If the Huskies are going to break through as a bowl team this season, they're going to have to earn it. At least, according to Phil Steele's College Football Preview which ranks UW's 2008 football schedule as the toughest in the nation.

By some figuring, last year's schedule also was the toughest. And this one certainly ranks in the same neighborhood, with an out-of-conference schedule with Oklahoma (comparable to last season's Ohio State), Brigham Young (comparable to last season's Boise or Hawaii), and Notre Dame (even at their worst, a considerable upgrade from last season's Syracuse).

Then the Pac-10 schedule turns around this season, giving the Huskies five conference games on the road, including notoriously difficult Oregon and USC, and sending the Huskies to Pullman in late November.

Meanwhile, Yardbarker.com reminds that there are at least two ways of looking at every game, by ranking Oklahoma's visit to Husky Stadium as one of the top five trap games for this season's national title contenders:

Oklahoma @ Washington (Sept. 13): Washington is either going to be one of the surprise teams in college football this season, or else the Huskies will be in the familiar role of conducting a search for a new head coach at the end of the season. Jake Locker is going to be a handful for the Sooners' defense to control, and if he has matured as a passer over the off-season, look out. Plus, we all know what happened the last time Oklahoma ventured to the Pacific Northwest.