No. 2 Washington feeling disrespected as an underdog going into College Football Playoff

Even with a perfect 13-0 record and a Heisman Trophy finalist (Michael Penix Jr.) at quarterback, the No. 2-ranked Washington Huskies are still entering their College Football Playoff game against No. 3 Texas as the underdogs. 

That not only has several members of the team scratching their heads, but it also has them playing the disrespect card ahead of Monday's game.

Edge-rusher Bralen Trice was the most outspoken about being underdogs on Friday, telling ESPN that he hopes they go out and "smack" Texas and win in a pretty lopsided favor.

More from Trice, via ESPN's Andrea Adelson:

"I think it's crazy," Trice said Friday during media availability. "Just the level of disrespect we get, I can't really understand it, but it helps us because it makes us have our backs against the wall as we go into these games, ready to play even harder because we are the underdogs. You don't take anything for granted out there. We're grateful to be in the position we're at because of the hard work we put in. We can be the underdog. We can be on top, and we'll come out with the win."

It is not hard to understand why Washington would be playing the disrespect card. Along with going 13-0 this season, the Huskes were also 11-2 a year ago and are 24-2 over the past two seasons. It is not like they have feasted on weak competition, either. 

This year's Huskies team went 5-0 against ranked opponents this season, beating Oregon (twice), Utah, USC and Oregon State. The two Oregon wins were by far the most impressive as they were the only two games the Ducks lost all season. 

Texas has a nearly equally impressive resume, going 12-1 and 4-1 against ranked opponents. But the Longhorns are one of the most prominent college football programs in the country and are always going to get more attention and hype. Washington, rightly or wrongly, is viewed as more of an upstart team that does not have the history or track record to get respect. The only way to get that is to keep winning. So far, that is all Washington has done this season. Another two wins will make it so nobody can ever take the Huskies lightly again.