<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=26Eaga_0wF15rdf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=26Eaga_0wF15rdf00" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Safety Kamren Fabiculanan and cornerback Thaddeus Dixon tackle an Oregon receiver on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Husky Football Stadium in Seattle, Wash. Emma Ottosen</figcaption></figure>We’re now seven games into the Washington football team’s season — a stint that has delivered a chasm of emotions that could span three time zones, from a crushing clunker against Iowa to pure pandemonium in the upset win over Michigan. There’s been utter dominance against non-conference challengers (and Northwestern, too), while mental mistakes spoiled a Friday night in New Jersey. And by the way, is anyone quite over the Apple Cup’s final play?But those contests have made this final stretch all the more fascinating — with seemingly each one becoming all the more important for bowl eligibility, as Washington needs at least two more to qualify. Which begs the question, how many are excited for the prospect of a December trip to Shreveport, Louisiana for the Independence Bowl?Now that we’re down to just five games left, let’s rank which ones are the most interesting for Washington moving forward.<h2>5) UCLA vs. Washington — Friday, Nov. 15</h2>Opponent’s AP ranking: Not Ranked (NR)Record and past schedule: 2-5. Hawaii (W, 16-13), Indiana (L, 42-13), LSU (L, 34-17), Oregon (L, 34-13), Penn State (L, 27-11), Minnesota (L, 21-17), and Rutgers (W, 35-32).Record wise, UCLA is far and away the worst team Washington will face this season in the Big Ten. But the Bruins are not nearly as bad as their billing, with their athletic director doing the team no favors early on. After agreeing to a home-and-home with LSU in 2021, UCLA faced four now-ranked opponents in its first five games, losing all of them by a combined 83 points. Granted, the Bruins markedly improved from the beginning of the stretch — only falling to No. 7 Penn State by 16 points, but they hardly helped themselves by losing to a mediocre Minnesota team the next week.Beyond the unfortunate Friday designation, what makes this game of such little appeal is that it’ll feature an opposing offense reminiscent of some of the teams Washington faced to open conference play, with UCLA’s offense ranked No. 122 of 133 eligible teams after recording 302.1 yards per game. Fifth-year quarterback Ethan Garbers has tossed nine interceptions, with three of them coming against the Golden Gophers. Meanwhile, Washington’s defense has been harrowing for struggling pass offenses, surrendering just 123 yards per game through the air, a mark that leads the country.Of course, Saturday’s 35-32 win over Rutgers could provide a necessary spark for offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy's unit as it moves into an easier part of their schedule, but even two blowout wins against Nebraska and Iowa wouldn’t necessarily move the needle for this game. <h2>4) USC vs. Washington — Saturday, Nov. 2</h2>Opponent’s AP ranking: NRRecord and past schedule: 3-4. LSU (W, 27-20), Utah State (W, 48-0), Michigan (L, 27-24), Wisconsin (W, 38-21), Minnesota (L, 24-17), Penn State (L, 33-30), and Maryland (L, 29-28).The last time Washington faced USC, in Los Angeles in 2023, Washington’s offense exploded for 572 yards and 52 points, a performance that dazzled Heisman voters and plummeted the Trojans from the AP rankings the following week.Of course, that was when Michael Penix Jr. was at the helm for Washington and future No. 1 pick Caleb Williams led USC’s offense. Both teams still feature decent passing offenses, with the Huskies’ ranked No. 17 in the FBS for yards passing per game (294.6), while redshirt junior quarterback Miller Moss and the Trojans clock in at No. 22 with 288.6. Plus, this meeting still provides the allure of a familiar Pac-12 matchup — the first for Washington since it met with Washington State on Sept. 14.But this is far from head coach Lincoln Riley’s best team, who now boasts a 4-6 record since last year’s loss to Washington. It’s a stretch that has landed the eighth-year head coach on the hot seat, a feat somewhat remarkable given the administration’s reluctance to part ways with former head coach Clay Helton.The Huskies need at least two more wins to reach bowl eligibility, and their best chances are going to be its two home games against the Los Angeles schools. But even if Washington is able to take down USC, it feels as if it would be more telling of the opponent, rather than the home side.<h2>3) Washington at Penn State — Saturday, Nov. 9</h2>Opponent’s AP ranking: No. 3Record and past schedule: 6-0. West Virginia (W, 34-12), Bowling Green (W, 34-27), Kent State (W, 56-0), Illinois (W, 21-7), UCLA (W, 27-11), and USC (W, 33-30).Look, I get it. There had to be some controversy on this list, and slotting the No. 3 team in the country in the No. 3 slot is about as controversial as it gets. With that being said, it’s a bit difficult to get excited about the Huskies flying across the country for another road contest against a top defense, especially after its blowout loss in Iowa. And while a win would be difficult to top for head coach Jedd Fisch, this isn’t even the upset Washington fans want the most on this list.Which means that most of the interest in this game might be resigned to the White Out — a treat for those making the difficult trek out to Happy Valley and for those watching on television. But after kickoff, Washington is left to deal with junior quarterback Drew Allar, who recorded 391 passing yards in the win over USC and senior tight end Tyler Warren, whose 513 receiving yards rank No. 48 in the country — both of whom complement the No. 6 defense in the FBS. This game will likely generate the highest television ratings of any game on this list — especially since a primetime slot is nearly guaranteed — but for now, it’s difficult to expect this one to remain a close game past halftime. <h2>2) Washington at Indiana — Saturday, Oct. 26</h2>Opponent’s AP ranking: No. 13Record and past schedule: 7-0. FIU (W, 31-7), Western Illinois (W, 77-3), UCLA (W, 42-13), Charlotte (W, 52-14), Maryland (W, 42-28), Northwestern (W, 41-24), and Nebraska (W, 56-7). Who would have expected this game to be ranked this high at the start of the year? After all, Indiana was finished to pick second-to-last in the Big Ten’s preseason poll given its tumultuous offseason, firing head coach Tom Allen for finishing a third straight season under 0.500. But since then, the Hoosiers hired Curt Cignetti from JMU and have started the year undefeated — a start impressive enough to warrant a visit from ESPN’s College GameDay this weekend. Granted, Indiana has hardly faced much talent this season, with its opponents combining for just a measly 22-28 record, but the Hoosiers are an above-average team, especially given its offensive capabilities — which currently ranks No. 5 in the country after picking up 512.7 yards per game.Plus, games played outside of Husky Stadium have been Washington’s Achilles heel — with all three losses coming in road or neutral site venues. Big Ten teams as a unit have had particular trouble when traveling through multiple zones, as the Huskies will have to do on its trip to Bloomington. Plus, the 9 a.m. Pacific kickoff will certainly do Washington no favors.I consider this one a barometer for Washington’s chances for the rest of the season — if it can overcome its road struggles, and at least keep this one competitive, I like its chances for playing an extra game this season. But if it's bulldozed in similar fashion to the Iowa game, the season may very well be over. <h2>1) Washington at Oregon, Saturday, Nov. 30</h2>Opponent’s AP ranking: No. 1Record and past schedule: 7-0. Idaho (W, 24-14), Boise State (W, 37-34), Oregon State (W, 49-14), UCLA (W, 34-13), Michigan State (W, 31-10), Ohio State (W, 32-31), and Purdue (W, 35-0). Let’s assume that Oregon wins every game from this point forward, which seems fairly plausible given its unassuming schedule the rest of the way — a slate which includes Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, and Wisconsin. And let’s take another wild guess and say that Washington wins two of its games and drops two more, following the trend of its last five contests.With it, we can assume that the Ducks would almost certainly not fall below its No. 1 slot, and the Huskies would sit decently outside the AP Top 25, and likely in the lower half of the Big Ten standings.It’s not what most Washington fans would sign up for.But it makes the prospect of an upset win that much sweeter.This game won’t be nearly as consequential as either of the last two matchups for Washington, but the stakes for Oregon and head coach Dan Lanning are as high as they’ve ever been, and the Husky faithful would love nothing more than to spoil an undefeated season for the neighbors in Eugene. No matter what happens the rest of the way, this game might be the only one that truly matters.Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. X: @ty_gilstrapLike what you’re reading? 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NewsBreak

Ranking Washington’s remaining regular season matchups, from least to most interesting

We’re now seven games into the Washington football team’s season — a stint that has delivered a chasm of emotions that could span three time zones, from a crushing clunker against Iowa to pure pandemonium in the upset win over Michigan. There’s been utter dominance against non-conference challengers (and Northwestern, too), while mental mistakes spoiled a Friday night in New Jersey. And by the way, is anyone quite over the Apple Cup’s final play?