It was expected that the Pac-10 would be strong this season, but few knew the depths of its prowess.

The proof is in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and Associated Press writers poll, where UCLA and Oregon are consensus Top 10 teams, followed by Washington which had been in the Top 10 before last week's loss at UCLA.

Standings leader Washington State finally entered into both polls this week as a consensus Top 20 team after moving to 6-0 this season. Stanford fell from the Top 25 this week after its loss to the Cougars, but stand a strong chance of re-entering in the coming weeks.

	DeShaun Foster in one of the big reasons UCLA is in the title hunt.

Without question, UCLA and Oregon have proven that they are the premiere teams in the conference but WSU is the most exciting and most explosive. They all boast stars, like UCLA tailback DeShaun Foster, UCLA middle linebacker Robert Thomas, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser, WSU receivers Nakoa McElrath, Jerome Riley and Mike Bush and WSU tailback Dave Minnich.

The Bruins 5-0 start has been most impressive because much of the success has been due to the nation's best defense and their ability to win tough games on the road -- two areas where they had struggled mightily in recent years.

UCLA has won big games on the road against Alabama, Kansas and Oregon State, while Washington's win over Michigan and Oregon over Wisconsin have further solidified the Pac-10 as the premiere conference this season.

The only problem that the Pac-10 might find this season is that it is too good, which means member schools could cancel each other out of the Bowl Championship Series picture.

UCLA, Oregon and Washington State are all undefeated and must play one another before season's end. Mark the Nov.10 showdown between Oregon and UCLA at the Rose Bowl as the most critical for the Pac-10 this season.

If all three beat up on each other, it will mean only the Fiesta Bowl for the champion.

But if one of the three emerges undefeated and there is no Rose Bowl at the end of the rainbow, be prepared from some angry cries from out West.

Biggest surprise
Washington State, without question, has been the brow raising team in the Pac-10 this season. The Cougars offense, led by quarterback Jason Gesser and trio of big and talented receivers, was expected to be explosive. But the WSU defense has also been a major reason for the 6-0 start. The Cougs finally broke into the Top 25 in both polls this week, coming in at No.18 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and No. 19 in the Associated Press writers poll.

Biggest disappointment
It seemed that the world was expected of Oregon State on the heels of is spectacular Fiesta Bowl title season. Remember a certain magazine tagging the Beavers as preseason National Champs? The only problem has been talent. The Beavers have struggled to make up for team speed on defense and the athletic abilities of the receivers from a year ago. The latter has played a major role in senior tailback Ken Simonton's Heisman Trophy campaign going bust.

Midseason coach of the year
Coming into the season, Washington State coach Mike Price figured to be one of two Pac-10 coaches on the hot seat. Now, the dean of the Pac-10 coaches will be fighting with UCLA's Bob Toledo for Coach of the Year honors. The difference is that Price is doing more with less star talent in Pullman these days. The Bruins are loaded from top to bottom with some of the best recruits in the nation.

Midseason MVP
This might have been close among a handful of players, but UCLA tailback DeShaun Foster broke ahead of the pack with a spectacular performance this past Saturday against Washington. He rushed for a school-record 301 yards and four touchdowns against the Huskies. With that first half of the season performance, Foster has thrust himself into serious contention for the Heisman Trophy.

Bowl bound
UCLA, Washington State, Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Oregon State look like the six to make the cut. If the UCLA Bruins continue to play the way they are and allow Nebraska and Oklahoma to beat up on each other in Big 12 play and possibly the Big 12 championship game, they could find themselves at home for the January 3rd national championship game at the Rose Bowl. That would leave Washington State and Oregon to battle for the Fiesta Bowl invitation. The Cougars get both UCLA and Oregon in Pullman in back-to-back weekends later this season. Look for WSU to split, defeating the Ducks but falling to the Bruins. Washington, the reigning Pac-10 champs, still has a lot of talent, but its issues at quarterback will land only a Sun Bowl bid. Stanford and Oregon State will round out the rest of the Pac-10's bowl invitations.

Around the Pac-10

Arizona
After a strong performance against inferior opponents, the Wildcats have received a reality check in their first three Pac-10 games this season. Arizona has been outscored a combined 149-52 in three straight loses to Washington State, Oregon and Oregon State. The Wildcats, known for hard-nosed football under former coach Dick Tomey, was supposed to be in a rebuilding season but no one could have predicted this. Injuries have stomped the Wildcats on defense and John Mackovic's pro-style offense has not helped matters with too many turnovers and too few sustained drives.
MVP: Despite the struggles of the defense, junior All-Pac-10 middle linebacker Lance Briggs has continued his standout ways. He is still one of the punishing hitters in the league and is second in the Pac-10 in tackles.
What's next: Mackovic has to be concerned about his team quitting on him after such devastating defeats. And it doesn't get much easier with Washington, USC and Stanford still to come. Look for Mackovic to start planning for the future if the possibilities of a minor bowl bid continue to look bleak.

Arizona State
First-year coach Dirk Koetter has found it easy to have his way against the San Jose States and Louisiana-Lafayettes of college football, but the Pac-10 has been another story. Koetter's high-octane offense has not been close to all cylinders against Pac-10 competition such as Stanford and USC. Quarterback Jeff Krohn remains a surprise after Koetter tried hard to unseat him during the offseason. Receiver Shaun McDonald has also become a touchdown-catching threat for the Sun Devils.
MVP: Sophomore defensive end Terrell Suggs is emerging as one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the Pac-10 this season.
What's next: The Sun Devils have dropped their first two Pac-10 games and they will likely lose a few more with league favorites Oregon, Washington State and UCLA still to come along with Washington. A bowl game this season is not likely for the Sun Devils.

Cal
Coach Tom Holmoe admitted that his job was jeopardy before the season began. And an 0-5 beginning has made it appear that it is only a matter of when. Oddly, the problem for the Bears this season has been defense after sluggish offensive showings in Holmoe's first four season. The Bears' offense, with third-year starter Kyle Boller at the controls, has actually shown flashes with offensive guru Al Borges now coordinating the unit. But the program that has been known for its tough and opportunistic defenses has been neither this season.
MVP: After being thrown into the fire his first two years on campus, quarterback Kyle Boller has turned a corner with some impressive numbers during the first half of the season. His problem has been a lack of surrounding talent and turnovers.
What's next: The Bears seem to be getting tougher, but they still lack talent. Their best chance of victory might not show itself until Arizona comes to town on Nov.3. By then, it might be too late to save Holmoe.

Oregon
The Oregon Ducks were picked as the preseason favorite to win the Pac-10 and so far they have not disappointed. They have notched big victories in non-conference games such as the 31-28 win over Wisconsin and then they entered into Pac-10 play and ran roughshod over their first three opponents. Senior quarterback Joey Harrington is proving to be a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender after leading his team in come-from-behind wins over the Badgers and USC, while being personally responsible for six touchdowns in Oregon's 63-28 thumping of Arizona. The defense, led by cornerback Rashad Bauman, has also been solid.
MVP: Quarterback Joey Harrington has been the star to shine the brightest amongst several stars on his team this season. His arm and savvy indeed make the Ducks a Top 10 program.
What's next: The Ducks have a real shot at the Pac-10 title, but the most difficult part of their conference schedule is still to come. They have difficult road games against fellow conference leaders Washington State and UCLA, while also hosting Stanford and Oregon State in Autzen. If the Ducks can survive WSU and UCLA then look for them to play for the national championship in the Rose Bowl.

Oregon State
This has been a horrendous start for the Beavers, who were picked to challenge neighboring rival Oregon for the Pac-10 title come the nationally televised Civil War matchup on Dec. 1. OSU's early misfortunes have reduced that game to what it has usually been, a pride game. But while the nation has been disappointed in the Beavers, head coach Dennis Erickson probably knew this team would struggle. He had to replace a whole slate of receivers along with speedy defensive ends DeLawrence Grant and LaDairis Jackson. Tailback Ken Simonton and quarterback Jonathan Smith were the standout returners and they've both not been as productive as a season ago.
MVP: Although his Heisman Trophy campaign is over, Ken Simonton has continued to run hard and push his teammates. He began to get on track last Saturday against Arizona with his second 100-yard rushing performance this season.
What's next: The Beavers perhaps received the boost in confidence they needed with last week's 38-3 victory over Arizona. Their next three opponents also do not have winning records in Pac-10 play so there is a chance for the Beavers to become even more confident. OSU has a chance to become bowl eligible, but that will also entail beating either Washington at home or Oregon on the road. Coach Dennis Erickson has also began preparing his team for next season by inserting true freshman quarterback Derek Anderson into games in spots.

Stanford
The one thing Stanford has is senior leadership. In fact, the Cardinal has more of it than anyone else in the Pac-10 this season. What that has translated into is a surprise 3-1 overall and 2-1 league mark and a one-week appearance in the Top 25. Led by senior quarterback Randy Fasani and the best and most experienced offensive line in the conference, Stanford's offensive has been flat out explosive. And linebacker Coy Wire has been instrumental in helping the defense gain some much needed respect.
MVP: Senior quarterback Randy Fasani has been nothing but impressive this season. He is working with a young receiving corps and seemingly getting them all involved.
What's next: The Cardinal probably does not have enough fire-power to compete for Pac-10 championship with difficult road games still to come at Oregon and Washington along with hosting UCLA later this month. But Stanford will have a shot a decent bowl game come postseason.

UCLA
After going through a few woeful defensive seasons and more than a few defensive coordinators in the process, the Bruins have suddenly become very defensive. Some say it's the addition of new defensive coordinator Phil Snow. Some say it's the emergence of linebacker Robert Thomas and strong safety Marques Anderson along with a ton of depth developed during last season's injury-plagued campaign. Whatever the case, it is working for the Bruins, who are appearing nearly unstoppable in the Rose Bowl and on the road. The offense has surprisingly taken back seat to the defense, but tailback DeShaun Foster is showing that he may very well be the best offensive player in the country this season.
MVP: This is almost a tossup between tailback DeShaun Foster and middle linebacker Robert Thomas. Both are the unparalleled go-to players on their respective sides of the ball. But the edge has to go to Foster because of the way he has taken over games in recent weeks and bounced back from a shaky game against Ohio State.
What's next: Initially, the Bruins were careful not to let the words national championship slip from their lips, but now the rest of the nation is taking notice. UCLA will likely need a lot of luck, but the it can also help it's quest by defeating winning tough road games at Stanford and Washington State and then stopping Oregon next month in the Rose Bowl.

USC
The Trojans are probably the hard luck story in college football to date this season, falling to Kansas State, Oregon, Stanford and Washington by a grand total of 14 points this season. All four teams were also Top 25 teams at the time USC played them. USC got a hold of an easier opponent last Saturday in Arizona State and and promptly made the Sun Devils pay for the previous four games. Quarterback Carson Palmer is showing signs getting things together, while running back Sultan McCullough has been inconsistent. The defensive line has been stomped by injuries, but the young replacements have proven to be capable.
MVP: Quarterback Carson Palmer has not always been great, but the important this is that he has given his team a chance to win games late. The Trojans came within two points of snapping Oregon's winning streak at home before time ran out and that was because of Palmer.
What's next: Things will get a little easier for the Trojans during the last part of the season with conference games against struggling Arizona, Oregon State and Cal sandwiched between Notre Dame and UCLA. The Trojans' only Top 25 opponents in these final five games is UCLA, which means they have a realistic chance making some type of bowl game in Pete Carroll's first season at the helm. What will be critical is getting McCullough going or finding his replacement.

Washington
There has been no Pac-10 team hammered more by injuries than the Huskies this early season. They have lost standout tight end Jerramy Stevens and starting quarterback Cody Pickett missed last week's loss to UCLA due to injury. And this week, even backup quarterback Taylor Barton is listed as questionable. But the Huskies remain a legitimate Top 25 team through it all. Washington has enough standout play on defense with nose tackle Larry Tripplett and Co. to sustain the Huskies as a dominant team in the Pac-10 this season.
MVP: Senior nose tackle Larry Tripplett chose to remain in school rather than entered into the NFL after his All-American junior season and that has been a huge benefit to himself and the Huskies. There is not a better and more active defensive lineman in the Pac-10 than season.
What's next: The Huskies are going to have snap back from a disappointing loss last week at UCLA. Their winning streak had ran to 12-games before running into the Bruins. But Washington still has a chance to be one of the top three teams in the conference season with Stanford and Washington State set to visit Husky Stadium. The Huskies also will have an opportunity to possibly play role in the national championship picture with a season-finale showdown at Miami on Nov. 24.

Washington State
There is little question that the Cougars are the surprise team of the Pac-10 this season. Perhaps with all the experience they had returning on both sides of the football, this should have been expected all along. Led by quarterback Jason Gesser, a trio of receivers and a quality tailback in Dave Minnich, Washington State's offense is defining explosive this season. The Cougars are stretching opposing defenses with their incredible talent. Just ask Arizona, Oregon State and Stanford. Then defensive, they have been anything but giving, especially against the run.
MVP: It appears that quarterback Jason Gesser has it made with explosive receivers Nakoa McElrath, Jerome Riley and Mike Bush and then solid running game with tailback Dave Minnich. But make no mistake, he has been the one to make it all go with his leadership, arm and elusiveness.
What's next: The Cougs have a shot at being Pac-10 champs for the first time since 1997. And their path could be the easiest with both Oregon and UCLA having to come into Pullman in the coming weeks. The problem for WSU is that it has to play both Top 10 programs on back-to-back weekends which could prove exhausting. Then the Cougs have to finish up at rival Washington on Nov.17. If they were to all three critical games then the cancellation of the Colorado game earlier in the season might loom large in their Bowl Championship viability. Anything is possible, but a top three finish seems most realistic.

Terrance Harris covers the Pac-10 for the Arizona Daily Star.