By Ralph D. Russo
Associated Press
Everybody says they want Alabama. Then they get the Crimson Tide and reality sets in: These guys are almost impossible to beat.
Alabama is in the College Football Playoff for the third straight season, the only school that can make that claim. And as good as Alabama has been through an unprecedented run of four national titles in seven seasons, this version of the top-ranked Tide might be the best of all.
The Washington Huskies are a resurgent bunch, in contention for a national title for the first time in decades, with a coach in Chris Petersen who has a reputation for pulling off upsets. This one might be the biggest upset of all.
Coach Nick Saban’s crew of former blue-chip recruits and future NFL players is unbeaten, but are they unbeatable? A case for how Washington can take down the mighty Crimson Tide:
What UW needs to do: Play the perfect game.
Sounds impossible, right? It seems the only chance Washington has against the Crimson Tide is to play flawlessly and hope Alabama is already looking forward to hanging out on the beaches of Tampa ahead of the championship game.
But perfection for the Huskies doesn’t mean going outside of what got them to the national semifinals, especially on the offensive side.
“You don’t want to get too far away from what got you to this point,” Washington offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith said. “At the same time you’ve got some time to put in some wrinkles or do things differently.”
Quarterback Jake Browning spent most of the season avoiding mistakes and must do the same against Alabama. But his two worst games came against USC and Colorado, the two most athletic and physical defenses the Huskies faced. Alabama had 45 sacks this season, third most in the nation, and Browning is not particularly mobile. If Browning can get the ball to speedster John Ross and fellow wide receiver Dante Pettis — big if — there could be some favorable matchups for Washington.
Possible difference-maker: Coach Petersen.
He has a track record during his time at Boise State of beating long odds. The ultimate example happened 10 years ago when his first Boise State team knocked off Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Petersen loves his tricky plays and has a good feel for when to break out the gadgets.
“We’ve played in a lot of big games over the years,” Petersen said. “We’ve played in some big games this year. I know usually when we play in games like that, our guys may be a little more on point and you feel a different energy and those type of things. So that’s nice to be involved with that.”
Chances to beat ‘Bama: Poor.
No team truly matches up with Alabama, but the Huskies’ relatively inexperienced offensive line and stationary quarterback is a recipe for disaster.
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