Pac-12 championship game: Where the stars came from

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

With the conference championship games upon us, we thought we’d take a look at each team’s leading passer, rusher and receiver on offense and leading tackler and pass rushers on defense. Here’s how Washington and Colorado break down.

RELATED: How Buffs, Huskies compare on recruiting trail | SEC breakdown | ACC breakdown | Big Ten breakdown

The skinny: Browning took an aggressive approach with his process after his junior season, taking several visits before making his decision in late March. After weighing all of his options, Browning committed to Washington over Alabama, Oklahoma State, Utah, Boise State, California and Colorado. After showcasing his potential as a true freshman last fall, Browning has quickly become one of the better quarterbacks in the country in 2016. With 3,162 yards, 40 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, Browning has positioned the Huskies into prime position to make the playoffs this year.

Farrell’s take: Browning was a four-star in the Rivals100 in 2015 with great poise in the pocket, the ability to slide or step up exactly when needed and an amazing knack for making red zone throws. He was mature beyond his years and it wouldn’t surprise me if he continues to have a career at Washington that makes us regret not ranking him higher. He broke the national record for touchdowns in a career and he threw for 91 touchdowns as a senior. That’s not a misprint. Tell me again how USC and UCLA passed on him? Okay, UCLA landed Josh Rosen, so I get that, but Ricky Town, USC? Really? This kid is special.

The skinny: Gaskin made an early March commitment to the Huskies over Washington State and Arizona State and never wavered on his word. Gaskin had one of the more quietly impressive seasons in the country last year as a true freshman, rushing for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has followed that up with another impressive season with 1,180 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Farrell’s take: Gaskin was a high three-star recruit but he didn’t get a ton of evaluation out of the state of Washington and slid under the radar a bit. He's playing like a high four or even five-star prospect already in his career. We liked Gaskin's film a lot coming out of high school. He was a prolific stat stuffer with excellent lateral quickness. It's possible that we would have had him ranked higher had we seen more of him in person. Clearly, that’s our loss.

The skinny: Ross took official visits to Washington, Oregon, Oregon State and UCLA before committing to the Huskies after the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. Ross almost became an afterthought at Washington after failing to reach his potential during the early part of his Washington career, and then missing the 2015 season due to a knee injury. However, now fully healthy, Ross has emerged as one of the nation’s top big-play receivers this fall with 72 receptions, 1,071 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Farrell’s take: A small but electric receiver out of high school, Ross was a high three-star and national top 70 wide receiver his senior season. We had questions about his size and catch radius. We thought he’d be a great fit with Troy Williams, who he played 7-on-7 with out of high school, but now he has hooked up well with Browning as Williams is off at Utah. Ross is hard to cover in space and his special teams play was always something to keep an eye on. He’s earning the attention of NFL scouts for his speed and can’t be covered by one guy.

The skinny: Bierria first took January official visits to Arizona State and Oregon State before taking his last visit to Washington, which is when the Huskies actually offered. A couple of days later he committed to Washington on Signing Day. Azeem Victor actually leads the Huskies in tackles, but with him sidelined due to a season-ending leg injury, Bierria is now the leading tackler. He produced a promising season last fall and has again showed his talents this season with 54 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack, two forced fumbles and a very impressive five fumble recoveries.

Farrell’s take: A mid-level three-star, Bierria was a top 100 prospect in California despite being lightly recruited by today’s standards. He did a lot of things well but nothing spectacularly and was a steady tackler who always seemed to be in good position. He got in the backfield more often as a senior and was a leader on his team. His quiet leadership has been key for Washington.

The skinny: Wooching, who was actually recruited as a running back by most schools, initially committed to UCLA but re-opened his process after the departure of coach Rick Neuheisel. Washington jumped into the pole position for Wooching after an in-home visit by then coach Steve Sarkisian, which led to his commitment during his January official visit. Wooching made the transition to linebacker in 2014 and has gradually become a key contributor. This season he is tied for the team lead with five sacks, to go along with 33 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

Farrell’s take: Wooching played linebacker and running back in high school and started his career as a fullback at Washington. He was a mid-level three-star as a running back who would power through opponents but showed sneaky speed as well. Always hard to evaluate Hawaii prospects because we rarely get to see them in person and the level of competition isn’t good, but Wooching has panned out as expected.

The skinny: Liufau committed to Colorado in April and stayed firm with his word despite a coaching change in Boulder during his senior season. Liufau has had his ups and downs during his time in Boulder, but this fall he has increased his productivity while cutting down on turnovers. Currently with 2,150 yards and 11 touchdowns, while only throwing three interceptions, plus 481 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on the ground, Liufau has become a reliable field general for the Buffaloes.

Farrell’s take: Liafau was a huge quarterback with a big arm but was sort of a Jekyll and Hyde for us as he looked great at times making good decisions and seeing the field, and at other times looking lost with a lack of zip for such a big kid. Always a smart decision-maker in game situations against some weak competition, he needed to improve that at the college level and took that step this year. He’s a pure leader.

The skinny: Lindsey gave his commitment to Colorado almost a year before his own Signing Day. He chose the Buffaloes over Utah and never wavered on his word. Lindsey has improved his level of play in each of his three seasons in Boulder, with 2016 being the season he has stepped onto the national stage. Currently with 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, plus 44 receptions and one touchdown through the air, Lindsay has quietly become one of the more productive backs in the country.

Farrell’s take: Lindsay was a low three-star mainly because he blew out his knee early in his senior season and we had some concerns about his speed even before that. He ran a 10.9 100 meters, which was good but on the border of Pac-12 elite speed and with the injury, that came into question. He has emerged as a guy who has outplayed his ranking and showed his prolific success in high school before the injury was more of an indication of his future than anything else.

The skinny: Ross committed to Colorado a couple of weeks before his senior season, but when the Buffaloes underwent a coaching change Ross began to look around. Utah and California became contenders, but after a January official visit to Boulder, he decided to stick with his commitment and did not take any other visits. After grabbing 25 receptions last fall, Ross has become Liufau’s go-to receiver with 65 receptions for 758 yards and five touchdowns in 2016.

Farrell’s take: A high three-star receiver out of high school, the biggest issue with Ross was a lack of size. He was 5-foot-9 at best and 170 pounds soaking wet. But he was certainly exciting, fast and a great route runner. He was excellent at 7-on-7 but wasn’t overly productive on the field in games, scoring just five touchdowns in his last two seasons of high school. He’s emerged as a very reliable target for Colorado this season.

The skinny: Ologbode initially committed to San Jose State, but when coach Mike MacIntyre took over in Boulder, he became a target of the Buffaloes. After taking an official visit to Boulder in late January he officially made the flip to Colorado. Olugbode has been a steady contributor for the Buffaloes since 2014, but is enjoying his best season this fall. With a team-leading 81 tackles, plus six tackles for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble, he has become a consistent defensive playmaker.

Farrell’s take: A two-star athlete out of high school and a late take by Colorado, Olugbode wasn’t on many radars. He was a solid athlete out of high school playing running back and linebacker with good ball skills, but his size on the defensive side of things was a concern. He’s still not the biggest linebacker, but he’s smart, instinctive and can run plays down. He’s emerging as a player much better than a two-star.

The skinny: Gilbert committed to Colorado after a November official visit to Boulder. However, when the Buffaloes underwent their coaching change in December, it left Gilbert in flux. MacIntyre and his staff worked overtime to keep Gilbert’s commitment solid and achieved this despite late interest from TCU, Baylor and Oregon. Gilbert is enjoying his best collegiate season this fall with 46 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and a team-leading 10 sacks. He has also forced an impressive six fumbles.

Farrell’s take: Gilbert was a low three-star with a good frame and wingspan, but he was also very thin and needed to add strength. Gilbert played in the back yard of Texas A&M, but never got an offer. In fact, he never got any in-state offers and Colorado seemed to see something many didn’t. One thing he could do was rush the passer in high school as he played a hybrid role for his team and we are seeing that ability come to life this year.