Yes, I have the Huskies at number 5 even after the trouncing they experienced in the National Championship, and here’s why:
UW’s toughest games in the conference will mostly be at home and they get a huge home-field advantage up in Seattle (i.e. the team’s regular season win over the Ducks in 2023).
Playing host to both Michigan and USC at home will help them level out the playing field and, more likely than not, lead to them beating those two powerhouses.
On the road, the Huskies will have to face Penn State and Oregon – two locations that also boast massive support for their home teams.
Much like Michigan, Washington will be in a rebuilding era after losing quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and its receiving core.
The good news for the Dubs is that they will have their nearly-impossible-to-beat head coach Kalen DeBoer, who is 104-12 all-time as an HC.