Washington Huskies Football: Playing The “What If?” Game

Will Kasen Williams be catching passes like this one from Keith Price or will there be more interceptions in Price’s future? Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Alright, it’s officially July which means that next month is August, which means that we are inching closer and closer to Husky Football season. I can’t wait, but unfortunately I have to – so that means it’s time to play the always entertaining and sometimes maddening game of “What if?”

It doesn’t matter that we have to wait nearly seven weeks for a meaningful down to be played; we can imagine, wonder, ponder, hope, pray, dream and agonize over and about every minute detail of the upcoming Husky Football season.

What if…UW comes out and absolutely crushes Boise State?

UW has a dream scenario in Week 1. It’s the first game in New Husky Stadium against a top-25 team (who cares that they played in the Las Vegas Bowl in December). It’s a night game on national television. The crowd is amped and has had all day to get juiced for the game. The fans are right on top of the field now – old Husky Stadium was loud, but with 70,000 fans right on top of the players, the noise is deafening. Right from the start, UW is feeding off the energy in the stands. The defense forces a three-and-out and the offense scores quickly – three plays or less. Boise State never has a chance. UW rolls up 28 first half points and cruises, 41-21. Cyler Miles plays the entire fourth quarter.

Now that the hype of Week 1 is gone, it’s down to business; we know what kind of Husky team we’re looking at. They are athletic, strong and disciplined. The veteran leadership we questioned for most of 2012 is apparent immediately. With the confidence of thrashing Boise State behind them, UW marches into Soldier Field and throttles a hapless Illinois team, 38-10.

The Idaho State game is a joke – the starters play in only the first half and UW rolls 52-14. The focus is now squarely on Pac-12 play.

Nobody has forgotten what Arizona did to the Dawgs in the desert last year. It was embarrassing. UA doesn’t get their running game started, and they are rolling out a new QB (potentially former-UW target and USC washout Jesse Scroggins) for his first Pac-12 road test. At Husky Stadium. Good luck, bro. Keith Price shows he still remembers last year’s beat down and throws a late touchdown to Kasen Williams, even though UW is up by three scores. Take that, Rich Rod. Dawgs, 35-7.

Dawgs finish September 4-0 with two crucial games coming up, Stanford on the road and Oregon in Seattle.

But what if…UW is flat against Boise State and loses a game they should have won?

Oh boy – here we go again. A home game on national TV in our brand new stadium and we show the country exactly why nobody is 100 percent confident in this team. One great play followed by a sack, a negative rush and an overthrown ball to an open receiver. Boise State converts two straight third-and-long situations. The defense can’t get off the field and UW loses an incredibly boring game 13-7.

Now 0-1, confidence teetering on the brink and UW has to go on the road to Chicago to play an Illinois team that finished last year 2-10. This one had disaster written all over it. Road game against a Big-10 team with a brand new coach on national TV in an NFL stadium. On paper, UW should roll – they are superior across the board. But the games aren’t played on paper. Same old story – no consistency, no rhythm offensively, and the D just gets worn out playing in the hot and humid Chicago afternoon. 21-14 loss to a team that won precisely zero Big-10 games a year ago. Yikes.

Dawgs come home to lick their wounds and beat up Idaho State, 31-14 – but it wasn’t really a beating. It’s just a matter of UW having better talent that finally wears down a team that shouldn’t be on the same field as them. It’s eerily similar to the 21-6 win in 2004 over San Jose State – you’ll recall that was the only win from that season.

Now it’s conference play and Arizona comes to town with a new quarterback and the top running back in the conference (and one of the best in the country) from 2012. Ka’deem Carey doesn’t disappoint. He runs all over the Huskies defense all day long. 229 yards and three TDs later and UW is on the short end of a 31-17 home loss. After the first month of the season, UW is 1-2 in their sparkling new home and 1-3 overall with Stanford and Oregon looming. Uh oh.

So, there it is…what if? Bow Down and Go Dawgs.