Washington State Football: 3 takeaways from dismantling of Arizona

1. Pac-12 North, possible CFP spot comes down to Apple Cup

Washington State still has room for plenty of lofty goals this season. They are among the top eight teams in the country, and they are among just five one-loss teams in the Power Five with one week left in November. First, though, they finally have to exorcise their demons against rival Washington in their annual Apple Cup meeting.

This year the Cougars host the encounter in the Palouse. They will look to end a five-year losing streak against Washington and nab just their second victory of the past decade against the Huskies. As the two teams’ fortunes have climbed in recent seasons, Washington State has remained the weaker brother in the battle of state rivals.

Two years ago, the Apple Cup served as a de facto Pac-12 North championship game. That time, the Huskies ran away with a 45-17 victory on the road that allowed Washington to eventually book its trip to the College Football Playoff.

If Washington State is going to end its conference championship drought that has been going for a decade and a half, they have to end their losing streak against their biggest rival. There is no way around it at this point, after the Huskies took down Oregon State at home earlier on Saturday.