Best case, worst case: A (fictional) tale of Washington's 2023 season
How good can it be? And how bad might it get?
Two years ago, I reached out to Ted Miller, the great former ESPN (and Seattle P-I) scribe who once covered the Pac-10/12 with gusto. I wanted to ask: would he mind if I took a crack at a fictional “Best Case, Worst Case” appraisal of Washington’s upcoming season, in the style of Ted’s signature series? Those columns were among my favorite recurring preseason items. I bet many of you feel similarly.
Ted was cool with it, so I wrote my own version in 2021 (when the worst case somehow wasn’t bad enough), then again in 2022 (when the Huskies darn near realized the best case in real life).
Where might the 2023 season land, relative to the fantastical details I’ve concocted below?
As Ted always reminded: these are works of fiction. None of the events or quotes are real. But there’s nothing wrong with a little creative exercise every now and then, no?
Best case
The ABC telecast begins with a close-up of Michael Penix Jr., the star quarterback warming up in his custom Simply Seattle t-shirt, a pair of Beats by Dre headphones covering his ears.
It’s a 12:30 p.m. kickoff at Husky Stadium. The air is warm, the skies are a bit cloudy, and a crowd of 68,000 shows to watch the nation’s No. 10-ranked team play Boise State. Boats pack Husky Harbor. It all feels a little like the good old days.