The Washington State Cougars are the surprise team of the Pac-12 this season. They're already bowl bound while their rivals, the Washington Huskies, are still trying to get to that point.
KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel explains why both teams are where they are right now.
'Dumbfounded'
Thiel said he is more than just surprised that the Cougars are ahead of the Huskies this season.
"I'm Stunned. Shocked. Dumbfounded," he said. "And if I were a Cougar fan: delirious!"
"Being at 6-3 at this point is a remarkable feat," Thiel continued.
"I think only Mike Leach believed that that was possible. As the head coach of the Cougars, he's always said each year, 'This is my best team. This is my best team.' We all go, 'Yeah, sure, right.'"
"After they lost to Portland State of the Big Sky Conference, which is a competitive notch below the Pac-12, everyone thought, 'They're going to have to fire him.' Reporters were going through his contract to see what the buyout would be.
"And here they are, at 6-3, already bowl eligible. They'll be in a bowl this year."
WSU: 'Unpredictable, Formidable'
"They've got a great passing attack - as they always do. Their quarterback Luke Falk has been the Pac-12's player of the week four times now," Thiel said.
"That passing attack is really devastating because they finally complemented it with a little bit of a running game so it really balances it out and makes them a little unpredictable on offense.
"And they found 11 guys to play defense," Thiel joked. "That's been a tough thing for the Cougars to do over the last several years. So it makes for a very impressive team and, I think, fairly formidable.
"They play at UCLA Saturday night and I think that is going to be the game of the week."
UW Still Battling For Bowl Bid
Thiel said that, at 4-5, the Huskies have to win two of their last three games to become bowl eligible.
"They play at Arizona State this Saturday. They go to Oregon State next Saturday and Oregon State is a pretty weak team, so they should win that. So they've got to win one among those two and then beat the Cougars on November 27th in the Apple Cup," he said.
'Husky Fans: Be Patient'
"They've got so many freshmen in so many key positions. They're very inconsistent," Thiel pointed out.
"They have two freshmen in the offensive line, a freshman quarterback, a freshman running back. They're all talented. They're all going to be good.
"I think this is an issue of delayed gratification for Husky fans. They've got to be patient to let these kids grow into their jobs.
"They already have a No. 1-rated defense. It's amazing that they lost four players to the NFL draft and are still No. 1 in the Pac-12. So, that defense is really impressive.
"To hold teams to under 20 points a game as they're doing...that's a remarkable feat. But they're only half good."
2015 Apple Cup: More Than Just Bragging Rights?
Thiel said the Huskies may need to win the Apple Cup to get a bowl bid. "Which would be fun," he added.
"Rivalry is rivalry; that's alright. But there haven't been any stakes in this rivalry for a while because both teams have either been mediocre or bad. This time I think there's going to be some real aspiration to get a win here.
"It would be a great thrill for Cougar fans to say, 'We're going bowling, and you clowns aren't.'
"It'll be a lot of fun and I hope there are some stakes for that game."
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You can find Art Thiel's work at Sportspress Northwest and Crosscut.com.
