If you are the University of Hawai'i football team — and plenty of coaches would give up their courtesy cars and country club perks to be walking the Warriors' sideline right now — you have to like the way the next couple of weeks set up.

And not just because 0-5 Utah State is Saturday's visitor to Aloha Stadium as the regular season hits its halfway point.

The first BCS standings will be released a week from Sunday and the 5-0 Warriors, who are already sitting pretty in the polls, have a 24-karat opportunity to enhance their standing for the first telltale printout.

A once-in-a-blue-moon season of possibilities for the Warriors starts to get really interesting now. While coaches talk about playing them one at a time, it is difficult for anybody not to look ahead and not be impressed with the way things are lining up. Coaches included, whether they admit it or not. Even the normally conservative Karl Benson, Western Athletic Conference commissioner, concedes, "Hawai'i is well positioned right now."

Let us count the ways. At the same point last year en route to the Fiesta Bowl appearance against Oklahoma, Boise State was 20th in the Associated Press media poll, 21st in the USA Today coaches poll and 22nd in the Harris Poll. UH is 16, 15 and 16. The USA Today and Harris polls being the key ones since they are components of the BCS standings, which also include computer rankings.

"Historically," Benson notes, "the computers have actually treated WAC teams better than the polls. Whether that will continue, we don't know."

What we do know is that when the Broncos debuted in the BCS picture in 2006, it was well into the process at No. 15. UH could reach that in the opening week with seven more weeks (and five games) in which to improve its standing.

All the while teams ahead of them in the polls and those close on their heels have decidedly more difficult schedules to negotiate. While UH plays Utah State this week, Georgia is at Tennessee, Texas plays Oklahoma and Virginia Tech has Clemson. When UH plays New Mexico State Oct. 27, Georgia has Florida, West Virginia has Rutgers, and Oregon has USC.

Keep in mind there are two avenues for UH into the lucrative BCS, each with its own benchmark. The Warriors need only rank in the top 12 of the final BCS standings on Dec. 2 or, failing that, be in the top 16, but ahead of any champion from one of the six conferences guaranteed berths, to earn their own BCS bowl spot.

Get past 40-point underdog Utah State, in what Las Vegas oddsmakers have labeled as the most lopsided matchup in the nation this week, and the Warriors get the potential for a real resume booster, a Friday night ESPN showcase at San Jose State for their first national game. ESPN appearances have been accelerators for the Warriors, witness what even last year's win at Utah State and, especially the bowl victory over Arizona State, did for their profile.

So far this season the Warriors have moved up in the polls on little more than word of mouth and a few assorted late show highlight clips. Most of the republic has yet to set eyes on the Warriors and quarterback Colt Brennan live. Beginning with San Jose State, UH is scheduled for four national cable appearances in its final six games. Plenty of openings to state a case for New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2008. Lots of opportunities to climb in the polls and BCS standings.

Essentially, it is all up to the Warriors where they go from here. To borrow a phrase from that noted BCS watcher Al Davis, "Just win, baby."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.