The Washington Huskies have a big game against the Oregon Ducks this week, and the team looks poised to make a bowl game after storming out to a 6-2 record. According to SB Nation's very own Bill Connelly, the Huskies are projected to take on Baylor in the Bridgeport Education Bowl.
Connelly predicts that the Huskies will finish the season with an 8-4 record, with losses presumably coming to Oregon and USC over the next two weeks before victories over Oregon State and Washington State.
The projections place Washington as the fourth-best team in the Pac-12, behind Stanford (13-0), Oregon (11-2) and Arizona St. (9-4). If the Huskies manage to beat out either Oregon or USC in the coming weeks, they could jump Arizona St. in the Pac-12 hierarchy and play in a higher bowl game.
If the Huskies win both games over the Ducks and Trojans, Washington could potentially move itself into Rose Bowl contention, as Avinash Kunnath of Pacific Takes explains:
Currently UW is floating outside the top 25, but Washington upsetting Oregon and USC in subsequent weeks and then winning out against Oregon State and Washington State might just be enough to push them into the top 14, ahead of Arizona State (presuming they don't win out and finish with at most three losses).
These next weeks will decide Washington's bowl destiny. Wins over either/both Oregon and USC would elevate the Huskies' bowl status, but Washington is on pace to finish at worst 8-4 and earn itself a bowl game this season even with two losses.
As bowl season approaches, check out the 2011 College Football Bowl Schedule.