ESPN College Football

A fresh start for a college football coach can turn sour quickly, particularly when a couple of starters decide not only to get into a fight at a party but opt to return for a second go-around, thereby making it an iron-clad certainty they'd get arrested.

Last week, new Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez talked about his disappointment with the conditioning of his players. He called them "weak, really weak." Who knew he was also referring to their heads?

Offensive tackle Fabbians Ebbele, at 6-foot-8, 310 pounds, has NFL potential after starting as a freshman, and sophomore DB Jourdon Grandon, a four-game starter in 2011, could be key pieces for making Rodriguez's life easier. Instead, they are making it harder by getting charged with first-degree criminal trespassing and assault.

Both are scheduled to appear in Tucson City Court on March 15 -- also involved, safety Jared Tevis and guard Eric Bender-Ramsay were charged with trespassing -- but in the court of public opinion getting into a fight where there are allegations of women being punched tends to inspire a high degree of consternation. While the details of the original report from the Arizona Daily Wildcat are decidedly one-sided -- it's all from accounts from the folks hosting the party where the fights broke out -- this is the sort of thing that shortens a new coach's honeymoon.

And from his experience at Michigan, Rodriguez knows as well as anyone about short coaching honeymoons.

This incident could be forgotten by September, buried under confetti celebrating an early season upset. Or if things start slowly, it could become a centerpiece of an initial round of "We told you so" jabs air-mailed from Ann Arbor.

Here's a not completely fair point: It appears Rodriguez thus far has been unable to persuade his players to buy in 100 percent. He told the Wildcats to keep up their conditioning just after he was hired and they didn't. And he's told them to stay out of trouble, which they didn't. With this incident, even with thinking time -- "Hmm, is driving back to this party a good idea?" -- players opted to seek out a fight, not walk away. Toss in a first recruiting class that didn't make much of an impression, and you can feel a down-tick in the momentum of athletic director Greg Byrne's universally praised hire.

Of course, winning solves problems and makes this sort of stuff go away. The problem is, the Wildcats have plenty of personnel issues on both sides of the ball. Further, the schedule does not set up well for a fast start: a nonconference game with Oklahoma State and visits to Oregon and Stanford before mid-October. And Rodriguez's systems -- a no-huddle, spread-option offense and a 3-3-5 defense -- will require an adjustment period.

If you are looking for a negative comparison -- hey, just call us the party pooper -- consider Tyrone Willingham's ill-fated Washington tenure. Willingham got hired at Notre Dame (a Midwestern power) based on a solid job at Stanford (2000 Rose Bowl) but then was quickly -- and many thought unfairly -- fired after three seasons.

Immediately upon his hiring at Washington, Notre Dame fans, who felt wronged by depictions of Willingham's termination, bombarded Seattle-area media and Huskies message boards with "Just wait! You'll see!" missives.

And guess what? They were right. Willingham was a failure at Washington.

Willingham and Rodriguez are nothing alike, and these notable similarities of career path are purely coincidental. The Pac-12 blog is firmly on board with a high grade for the Rodriguez hire.

But the takeaway here is big-time college football's persistent, sobering reality.

After all the high-fives Rodriguez's hiring inspired, he's not a sure thing. No one is. And be advised, Wildcats fans, that there are likely going to be more stumbles ahead as Rodriguez tries to build the program he wants, with his players and his systems. Recent events are reminders that you might want to stock up on some patience before planning for a long-awaited trip to Pasadena.

While the bowl games were big news over the weekend, UCLA and Arizona State continue to look for new head coaches.

Here's some skinny.

At UCLA, ESPN LA's Peter Yoon reported that interim head coach Mike Johnson would like to be considered for the job. Here's his update on other candidates:

UCLA has been turned down by Boise State coach Chris Petersen, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions, and eliminated Houston coach Kevin Sumlin as a candidate after meeting with him on Saturday, according to a source. Al Golden of Miami is considered the next top target, though Golden recently signed a four-year contract extension at Miami.

There's some chatter out there about former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora, Jr. My take: That would be a good hire. While things went badly for Mora in Seattle, let's recall that he was the first choice to replace Tyrone Willingham at Washington. He's a charismatic guy with an NFL sensibility that would translate well at UCLA. Recall that the last time a team in LA hired a charismatic guy with an NFL sensibility who had folks scratching their heads turned out OK.

Here's Jon Gold's take in the LA Daily News.

Sources have said that UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, who met with Sumlin in Houston on Saturday, is essentially rebooting the search and at this point, there are no clear-cut favorites. Miami head coach Al Golden, whom Guerrero interviewed for the job during the post-Karl Dorrell vacancy, is among the candidates, along with SMU head coach June Jones. Sources indicated on Saturday that there was minimal interest in former Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti.

UCLA has been the sort of job that more than a few folks thought might lure Bellotti back into coaching. But it doesn't seem, at least at this point, that he's high on the Bruins' list.

Meanwhile, at Arizona State, it appears that Sumlin might not be completely out of the picture, but that SMU coach June Jones' name is front-and-center at present. Still, there are plenty of other names in the rumor swirl. Writes Doug Haller:

Arizona State officials on Saturday met with SMU coach June Jones for more than three hours in Texas.

A report surfaced Sunday that ASU was in position to announce Jones' hire shortly after the university learned of its bowl destination. That wasn't true. According to a source, the Jones push slowed Sunday night. That doesn't mean it's over, but it could be an indication that ASU is having second thoughts.

Sources confirmed Sunday that Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora is still in the mix. Baylor coach Art Briles has emerged as a candidate.

I continue to hear ASU likes Oregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich.

Also, despite reports that ASU has backed off Sumlin, he still could be in play, especially if Texas A&M goes another direction in its quest to replace fired coach Mike Sherman.

In other words, neither coach search has moved -- at least according to reports -- decisively in one direction.

So stay tuned.

Issues to consider heading into the eighth week of games.

Price vs. Luck: Think back to your college football brain in August. Now look that bolded intro. Who would've thunk it, right? Well, turns out that Andrew Luck is a heck of a quarterback, but at present not only is Washington's Keith Price nipping at his heels in terms of passing efficiency, but he's also got more touchdown passes than the leading Heisman Trophy contender -- 21 vs. 18. Luck is almost certain to play well at home against a fair-to-middling Huskies defense. To lead the upset for Washington, Price will need to match -- if not exceed -- Luck's numbers.

Barkley to Woods: USC QB Matt Barkley and WR Robert Woods are the best pass-catch combination in the Pac-12, and one of the two or three best in the nation. They've combined for six TDs and 130.5 yards per game. But they were not in sync last week against California. It's likely the Trojans will struggle to run against a tough Notre Dame front seven. So the way USC wins in South Bend is Barkley to Woods, Barkley to Woods.

Who starts at QB, RB for Oregon? Not much to this one: Do Darron Thomas (knee) and LaMichael James (elbow) start for the Ducks at Colorado? Or do their backups: Bryan Bennett and Kenjon Barner? This pretty much is the only expected intrigue in Boulder on Saturday.

Hays or Maynard? While there's no single reason Utah and California are both 0-3 in Pac-12 play, the biggest is inconsistent play at QB. Utes QB Jon Hays replaced injured starter Jordan Wynn for the second half against Washington and has mostly improved in two starts. Cal's Zach Maynard started the season well but has struggled since the conference slate began, bottoming out last Thursday with three interceptions against USC. With two good defenses at AT&T Park, it's unlikely either offense will be able to run the ball 40 times and win. The team that is more efficient passing the ball likely ends up smiling.

Wildcats set free? There's a feeling that Arizona's players were playing tight -- more worried more about mistakes than focused on making plays -- in recent weeks as the losses piled up and coach Mike Stoops got more frenzied on the sidelines. We'll get a better feel for that Thursday night. The Wildcats have started slowly all season. If they get off to a quick, enthusiastic start against UCLA, you'd have to think a lot of players have loosened up since Stoops was fired. That shouldn't be over-construed as an indictment of Stoops, by the way. After all that losing and a coach firing, sometimes it becomes easier to play when you have nothing to lose.

Tuel time: Washington State QB Jeff Tuel didn't pick a great team for his first start since a fractured clavicle forced him to miss the Cougars' first five games: Stanford. While Tuel had his moments, he looked a little out of sorts against an A-list defense. But after getting his game legs back, Oregon State's defense offers a much softer landing. Tuel is the Cougars unquestioned leader. This is a must-win game for the Cougs' bowl hopes and for coach Paul Wulff — and in such games, unquestioned leaders step up, lead and make plays that turn must-wins into victories.

Hogs on the Farm: While the rise of Stanford football is not unreasonably connected to Luck, more than a few folks will tell you a culture shift was more important. A program that was seen as soft, one populated by smart young men with aspirations other than pro football -- because they wanted to make more money than the NFL could pay them -- transformed into an edgy, physical and, yes, maybe slightly dirty unit that played until the very echo of the whistle. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian has been talking about the Huskies playing physical football since he was hired to take over a team that went soft under Tyrone Willingham. The Huskies have taken some big steps forward -- see the dominant victory over Nebraska in the 2010 Holiday Bowl. But they aren't there yet on either line. Or are they? We'll see Saturday in the trenches.

Prince wears the crown: Kevin Prince is (again) UCLA's quarterback. While this has many Bruins fans slapping their foreheads, Prince was a capable passer in 2009 and ran the pistol offense well in 2010. He's just never been consistent and, most important, never stayed healthy. Well, Richard Brehaut is out for the year, so the QB job is (again) Prince's. At least as long as he can stay healthy, and barring any horrible play -- see Prince against Texas -- that forces embattled coach Rick Neuheisel to turn to true freshman Brett Hundley. Yet there is a potential positive spin here. What if Prince rises to the occasion? A UCLA win at Arizona would set the Bruins up nicely for a second-half run.

Snow-capped Mount Rainier looms over Seattle, a majestic presence and a challenging climb for those willing to seek its summit. And about half of the people with the gumption to try, nonetheless, fail.

So Washington coach Steve Sarkisian picked an apt analogy for his rebuilding program when he adopted mountain climbing. It's a step-by-step process with plenty of chances to go rear-end-over-tea-kettle. He called his Huskies "inexperienced mountain climbers."

"So our ability to focus on the next step, as a mountain climber would, is what is critical in these times for us," he said. "Not to worry about what lies ahead looking up or to look back down, because you can slip and slide back down. So our focus is on the next step and it's got to continue to be that way.''

So the focus is on Colorado, which visits on Saturday. Not a "look how far we've come!" retrospective on recovering from an 0-12 season in 2008. Not a glance ahead to games with Pac-12 North Division rivals Stanford and Oregon. The present is challenging enough.

Yet it is clear Sarkisian's program has taken steps up the mountain. Washington has won eight of its last nine games. The last time the Huskies had such a streak? 2000-01 when they won 15 of 16 under Rick Neuheisel.

Not unlike Mount Rainier's instant and iconic association with Seattle, so too is it difficult to look at Washington football in the big picture without mentioning the Don James Era. That is what Huskies fans want back -- a national championship, four Rose Bowl victories, pre-eminence as a West Coast football power.

Four coaches have tried to approach what James did in 18 seasons. Neuheisel in 2000 won the Huskies' one and only Rose Bowl since James stepped down in 1993.

Rose Bowls? Toilet bowls is more like it. The Holiday Bowl win over Nebraska last December was the Huskies' first bowl game since 2002 and first bowl victory since that Rose Bowl following the 2000 season.

But Sarkisian believes the Huskies, while "inexperienced mountain climbers," are on their way back to the glory days.

"I think we can get back to that level and I think we are on our way," he said. "How quickly we get there is, I guess, the mystery of it all. But I think we can get there."

And Sarkisian doesn't believe James' legacy is a burden. Rather it's a foundation for his faith.

"I firmly believe that anytime a football program has been to that place before it is a lot easier to find your way back and to find your way back on a consistent level," he said.

Of course, the Huskies aren't there yet, particularly on defense. It's hard to get to the Rose Bowl while giving up 427 yards per game.

But they've got a quarterback for the future (and present) in sophomore Keith Price and will only start seven seniors against the Buffaloes. By way of comparison, 10 freshmen or sophomores will start.

When Sarkisian discusses his rebuilding plan, he talks about hiring a good staff and recruiting, which makes perfect but unenlightening sense. But what he comes back to -- and in relation to hiring a staff and recruiting -- is team culture. Transforming a losing locker room into a winning one before much winning takes place is the chief task of a coach taking over a woebegone program. It's a matter of, Sarkisian said, "continually finding ways to get your current team to believe in what you are doing."

He said, "That can come on the practice field. It can come in team meetings. It can come in team exercises you are doing as a group from game-day opportunities. But to continually find ways to reinforce the beliefs that you want them to believe in so that the culture can start to change."

It would seem that Sarkisian is doing a good job of leading his team up that mountain, but the real tests will be Stanford and Oregon, the top-10 programs lording at present over the North Division and the entire conference. The Ducks' recent dominance over the Huskies, in particular, is a summit Washington fans are eager to climb over. (Just see below).

But those are strides for another day. If the Huskies stop watching where their present footing is, they might just topple over.

Let's not forget that the last time Washington started 4-1 -- in 2006 under Tyrone Willingham -- it ended up losing 27 of its next 32 games.

In 2008, USC and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian were wrapping up a 12-1 season and another -- yawn -- Rose Bowl victory while Washington was swirling down the toilet bowl of an 0-12 season. Sarkisian and head coach Pete Carroll were in the midst of signing another top-rated recruiting class, and they cherry-picked everybody's top-rated quarterback [cue angelic chorus] Matt Barkley.

Meanwhile, dour, defeated Tyrone Willingham up at Washington got a commitment from... wait... [shuffling recruiting web pages] ... here it is... a fellow from Saint John Bosco High School whom ESPN recruiting identified as an "athlete," not a quarterback.

Keith Price was the No. 120 athlete in the nation, in fact. Who knew there were that many athletes?

Ah, but Sarkisian had raised an old former quarterback's eyebrow at Price while scouting Barkley. When he was hired to replace Willingham, he made an inspired decision that went completely unheralded at the time.

"That was one of the key things we wanted to get done as soon as I took this job: Keep [Price] committed here," Sarkisian said.

Entering the season, Price, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound sophomore, was mostly viewed as the guy who would hand the ball to tailback Chris Polk. Be a game manager. Don't screw things up. Behave.

Instead, he presently ranks ninth in the nation in passing efficiency and is tied for the lead with 14 touchdown passes. He's completed 67 percent of his passes with just three interceptions, and the Huskies are 3-1 in large part because of his immediate success.

Barkley, while a likely NFL first-round draft pick this spring, ranks 34th in the nation in passing efficiency. Just saying.

Price's only previous significant action before this season was a start at Oregon last year when Jake Locker was hurt, and he turned in solid but unspectacular numbers: 14 of 28 for 127 yards with a TD and no interceptions in a blowout loss. Spring practice began with Price expected to be in a tight battle with Nick Montana -- yes, son of Joe -- to replace Locker. It ended with Price the clear starter.

Still, an impressive spring game and consistent playmaking in practice is one thing. What about when the lights go on and the action counts?

Question answered. Price, reputed to be cooler under pressure than a fall evening in Seattle, seems almost amused that folks are surprised.

"I knew how good I could play," Price said. "I knew my potential."

That's not just Price's personal confidence. That is a common theme among the Huskies players and coaches. While fans and media are agog with "Can you believe how good Keith Price is?" the Huskies coaches and players say they saw this coming.

"He's been doing this for us every day in practice," Sarkisian said. "Did I think he was going to be leading the country in touchdown passes after four games? Probably not. But I did think he'd play well."

Polk said this before the Huskies visited Nebraska on Sept. 17: "I'm not surprised at all. He's one hell of a player and he's not reached his full potential."

Price and Polk will face a big test at Utah on Saturday. The Utes are tough in Rice-Eccles Stadium, which old Pac-10 fans are about to learn is one of the loudest venues in the conference. They play sound, rugged defense. The Utes are fourth in the conference in rushing defense, No. 1 in pass efficiency defense and have forced 12 turnovers, four more than any other conference team.

But what Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who also recruited Price, sees on film is a quarterback who can make a defense look bad even when it is sound.

"He makes so many non-rhythmic plays for them," Whittingham said. "When the play breaks down, when the pocket breaks down, he's able to escape and find a throwing window and makes something happen."

That has been Price's best skill thus far: His creativity. While he's a good athlete, he's more of a pure passer than a runner. He uses his athletic ability to extend plays, not to scramble for yards. He's hit a number of throws downfield when on the run outside the pocket.

Sarkisian calls this Price's "stinger." Sometimes coaches want to tamp it down because it's outside-the-playbook thinking. But not Sarkisian, even if it sometimes leads to an unhappy ending.

"Many of the good plays that he makes for us [involve] extending plays and buying time in the pocket," Sarkisian said. "He's going to make mistakes doing that stuff, but I just don't want to take that stinger from him. We're going to coach him. We're going to coach him on ball security -- the fumble there on the sack on the two-minute drill right before the end of the half [against California]. Those aren't great plays from him, but he'll learn. I definitely don't want to take that stinger from him because it's a unique asset to our offense right now."

That "stinger" has been around for a while. Price has played quarterback since he was eight years old. He never played any other position. While he doesn't have the polish or the "wow" arm strength Barkley has, it's already clear he has playmaking instincts and outstanding vision.

Further, he doesn't seem to cloud his thinking with the analysis of minutia. The best advice he's received about playing quarterback? "Just keep playing, no matter what the score is. Just keep playing and keep leading. That's the best advice. Forget about the score and just play."

It's also worth noting that Price has been putting up these numbers while not 100 percent physically. He engineered the win against Cal on two sprained knees.

"I still have a long way to go," he said. "Hopefully, my knees get better, back to 100 percent, so I can really showcase what I'm about."

So 14 touchdown passes in four games isn't even Price's best. Seems like a reason to stay tuned.

Everyone knows UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is on the proverbial "hotseat." He's 15-22 in three seasons in Westwood and, though he's been just short of outstanding in nonconference games, he has never won more than three conference games.

Peter Yoon of ESPN Los Angeles takes an interesting look here at Neuheisel, under pressure in Year 4 coaching his alma mater.

"Fair isn't part of this," Neuheisel said. "I'm never worried about fair. As I like to tell football players, fair is where they give a blue ribbon to the pig. That's the fair. This is about doing what has to be done for the sake of UCLA football. That's why if the powers that be determine that there is a better coach for UCLA football, then that's their decision."

"There isn't," he continued. "I'm telling you right now, there isn't. But if that's the decision of the course they want to take, then they can do that."

And to have that looming over his head this season doesn't seem to bother Neuheisel as much as fans and the media might think. In fact, Neuheisel kind of likes being backed up against the wall. He draws upon his playing career at UCLA for inspiration.

My first West Coast job was covering Washington in 1999, the year it hired Neuheisel. My impression initially -- and it has been mostly cemented since then -- is Neuheisel is a much better coach when he's facing adversity than when things are swell.

His first Huskies team had an 0-2 start, but just as fans started grumbling, it won six of seven. But then Neuheisel seemed to get cocky during that surge and allowed his players to celebrate with roses after winning at Arizona, a seeming Rose Bowl berth just a win away. Problem was the Huskies needed to close the deal and they didn't, suffering a shocking loss to an injury-depleted UCLA team.

The 2000 Rose Bowl team started with a big victory over Miami, a game few thought the Huskies would win, but then the Huskies lost at Oregon to open the Pac-10 slate. The galvanizing moment of the season, however, was the paralyzing spinal cord injury safety Curtis Williams suffered at Stanford. Neuheisel was pitch-perfect in how he handled that situation, rallying his team around Williams while not overplaying the sentimental angle. Also, while some see Neuheisel as "Slick Rick," a coaching used car salesman, that horrible incident was revealing of his true character.

This is from an interview I did with Williams' brother, J.D., when he was hired to be an assistant for Tyrone Willingham in 2006 (And understand: Neuheisel's name was mud with Huskies fans at that time).

"I'd see him at the hospital with his cap down so people wouldn't know who he was," Williams said of Neuheisel.

"He wept there. He loved Curtis. He cared about that kid. There were times I'd show up early in the morning or late at night and no one else would be around, but he'd be there."

While there were rallies-and-regressions over the next couple of seasons, my take is that after winning the Rose Bowl, Neuheisel seemed to get too comfortable, too sure of himself. I'm not going to wade into the swamp of point-counterpoint of what led to Neuheisel's demise at Washington, but part of it was Neuheisel getting distracted by his own, larger-than-life image. Based on many conversations with him since then, I think he'd agree, at least to a certain extent.

So you have the Rubicon of this season at UCLA. We are still waiting on Neuheisel to fulfill the coaching promise so many see in him. Time is running out.

Yoon does a good job pointing out that Neuheisel wants to be successful not just for himself but also because he loves UCLA, where he went from a walk-on quarterback to Rose Bowl MVP.

Neuheisel saw every previous job as a stepping stone to something bigger. He bolted Colorado for Washington for a million dollar contract, and then spent his time in Seattle seeming to flirt with other jobs annually. That, justifiably, bugged Huskies fans.

But UCLA seems like a destination for Neuheisel. It's where he's always wanted to be.

Folks thought Neuheisel was done when he got fired at Washington. They thought he was doubly-done when he sued the school (and won big, by the way).

Now folks think he's done at UCLA. Most pundits don't see the Bruins doing much in 2011.

In my experience, the best time to buy Neuheisel stock is when it's down.

A quick look at the two new coaches in the Pac-12: Colorado's Jon Embree and Stanford's David Shaw.

Embree and Shaw share some similarities. Both are first-time head coaches. Both played for the program they now coach. Both coached in the NFL. Both say they want to retire in their present job instead of climbing the coaching ladder. And, yes, both are black, the fourth and fifth black head football coaches in conference -- Pac-8 to Pac-10 to Pac-12 -- history.

Here's a quick look at the new guys.

Jon Embree, Colorado

Replaces? Dan Hawkins, who never posted a winning season in five years in Boulder.

Where was Embree last year? He was the tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins.

What's he bring to the table that's different? Embree is a hardnosed old school coach -- Hawkins was decidedly new school -- who is from the area and played for Colorado under the revered Bill McCartney. He's spent 10 of his 18 seasons in coaching at Colorado, working from 1993-2002 as a Buffs assistant under three different head coaches: Bill McCartney (1993-94), Rick Neuheisel (1995-98) and Gary Barnett (1999-2002). He has repeatedly said that Colorado is his dream job, not a stepping stone. His singular focus is restoring a program that was once a national power.

What else? Embree, 45, is the first black head football coach at Colorado and the fourth black head coach in Pac-12 history (Stanford's Dennis Green (1989-91), Stanford's Tyrone Willingham (1995-2001), UCLA's Karl Dorrell (2003-07) and Willingham at Washington (2004-08). Shaw became the fifth in January)... Embree earned a communications degree from Colorado in 1988... He was a member of McCartney's first recruiting class... In 1984, he earned first-team All-Big 8 honors and set school single-season records for receptions (51) and receiving yards (680)... He was a sixth-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in 1987. He played two seasons with the Rams before suffering a career-ending elbow injury in 1989 while a member of the Seattle Seahawks... His original plan after the NFL was to get into TV news, but he took a job as a volunteer assistant with McCartney and was immediately bitten by the coaching bug... He is married to the former Natalyn Grubb and they have three children, a daughter and two sons. Eldest son Taylor, is a receiver at UCLA, while Connor is a receiver at UNLV.

David Shaw, Stanford

Replaces: Jim Harbaugh, who rebuilt the program into a national power before being hired away by the San Francisco 49ers.

Where was Shaw last year: He was Stanford's offensive coordinator.

What's he bring to the table that's different: Where Harbaugh was boisterous, often eccentric and sometimes prickly, Shaw is mellow, polished and accommodating. That said, he's repeatedly insisted that doesn't mean the competitive fire doesn't burn just as hot. He certainly knows Stanford. His father coached there and he's a 1984 graduate. He returned to Stanford in 2007 when Harbaugh arrived -- they were together at San Diego -- so he's seen the Cardinal renaissance firsthand. And, just like Embree, he says that Stanford is his destination job and that he's not looking to move on or up in the coaching profession.

What else? Shaw is the fifth Stanford alum to become head football coach, joining Charles Fickert (1901), Carl Clemans (1902), Chuck Taylor (1951-57) and Paul Wiggin (1980-83)... He was a member of Stanford's 1991 Aloha Bowl team coached by Dennis Green that finished 8-4. He was also on the Cardinal's 1992 Blockbuster Bowl-winning squad coached by Bill Walsh that went 10-3. He finished his Stanford career with 57 receptions for 664 yards and five touchdowns... He started his coaching career in 1995 at Western Washington. He's also coached for the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens... He's coached quarterbacks, receivers and running backs in his career... Shaw's offense ranked ninth in the nation in scoring last fall (40.3 ppg) and it amassed a school-record 6,142 yards, averaging a notably balanced 213.8 on the ground and 258.7 yards through the air... His father, Willie, had two separate coaching stints at Stanford (1974-76; 1989-91) during his 33-year coaching career, which was mostly spent in the NFL... His bachelor's degree from Stanford is in sociology... He was born in San Diego. He and his wife Kori have three children, Keegan, Carter and Gavin.

Jim Harbaugh led Stanford to its best season in the modern era. Now he's off to a new challenge.

Harbaugh has agreed to a five-year, $25 million contract to become the San Francisco 49ers' head coach, according to reports.

It appears Stanford fought to retain Harbaugh. According to ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, Harbaugh met with top Stanford officials Thursday, and the school increased its contract offer from December.

The late gambit wasn't enough. He will replace fired coach Mike Singletary.

But who will replace Harbaugh? The initial reaction from many Stanford fans: Nobody. Harbaugh was special. His shoes are just too big.

When Bob Bowlsby hired Harbaugh after the Cardinal went 1-11 in 2006, most folks went "What?" Oh, people knew who Harbaugh was -- a longtime NFL quarterback -- and it was interesting to learn how successful he was at San Diego, but few thought much of the choice. And when Harbaugh barked, "I vow I will attack this endeavor with enthusiasm unknown to mankind," he sort of seemed, well, slightly manic.

And Stanford is not a manic sort of place.

Harbaugh was manic. And he also turned out to be a hell of a coach and a hell of a motivator. Sure, he struck gold when he signed quarterback Andrew Luck, but Harbaugh deserves all the credit for hiring an outstanding staff, recruiting well and rebuilding a program into a surprising national power.

His first season, his outmanned Cardinal beat No. 2 USC 24-23, despite being a 41-point underdog. That -- the 4-8 finish wasn't particularly inspiring-- was only a first hint of what was to come.

He went 5-7 his second year, 8-5 his third and 12-1 this season. Along the way, he sold his players on a blue collar work ethic, announced, "We bow to no program at Stanford," and made good on that by running up the score on USC in 2009 and taunting Trojans coach Pete "What's your deal?" Carroll afterwards.

What's Harbaugh's deal? It doesn't feel hyperbolic to say his marriage with Stanford -- albeit brief -- was lightning in a bottle. Coaching magic.

It's also understandable why he left. His stock will never be higher. Harbaugh is as competitive a guy as you'll ever meet. He wants to test himself all the time and on the highest level. If you coach football, that's the NFL.

And know what? If he washes out -- if the 49ers locker room knows only enthusiasm known to jaded rich guys -- then no matter. Harbaugh's track record in college is so good he'd again be a hot coaching prospect should he want to return in the future.

As for Stanford going forward, there is one hire that would immediately quash the despondency among fans who just days ago were flying high: Boise State's Chris Petersen. There are more than a few folks who believe this is the sort of job that could lure Petersen away from the Broncos. And the cerebral Petersen would be a good fit.

The top internal candidate would be offensive coordinator David Shaw. Shaw would bring continuity for quarterback Andrew Luck -- no, Luck won't reconsider his decision to return because of Harbaugh's move -- and likely would try to maintain the Harbaughian culture. He's a Stanford graduate and has significant NFL coaching experience. His father, Willie, was an assistant coach at Stanford from 1974-76 and again from 1989-91.

While hiring Shaw might not have much pizazz with fans and media, it would resonate positively in the locker room. It also would continue a Stanford tradition of giving black coaches an opportunity. At present, there are no black head coaches in the Pac-10(Colorado joins next year in the Pac-12 with Jon Embree). And, yes, that is still something worth raising an eyebrow over.

There is a third option: Bowlsby again going off the grid. Let's face it: He's had plenty of time to contemplate who will replace Harbaugh. The general feeling all season was Harbaugh was going to bolt, either to Michigan or the NFL. So Bowlsby surely isn't flat-footed on the news today. Here's a guess he's already sent out some feelers.

Pause for a moment, though, Stanford fans. What a week, eh? Your Cardinal posts a dominant performance in a victory over Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl -- yeah! -- Luck announces his return -- yeah! -- scuttlebutt starts to surface that Harbaugh is seriously considering returning to the Farm -- yeah! -- and then (boom) it's announced that Harbaugh is headed across the peninsula to the 49ers.

Boo!

But don't get too morose. There is no reason to believe that Stanford is headed back to 1-11, to Buddy Teevens and Walt Harris. A winning culture has been established, much more so than when Tyrone Willingham left for Notre Dame in 2001, knowing full well his recruiting had been sub-par. The right coach has a good shot to maintain that culture.

Stanford is never going to be a team that regularly goes 12-1. It wasn't headed that way even with Harbaugh. But the Cardinal can and should remain competitive at a high level on a regular basis.

It just needs to attack this endeavor with enthusiasm unknown to mankind.

Inspired by the new social game "ESPNU College Town," here’s what I would select from around the Pac-10 to build the best program in the conference.

Academics: Stanford
This one's easy. Stanford is the most academically prestigious institution in FBS.

Athletic director: Bob Bowlsby, Stanford
He hired Jim Harbaugh. Things are working out there. And the Cardinal still dominates the Director's Cup standings.

City: Seattle
This is a tough one because the Pac-10 is a conference of great destinations. Seattle nips San Francisco because neither California nor Stanford are actually located in San Francisco.

Coach: Chip Kelly
In his first year, he led Oregon to the Pac-10 championship. In his second, the Ducks are national title contenders. Not bad. And his offense is innovative and entertaining.

Facilities: Oregon
Oregon's facilities are as good as any program in the nation.

Fans: Washington
The Huskies averaged 63,640 fans during an 0-12 season under a coach, Tyrone Willingham, who had no support. Huskies fans bleed purple.

Game day atmosphere: Oregon
Autzen Stadium is loud as any stadium in the country. At night, it's a complete frenzy. And, by the way, it's also an immaculate, well-designed venue.

Mascot: Traveler
USC's white horse with its Trojan warrior rider is one of college football's most identifiable symbols.

Stadium: Rose Bowl
UCLA's home stadium is a college football church. Best sunset in all of sports.

Strength program: Arizona
Mike Stoops brought Corey Edmond along with him when Stoops was hired away from Oklahoma. It was a smart move.

The Pac-10, in general, collected applause for a mostly distinguished performance against a rugged nine-game slate over the weekend. Then there were California and Washington. They created the need for that weak adverb -- "mostly" -- because they got their rear ends handed to them.

Both surrendered more than 50 points. Both were sliced and diced for more than 300 rushing yards. Neither showed much backbone.

Their circumstances after three games are the same. And different.

Washington entered the season with high expectations, that the program was on the cusp of returning to Pac-10 and national relevance. After an embarrassing 0-12 campaign in 2008 under Tyrone Willingham, the Huskies had gone 5-7 in 2009 under new coach Steve Sarkisian, with victories over USC and California. When quarterback Jake Locker, who might have been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, announced he would be joining 19 other returning starters in the fall -- good news that preceded the signing of a nationally ranked recruiting class -- it seemed like everything was trending up for the program.

The Huskies are now 1-2 after being completely outclassed at home in a 56-21 loss to Nebraska. Locker turned in the worst performance of his career and may have severely damaged his once-soaring draft stock.

"I know we are better than the way we performed," Sarkisian said Monday. "I thought in the second half there were moments there where we lacked the competitive nature that this program prides itself on. I was disappointed in that. That will never happen again."

Meanwhile, California didn't enter the season with high expectations, see a predicted seventh-place finish in the preseason media poll (one spot below Washington). But the Bears were so impressive in a dominant win over Colorado -- albeit a weak Buffaloes team -- that they earned a national ranking before heading to Nevada. So high expectations developed.

Of course, high expectations are Cal's bugaboo.

Now what? Are these two teams going to wilt from disappointment and play indifferently and inconsistently for the rest of the season?

Here are a handful of relevant but predictable statements from Mr. Obvious: One game does not a season make (either way). There are nine games ahead in which to erase the bad feelings from Sept. 18. Both teams are 0-0 in the Pac-10 and therefore are in the thick of the Rose Bowl race just like everyone else.

So buck up. Shows some pride. Neither of you feels as bad as the 2009 Pac-10 champions did after its opening game last year.

As for us observers from the outside, this is going to be interesting. How players -- individuals and an entire team -- and coaches respond to adversity is often telling.

Just about everything went as well as could be expected in Sarkisian's first year. Now, at 1-2, there's an inkling that the honeymoon is over. Fans and media fell prey to Sarkisian's extreme optimism entering the season. He sold his team hard, and lots of folks (including me) were buying.

How well the Huskies bounce back will be revealing. After a bye, they figure to be underdogs in five of their next six games. They need five wins to earn bowl eligibility and to avoid their seventh consecutive losing season. That won't be easy in the Pac-10 this year.

As for Locker, the fact is he can fully recover his status. He just needs to play the next nine games like he was expected to play entering the season. If he does so, his NFL stock might actually be higher by season's end because he will have demonstrated that a bad performance doesn't linger with him, a quality all great quarterbacks have.

Then there's Cal. I'll pause for a moment and allow the Bears fans to mumble imprecations to themselves.

That newly aggressive defense under new coordinator Clancy Pendergast looked abysmal and poorly coached against Nevada's pistol offense. Say what you want about how funky the scheme is, but the Bears were getting gashed by simple option plays.

And then there's Kevin Riley. Not to spoil the Pac-10 blog's objective distance, but I've interviewed him a lot through the years: I like the guy. I don't root for teams but I will admit that I think it would be cool if he walked away from Cal after a senior year that made him proud.

But he's got to show some senior savvy. He's got to be more accurate. He's got to stop throwing interceptions at horrible times, such as hurling a pick-6 when the offense is driving for a go-ahead score.

Further, more than a few fans are frustrated with Jeff Tedford. He's averaged more than eight wins a year in eight seasons as the head coach, but even he admitted during the preseason that Bears fans are not wrong to want the program to take another step forward.

Unlike Washington's plight vs. Nebraska, Cal has better players than Nevada. It should have handled its business. Period. So how the Bears handle this bit of adversity also will be a measure of Tedford.

Moreover, Riley and Locker are the conference's only two senior QBs. They need to start playing like it.

There is a tendency to want to write a team's ultimate story after every meaningful game, no matter that this weekend's thrilling win can be reduced to rubble by what happens the following Saturday. And vice versa. If Cal wins at Arizona on Saturday, things will feel much better in Berkeley -- Nevada loss? A fluke!

And Wildcats fans will be slapping their foreheads.

If the Huskies win at USC in two weeks and Locker throws for four TDs, then Mel Kiper, Todd McShay and the Pac-10 blog will go (shrilly), "See! Told you so!"

As Mr. Obvious said, "One game does not a season make." Sure, it can become the first part of a pattern. But it also can become a touchstone for a reversal.

Jake Locker, Jake Locker, Jake Locker. This isn't an article about him.

It's about something that has been doing a perhaps surprisingly good job making Locker's life difficult the past few weeks: The Washington defense.

"We are actually holding the offense and making stops," linebacker Mason Foster said. "We've had pretty good battles throughout camp."

I know. No way. The Huskies lost their two best defensive players -- linebacker Donald Butler and end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim -- to the NFL from a unit that ranked eighth in the Pac-10 in total defense (389.5 yards per game) and ninth in scoring defense (26.7 ppg).

But the Huskies defense has consistently hinted during fall camp that it's not going to be the weakling counterpart to what should be an explosive offense.

"They've caused us some problems on offense," said coach Steve Sarkisian, who calls the offensive plays. "They've caused turnovers. They've gotten after the quarterback."

Foster, a senior and all-conference candidate, said the young guys who were forced into action last year are in far better physical condition. Along those lines, Sarkisian noted that junior noseguard Alameda Ta'amu is no longer just a massive mound of inert space filler -- who at his best is merely hard to move. After dropping 30 pounds to 330, he's a guy who can get into the backfield and make plays.

The secondary also appears significantly improved with corners Desmond Trufant and Quinton Richardson and safeties Nate Fellner, Nate Williams and Will Shamburger. The apparent successful return of end Everrette Thompson from a torn Achilles should bolster the pass rush.

But it's not just about maturing physically, getting healthy and conditioning better. A year ago, coordinator Nick Holt was only that slightly menacing guy who was always barking at them about not understanding what it takes to play great defense. Now the defensive guys and Holt are playing the same tune, one that probably sounds a bit like Rage Against the Machine.

"They've got a real mentality right now," Sarkisian said. "What I like most about it is they've really adopted Nick's personality. They are aggressive. They are tough. They are smart."

Of course, this also merely could be preseason optimism (or maybe the Huskies offense won't be all that potent). The unit certainly will be tested at BYU on Saturday. Sure, the Cougars only have 11 starters back and are replacing quarterback Max Hall. But they have won 43 games over the past four seasons: They are fairly close to the proverbial "reload not rebuild" category.

While there may be some sentiment about the trip for Sarkisian -- he was BYU's quarterback in 1995-96 -- the Huskies players probably don't look too fondly at the Cougars. In their 2008 game in Seattle, Locker scored what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown in the waning moments -- pending the PAT -- but he was flagged for a celebration penalty after flicking the ball into the air.

Just about everyone thought the penalty ridiculous, at least outside of Provo. Of course, barely anyone would remember the call if the Huskies hadn't blown the extra point and subsequently lost 28-27.

That was about as close to respectability as the Huskies would come during an 0-12 season that ended the Tyrone Willingham Era and brought in Sarkisian.

Moreover, one of BYU's quarterbacks -- it appears two will play versus the Huskies -- is true freshman Jake Heaps, a product of Washington State powerhouse Skyline High School. He picked BYU over Washington last winter, and there are just a few whispers that some of the Huskies might be eager to make him feel like he made a mistake.

"I didn't even really know he was from around here until a couple weeks ago," Foster said. "That's going to make it a little more exciting -- a big-time recruit from the state of Washington that went to another school and will play as a true freshman. It's going to be fun to get a couple of hits on him."

The Huskies -- suddenly -- have high expectations. Only two years removed from an 0-12 season, they are thinking about more than just earning their first bowl berth since 2002.

"It's a total turnaround," Foster said. "No more losing every game. The mindset is different. We're really looking forward to coming out in competing at the top of the conference this year."

A total turnaround likely would make Locker a leading Heisman Trophy candidate.

But that's not going to happen if the defense can't make stops.

Ninth in a series looking at potential dream and nightmare scenarios for all Pac-10 teams, starting at the bottom and working up from my vote in the Pac-10 media poll.

Understand: These are not predictions. They are extreme scenarios and pieces of fiction.

Up next: Oregon

Best case

"Nate Costa is our quarterback," Oregon coach Chip Kelly tells reporters on Aug. 23." "But Darron Thomas is going to play, too."

A reporter asks, "Are you concerned that..."

"No," says Kelly.

"I mean to say, might it become an issue that..."

"No," says Kelly.

Both Costa and Thomas play and play well in a 50-13 win over New Mexico. With LaMichael James on the sidelines serving a one-game suspension, Kenjon Barner rushes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

"Truth is, when our offense is rolling like that, getting a break isn't such a bad thing," Costa says.

James returns to score two touchdowns and run for 133 yards in a 35-17 win at Tennessee.

"I know from my 'How to talk like an SEC coach' class that we're supposed to act like no body plays good football outside the SEC," new Volunteers coach Derek Dooley says. "But, man, that is a really fast team. They could play with anybody in our league."

Three men in seersucker suits and panama hats seemingly appear from nowhere behind Dooley. They grab him by the shoulder and whisper in his ear.

"Er, just kidding," Dooley says. "Just ignore the Pac-10's consistent success against the SEC. Nothing to see there."

The Ducks whip Portland State and survive a sloppy performance against a rugged Arizona State defense. Stanford's Andrew Luck throws three TD passes at Oregon, but Thomas leads a nifty 80-yard drive for the winning score late in the fourth. The Ducks, now ranked fourth, improve to 7-0 after easy wins over Washington State and UCLA. They average 485 yards on offense and surrender just 287 yards on defense. Combined, Costa and Thomas average 254 yards passing and 88 yards rushing per game and their twin efforts lead the conference in passing efficiency.

"This is almost like USC's bowl game," Kirk Herstreit says from the ESPN "College GameDay" set in front of the Coliseum. "If the Trojans win this game, they have a good chance to go undefeated. That means they could even end up ranked No. 1 in Lane Kiffin's first season."

A Matt Barkley TD pass to Ronald Johnson gives USC a 28-24 lead with two minutes left. Costa and company take over at the Ducks 20. James takes a first-down screen for 20 yards. A reverse to Barner moves the Ducks into USC territory. On third and 10, Costa finds Jeff Maehl for a first down at the Trojans 28. Under pressure, Costa scrambles for a first down at the 7-yard line with 40 seconds left. After an incomplete pass, James rushes for five. The Ducks use their final time out with 17 seconds left. Costa dumps a pass to Barner, but he's knocked out of bounds at the 1.

On fourth down, USC stops Costa on a spread-option play. The Coliseum releases its pent-up, NCAA-sanctions-induced frustration.

"I think Chip Kelly is challenging the spot," Brent Musburger says through the din.

Touchdown. Oregon wins 31-28.

"The Ducks look like the best -- the most complete -- team we've seen this season," Chris Fowler says.

Oregon returns home triumphant and avoids a let-down against Washington after intercepting Jake Locker twice. At California, things go splat. Perhaps it's back-to-back emotional victories followed by a road trip to Berkeley with a bye week ahead. Whatever the excuse, the Ducks turn in a lethargic performance and a late comeback attempt falls short in a 28-24 loss. Oregon drops from No. 2 to No. 6 in the rankings.

The Ducks trounce No. 17 Arizona 38-20, which sets up another Civil War for the Roses at No. 9 Oregon State.

With two minutes left, Oregon trails 27-23 and faces a fourth-and-3 from the Beavers' 33-yard line. Kelly has no choice but to go for it. Costa drops back and, under pressure, shovels the ball to James, who breaks to his right toward the sideline. One yard. Two yards. But at the marker Stephen Paea grabs James from behind. A battle of wills ensues. And the 180-pound James drags the 300-pound Paea, perhaps the strongest player in college football, forward for the first down.

And then he slips away and high steps into the endzone for the win. Later, most folks agree it was the moment that won James the Heisman Trophy.

The Ducks, one of four teams with only one loss, finish behind Alabama and Ohio State in the BCS standings even though they are ranked No. 2 in both the final human polls.

"Coach Kelly, have you noticed that the folks who do the computer polls all wear seersucker suits and panama hats?" a reporter asks.

"Yes," says Kelly.

The Ducks bludgeon Boise State 42-14 in the Rose Bowl and split the national title with Ohio State.

Worst case

A week after winning the quarterback competition with Nate Costa, Darron Thomas posts an uneven performance in an easy win over New Mexico. The sophomore clearly has skills both as a runner and passer, but he fumbles once and frequently tries to force the ball through tight coverage, though only one pass ends up picked off.

Those issues are even more glaring at Tennessee, where a crowd of 105,000 seems to be distracting the young QB. The Ducks trail 10-7 at halftime, and coach Chip Kelly makes a switch, inserting the senior Costa.

Costa isn't spectacular, but he doesn't make mistakes and he leads two second-half scoring drives as the Ducks escape 21-17. The Ducks improve to 4-0 with wins over Portland State and Arizona State.

But the ninth-ranked Ducks yield three TD passes to Stanford's Andrew Luck in a 30-24 home loss. After needing overtime to slip improving Washington State, and a fourth-quarter comeback to survive a challenge from UCLA, USC pounds the Ducks 35-20, knocking them out of the national rankings.

Then hated rival Washington comes to town.

Locker, who ranks just ahead of Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers in most Heisman Trophy polls, is asked if he's aware of how Oregon fans constantly tweak him as all hype and no substance.

"No, I've never heard that," Locker replies. "I love Oregon fans. A lot of fans in the Pac-10 are obnoxious. But Oregon fans are gracious and mellow. Like Michigan fans."

Locker rushes for 205 yards and two TDs and passes for 310 yards and two scores as the Huskies roll over the Ducks 41-17, ending a six-game losing streak in the series.

"Wow," says Rece Davis back in the ESPN studios. "If Jake Locker isn't atop your Heisman Trophy contender list, I don't know what you're thinking. Who would have thought that Autzen Stadium would provide him such an accommodating stage to record a signature performance."

Oregon bounces back with a win at California and beats Arizona in overtime.

The Ducks find themselves in the unusual role of spoiler when they visit Oregon State for the annual Civil War. The Beavers must win in order to go to their first Rose Bowl since 1965.

Rodgers, who ranks just behind Locker in most Heisman Trophy polls, is asked if he's aware of how Oregon fans constantly tweak him and say he isn't as good as LaMichael James.

"No, I've never heard that," Rodgers replies. "I love Oregon fans. A lot of fans in the Pac-10 are obnoxious. But Oregon fans are gracious and mellow. Like Michigan fans."

Rodgers rushes for 225 yards and three touchdowns and catches 10 passes for 107 yards and a TD as the Beavers roll over the Ducks 44-14.

Wow," says Davis back in the ESPN studios. "Seems like Oregon is the team to play to make a Heisman Trophy statement."

Locker wins the Heisman. Rodgers finishes second and announces he's coming back for his senior season.

A 31-24 win over Texas in the Alamo Bowl earns Washington a 10-3 finish and a final No. 9 ranking. The Beavers beat Iowa 28-24 in the Rose Bowl and finish 11-2 and ranked fourth.

Oregon loses the Las Vegas Bowl to Utah and finishes 8-5.

Phil Knight converts to Buddhism, gives his fortune to the United Way and moves to Tibet. Chip Kelly goes with him.

Tyrone Willingham comes out of retirement to become the Ducks head coach.

Tyrone Willingham told a newspaper in Jacksonville, N.C. that he is done with coaching.

"I’m retired,” the 56-year-old told the newspaper.

If so, what's his coaching legacy?

Is it mostly about a generally successful tenure at Stanford, where he led the Cardinal to the Rose Bowl after the 1999 season? Or is it about his bitter departures from Notre Dame and then Washington?

He won the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award in 2002. He also finished with a tepid 76-88-1 record, including a horrible 11-37 mark at Washington.

Let's just say the distance between the perception of Willingham as a coach in 2002 and today is vast. While many folks talk about Willingham as a man of integrity and great leader, you will find plenty of others who have less positive takes.

It's not completely uncharitable to suggest that Willingham being retired is not entirely by choice. It's unlikely he would have landed another head coaching job in a BCS conference. When I've speculated with other writers about what Willingham might do next, the Ivy League often came up. Apparently, however, Willingham isn't looking to get back to the sidelines in any capacity, anywhere. At least for now.

Coaches accustomed to the crucible of competition often struggle with retirement. So, even among Willingham's most vocal critics, no one should begrudge him the state of contentment he claims to have found away from the action.

"Life is good,” he told the newspaper.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times calls it "Jake-a-palooza." ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman calls it "Jake Locker's big year."

Hey, look! Jake Locker is smiling at you. He's probably just thinking, "Hey, I'm Jake Locker. How cool is that?"

This is supposed to be a quiet time in college football, but, heck, with conference expansion and USC's NCAA sanctions giving us breathless headlines, why not start the Heisman hype for Washington's talented quarterback?

Back before the 2001 season, Oregon put up a billboard in Manhattan of quarterback Joey Harrington and called him "Joey Heisman." Seeing that the Huskies and Ducks don't get along well at all -- thankfully, it appears the rivalry is about to become relevant again -- Washington officials tried to do one better by bringing Locker east in person.

He toured Manhattan. He hung out at ESPN and went through the infamous "car wash" -- interviews for all ESPN platforms, TV, radio, Internet, etc. -- which included an interview on "First Take" and a live chat, the transcript of which is here.

The intent of the tour is obvious: Introduce the East Coast media -- i.e., the country -- to a player whose incredible skills have been hidden under Seattle's gray rain clouds, which hovered over an until recently moribund program.

In 2008, Locker was knocked out in Game 4 against Stanford with a season-ending thumb injury and the Huskies went 0-12. A year later, with Steve Sarkisian taking over for Tyrone Willingham, the Huskies went 5-7, beating USC, Arizona and California in the process, and suddenly looking like a Pac-10 contender heading into 2010.

Dramatic improvement, yes, but Heisman-worthy? Maybe not as a settled body of work.

The burgeoning hype for Locker, which rubs some folks the wrong way (Oregon fans?), isn't based on what he's done so far. His numbers playing for mediocre-to-bad teams his first three years aren't the basis for projections that he will be a high first-round NFL draft pick -- perhaps No. 1 overall -- next fall. Nor are they the basis for his Heisman campaign.

With Locker, it's all about potential. And there's good reason to believe that potential will take a significant step toward realization this fall. The Huskies have solid talent returning, particularly on offense, and they have a brutal schedule that features many marquee games in which Locker could make a national audience go, "Wow."

What might Locker 4.0 look like in top form? Almost no one in the country saw Locker's performance on Dec. 5 against California for good reason: The Big 12 and SEC title games were played that day. But Locker led the Huskies to a 42-10 upset of Cal by accounting for five total touchdowns, three passing, two rushing. He completed 19 of 23 for 248 yards with no interceptions and rushed for 90 yards on 14 carries.

It was as dominating an individual performance as you'll see. It looked like Locker, who brings an appealing childlike glee to the game, could have done anything he wanted at any time.

All the glad-handing in the world won't make sparkling but off-the-radar performances attract the attention of Heisman voters, however. That requires winning, and the real Heisman hype rocket has an obvious potential launching point: Against Nebraska on Sept. 18 in Husky Stadium.

The Cornhuskers figure to be a top-10 team. If the Huskies can start 2-0 -- hardly automatic considering the opener is at BYU -- that game will attract significant national interest. Maybe even "College GameDay."

It will be billed as the Cornhuskers elite defense vs. Locker (whether that's accurate or not). And if Locker prevails with a sterling performance? At that point, the Heisman hype will begin in earnest.

And, of course, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay will start writing sonnets about Locker's future playing on Sundays.

SEATTLE -- Home for the holidays. What a joy!

Unless you're a BCS college football coach, when being home for the holidays in nearly every case means your season was a failure.

So this past Christmas was odd on multiple levels for Washington's Steve Sarkisian. For one, after having coached seven years at USC, he wasn't accustomed to not reviewing game tape while the Yule Log burned.

And his experience was even stranger when he went out to do his holiday shopping around Seattle. Folks were so ... complimentary.

"I've never been congratulated so much for a five-win season," he said.

Ah, but context is everything. For the Trojans, a 9-4 season, which included a loss to Sarkisian's Huskies, was a disaster. For the Huskies, going 5-7 sparked hope among the beleaguered purple-clad masses, who were but a season removed from the worst finish in program history: oh no! and 12.

It's hard to overstate the stunning transformation under Sarkisian.

In 2008, the Huskies lost all 12 games by an average of more than 25 points. In 2009, they beat four teams who won at least eight games, three of whom spent much of the season nationally ranked.

They concluded the season by stomping rival Washington State 30-0 and No. 19 California 42-10.

And now they are in the midst of spring practices preparing for what many believe will be the rebirth of a Pac-10 and national power, one that hasn't played in a bowl game since 2002. Nineteen starters are back, and one of them is quarterback Jake Locker, who could end up the top pick of the 2011 NFL draft.

After signing a touted recruiting class -- ranked 20th in the nation by ESPN.com's Scouts Inc. -- the positive momentum is unmistakable.

"From where we started, to where we've come, to where we're headed, it's exciting," Sarkisian said. "The mantra of expecting to win is there now. It's not just something that's up on a board or on a T-shirt. It's a real belief."

The question is how could such a dramatic turnaround take place, particularly against what was among the nation's toughest schedules?

Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt are due a lot of credit, obviously. But there's also the issue that the previous administration was doing a lousy job. Tyrone Willingham's Huskies in 2008 weren't good, but they shouldn't have lost every game.

"I felt like a lot of guys didn't want to play for the coaches we had [in 2008]," linebacker Mason Foster said. "I hate to say that because I love Coach Willingham and they were great coaches, but I don't think they were relating to the players. Guys didn't want to come here and play for the coaches. They were just showing up because they had to. Now, everybody wants to come, wants to compete. They're not just showing up because they have to to get their scholarship check. People want to play for Coach Sark. People want to play for Coach Holt. That's the biggest difference."

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