There were two major preseason stories in the Pac-10:

Could a conference team become a national title contender? Has the Northwest taken over the conference?

The answers just past midseason are: No and apparently not.

Of the six Bowl Championship Series conferences, only the Pac-10 hasn't celebrated a national championship over the past five seasons. The Pac-10 hasn't won a consensus national title since USC did in 1972, though it split crowns three times (USC, 1974, '78; Washington, 1991).

Air Force Still Flying High

With Air Force's loss to Notre Dame, the Mountain West Conference once again will have to resign itself the sidelines of the Bowl Championship Series. Air Force, which fell to No. 19, remains the conference frontrunner and only ranked team, but the Falcons figure to face a tough test at home against preseason favorite, Colorado State, on Oct. 31. After that, things are pretty dim. No other MWC team has a winning record. A couple of teams will have to get hot for the conference to fill out its four bowl affiliations. Biggest surprise: Air Force. The Falcons were supposed to be a middle-of-the-pack team at best with just 10 starters returning, including only three on offense, from a team that finished 6-6 last year. Yet they were threatening to become a darkhorse candidate for a BCS bowl until losing to fellow unbeaten Notre Dame last weekend. Biggest disappointment: The state of Utah. Both BYU and Utah were supposed to be in the thick of the MWC race, but they are a combined 5-9 and potentially out of bowl contention. Midseason MVP: QB Chance Harridge, Air Force. Harridge is the engine of the nation's top rushing attack. He's gritty and tough and has scored a touchdown in every game this season. Midseason Coach of the Year: Fisher DeBerry, Air Force. Under DeBerry, Air Force has exceeded everyone's expectations. He is one of the nation's best coaches, period. Bowl bound: Will the MWC have enough eligible teams to fill out its four bowl tie-ins? The Colorado State-Air Force game on Oct. 31 figures to send the winner to the Liberty Bowl and the loser to the Las Vegas Bowl. All the other teams have considerable work to do to qualify for the remaining spots in the San Francisco and Seattle bowls. BYU and New Mexico look like the best candidates. -- Ted Miller

That streak of frustration won't end this season. There are no unbeaten teams in the Pac-10 after then-No. 6 Oregon lost at home to Arizona State. The conference's highest-ranked team, No. 11 Washington State, will need a miraculous string of upsets in order to push its way into the picture.

As for the Northwest, Washington and Oregon State, picked to finish second and fifth in the conference in the preseason, are both off to disappointing starts.

While Washington State, the preseason favorite, is the frontrunner and Oregon certainly remains in the race, USC and surprising Arizona State have loosened the Northwest's recent stranglehold on the top half of the conference standings.

A third question is unresolved: Will a Pac-10 player become a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate? Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser and Oregon tailback Onterrio Smith remain in the hunt, and at least one should get an invitation to the ceremony in New York. They meet in a critical contest on Nov. 9.

Arizona State and resurgent California, picked to finish ninth and 10th, respectively, in the Pac-10, are the two biggest surprises. The Sun Devils, at 6-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference, are certainly headed to a bowl game with a lineup that features just four senior starters.

Cal, on the other hand, must await an NCAA ruling on its appeal of sanctions for misdeeds that occurred under the former coaching staff that included a bowl ban. An announcement is expected in November.

The most obvious trend is huge passing numbers. Pac-10 quarterbacks have produced eight 400-yard passing games, the most in conference history with five games left to play. In fact, eight 400-yard games surpasses the total of the previous three seasons.

Sun Devils quarterback Andrew Walter set a new conference record with 536 yards passing against Oregon as well as two other games over 400 yards, while Washington's Cody Pickett and Arizona's Jason Johnson both have eclipsed 400 yards twice this season.

These big numbers, combined with the depth and relative parity in the conference, leads to exciting games, but the reality is the Pac-10 again appears to be out of the national title hunt with much of the season left to play.

Biggest surprise: California. The Bears finished 1-10 last year and won just three games the previous season. They were the consensus pick to finish in the Pac-10 toilet. Yet here they are: 5-3 and 2-2 in the conference with victories over Washington and UCLA. Another victory and the Bears are bowl eligible. Suddenly, an appeal of NCAA sanctions that included a bowl ban actually has considerable importance. Here's a vote that Big Brother in Indianapolis relents.

Biggest disappointment: Washington. The Huskies were ranked in the preseason top-10 and were co-favorites (with Washington State) to win the conference title. Now the Huskies, languishing at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference, are battling to avoid their first losing season since 1976. The culprits: rotten pass defense and a nonexistent running game.

Midseason MVP: QB Jason Gesser, Washington State. How can this guy not be among the top-five Heisman Trophy candidates? He's got 16 touchdown passes (vs. five interceptions) and is averaging 270.6 yards passing per game. Oh, and he's done most of that with a dislocated rib. He's made the Cougars the team to beat in the Pac-10.

Midseason Coach of the Year: Jeff Tedford, California. Tedford, Oregon's former offensive coordinator, has salvaged quarterback Kyle Boller's sagging career and made the Bears believe they can beat anybody. Last year, Cal played sloppy, uninspired football. This year, they are efficient and focused. Key stat: The Bears lead the Pac-10 in turnover margin (plus-15).

Bowl bound: Washington State, Oregon, USC, Arizona State, Washington and UCLA. There's a lot of football left to be played to sort out the conference's six bowl berths. Oregon suddenly seems vulnerable after losing to Arizona State with USC headed to town, but the Ducks showdown with Washington State on Nov. 9 still seems like the conference's game of the year. Barring a dramatic turnaround, Stanford, Oregon State and Arizona appear out of things, but Washington and UCLA also could collapse. Best bets: Washington State, Oregon, USC, Arizona State, Washington and UCLA.

Around the Pac-10

Arizona
An epidemic of injuries has Arizona reeling. After a loss at woeful Stanford dropped the Wildcats to 0-3 in the conference, they are 2-14 in their last 16 conference games. Even before tailback Clarence Farmer was injured, the rushing offense was terrible, but now it ranks 113th in the nation (71.0 yards per game). Meanwhile, the defense is last in the conference against the run (162 yards per game), surrendering 4.0 yards per carry.

Midseason MVP: WR Bobby Wade. Wade might come back to the ball better than any receiver in the nation. He and quarterback Jason Johnson seem to have a preternatural ability to communicate. Wade leads the Pac-10 and ranks fifth in the nation with 112.4 yards receiving per game. His being left off the Biletnikoff Award semifinalists list was ridiculous. Shame on the Tallahassee Quarterback Club.

What's next: Coach John Mackovic replaced the affable Dick Tomey and immediately talked of leading the Wildcats to their first Rose Bowl. That doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. The injuries -- 18 starters have missed games -- are a valid excuse, but fans don't figure to be forgiving, particularly with Arizona State suddenly returning to the national and conference picture. Mackovic needs some wins down the stretch, otherwise his short rope could be crafted into a noose.

Arizona State
Arizona State is surprise team "B" in the Pac-10. Picked to finish ninth in the conference, the Sun Devils are 6-2 overall, 3-0 in the conference and nationally ranked. Second-year coach Dirk Koetter appears to be winning over his team after a five-game losing streak to conclude last season had folks muttering. The 45-42 comeback victory over then-No. 6 Oregon was a redletter moment.

Midseason MVP: QB Andrew Walter. Walter set a Pac-10 record with 536 yards passing against Oregon. Not bad for a guy who lost the starting job in the preseason. Walter ranks eighth in the nation in passing efficiency and has 17 touchdown passes.

What's next: The Sun Devils were supposed to be a year away after rebuilding their entire offensive line. Only four starters are seniors. Koetter may be awaking a program that has been popularly viewed as the Pac-10's "sleeping giant." As for this year, a bowl game appears a certainty, the question is: which one?

Cal
California won seven games over the past three seasons before Jeff Tedford arrived. Now the Bears, in Tedford Era Year One, are a threat to win that many this season. Cal ended a 19-game losing streak to Washington and bounced back from a tough loss at USC and beat UCLA in front of the most vocal home crowd in years.

Midseason MVP: QB Kyle Boller. There's no way to sugarcoat Boller's first three seasons: He was a pathetic figure -- a highly touted prep All-American who completed less than 50 percent of his passes and accounted for more interceptions than touchdowns. Now he looks like a potential NFL quarterback with 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

What's next: The toughest part of the schedule is over. Three of the four remaining opponents -- the other is Arizona State -- have combined for a 1-8 conference record. The Bears could win eight games. Yet the big date is in late November when the school begs the NCAA appeals committee to allow it to play in its first bowl since 1996. Cal is serving a one-year bowl ban for violations committed by the former coaching staff and athletic administration.

Oregon
Oregon rolled to a 6-0 start and a No. 6 national ranking, but talk of a national title run came thundering to a halt with a 45-42 home defeat to Arizona State. That highlighted the point that the Ducks hadn't really played anybody. The biggest problem is the pass defense, which ranks 114th in the nation (291.57 yards per game) and has surrendered 936 yards the past two games, including touchdown passes of 55, 53, 71, 46, 67 and 58 yards. USC's visit this weekend is a must-win to keep Rose Bowl hopes alive.

Midseason MVP: TB Onterrio Smith. Smith is sixth in the nation and tops in the Pac-10 with 133.71 yards rushing per game. Oh, and he has 12 touchdowns. The junior likely will declare for the NFL draft, when he figures to not make it out of the first round.

What's next: The first step is the plugging holes in the pass defense. The Ducks had to replace both corners coming into the season, and their high-pressure press-man scheme might not be working with inexperienced players matched against big, physical receivers. USC used big passing plays to whip Washington, and the Trojans likely will challenge the Ducks downfield. If Oregon manages to beat USC that sets up a marquee matchup on Nov. 9 at Washington State.

Oregon State
Oregon State raced out of the gate 4-0 and everyone who touted the Beavers as the top Pac-10 darkhorse during the preseason gloated as others jumped on the bandwagon. USC made kindling out of that bandwagon, walloping the Beavers 22-0, which began a three-game slide. Turns out the soft non-conference schedule revealed little, while games against foes with a pulse proved the importance of a good offensive line. A weakness in the preseason, the lack of depth was exposed by injuries. OSU gave up six sacks in the first four games but 15 in the last three, and the running game has been sputtering. As a result, sophomore quarterback Derek Anderson is struggling.

Midseason MVP: CB Dennis Weathersby. Weathersby is perhaps the Pac-10's best shutdown corner. He's a big reason why the Beavers lead the conference in pass efficiency defense and are giving up just 198 yards passing per game.

What's next: The Beavers are coming off a bye week as they prepare to play host to California. If they hope to find the two or three victories they will need for a bowl invitation, Anderson will have to regain his confidence and the offensive line will have to improve. Anderson needs running back Steven Jackson to be effective in order to take heat off the floundering passing game.

Stanford
Stanford seemed in disarray after a 1-4 start, but a 16-6 victory over Arizona, at least momentarily, righted the ship. Still, Stanford ranks ninth in the Pac-10 in scoring offense (24.7 points per game) and last in scoring defense (33 points). The Cardinal were supposed to struggle on defense with just three starters returning from last season's mediocre unit, but the offensive problems have been surprising. Quarterback Chris Lewis has languished while learning new coach Buddy Teevens system.

Midseason MVP: WR Teyo Johnson. It's hard to find an MVP for Stanford. None of its skill players ranks highly in the conference, and the defense has yet to find a leader. Johnson hasn't put up big numbers but he does lead the team with five touchdowns. The Cardinal needs to find a way to get Johnson the ball because he is their most dangerous weapon.

What's next: With just an 11-game schedule, it's difficult to imagine the Cardinal will be able to play their way into bowl contention. Moreover, the schedule only gets tougher, with road games at UCLA and Oregon the next two Saturdays and USC coming to The Farm the following weekend. Stanford's primary goal is to improve enough that its young players begin to buy into Teevens' system.

UCLA
UCLA coach Bob Toledo will fight for his job without his starting quarterback after Cory Paus suffered a career-ending ankle injury against California. Making matters more desperate: true freshman backup Drew Olson then went down with a shoulder injury. Talk about bad luck. Toledo will be hard-pressed to keep his team together after consecutive discouraging conference defeats to Oregon and Cal. The season seems to hang on whether freshman Matt Moore or redshirt freshman John Sciarra can adequately replace Paus -- or if Olson can get healthy and do the job.

Midseason MVP: WR Craig Bragg. Bragg leads the Bruins in receiving yards (90.4 per game) and touchdowns (seven). He has become the team's most dangerous offensive weapon and he'll become even more important with Paus out and a green quarterback running the offense.

What's next: How many victories down the stretch will Toledo need to save his job? Will he get a break after losing his starting quarterback? With rival USC pushing to return to the conference elite, Bruins fans are getting impatient. The next three games (Stanford, at Washington, at Arizona) probably will tell the story. Each are winnable games. The final two, USC and Washington State, aren't the sort of contests that UCLA wants to enter with a bowl invitation -- and Toledo's job -- on the line.

USC
How hard is USC's schedule? Eleven of the 12 teams on it are or have been ranked at one point. Yet the Trojans are in the thick of the conference race with a 5-2 overall mark and a 3-1 conference record. Second-year coach Pete Carroll has built the conference's best defense, and senior quarterback Carson Palmer has been making plays.

Midseason MVP: SS Troy Polamalu. His numbers are unspectacular and he's battled a sprained ankle, but Polamalu sets the tone for the Trojans' defense. He's a vicious hitter in pass defense and run support.

What's next: The overtime loss at Washington State will make it difficult to win the conference championship, but this weekend's game at Oregon could be the marquee victory that puts USC back on the national map. If the Trojans' run the table, including a season-ending victory at home against currently unbeaten Notre Dame, the school's first final top-10 ranking since 1989 could be at hand.

Washington
The Huskies were supposed to be among the conference elite and laying the groundwork for a national title run in 2003. But a ground game ranked 111th in the nation (84.86 yards per game) and a pass defense ranked 113th (291.29 yards per game) has splattered high expectations. Coach Rick Neuheisel is facing his first real test as the Huskies coach, and he may be forced to consider staff changes at the end of the season, particularly on defense.

Midseason MVP: QB Cody Pickett. Pickett has thrown for over 300 yards in all seven games this season. He ranks second in the nation in passing (371.6 yards per game) and has already set a school single-season passing record with 2,601 yards this season.

What's next: The Huskies' tough remaining schedule means it's possible they could suffer through their first losing season since 1976. Three of the final five games are on the road against ranked opponents. The Huskies have lost five consecutive and six out of their last seven road games. They have to find enough of a ground game to make defenses respect play-action fakes. And their pass defense needs to stop surrendering big plays. Neuheisel has pulled rabbits out of his hat before, but that would be a heck of a trick this season.

Washington State
Washington State's 30-27 overtime victory over USC on Oct. 5 was a major accomplishment for an injury-ravaged team. It erased any doubts that the Cougars are not only a legitimate threat to win the Pac-10 but also are one of the best teams in the nation. While most of the nation remembers the 25-7 defeat at Ohio State, the Cougars were missing a number of key starters on defense. When healthy, these guys can compete with anybody.

Midseason MVP: QB Jason Gesser. He's the only three-year captain in school history. The grit he displayed while playing with a dislocated rib inspired not only his team but also coach Mike Price. This team needs Gesser to win. Without him, they'd only be above average.

What's next: The Cougars schedule is favorable, and they used a bye week to get healthy. After a visit to struggling Arizona this weekend, they play their toughest competition at home three consecutive weekends (Arizona State, Oregon and Washington). If WSU stays healthy, it should win the Pac-10 title.

Around the Mountain West

Air Force
The Falcons' triple option has dominated all foes -- except Notre Dame.

Midseason MVP: Harridge is the MVP, but linebacker Anthony Schlegel deserves credit for leading a solid defense.

What's next: The Falcons can't let up after the Notre Dame defeat. Colorado State's visit on Oct. 31 looks like the only major challenge between the Academy and a one-loss regular season.

BYU
BYU always has a good quarterback -- except this year. That's the big reason the Cougars are struggling to avoid a rare losing season.

Midseason MVP: TB Marcus Whalen. Whalen has four 100-yard games with four touchdowns. He's the lone bright spot of a rather dismal season.

What's next: BYU should find three victories in its last five games to become bowl eligible. Otherwise, coach Gary Crowton's brief honeymoon will end.

Colorado State
The Rams are floating under the radar while Air Force is the national darling. Yet the preseason pick to win the conference has proven to be a gritty team.

Midseason MVP: RB Cecil Sapp. Sapp leads the MWC and is 20th in the nation in rushing with an average of 115.8 yards per game with 12 touchdowns.

What's next: The Rams are thinking conference championship, and Air Force is the only team remaining on the schedule with a winning record.

New Mexico
If not for a pair of overtime defeats to Air Force and Utah State, the Lobos would be thinking bowl game. Quarterback issues and an unusually inconsistent defense have been problems.

Midseason MVP: LB Charles Moss. Moss leads the Lobos and ranks second in the conference with 71 tackles for an average of 8.9 per game.

What's next: It's hard to imagine the inconsistent Lobos can win four of their last five games and become bowl eligible.

San Diego State
San Diego State may be the best 2-5 team in the nation. After losing their first five games, they've won two straight. If the defense gives the high-powered passing attack some support, the Aztecs could spoil other conference foes' bowl hopes.

Midseason MVP: WR J.R. Tolver. Tolver leads the nation in receiving with 152.1 yards per game. 'Nuff said.

What's next: The Aztecs probably won't win five of their last six to qualify for a bowl game, but they certainly are dangerous enough to be a spoiler down the stretch.

UNLV
Just as the season looked to be headed to the toilet, UNLV put it all together in a 24-3 victory at BYU, its first victory in Provo since 1981.

Midseason MVP: SS Jamaal Brimmer. Brimmer was a force against BYU, and he leads the MWC with 12 tackles for a loss.

What's next: The Rebels need to win only three of their final five games to become bowl eligible. But they better work fast, because their final two games are against Air Force and Colorado State.

Utah
After opening the season 2-0, the Utes have lost five consecutive games, which coincided with the season-ending injury to tailback Marty Johnson. Four of those defeats were by a combined 14 points, but the 36-17 loss at San Diego State was a black mark.

Midseason MVP: OT Jordan Gross. Gross is averaging 11 "de-cleaters" per game and hasn't allowed a sack. He figures to be an early-round NFL draft pick.

What's next: Coach Ron McBride's job is in jeopardy. He's never lost five consecutive games in 13 years at Utah. The Utes have to win all four of their remaining games to become bowl eligible.

Wyoming
The 1-6 Cowboys will be hard-pressed to improve on last year's 2-9 record, and that has coach Vic Koenning on the hot seat.

Midseason MVP: QB Casey Bramlet. Bramlet has thrown for 1,603 yards this season with 13 touchdowns and ranks fifth on the Pokes' career passing list with 4,960 yards.

What's next: The search for a new coach. Koenning is 4-25 in three seasons, and the Cowboys appear far away from becoming competitive in the conference.

Ted Miller covers college football for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.