Welcome to a new feature on the Hotline — an assessment of the eight teams in the rebuilt Pac-12 as if they were competing in the conference this season. We’ll even recognize one lucky team as the regular-season champion. The power rankings will be published each Sunday throughout the regular season. (Here are last week’s rankings.)

Washington State lost the Apple Cup in decisive fashion Saturday evening but found its starting quarterback in the process — a tradeoff that probably stands as a net positive for the Cougars and first-year coach Jimmy Rogers.

But one layer down, there is cause for concern. How in the world did Rogers and his braintrust fail to identify Zevi Eckhaus as their best option in the first place?

Eckhaus was one of the few bright spots for the Cougars in the 59-24 loss. (It was closer than expected for three quarters, before the Huskies took command.) He completed 25-of-36 passes for 277 yards — that’s a solid 7.7 yards-per-attempt — along with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

It would have been a perfectly respectable showing under normal circumstances. Given that Eckhaus didn’t take first-team reps in practice during training camp and was used sparingly in the previous games (10 attempts) — and considering the emotions of the rivalry and the talent on the other side of scrimmage — the performance was viewed as a revelation.

It should not have been.

After all, Eckhaus threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns against Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl nine months ago when he filled in for the departed John Mateer.

The next day, the Cougars hired Rogers away from South Dakota State.

Two weeks later, Rogers hired Danny Freund (also from SDSU) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

They spent the next eight months evaluating WSU’s options for the most important position and somehow decided Eckhaus was not the answer. He wasn’t even the backup — that role went to Julian Dugger.

Eckhaus didn’t play a lick in the season-opening escape from Idaho or in the Week 2 victory over San Diego State, and he appeared in the wipeout at North Texas only because Jaxon Potter threw three interceptions and the Cougars were in try-anything mode.

From here, it appears Rogers and Freund completely misread the situation — an egregious mistake for any coaching staff but especially one that has stepped up in class (from the FCS level) and has everything to prove.

Eckhaus is not Mateer, of course. But he’s loaded with moxie and has enough mobility to escape trouble in the pocket. And he clearly inspires his teammates.

Perhaps Rogers viewed Potter as the best long-term option and figured the Cougars would simply deal with the bumps and setbacks this season as the sophomore gained experience.

If that was the calculation, it was a mistake. The Cougars don’t have the luxury of time. There is no rebuilding. Rogers needs every win he can collect now in order to make the program attractive to recruits and transfers — not to mention NIL donors — so that WSU can enter the rebuilt Pac-12 positioned for success.

The long game isn’t an option for either Washington State or Oregon State.

The current mess in Corvallis is proof of that. The Beavers are winless in their second season under floundering coach Trent Bray — this, after collapsing down the stretch last fall. (They started 4-1, then lost six of their last seven.)

One reason for their demise in 2024: poor handling, and development, of the quarterbacks.

It’s the most important position by a factor of three bajillion. And from the looks of things, Rogers and his staff whiffed badly. Have they missed on evaluations at other positions?

That said, you’d rather be WSU than OSU at this point. The Cougars have two wins secured and a reasonable chance for No. 3 next weekend at Colorado State, which just lost to UT-San Antonio. In November, they face Oregon State in home-and-home fashion. By then, the Beavers could have an interim coach.

There’s a path into the postseason for WSU.

Yes, it’s narrow. And the journey could very well require the Cougars to win a game (or two) they aren’t favored to win.

But the journey isn’t nearly as treacherous as it looked just a week ago, now that Rogers has — finally — found his quarterback.

To the power rankings …

All times Pacific

1. Fresno State (4-1)

Result: won at Hawaii 23-21
Up next: idle
Comment: The Hotline continues to drive the Bulldogs bandwagon and we are happy to make room for others. When Matt Entz and Co. are 7-1 heading to Boise State in early November and all seats are filled, don’t blame us. (Previous: 1)

2. Texas State (3-1)

Result: beat Nicholls 35-3
Up next: idle
Comment: The Bobcats must be seeing the scores roll in from the West Coast, especially the new Pac-12’s two founding members, and thinking, “Whoa, this new conference will be a lot easier to dominate than we expected.” (Previous: 3)

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3. Utah State (3-1)

Result: beat McNeese State 48-7
Up next: at Vanderbilt (9:45 a.m. on SEC Network)
Comment: The Aggies would be wise to secure six wins before the stretch run, because they finish with UNLV, Fresno State and Boise State in succession. As we see it, the trip to Hawaii in a few weeks stands as the key to their bowl math. (Previous: 4)

4. Boise State (2-1)

Result: won at Air Force 49-37
Up next: vs. Appalachian State (4:30 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: Get ready for a barrage of Ashton Jeanty comparisons after sophomore tailback Dylan Riley rushed for 171 yards and four touchdowns. But honestly, that’s completely ridiculous. Riley’s an inch or two taller. (Previous: 5)

5. San Diego State (2-1)

Result: beat Cal 34-0
Up next: at Northern Illinois (12:30 p.m. on ESPN+)
Comment: We took SDSU’s loss at Washington State into account with this placement. But so much has changed since that head-to-head result in Pullman — for instance, the Cougars have lost twice by 84 points — that a repositioning of the two teams, relative to each other, felt justified. (Previous: 7)

6. Colorado State (1-2)

Result: lost to UTSA 17-16
Up next: vs. Washington State (4:30 p.m. on CBSSN)
Comment: The Rams scored with 29 seconds left, but coach Jay Norvell opted for a two-point conversion over an extra point that would have forced overtime. (The ball was placed at the 1-yard line following a penalty on UTSA.) The conversion failed, leaving CSU with some extremely tricky bowl math to solve. (Previous: 2)

7. Washington State (2-2)

Result: lost to Washington 59-24
Up next: at Colorado State (4:30 p.m. on CBSSN)
Comment: The Cougars have allowed 59 points in back-to-back games, which seems downright gruesome until you consider that the first instance was fueled by five WSU turnovers and in the second, they faced one of the best offenses in the country. So maybe it’s just semi-gruesome. (Previous: 6)

8. Oregon State (0-4)

Result: lost at Oregon 41-7
Up next: vs. Houston (Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN)
Comment: The Hotline is starting to believe that it’s not such a good idea to have a first-time head coach (Trent Bray), whose background is defense, on the same staff as an offensive coordinator (Ryan Gunderson) who has never actually called plays before … Just kidding. We believed that all along. (Previous: 8)

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