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ATLANTA -- Judging by some of the media questions directed at Washington players this week, it's a wonder why the Huskies even bothered showing up for the Peach Bowl. You know there's not much faith in a competitive game when ESPN puts ratings juggernaut Alabama in the afternoon College Football Playoff Semifinal to try to maximize viewership at night for Clemson-Ohio State.

Yes, the Peach Bowl will still actually get played Saturday despite Alabama being a 14-point favorite.

"I mean, I understand it," Huskies quarterback Jake Browning said. "They've been here. This is our first time here."

The Huskies are by far the biggest underdog in the three-year history of the College Football Playoff. The Bowl Championship Series never had this large of an underdog in the 16 years of its national championship game.

Biggest CFP/BCS upsets by point spread

1. 2003 Fiesta Bowl -- Ohio State (+12) beat Miami 31-24: This is an all-time classic upset with a national championship at stake. The Buckeyes methodically stunned the Hurricanes in overtime. Though both teams sent a ton of players to the NFL, Miami's inability to win back-to-back national titles was a shocker as its 34-game winning streak ended.

2. 2001 Orange Bowl -- Oklahoma (+11) beat Florida State 13-2: The Sooners were No. 1 in the BCS rankings but a heavy underdog against the defending national champion Seminoles. Oklahoma won a snoozer of a game.

3. 2014 Sugar Bowl -- Ohio State (+8) beat Alabama 42-35: The Buckeyes were the No. 4 seed in the first CFP and supposed to lose in a "neutral-site" game in New Orleans. Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott had other ideas in the seven-point win.

T4. 2006 Rose Bowl -- Texas (+7) beat USC 41-38: In terms of a stunner, this game belongs near the top with Ohio State-Miami in 2003. Many pundits before the game had already crowned USC as one of the all-time great dynasties given its 34-game winning streak. Vince Young proved otherwise.

T4. 2007 BCS Championship -- Florida (+7) beat Ohio State 41-14: Before Urban Meyer was the Urban Meyer we now think of, the Gators snuck into the BCS Championship Game and blew out Ohio State. The win started seven straight national championships by the SEC.

Even the pre-BCS Fiesta Bowl in 1987, when Penn State stunned Miami for the national championship, wouldn't be as big an upset as Washington over Alabama. The Nittany Lions were only a seven-point underdog.

If Washington beats Alabama, it would have to go down as the biggest upset in modern college football history with a national championship at stake. When Ohio State beat Miami in 2003 and Texas knocked off USC in 2006, the Buckeyes and Longhorns were still undefeated teams.

Washington is a one-loss team that lost at home 26-13 to USC on Nov. 12. Oh, by the way: The Trojans lost 52-6 to Alabama on Sept. 3.

"That stuff is irrelevant," Washington cornerback Sidney Jones said. "Maybe a team is having a good day. Also, Southern Cal, they didn't have their quarterback [Sam Darnold] that they have now, so I feel like that could have a big difference in SC's first game."

Consider the talent gap between Alabama and Washington. Based on recruiting rankings, this game looks like Boise State [Washington coach Chris Petersen's old team] is finally getting a shot to play for the national title. Some of the Huskies' veteran players initially planned to play at Boise State before Petersen left for Washington.

"You know, [Alabama is] probably the best college team I've seen," Petersen said. "So what can you do but keep a sense of humor about it? I mean, there's no weaknesses out there. There's no players like, 'Well, he's a freshman.' If he's a freshman, he's a freshman All-American and a whatever-star recruit."

Has Petersen crossed paths with anyone on Alabama's roster on the recruiting trail?

"I've heard of them," he replied. "Nope, not that I can think of."

Alabama has 16 five-star players on its depth chart; Washington has none. Alabama had 17 of its projected 22 starters ranked in the top 10 nationally of their position coming out of high school depth chart has 16 five-star players; Washington has three of 22 starters who fit that category.

"I feel like I've been an underdog my whole life," Huskies safety Budda Baker said. "We still like to think we're the underdog."

Don't worry, Budda. No one is saying otherwise against Alabama.

247Sports Composite Recruiting Rankings

Alabama defense
Player Stars Overall Position
DE Jonathan Allen 5 No. 16 No. 2 OLB
NG Da'Ron Payne 5 No. 29 No. 7 DT
DE Dalvin Tomlinson 4 No. 216 No. 20 DT
LB Tim Williams 4 No. 82 No. 2 WDE
LB Ryan Anderson 4 No. 76 No. 6 OLB
LB Rashaan Evans 5 No. 15 No. 1 OLB
LB Reuben Foster 5 No. 7 No. 1 ILB
CB Marlon Humphrey 5 No. 12 No. 3 CB
CB Anthony Averett 4 No. 274 No. 24 S
SS Minkah Fitzpatrick 5 No. 30 No. 5 CB
FS Ronnie Harrison 4 No. 197 No. 12 S
Washington defense
Player Stars Overall Position
DE Vita Vea 3 No. 426 No. 32 DT
DT Greg Gaines 3 No. 695 No. 48 DT
DT Elijah Qualls 4 No. 116 No. 10 DT
DE Connor O'Brien 3 No. 549 No. 39 S
LB D.J. Beavers 3 No. 504 No. 36 OLB
LB Keishawn Bierria 3 No. 618 No. 47 OLB
LB Psalm Wooching 3 No. 1,066 No. 77 ATH
S JoJo McIntosh 3 No. 876 No. 72 S
S Taylor Rapp 3 No. 467 No. 28 S
S Budda Baker 4 No. 55 No. 6 ATH
CB Sidney Jones 3 No. 1,880 No. 152 ATH
CB Kevin King 3 No. 571 No. 42 CB
Alabama offense
Player Stars Overall Position
LT Cam Robinson 5 No. 4 No. 1 OT
LG Ross Pierschbacher 4 No. 74 No. 6 OT
C Bradley Bozeman 3 No. 473 No. 27 OG
RG Korren Kirven 4 No. 167 No. 16 DT
RT Jonah Williams 5 No. 17 No. 2 OT
TE Hale Hentges 4 No. 145 No. 3 TE
TE O.J. Howard 5 No. 19 No. 1 TE
QB Jalen Hurts 4 No. 177 No. 3 Dual QB
RB Damien Harris 5 No. 31 No. 1 RB
WR ArDarius Stewart 4 No. 86 No. 3 ATH
WR Gehrig Dieter* 3 No. 881 No. 101
* Dieter transferred to Alabama after transferring from SMU and Bowling Green.
Washington offense
Player Stars Overall Position
WR John Ross 4 No. 250 No. 38 WR
LT Trey Adams 4 No. 319 No. 32 OT
LG Jake Eldrenkamp 3 No. 1,012 No. 57 OG
C Coleman Shelton 0 Not ranked Not ranked
RG Shane Brostek 0 Not ranked Not ranked
RT Kaleb McGary 4 No. 274 No. 21 OT
QB Jake Browning 4 No. 71 No. 5 Pro QB
RB Myles Gaskin 3 No. 399 No. 34 RB
TE Darrell Daniels 4 No. 142 No. 19 WR
TE Drew Sample 3 No. 1,293 No. 54 TE
TE Will Dissly 2 No. 2,232 No. 110 WDE
TE David Ajamu 3 No. 1,186 No. 47 TE
WR Chico McClatcher 3 No. 441 No. 9 APB
WR Dante Pettis 3 No. 882 No. 117 WR