The last time the Pac-12 sent a team to the College Football Playoff, the 2016 Washington Huskies were lampooned for scheduling Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State in nonconference play and never fully grabbed the nation's respect on the way to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. There, in a semifinal, they were steamrolled by Alabama 24-7, leading to more doubts about whether they belonged on that stage in the first place.
Perception is what matters most in college football, and that is especially true for Pac-12 teams, which through no fault of their own face an annual uphill battle to earn the attention of the rest of the nation. You can't pass the eye test if millions of potential beholders are asleep.
Entering 2018, Washington, with quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin returning for their senior seasons, is once again positioned as the league's most likely national championship contender. The good news, potentially, for the Huskies? This time, they won't have to wait as long to prove it.
Washington opens Sept. 1 against Auburn, a top-10 caliber opponent, in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It's a 3:30 p.m. kick Eastern time and should be the marquee matchup of opening weekend.
If the Huskies win, they immediately launch themselves into the national championship race and could be awarded a mulligan for a loss in Pac-12 play.
The stakes of Washington-Auburn will be high for the Huskies' division and conference rivals, too. If they are viewed as a legitimate top-5 team as the season progresses, then any team that unseats them at the top of the league standings will be given more consideration by the CFP selection committee.
It's a long season, and that sure is a lot of emphasis to put on one game. But every team in the league should be wearing purple and gold Sept. 1, no matter how icky that may feel.
Stanford, last season's North Division champion, has proven under coach David Shaw that it will always challenge for the league crown. The main reason Washington is favored over the Cardinal is the location of this year's game _ Husky Stadium. Oregon, which gets Washington and Stanford at home in coach Mario Cristobal's first season, will have the chance to enter the fray as well _ with some Autzen magic.
Here's a look at the division heading into training camps, in predicted order of finish:
