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College Football Playoff: 5 Reasons Washington will win National Championship

By Hunter Kinniburgh

Dec 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Huskies tight end Darrell Daniels (15) celebrates with wide receiver John Ross (1) after scoring on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes during the Pac-12 championship at Levi
Dec 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Huskies tight end Darrell Daniels (15) celebrates with wide receiver John Ross (1) after scoring on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes during the Pac-12 championship at Levi /
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Nov 19, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Budda Baker (32) sacks Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) during the first quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Budda Baker (32) sacks Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) during the first quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Underrated Defense

While Washington’s offense has been respected and envied all season, its defense tends to be overshadowed and forgotten when looking at this team as a whole, but it has been crucial in the amounts of success that the team has enjoyed so far this season.

When discussing the Huskies defense the first number that pops out is the turnovers that they create. Washington leads the country with 33 takeaways on the season. This stat is crucial for the Huskies, considering the level of talent of opposing quarterbacks that they will face. The Huskies defense turned Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau, a guy who had thrown three interceptions all season, into quite the pedestrian player in the Pac-12 Championship, forcing him to throw three interceptions in that game alone.

Forcing turnovers will need to be a major focal point for the defensive game planning leading up to the Peach Bowl against Alabama. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts is still just a true freshman, if the secondary, led by Budda Baker, and the rest of the Huskies defensive backs can force Hurts into mistakes, then it will give them a much better shot at dethroning the defending champs. Turnovers win ball games, it’s as simple as that.

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