FRONT ROW: Cats keep climbing the polls

SMELLING ROSES?: Wildcat fans are an excitable bunch.

With the team’s 27-13 win over UCLA, the fans will likely use this bye week to kick their expectations into the stratosphere. And, hey, there’s no harm in that. So far, this season (outside of the quirky loss at Washington) has turned out better than anyone could’ve anticipated.

Arizona is up to No. 20 in the latest BCS polls, and the human pollsters have started paying attention, too. UA is No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the USA Today coach’s poll — the first time since 2000 that the Cats have cracked the polls.

Typically, a team doesn’t lose a productive senior quarterback and an NFL-ready tight end and become a top-25 team, but that’s exactly what these Wildcats have done. So, I have no problem with anyone having a little fun playing the “what if?” game.

What if the Wildcats somehow run the table for the rest of the season? What if they finish the season 10-2? Yes, this team has a shot to qualify for the Rose Bowl — the “Grandaddy of ‘em all” — as long as it wins out.

That’s enough to get any Wildcat fan’s heart pumping an extra beat. Arizona has participated in as many Rose Bowls as I have (zero).

Will this year’s team break that drought? Not likely.

The Cats come back from the bye week with an exceedingly winnable homecoming game against the lowly Washington State Cougars on Nov. 7. A win there gives UA six victories and makes the Cats bowl eligible — much earlier than last season.

However, the final month of the season is brutal. Check out this slate: at No. 24 Cal Nov. 14, versus No. 10 Oregon Nov. 21, at Arizona State Nov. 28, at No. 5 USC to finish the season Dec. 5.

If the Wildcats can split those final four games, that’d be an impressive feat.

While there’s no harm in enjoying Arizona’s position in the polls, fans must remember that the real tests take place in November.

Buckle up, Wildcat fans. It’s going to be a wild ride.

OH, BY THE WAY: With all the attention being paid to the World Series, a fantastic NFL season and a topsy-turvy college football season, few people seem to care that the NBA season started last night.

You know what? I can’t blame them.

There is absolutely no reason to get the NBA season going this early. Sports fans can’t be asked to keep track of this much, so it had to be expected that the NBA’s arrival would fly below the radar.

NBA basketball should start after the World Series wraps up, but that’d make far too much sense.

However, as one of the few die-hard NBA fans left, I’m still thrilled to have pro basketball back. There’s something comforting about having the NBA around, even with all the problems this once-great sport is currently facing.

Even detractors have to admit that every NBA game (even ones between the league’s bottom feeders) features a jaw-dropping number of brilliant athletic moments.

In addition, ESPN’s “Sports Guy” Bill Simmons’ epic “The Book of Basketball” — a 730-page opus to the game he loves more than anything — hit stores yesterday. I’ve got my copy, and I’ll be posting a review as soon as I plow through this entire thing.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747