Washington is 11 days away from taking on coach Chris Petersen’s former team on the road, and it is still without a starting quarterback.

That's the case despite having all the candidates on campus for the past eight months.

“We’re not in big panic mode,” offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith said. “But you’d always like to be able to settle on one here. We are trying to push ourselves to do that but we don’t want to make the wrong choice. We’re still letting it play out."

“There’s nothing decided, and there’s no timetable.”

At this point, that kind of seems like where the Huskies are: The focus isn't so much on the right choice; they just don’t want to make the wrong one. So just over a week-and-a-half from the 2015 season opener, Smith continues to rep all three competitors -- Jeff Lindquist, Jake Browning and K.J. Carta-Samuels -- the same amount.

“Just when you feel like one is making a move, the next one has a couple of good days in a row and the other isn’t as consistent that third day,” Smith said.

Smith said it’s possible that the competition will extend to “a couple of games into the year” to see if any player could separate himself from the rest of the pack consistently.

If this question truly lingers into the eleventh hour of the Boise State game, it won't be surprising to see Lindquist get the nod. He has spent the most time with these coaches since they arrived at UW, and he has the most game experience, though let’s not overstate that part.

Smith said that he has liked the command that Lindquist has displayed in the offense. He likes the strides Lindquist has made with being a touch passer but says has more work to do in that area.

Carta-Samuels has been the least discussed of the three quarterbacks in the media -- mainly because he’s neither the veteran nor the young gun. But Smith said he has made some tough throws and looked good in the pocket, which is critical for a young player.

Seeing either of those players on the field during the Boise State game would mean that the quarterback controversy could-- or would -- play on as the season progresses, but the third option would mean that the decision has been made.

Make no mistake, if Browning sees the field -- burning his redshirt -- Petersen has made the decision to trade off growing pains in 2015 for a stronger future down the line.

“He’s light years ahead of any freshman I’ve been around in knowing the offense, knowing the reads, knowing what’s going on out there,” Smith said. “He has impressed; he really has for a true freshman.”

It wouldn’t be the wrong choice to invest for the future, and Smith knows that. But, as there are for each quarterback in Washington’s arsenal, there are risks associated with Browning.

“You don’t want to throw a young guy into the wolves,” Smith said. “Even if he’s pretty close to being ready, knowing the outfit he’d be working with -- an inexperienced offensive line and all that -- you don’t want to give him shell shock. … That’s all kind of what we’re weighing.”

So is it right to go with the veteran? Or is there a better answer? Is it okay to go with the growing pains and risk shell shock? Or could an older and more experienced option be better?

One thing is for sure: Whatever the coaches decide, there will be moments when the grass will look greener on the other side. And in 11 days, when some kind of decision needs to be made, that grass will most certainly be blue.