SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 27: Washington Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason (10) runs for positive during the University of Washington Spring Game at Husky Stadium on Saturday, April 27, 2019 in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Washington football 2019 season preview: Best and worst-case scenario
Washington football has been consistently dangerous under Chris Petersen and the Huskies aim to achieve that status again in the 2019 season.
Chris Petersen has been a revelation for the Washington Huskies since arriving for the 2014 season. After two six-loss campaigns to start his tenure, Washington football has enjoyed double-digit wins in the last three seasons. With Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin now gone, though, the Huskies and Petersen are set to turn the page while keeping the wins rolling in.
The key to that happening is Georgia transfer Jacob Eason, who takes over Browning’s former spot at quarterback. Eason lost his starting job in Athens to Jake Fromm but is a former 5-star recruit loaded with talent. On top of that, he has one of the best offensive lines in college football protecting him, which should also serve running back Salvon Ahmed well also.
Washington’s defense has to deal with turnover on the roster as well. Key contributors Byron Murphy, Taylor Rapp and Ben Burr-Kirven are now gone. However, with a strong defensive line, an athletic group of linebackers and the fact that Petersen has been phenomenal in recruiting defensive back talent, the Huskies have the talent in place to deal with those losses and stay strong there.
Looking at the whole picture for the Huskies, they’re going to have a successful 2019 season — the question is how successful. Let’s take a look at the best and worst-case scenarios for Washington football this season.
Washington football best-case scenario
- Aug. 31 – vs. Eastern Washington – W
- Sept. 7 – vs. California – W
- Sept. 14 – vs. Hawaii – W
- Sept. 21 – at BYU – W
- Sept. 28 – vs. USC – W
- Oct. 12 – at Arizona – W
- Oct. 19 – vs. Oregon – W
- Nov. 2 – vs. Utah – W
- Nov. 8 – at Oregon State – W
- Nov. 23 – at Colorado – W
- Nov. 29 – vs. Washington State – W
Record: 12-0 (9-0 Pac-12)
If Eason is able to hit the ground running under the direction of Petersen, there is a great chance that Washington football could head into the Pac-12 Championship Game with an unbeaten record. The way that their schedule shakes out, both in and out of the conference, sets them up nicely.
There’s no question that the Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes are the toughest matchups on the Huskies’ schedule (though Hawaii and BYU aren’t cupcake non-conference opponents). Washington has the benefit of getting both of those games in Seattle, though. They have the talent to compete with those two teams at any venue but having those games at home makes life a little easier for this club. And let’s not underestimate playing the Apple Cup at home as well.
Despite the change at quarterback, a new crop of skill-position players and a largely unproven defense, the pieces are there for Washington to enjoy great success. So, in the best-case scenario, they realize their potential and escape the year without a loss.
Washington football worst-case scenario
- Aug. 31 – vs. Eastern Washington – W
- Sept. 7 – vs. California – W
- Sept. 14 – vs. Hawaii – W
- Sept. 21 – at BYU – W
- Sept. 28 – vs. USC – W
- Oct. 12 – at Arizona – W
- Oct. 19 – vs. Oregon – L
- Nov. 2 – vs. Utah – L
- Nov. 8 – at Oregon State – W
- Nov. 23 – at Colorado – W
- Nov. 29 – vs. Washington State – L
Record: 9-3 (6-3 Pac-12)
While Hawaii and BYU, as mentioned, aren’t exactly soft non-conference games, the Huskies should be able to get past them without too much trouble. However, in the worst-case scenario where Eason and the offense don’t click consistently and the defense is up and down as well, the Pac-12 schedule gets a little dicier.
Getting both Oregon and Utah at home is great for Washington. However, if Petersen’s team isn’t playing their best brand of football, both the Ducks and Utes have the talent to beat them, even in Seattle. Thus, that’s two in-conference losses that UW would be looking at if things aren’t going as planned on either side of the ball.
The other loss in the worst-case scenario is in the Apple Cup. While the Cougars may be a step down from where they were a season ago, Wazzu always plays their rivals tough, especially with Mike Leach fearlessly leading the way on the sidelines. Thus, if Washington is still not clicking, then they could lose their season-ending rivalry matchup on their home field.
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