Yes, it has been a dream season for the Colorado football team, and no one involved with the 2016 Buffaloes — players, coaches, fans — is ready to see the dream end.

Colorado can add another dash of “wow” to its remarkable turnaround season with a win Friday over Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game. There’s even an outside chance that a victory over the Huskies would place the Buffaloes in college football’s Final Four.

But first things first, a few things to watch for this Friday:

A Tale of Two Teams

Washington — coming off of a 2015 season that included a bowl game victory — was ranked 14th in the 2016 Associated Press poll to start the season. Colorado, who finished last in the Pac 12 in ’15, wasn’t to be found in any preseason ranking.

While the Huskies may have slightly exceeded expectations by going 11-1 and working their way into the College Football Playoff picture, no one predicted that Colorado would be this good. The Buffs (10-2) won the Pac-12 South, and their eight conference wins were three more than they managed over their first five seasons in the conference combined. And their only regular season losses were to nationally-ranked powers Michigan and USC.

All this from a team that went 20-63 from 2009-15.

Key Players

Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau is efficient and dangerous. He’s completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,150 yards and thrown only three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 483 yards, while running back Phillip Lindsay has rushed for 1,136 yards to go with 44 receptions.

Senior cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was named the Buffs’ defensive MVP after a regular season in which he had 54 tackles, four sacks and 10 pass breakups.

Washington sophomore Jake Browning has emerged as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Browning ranks third in the country in passing touchdowns (40) and fourth in passing efficiency (181.6 rating). Senior receiver John Ross is second nationally with 16 touchdowns while running back Myles Gaskin has rushed for 1,180 yards.

The Defenses

Colorado will challenge Browning and Co. with a defense that’s ranked 13th nationally. The Buffaloes have allowed 323.8 yards and 18.8 points per game. Besides Awuzie, the secondary also includes safety Tedric Thompson, whose seven interceptions tie a school record.

Washington’s defense has plenty of talent, with five players ranked among the top 102 prospects by NFLDraftScout.com. Three of those players — cornerbacks Sidney Jones and Kevin King and safety Budda Baker — anchor a strong secondary. The Huskies rank 10th in the nation with 16 interceptions.

The Series

Washington leads the all-time series with Colorado 9-5-1. The Huskies have won the last six meetings between the two teams, but the Buffs will look to end that streak this week.