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Conference championship week gets started Friday, Dec. 2. One of the two games playing that night is the Pac-12 Championship Game between Colorado and Washington.

The Huskies have made good on all that preseason hype circling Washington. The Buffs ... came out of nowhere. Literally, they came from the bottom of the Pac-12 South, which they've never done since joining the conference, and won it.

There are both Rose Bowl and playoff implications on the line. If Washington wins, there's a good chance it makes the final four. If Colorado wins, it is most likely Pasadena bound. How will the game play out? We preview it below.

Storylines

Colorado: The dream turnaround season can finish on a high note with a Pac-12 championship. If nothing else, it's a good opportunity for fans to get to know a team that probably doesn't get the same level of national attention as Washington and/or a red-hot USC -- even if the game is on a Friday night. This isn't just a nice story; Colorado has a legitimate team with a defense that rivals just about any in college football. The Buffs are tied for first nationally with Michigan and Ohio State in passing yards per attempt allowed. Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt is a Broyles Award nominee for top assistant coach and he has a case to win it.

Washington: This is what Chris Petersen was hired to do. Washington had potential with all the talent former coach Steve Sarkisian recruited, but the results never matched. Petersen has built off of that, and with many of his own players, constructed one of the more complete teams in college football. This is a ferocious defensive group capable of getting pressure with just the front four and a punishing secondary. The offense is built for big plays because of the deep ball placement of quarterback Jake Browning to the likes of John Ross and Dante Pettis. This is a fun team with playoff hopes if it wins.

Prediction

The Huskies are still favored by more than a touchdown at a neutral site (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California), but this feels like an evenly matched game. The Buffaloes have what it takes to at least keep Ross and Pettis contained, but Washington has more weapons than that pair. Running back Myles Gaskin is a 1,000-yard rusher. But Colorado has weapons, too, starting with quarterback Sefo Liufau and running back Phillip Lindsay. This one has the potential to be a thriller. Pick: Colorado +7.5

No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 4 Washington, 9 p.m. ET, Friday, Fox
Line
Washington -7.5