The sporting scene is much like the weather in North Idaho — if you don’t like it now, wait a few minutes (or weeks, or months, or years) and it will likely change.

• Washington State is now regarded as one of the top teams in the Pac-12 in football. A few weeks ago, the fans were (again) calling for coach Mike Leach’s head after WSU couldn’t beat Eastern Washington or Boise State.

Now, after roughing up Oregon and Stanford on successive weeks, the Cougs are shaping up as a serious contender to Washington in the Pac-12 North.

It helps that many of the Pac-12 teams are down this year — or just plain mediocre again — but still, it’s up to WSU to take advantage of that. And so far, the Cougs have.

• Speaking of the Huskies, it was only eight years ago when the Dawgs were limping to an 0-12 season — capped by a 16-13 loss in double overtime to a WSU team which came in at 1-10.

The Huskies have been barely above water since then — 45-41 since then, heading into this season.

But, coming off last year’s 7-6 campaign, U-Dub entered this season with high hopes under third-year coach Chris Petersen, and so far, has failed to disappoint. The Huskies are off to a 6-0 start, including thrashings of Stanford (44-6) and Oregon (70-21).

The Huskies are even being mentioned as a possibility for the four-team College Football Playoff. However, U-Dub can’t afford a slip-up during the regular season — Pac-12 teams, unlike the SEC, do not get a mulligan.

A lot can happen between now and then, but the Apple Cup in Pullman, slated for the day after Thanksgiving, could be for the Pac-12 North title and for the Cougs, a chance to end the Huskies’ national title hopes.

• The baseball gods said ‘not this time’ to the Giants, whose postseason is over — while the Dodgers’ still goes on, even if just for one more night.

The Bay Area faithful figured the “even-year” Giants, despite their shortcomings in the bullpen, would naturally win again this year, adding to their World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14.

But this looks like the year of the Cubs, who haven’t a World Series since ‘08 — 1908, that is.

One question, though ... if and when the Cubs win a World Series, will they turn into the Red Sox? The BoSox were once considered loveable losers as well, having not won it all since 1918, but coming close in memorable seven-game series in 1968 and ‘75, then losing to the Yankees in the 2003 ALCS on Aaron Boone’s homer in extra innings. But since the Red Sox have won three championships in the past 13 seasons, now they’ve become just another past winner that teams want to knock off on the way to their own title.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.