At a certain point on Saturday night, watching Washington nearly Freddy Krueger its dream season while Michael Penix Jr. dealt a harsh blow to his Heisman Trophy campaign, a familiar sense of dread crept over me.

Here we go again. Yet another Pac-12 title contender down the tubes in the most mysterious of ways.

In 2017 it happened early as the Sam Darnold-led No. 5 USC Trojans lost at No. 16 Washington State in Week 5. Three weeks later, No. 5 Washington lost at Arizona State, 13-7, yet another episode in the Huskies’ semi-annual self-immolation in Tempe.

UDub was out of it again by Week 8 a year later, courtesy of a season-opening loss to Auburn and a Week 8 overtime loss at Oregon. In typical fashion, Wazzu played itself up to No. 7 in the country by the regular-season finale only to watch Washington take a bite of the Apple Cup.

Oregon’s go of it in 2019 was doomed by a season-opening loss to freshman Bo Nix and Auburn, and by Week 7, no Pac-12 team was undefeated.

After a chaotic COVID-shortened 2020 campaign with again no CFP berth, the Pac-12 opened the 2021 season with 5 ranked teams and ended it with 2, neither in the top 10.

Last year we all know what happened: Preseason top-10 Utah dropped its season-opener at Florida and then beat undefeated USC halfway through the year, while Oregon lost to another SEC squad — defending champion Georgia — 49-3 in Week 1.

Every year it’s something.

So pardon me if panic struck right as Penix faltered, with the Heisman front-runner’s passes falling harmlessly to the ground against a 1-6 Arizona State that has yet to win a Pac-12 game.

But here’s the thing. Even though the Huskies escaped with a 15-7 win, that foreboding feeling hasn’t gone away.

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You don’t see Michigan playing with fire, do you? The Wolverines want it so bad they’re willing to pay for a ticket to spy (allegedly) on Rutgers. On Rutgers!

And how about Ohio State, whose only slightly uncomfortable wins have come against top-10 Notre Dame and Penn State. You think the Buckeyes are messing around against the likes of Purdue?

Lest we forget Florida State, which skirted a couple early rough ACC road matchups to score blowouts in 3 consecutive weeks, the latest an 18-point win over No. 16 Duke and Mike Elko’s tough defense.

Meanwhile out west, the Huskies were playing with their food for the 2nd time in 3 weeks.

A hard-fought, 36-33 Week 7 victory over No. 8 Oregon was enough to put a stay on Washington’s worries, but 2 weeks after surviving a scare from Arizona, the Huskies played a dangerous game of FAFO, only to escape with a win despite no offensive touchdowns.

One of these days, the prey is going to bite back for good.

This is not me shutting the door on the No. 5 Huskies, far from it. I still love Kalen DeBoer. I still cherish Ryan Grubb. I still believe in the rise of Rome Odunze. I’m Penix ‘til I die.

But for someone who wants to see this season’s loaded Pac-12 finally get rewarded for its efforts, I’m a heck of a lot less confident than I was 3 weeks ago.

Heck, I might rank Washington 4th in my Pac-12 power rankings based on recent eye tests. Oregon looked better in their matchup and was a few Dan Lanning coin-flip calls away from burying the Huskies. Utah just embarrassed USC and Oregon State looks mighty strong.

Washington plays all of them in a 6-week stretch — including USC, Utah and Oregon State in consecutive weeks — before closing out the year against a good but slumping Washington State team.

If the Huskies struggle in any way against Stanford in Saturday, it’s time to sound the alarm.

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Speaking of eye tests, who else is worried about Penix?

Late in the Huskies’ narrow but crucial win over the Ducks, he took a vicious hit that clearly left him hurt. He rallied to lead Washington on a 2-play game-winning drive, capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass to Odunze. Had Oregon’s Camden Lewis sent the game to overtime with a last-second field goal, I’m not so sure Penix would’ve survived the extra frame(s).

Then on Saturday, facing an Arizona State defense dead set on controlling the interior of the line of scrimmage, Penix looked … off. At least 2 of his 3 turnovers were on him. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the 2nd time in 3 weeks. He threw for a season-low 275 yards. The Washington ground game, which pounded out an important 99 yards against the Ducks, had a grand total of 13 yards on 13 carries against the Sun Devils.

If not for a Michael Powell quick-pick-6, the Huskies very well could’ve lost to a then-1-5 Arizona State team.

Both Washington’s Playoff chances and Penix’s Heisman hopes can ill-afford to be neutered in such fashion again, especially against a 2-win Stanford team on Saturday.

The road is only going to get tougher from here.

And Washington — and the Pac-12’s Playoff chances — can’t afford any more speed bumps.