10 thoughts on Washington's No. 5 CFP ranking

The Huskies are just outside the top four, for now.

Washington debuted at No. 5 in the initial 2023 College Football Playoff rankings, corresponding with the Huskies’ rank in the Associated Press Top-25 and coaches poll.

Here are 10 quick thoughts and reactions after a successful evening of trick-or-treating with a couple of not-quite-3-year-olds.

1. As always, a reminder: none of this really means anything yet. Each rankings release prior to the final one — the only one that matters — is mostly just a way for ESPN to attract television viewers. The very first set of rankings, though, at least provides some idea of what the selection committee is prioritizing. Of course, those priorities can change, and logic can be applied to support whichever four teams the committee ultimately wants to place in the Playoff. But at least there’s a record of their justification for why they ranked which teams in which spots.