FRONT ROW: Wildcats in the mix in topsy-turvy Pac-10

Even though the Arizona Wildcats are off this week, there is still plenty to keep UA fans occupied this Saturday.

After the Cats’ exciting 37-32 win at Oregon State, the squad finds itself in the thick of the unpredictable Pac-10 race.

From week to week this season — heck, from minute to minute — this conference seems to undergo a complete transformation. Traditional front-runners find themselves looking up the standings to see traditional cellar-dwellars occupying those lofty spots.

In years past, the Pac-10 race had one thoroughbred (USC) and nobody else within shouting distance. This year, it’s a jumbled mess, with the Wildcats emerging as a serious player.

Everyone except for UCLA and Arizona State has at least one conference game under its belt (Stanford and Washington State each have two), so let’s take an early look at how this race is shaping up:

Stanford will finish September as the unlikely Pac-10 leader. Behind the powerful legs of Toby Gerhart (516 yards, five touchdowns), the team stands at 3-1, with the only blemish a seven-point loss at Wake Forest. After years pinned to the Pac-10 basement, head coach Jim Harbaugh has this team thinking bowl game for the first time since 2001.

Last time out, Stanford held No. 24 Washington scoreless in the second half to pull off the 34-14 upset. This week, the Cardinal will host UCLA at 12:30 p.m. (Saturday, ABC) — a game that never used to have serious Pac-10 implications, but certainly does this year.

The Bruins are a surprising 3-0, riding a fast, physical defense that allows a meager 12.7 points per outing. The offense is still a work-in-progress, but we’ll know for sure if UCLA is a contender or a pretender after this upcoming three-game stretch (at Stanford, versus Oregon, versus Cal).

After that embarrassing 19-8 loss at Boise State to open the season (featuring the now-infamous LaGarrette Blount punch), the Oregon Ducks have bounced back in a big way, winning three games in a row. The Ducks weren’t playing any cupcakes during this stretch, either. Those three wins came against Purdue, No. 18 Utah and No. 6 Cal — that last one a shocking 42-3 blowout.

Going into last week, it appeared as if Cal was in the pole position to finally unseat USC as the Pac-10 champ, but Oregon made sure to put an end to that. The Ducks host Washington State at 6:15 on Saturday.

The Bears, on the other hand, need to regroup — and quickly. Jahvid Best is still the most explosive player in college football, and he’s a threat to score each time he touches the football. But in order for the Bears to get back in the hunt for the conference crown, Cal head coach Jeff Tedford needs to figure out more creative ways to get him the ball, and the Bears’ supporting cast needs to step up so opposing defenses can’t focus all 11 players on Best.

Speaking of Cal, Saturday’s showdown with USC (5 p.m., ABC) is still the premiere match-up in this conference. Both teams expected to head into this game undefeated, but Washington and Oregon had something to say about it. However, there is still a lot of star power involved in this game.

USC is typically this region’s premier NFL pipeline, but this year, the Trojans appear more vulnerable than ever. True freshman quarterback Matt Barkley has shown flashes of what will make him a special player, but he’s still going to make some mistakes. It’s clear now, however, that Barkley gives this team its best chance to win after watching Aaron Corp’s struggles in that upset loss to Washington two weeks ago.

The defense is still top-notch, as long as hard-hitting safety Taylor Mays is healthy. But the offense needs to recover from the devastating loss of tailback Stafon Johnson, who suffered a scary accident while lifting weights, badly injuring his throat in the process.

Arizona State finds itself in a great spot after a disappointing 2008 campaign. The Sun Devils are currently 2-1 and nearly pulled off a big upset of No. 21 Georgia, losing by a field goal on the Bulldogs’ home turf.

ASU clobbered Idaho State and Louisana-Monroe, but that didn’t really show us anything. The Sun Devils actually gained more respect from that hard-fought loss than from either of those two lopsided home wins.

Unlike previous years, this ASU team is propelled by defense, currently ranked third in the nation in yards allowed.

Out of all the Pac-10 teams, Oregon State is the one that needs to do the most soul searching. The Beavers lost two nail-biters to Cincinnati and Arizona, blowing many chances to win each game. The defense — traditionally a strength in Corvallis — has let them down, ranking 72nd in total yardage.

Few teams can bounce back from two home losses in a row like this, but if anyone can, it’s Oregon State. This is a team that rarely wins its Pac-10 opener, then closes the season as one of the nation’s hottest teams.

After going winless in 2008, Washington nearly opened the season with a shocking upset over LSU, but the Tigers held on to win by eight. Of course, that aforementioned win over USC thrust the Huskies into the top 25 before that loss at Stanford sent them tumbling. However, it’s clear that these Huskies aren’t the pushovers they were last season. With quarterback Jake Locker back under center (this conference’s closest thing to Tim Tebow), this is a team capable of beating anyone in this conference on any given Saturday.

Let’s see, who am I forgetting? Ah yes, Washington State. The Cougars are still terrible. They’re 1-3 on the season, with an overtime win over Southern Methodist to their credit, but they’re going to have a tough time staying pace with the rest of this conference.

As for the Wildcats, they need to get Nic Grigsby and Delashaun Dean back to 100 percent (or close to it) health-wise this bye week and stick with Nick Foles under center. The sophomore transfer out of Michigan State enjoyed a remarkable debut against Oregon State, and if he can maintain that level of composure, he could end up being one of the better signal-callers in this conference. Next Saturday’s game at Washington will go a long way in telling UA fans what kind of team they have on their hands this season.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747