College Football Rankings: Washington State Cougars Make Top 20 In New Rankings
College football rankings for week 13 have rewarded the Washington State Cougars again. The updated college football rankings have WSU ranked No. 20 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. This makes the Cougars one of five Pac-12 teams to appear in the polls for week 13.
After beating the Colorado Buffaloes 27-3, WSU improved to 8-3 on the season. With just one game left in the regular season, the Cougars could actually finish tied for the best record in the Pac-12 Conference. The first-place Stanford Cardinal are at 9-2 with a season-ending game against Notre Dame in week 13. WSU lost to Stanford earlier in the season, though, costing the team a tie-breaker in comparisons.
In the latest college football rankings, the writers moved WSU up four spots in the AP Top 25 and the coaches bumped the Cougars up three spots in their poll. When the next College Football Playoff poll comes out on Tuesday, November 24, it is very likely that the Washington State Cougars will make their first ever appearance. The Cougars haven’t been ranked in the CFP since it debuted, so it is a big moment for the football program.
In the updated College Football Power Rankings, WSU is also up to No. 20, putting the school ahead of fellow Pac-12 opponents UCLA (No. 21) and Utah (No. 25). USC fell completely off the list with a bad loss to Oregon over the weekend. In the new Football Power Index, the team only ranks No. 45, though, with only a 32.6 percent chance given to win the final regular season game.
The final game of the season for the Washington State Cougars comes on Friday, November 27, against the Washington Huskies. Game time is at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the early start time allowing FOX to showcase the 2015 Apple Cup. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the 5-6 Huskies come into the Apple Cup in a must-win situation. In order to become bowl eligible, Washington has to emerge from the rivalry with a win this year. It could give WSU extra incentive to play a great game, because it could keep UW from making the postseason.
There is another interesting submission for the college football rankings this week, and it revolves around the updated power rankings for the Pac-12 Conference. Stanford has been placed in the top spot after clinching the best record in conference games this season. They are followed by the Oregon Ducks at No. 2 and then the Washington State Cougars at No. 3. ESPN.com had some positive things to say about the team as well.
“Regardless of what happens in the Apple Cup, Luke Falk (who of course we hope is going to be OK) should be the league’s offensive player of the year and Mike Leach should be the coach of the year. An improved defense is as much a reason as the high-flying offense.”
Luke Falk has put up some amazing numbers this year, even after missing some time due to injuries this season. Through 12 WSU games, Falk has 4,266 passing yards and 36 touchdowns to his credit. That is good for a 148.8 quarterback rating, with all those numbers ranking him among the top quarterbacks for the college football season.
With a lot of the core players set to return for the 2016 Pac-12 season, Washington State and head coach Mike Leach could certainly turn some heads. If the latest college football rankings are any indication, WSU could even begin the next season as part of the top 25 in each of the major polls. That would be quite the accomplishment for the Cougars, but first the team wants to take care of business in the Apple Cup and the upcoming bowl game.
[Photo by: William Mancebo/Getty Images]
