. Now Washington belongs in the conversation, too.
With an emerging star in quarterback Jake Browning and a defense that stifled Stanford's Christian McCaffrey, the Huskies might represent the Pac-12 Conference's best shot at earning a spot in college football's big dance.
Not that it will be an easy path for them.
Their nonconference schedule, padded with the likes of Idaho and Portland State, won't overly impress the selection committee. One loss would probably knock them out of contention and once again leave the Pac-12 shut out of the playoffs.
Maybe that's why Petersen and his players insist upon remaining low-key as they prepare to face the Ducks on the road Saturday.
"We need to build off of this," defensive end Joe Mathis said of the team's 5-0 start. "And do even better this week."
