Washington State Football: Is a letdown looming against Colorado?

A huge shakeup out in the Pac-12 could be ahead if No. 8 Washington State football cannot hold on against the Colorado Buffaloes.

The only team left in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff out of the Pac-12 has a tricky test on the schedule in Week 11 by traveling to Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes. At the outset of the 2018 campaign, Colorado looked like it could make a similar run to what it did back in 2016 by winning the Pac-12 South crown. Washington State football awaits them in Week 11.

However, No. 8 ranked Washington State football still has an uphill battle ahead to even have a shot at getting a berth for the Playoff this year. If Washington State football was still undefeated, it would have a decent shot at making the Playoff. But, having that one loss to a slipping USC Trojans is hurting the Washington State Cougars right now.

Colorado is entering this Pac-12 showdown with a four-game losing streak after starting the 2018 campaign with five straight wins. Head coach Mike MacIntyre is on a very hot seat right now and needs to get a big win for this program soon to reach bowl eligibility.

On paper, Washington State seems to have the edge by a good margin. But, this type of matchup for head coach Mike Leach does spell letdown. Washington State is only a six-point favorite over Colorado on the road.

It will be interesting to see how the quarterbacks match up in this game. Colorado quarterback Steven Montez is declining with his performances of late. Overall, Montez is still having a solid 2018 campaign. Meanwhile, former transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew continues to put up big numbers for the Cougars.

Minshew is still a long shot for the Heisman Trophy this year with his more than 3,500 passing yards and 29 total touchdowns. Montez does have a nice stat line of his own with 17 passing touchdowns and only five interceptions.

The two latest losses for Colorado are the most concerning in terms of the team’s chances in this game against Washington State. Colorado fell short against two hapless opponents for much of the season in the Arizona Wildcats and Oregon State Beavers.

Logic would tell you that Washington State is set to roll the Buffs on Nov. 10. Week 11 could have some crazy results, and this battle between Colorado and Washington State does have some of the makings of a potential upset in Boulder.