ANALYSIS: What Must Happen for the Huskies to Reach the College Football Playoff?

A week into Fall Camp, expectations are high among the Washington Huskies coaches and players.

People outside of Montlake are also buying into the team Jedd Fisch has assembled going into this third year as the head football coach. A year after finishing 9-4, the Huskies debuted 19th in the Coaches Poll. Phil Steele lists Washington 15th in his annual College Football Preview. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic placed Washington 15th, while On3’s Brett McMurphy tabbed UW 10th.

While most of those rankings suggest the Huskies will fall just outside the 12-team 2026 College Football Playoff field, it also puts them in range for Fisch’s first CFP as a head coach.