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.

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 — 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.

To the power rankings …

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)

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. (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  that a repositioning of the two teams 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 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. (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: 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. (Previous: 8)