The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT November 17, 2010

It's amazing to me what a couple of losses can do to fans.

Whether a three-game losing streak or a loss in a big game, some fans may rather see a change at quarterback or coach by the time their respective football team takes the field again.

Take it easy, there's still time.

MAYBE IT was watching this situation unfold before, but my hopes in Charlie Whitehurst when the Seattle Seahawks took on the New York Giants faded long before the 12th Man flag was even raised.

Whitehurst could develop into a good quarterback someday, it just wasn't going to come that day.

And with starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck among the many injuries on the team, it was no wonder that the Giants opened a 35-0 halftime lead.

At times, it seemed as though the team was lost and although they played better in the second half, it couldn't get much worse.

Although they defeated Arizona on Sunday afternoon, the team is missing too many pieces to make a strong playoff run this year.

WHEN THE Idaho Vandals began this season, they knew the past month was going to be, if nothing else, difficult.

Idaho stumbled at Hawaii and at home to 25th-ranked Nevada and fourth-ranked Boise State.

But with wins in their final three games of the season, the Vandals can still get themselves into a prime position for a bowl bid with seven wins.

The same can be said for the Montana Grizzlies, who after coach Bobby Hauck left for UNLV after last season, have lost three games this season.

Not only are their chances at a Big Sky Conference title sliding away with a loss to Montana State this Saturday in Missoula, but the chances of a 16th consecutive playoff appearance could also fall by the wayside.

Losing starting quarterback Andrew Selle early in the season didn't help, and neither did losing the inaugural game at Roos Field against Eastern Washington earlier this year. Should the Griz win, they'd knock MSU out of the Big Sky lead, likely giving the outright title to Eastern with the last-place Idaho State Bengals coming to Cheney on Saturday to close the regular season.

A lot is still to be determined when it comes to the various conference championship games, with Auburn clinching a spot in the Southeastern Conference game on Saturday and Oregon's final two games in the Pac-10 to determine the Rose Bowl or another big time BCS bowl game.

Plenty of time for upsets and rivalry shenanigans to blow up the bowl picture.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via e-mail at jelliott@cdapress.com.