Wait and see

Five to gauge cases a to team’s prove season it’s foolhardy based on early results:

West Virginia: The Mountaineers, who were 5-0 and ranked No. 5, have lost five straight and need to win one of their final two games against Iowa State and Kansas to get to a bowl.

Michigan State: The Spartans opened with a victory over Boise State and were 2-0 and ranked No. 10. Now they are 5-6, tied for last in their division of the Big Ten and need to beat Minnesota to get to a bowl.

Virginia Tech: The Hokies started 2-0 and ranked No. 13, but they have lost five of their past seven and need to beat Virginia to earn a bowl berth.

USC: The Trojans were 2-0 and ranked No. 2, but now they’re 7-4. If they lose to No. 1 Notre Dame on Saturday — QB Matt Barkley is out with a sprained shoulder — they will have lost four of five games.

Washington: The Huskies began the season 3-4, with three of the losses by 30 points or more. Now only Washington State stands in the way of an 8-4 regular season.