ESPN College Football

Happy Friday.

• My take-away from this interesting column from George Schroeder about Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez is how good a dude Mike Stoops is.
• Former Arizona State QB Brock Osweiler knows he's made it now.
• Checking in with California RB Brendan Bigelow.
• Some Colorado hand-wringing, but guys did you see this! A 4-0 start is possible.
• Oregon's athletic department revenue is good, but not as good as some numbers suggest.
• A look at BYU, a team Oregon State, Utah and Washington State play this fall.
• This USC player messed up. These Trojans did good. Kudos, gang.
• Recognition for some Utah players.
• Is Washington QB Keith Price the next RGIII?
• And just like that, Cal fans are worried about new Washington State coach Mike Leach.

Washington State's season-opening game at BYU has been moved to Thursday, Aug. 30, and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Kickoff will be at 7:15 p.m. ET.

The game had previously been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 1. This is the second game on the Cougars' 2012 schedule that will be televised by ESPN. It was previously announced that WSU’s game at UNLV will be played Friday, Sept. 14, in Las Vegas on ESPN.

Again, we love lists. We love rankings.

The Sporting News goes all out with its latest: Ranking all FBS coaches from Nos. 1 to 124. From No. 1 Nick Saban -- no argument -- to UMass' Charley Molnar in last place.

How does the Pac-12 rate? Oregon's Chip Kelly rates No. 6 overall and first in the conference -- no argument -- and 11 of the 12 rank among the top 75. Colorado's Jon Embree is rated No. 106, but, of course, that's entirely based on him being a first-time head coach in just his second year taking over a major rebuilding project.

The Pac-12 coaches go like this:

6. Chip Kelly, Oregon
17. Mike Leach, Washington State
20. Lane Kiffin, USC
21. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
30. Steve Sarkisian, Washington
32. David Shaw, Stanford
39. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
55. Mike Riley, Oregon State
57. Jeff Tedford, California
68. Jim Mora, UCLA
75. Todd Graham, Arizona State
106. Jon Embree, Colorado.

Kevin and I ranked the Pac-12 coaches a few weeks back -- you can see our lists here.

Such lists are, obviously, subjective and highly fluid. You can bet any such ranking of coaches will look substantially different in mid-January. So I'm not going to quibble much with TSN's list, even if I did slap my forehead a few times.

Not too much.

Whittingham and Rodriguez are too low.

For one, it's cloudy how BYU's Bronco Mendenhall, ranked 15th, is ahead of Whittingham. They have nearly identical records in seven years and Whittingham is 4-3 against Mendenhall. He also has a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama -- and Saban -- and is 6-1 in bowl games. And, er, did anyone at TSN see last year's Holy War in Provo?

As for Rodriguez, too much is made of his Michigan tenure, a mismatch from the beginning where everything was stacked against him. And it's not only his success at West Virginia, which included four Big East titles and two Coach of the Year awards, that should push him into the top 25. It's also what he did at Glenville State -- practically (re)inventing the spread option offense -- and as the offensive coordinator at Tulane and Clemson.

As for the Pac-12 in general, TSN notes its average ranking of coaches is 43.8, which ranks third behind the Big 12 (27.2) and SEC (43.8).

Welcome to the mailbag.

Follow me on Twitter. Doing so is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Promise.

To the notes.

Richard from Aspen, Colo., writes: With the BCS announcing their thoughts on the future of the post season, there seems to be a lot of talk about trying to preserve the tradition of the Rose Bowl in the new format. Having talked with a number of my Pac-12 friends, their seems to be a common sentiment of "What tradition? The BCS has already ruined the Rose Bowl. Why save it now?" It's hard to argue that point with teams like TCU, Texas and Oklahoma playing in the game, over the last decade, not to mention all the runners up who've played in substitution of a conference champion playing in the national title game. So what's the point? Why should we save the Rose Bowl when the other conferences are willing to throw away their high dollar bowls in favor of a playoff? And why should the other 9 FBS conferences bend over backwards to appease the B1G and Pac-12 when AQ status appears to be going away?

Ted Miller: Oregon's game with Wisconsin seemed plenty Rose Bowl-y to me.

I may be the wrong one to comment on this because, having covered every BCS bowl game multiple times, my conclusion is none even approaches the atmosphere of the Rose Bowl. I love Miami, Phoenix and New Orleans as destination cities. But when the game itself is played, the Rose Bowl is like nothing else in American sport.

This isn't just a West Coast bias, by the way. Repeated confirmation on this has come from fans and media from outside the Pac-12 and Big Ten who have witnessed a "Rose Bowl." To get the Rose Bowl, you have to attend one. And you almost never hear an "overrated" from anyone who has (though a losing team's fans don't seem as nostalgic).

That, in itself, reflects some of my, perhaps personal, perspective here. To me, the Rose Bowl is more about pageantry, date and venue than the teams playing in it. While a, say, Texas-Michigan Rose Bowl gives everyone a jolt -- most notably California fans (all together now, "GRRRRRRRR!") -- I'm not sure many walked away from that 38-37 thriller in 2005 going, "Neh."

But this isn't just about romance, either. It's about money. The Rose Bowl is the most valuable of all the bowl games, and the Big Ten and Pac-12 know this. They want to protect it as an asset, despite compromises to make the present form of the BCS happen that ended the purity of the matchup.

The ideal scenario for the Pac-12 and Big Ten is some sort of playoff that allows the Pac-12 to make more money AND continue its special relationships with the Rose Bowl. Will that happen? I wouldn't, at present, bet against it.

As to why the other conferences would bend over backward for the Big Ten and Pac-12: Well, because they want to get a deal done and the Pac-12 and Big Ten hold a lot of power in getting one done.

---

Kyle from Bellevue, Wash., writes: What do you think of Husky fans pulling out the old "WDWHA" (we didn't want him anyway) with Max Browne? I feel like it's a pretty big deal that Washington has lost out on the state's top prospect for two years in a row now, but many seem to brush it off as inconsequential, pointing out the fact that there are already a few highly touted QBs on the roster. Through the abysmal and embarrassing decade of football that preceded the Sark hire, Dawg fans obviously are gasping for any type of positivity. However, do you think Husky fans have become too complacent with mediocrity and too apathetic regarding the shortcomings of the program?

Ted Miller: Ah, it appears someone noted my Twitter exchange with some Huskies fans.

Couple of points here: A team always wants to sign the best in-state guys. Period. That's why the "build a wall around the state" recruiting cliché began.

In the glory days of Don James, Washington typically signed most of the best in-state players. Washington State got some, too. And a couple bolted. But the Huskies were, in most cases, the first choice of top athletes who prepped in the Seattle-Tacoma area, where most of the state's population is based.

Washington going forward as a top-25 program under Steve Sarkisian will sign a majority of the top players in the state. Sarkisian did just that in 2011, but he fell short in 2012. And the residue of that affects the perception of Max Browne picking USC over the Huskies.

Browne is not only the best prospect in the state of Washington, he also may be the best QB in the nation. How many times does the state of Washington produce the No. 1 QB in the nation anyway? Getting him would have made a statement for Washington, not to mention provided recruiting momentum -- as in, "Hey, Mr. Top-Rated receiver. Do you see who just committed to us? Better get on-board the Max Browne Express!"

Not getting him also makes a statement, but it's not one we should overblow. Just note. It's clearly something, but not everything. That statement? That's obvious. The Huskies haven't yet locked the borders of the state under Sarkisian.

Not overblowing things? Well, this is hardly grounds for Huskies fans to jump into their beds and wail into their pillows about the unfairness of things -- "Max Browne! WAAAAAAAAAA!"

For one, the last time a so-called elite QB from Skyline High School (Sammamish, Wash.) bolted the state, things didn't go so badly. Jake Heaps struggled at BYU, got benched and now he's transferring to Kansas. And Washington ended up with a guy named Keith Price, who's turned out OK. The Huskies also signed two highly rated QBs in February, one from out of state (Cyler Miles) and one in-state (Jeff Lindquist).

Further, some general perspective: You can't get everybody. I remember talking to an elite player from the Seattle area who told me, "I was so sick of the rain, they had no chance with me." Some guys purely want to get away from home, for whatever reason.

I was a piddling high school player in Atlanta whose specialty was provoking unsportsmanlike conduct penalties from opposing players by being really -- really -- annoying, but if I had been good enough to have my pick of colleges I would have left the Southeast. Why? Adventure, academics and a need to get away from fried food.

Ultimately, if Sarkisian keeps signing top-25 classes that produce wins on the field, it's really not that big of a deal where the players are from. But Huskies fans have a right to be demanding of their program, and Browne opting to sign with USC is one of those moments to file away in a folder titled, "Potential Red Flags."

By the way, Sark and his highly paid staff are big boys. They know all this.

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Aaron from Pullman, Wash., writes: So I've noticed you've made a lot of mentions about Oregon, Stanford, and UW being the top 3 of the Pac12 North. You even have OSU as a "surprise team". Just out of curiosity with an amazing new coach (Mike Leach), a returning Veteran QB (Jeff Tuel), and an amazing group of receivers which includes Marquess Wilson; what would convince you that WSU can crack the top 3 in the North? Let alone be the "surprise team" that can join the PAC 12 bowl hunts!

Ted Miller: I do think the top of the Pac-12 North Division pecking order goes Oregon, Stanford and Washington. I think California is a dark horse to break into that troika. And I think Oregon State is a team that could dramatically improve, which means to me going from 3-9 to 6-6.

Washington State? It went 4-8 last year and I'd rate it's over-under on wins at six. It helps not to play USC. It hurts to play at BYU and UNLV in the nonconference slate. Road games are never easy, even if the Rebels aren't supposed to be good.

I was higher on the Cougars before two likely starting linebackers got the boot. When you're switching to a 3-4 defense, and you are replacing the three starters from last year's 4-3, well, do the math. Further, there are questions on both lines. And you never know how quickly the adjustment will be with a new coach and new systems.

So there are questions. But if you are looking for reasons for optimism, you hit on a few: Leach is a maestro of the passing game and Tuel has a good receiving corps with which to work.

I've sort of got a wait-and-see attitude here. That could change quick with a season-opening win at BYU.

Let's put it this way: I don't see the Cougars breaking into the top three of the North. But I'd certainly not be surprised if they get to a bowl game.

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AJ from Los Angeles writes: CAN THE USC BE A LEGITIMATE NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER CONSIDERING THE "D" IS MEDIOCRE?

Ted Miller: YES.

And if the Trojans stay healthy on their defensive front, the defense will be better than mediocre. Perhaps much better than mediocre.

Max Browne (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline), one of the nation's top quarterback recruits, will announce his commitment Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT, according to ESPN Recruiting, which reports, "Browne has narrowed his choices to Alabama, Oklahoma, USC and Washington, although with recent visits to see the Sooners and Trojans, most think it will come down to those two programs."

So USC or Oklahoma for the 6-foot-5, 205 pounder?

Browne leaving for the Sooners would be a blow for the hometown Huskies, who are struggling to build the proverbial "wall" around their home state. During the 2011-12 recruiting season, most of the elite, local prospects crossed state lines to play football. The state featured five elite recruits: Offensive linemen Zach Banner and Josh Garnett, running back KeiVarae Russell, receiver Cedric Dozier and QB Jeff Lindquist. Only Lindquist signed with the Huskies.

Of course, the Huskies did much better in 2011 when they signed TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, WR Kasen Williams, DT Danny Shelton -- three players who, by the way, lived up to their recruiting hype as true freshmen.

Still, in order to return to the nation's elite, Washington must win most of the recruiting battles for in-state prospects most years. That's part of the reason coach Steve Sarkisian was willing to pay top dollar to lure ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi away from California.

While some prospects go in search of a warmer, sunnier climate, and there's little coaches can do to charm them out of that thinking, part of getting the Huskies back into the nation's top 25 is making elite recruits want to stay home. For every Jake Locker who decides to play for the Huskies, there are too many guys like Jonathan Stewart (Oregon), Stephen Schilling (Michigan), Taylor Mays (USC), David DeCastro (Stanford), Deandre Coleman (California) and Jake Heaps (BYU).

As for Browne, the situation at Washington would seem ideal for him. Keith Price would be a senior his redshirt freshman year, giving him a year to acclimate himself before fighting for the job in 2014.

From ESPN Recruiting: "Browne completed 70 percent of his passes for 4,034 yards and 45 touchdowns as a junior. He plans to enroll early at his school of choice and has a good shot to be recognized as the top quarterback in the class of 2013."

It will be a big loss for the Huskies if he opts to cross state lines.

We're look at the top individual performances in the Pac-12 in 2011.

Up next: Holy Life of Reilly!

Who & against whom? Utah linebacker Trevor Reilly went from being unknown to celebrated when he almost single-handedly crushed the spirit out of rival BYU's offense in a shocking 54-10 Utes Holy War victory.

The numbers: Reilly forced a school-record three fumbles -- recovering one of them -- and recorded two sacks among his three total tackles for loss against the Cougars. He finished with five total tackles, which tied for a team-high, and a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.

A closer look: To put forcing three fumbles in perspective, only three other Pac-12 players forced at least three fumbles over the entire 2011 season. The performance earned Reilly Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, the first Ute to be so honored. What's more, Reilly, a 6-foot-5, 238-pound sophomore, had compiled no statistics in limited action before this breakout performance. Completely unrelated to football or this performance, there's also this from the Deseret News: "As a 16-year-old in Southern California, [Reilly] ate his way into the Guinness Book of World Records by chowing down a raw onion in 1 minute, 35 seconds — shaving 65 seconds off the previous mark." How about those, er, onions?

The 2011 season is over. That means report cards are due.

And our last grade: Pac-12

Offense: The Pac-12 is known for offense and QBs, and 2011 was no different. Stanford's Andrew Luck and USC's Matt Barkley were among the best in the nation, but Oregon again was the conference's top offense in total offense, scoring and rushing. Eight Pac-12 teams ranked in the top 45 in the nation in total offense, including five in the top 25. Seven ranked in the top 45 in scoring, including four in the top 25. Seven ranked in the top 38 in passing efficiency, including four in the top 12. While the conference is known for passing, offenses also typically run well. The results there were mixed in 2011. Oregon and Stanford were both elite running teams, but six teams ranked 80th or worse in rushing. Protecting the QB was a good projector of success in the conference. USC, Stanford and Oregon did it very well. Washington State, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Oregon State and California did not. When you look at the conference's offensive numbers, Oregon, Stanford and USC were good in just about every meaningful category. That should come as no surprise. And the only team that had any success with consistently bad offensive numbers was Utah, which obviously relied on its defense. As far as star quality, the Pac-12 produced All-Americans at every position -- QB, RB, TE, WR and O-line.

Grade: B+

Defense: It was not a great year on defense in the conference. No team produced an elite defense. Utah ranked 19th in the nation in scoring defense (without playing Oregon or Stanford), and California ranked 25th in total defense. It's fair to say that five teams were good to solid on defense: Utah, Cal, Stanford, Oregon and USC. And the other seven were middling-to-poor. Perhaps the most telling number: Colorado, Oregon State, UCLA and Washington ranked from 102nd to 110th in third-down conversion defense. Not getting off the field is bad. Seven teams ranked 74th or below in the nation in scoring defense. Seven teams ranked 82nd or below in total defense. Eight teams ranked 75th or below in pass efficiency defense. The numbers against the run were better -- eight teams ranked from No. 4 to No. 67 in run defense -- but that could be attributed to a conference full of pass-first offenses. The A-list offensive talent always needs to be held into account when assessing Pac-12 defenses. Just as good defenses play great in the SEC because of bad offenses, good-to-middling defenses look middling-to-bad in the Pac-12 because of great offenses. In terms of star power, the conference didn't produce many All-Americans, though some recognition was landed by USC safety T.J. McDonald and Stanford OLB Chase Thomas. The two biggest names entering the season -- Arizona State LB Vontaze Burfict and Oregon CB Cliff Harris -- flopped, with Harris getting kicked off the team.

Grade: C-

Overall: The inaugural year of the Pac-12 produced three elite teams: Oregon, USC and Stanford. All three finished ranked in the top 7. The conference went 1-1 in BCS bowl games, with Oregon winning the Rose Bowl and Stanford falling a late field goal short of beating No. 3 Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. No season that produces two BCS bowl teams is a failure because that puts extra cash in every team's pocket. And the conference produced a glittering array of offensive talent that should light up NFL draft boards this spring. That's the good news. The bad news is a wide chasm between the three elite teams and everyone else: Eight teams won seven or fewer games. Further, the conference went 2-5 in bowl games and was a middling 7-7 against AQ nonconference foes in the regular season. The Pac-12's only victory over a nonconference foe that ended up ranked was Oregon's win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, though Utah did whip BYU, which finished 25th in the coaches poll. A few years ago, the main gripe centered on the conference producing depth but a lack of multiple elite teams -- a legit alternative to USC under Pete Carroll. Now the conference is producing multiple elite teams without the depth. The ideal scenario is at least two teams in the national picture along with multiple teams with eight or nine wins and seven or eight bowl-eligible teams. Ultimately, the Pac-12 probably rated as the nation's No. 3 conference in 2011, behind the SEC and Big 12. That's not bad. But it could be better.

Grade: C

You see, Jason was my son, and today is his birthday.

• Former Arizona quarterback Nick Foles' selection to the Senior Bowl is historic.
• It appears there is a recruiting soap opera going on with Arizona State and a couple of top state prospects.
• Is Washington trying to lure away California's ace recruiter, Tosh Lupoi.
• C0lorado picks up a commitment from a cornerback.
• This is a position where Oregon needs to get better.
• Mike Riley talks about Oregon State losing defensive backs coach Keith Heyward to Washington.
• Stanford coach David Shaw isn't in a rush to replace Brian Polian.
• UCLA is stocking up on offensive linemen in recruiting.
• USC is getting closer to controlling the Coliseum.
• Is former BYU coach Gary Crowton Utah's next offensive coordinator?
• What's the next move for Washington's Steve Sarkisian on his coaching staff?
• And what should Coug fans call the Washington State defense?

It's long been one of the difficult questions college football fans ask: Why won't anyone give Norm Chow a chance to run a program?

Chow, widely considered one of the best offensive minds in college football history, got plenty of interviews, most notably of late at Stanford in 2005, and made plenty of "candidates" lists during the annual coaching carousel. He also turned down the head coaching job at Kentucky in 2002 to remain at USC. But, in reputation and reality, he was the perennial bridesmaid.

You'd hear things, of course. All the why-nots. He wasn't terribly good at interviews. He was an Xs-and-Os guy who didn't have people or management skills. Most schools wanted a dashing, young, charismatic guy who could slap backs, enticing a flood of elite recruits and booster checks. Chow was never reputed to be much of a recruiter, something he doesn't particularly enjoy.

Chow, 65, is professorial. His personality isn't "big." He's not a commanding presence. He also is stubborn, territorial and not terribly good at coaching politics. He holds grudges — just ask Washington coach Steve Sarkisian and USC coach Lane Kiffin, whom Chow -- not unfairly -- believes pulled the carpet out from under him at USC with head coach Pete Carroll. (Carroll's almost childish jealousy of the credit given Chow during USC's glory days is another story entirely).

It also was perfectly fair to wonder if Chow's being Asian-American had anything to do with the critiques and whispers. His hiring at Hawaii, after all, makes him the first Asian-American head coach of a major football program.

First. That's pretty big, folks, even if most FBS rosters have little to no Asian presence, though if you go with that old standard "Asian/Pacific Islander" category, things change dramatically there.

Not only is Chow, after 39 years as an assistant coach, finally getting his shot as a head coach, he's going home to do it. He was born in Honolulu and is a Punahou School alum. He began his coaching career as head coach at Waialua High School on the North Shore of Oahu from 1970-72. This seems like a good fit, though coaching at Hawaii has built-in challenges, starting with geography.

Chow will serve as Utah's offensive coordinator in the Hyundai Sun Bowl against Georgia Tech on Dec. 31 before officially taking over the Warriors. For the Utes, it's a blow, but not a crippling one. Coach Kyle Whittingham brought Chow aboard to install a pro-style offense with a downhill running game, replacing the spread the Utes had long used. After quarterback Jordan Wynn went down in the fourth game against Washington with another shoulder injury, Chow's chief task was managing an extremely conservative, almost run-exclusive offense that didn't mess things up for a very good defense.

Chow did a good job of making running back John White into an effective weapon even when everyone knew he and his 24 carries a game were coming. But the Utes never got the full Chow offense. The expectation here is that Whittingham will look for a guy who believes in the same pro-style, run-first concepts. The Utes don't figure to go back to a spread, though that does seem to be the thing in the Pac-12 after the hiring of four new coaches who all run a version of it.

Utes fans should be more concerned about who's going to play quarterback in 2012. Whittingham is going to make a good hire at OC.

And this day is about Chow.

He's a three-time national assistant coach of the year. He's served as offensive coordinator for three national championship teams (Brigham Young, 1984; USC, 2003 and 2004). He has tutored three Heisman Trophy winners (Ty Detmer, BYU; Carson Palmer, USC; Matt Leinart, USC) and six NFL first-round draft picks.

His resume has always been impressive. Just not impressive enough to overcome the things whispered about him.

Over the past decade, he's been portrayed as a bit of a nomadic mercenary, but keep in mind he was a bastion of stability most of his career, coaching at BYU for 27 years before things turned sour and he bolted to N.C. State in 2000, the first of five jobs he'd hold over the next 11 seasons before landing at Hawaii.

Chow is coming home to get his big chance. No matter what happens at Hawaii, his coaching legacy is secure. But, let's face it, if he retires a big winner in 10 years, he'll surely enjoy at least thinking "I told you so" through a big grin.

It appears that Norm Chow will finally get a chance to run his own program.

Chow, presently the offensive coordinator at Utah, is expected to be named Hawaii's next head coach, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

It would be a homecoming for Chow, 65, a native of Hawaii who has interviewed many times for positions but never been a head coach.

Before coming to Utah last spring, Chow was the offensive coordinator at UCLA, the Tennessee Titans, USC, North Carolina State and BYU.

The Utes' defensive coordinator, Kalani Sitake, also interviewed for the job, as did Oregon State defensive coordinator Mark Banker.

UTAH UTES

Record: 7-5, 4-5 Pac-12

In its first year of Pac-12 play, Utah rolled three seasons into one and then ended badly, so it's a good thing there's a Hyundai Sun Bowl ahead to ease the embarrassment of a season-ending loss to Colorado.

The Utes started 0-4 in Pac-12 play and, yes, there was some crowing from the old-school Pac-10. While that was dreary, it also was clear the Utes weren't terrible: Their 3-0 mark in nonconference play include quality road wins at BYU and Pittsburgh, both bowl teams.

After quarterback Jordan Wynn went down with a shoulder injury in game four, three things become clear. The Utes needed to: 1. run the ball; 2. play tough defense; 3. protect the football. When they did all three this season, they won. When they didn't, they lost.

After getting crunched at California -- minus-four in turnovers -- and falling to 0-4 in Pac-12 play, Utah righted itself and reeled off four consecutive wins, which put them in the middle of the South Division race as Arizona State started to crumble.

In fact, all Utah needed to do on the final weekend of the regular season was beat lowly Colorado to win the South Division. But Colorado shocked everyone and ended a 24-game road losing streak with a 17-14 win.

Still, the initial verdict is fairly positive. While the grind of Pac-12 play is far different than the Mountain West Conference, it's clear that Utah can compete in the Pac-12. They figure to be a long-term fixture in the South Division race.

Offensive MVP: Running back John White, a first-year JC transfer, finished second in the conference with 117 yards rushing a game. He also scored 14 touchdowns, while becoming the only true offensive weapon for the Utes. Teams knew he was coming. Most couldn't stop him. The Utes were 7-0 when White eclipsed 100 yards rushing, 0-5 when he didn't.

Defensive MVP: Derrick Shelby, a first-team All-Pac-12 defensive end, had five sacks and nine tackles for a loss to go along with 45 total tackles, an interception and eight pass defenses.

Turning point: The 34-10 loss at Cal dropped the Utes to 0-4 in Pac-12 play, and coach Kyle Whittingham essentially counted the Utes out of the South Division race himself. But he also called a team meeting and allowed the coaches and players to clear the air. Four consecutive wins followed and a near-miss with the division title

What's next: First comes the Sun Bowl against Georgia Tech. Then comes an interesting spring practice when Wynn will need to come back and re-claim his starting spot at quarterback. Or will his replacement this year, Jon Hays, make a move? Or is there a wild-card transfer out there who might appear? In any event, with good talent on both sides of the ball scheduled to come back, quarterback(and OT) is the biggest question facing the Utes in 2012.

Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labours of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them.

• Former Arizona coach Mike Stoops has been supportive of new Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez, which is nothing like things were at Michigan with the notoriously imperious and prickly Lloyd Carr. Rodriguez is getting his staff set.
• The endgame is still not clear in Arizona State's coaching search.
• California is going to take time off in advance of the Holiday Bowl.
• Colorado picks up a commitment for its D-line.
• Cliff Harris was just being Cliff Harris, which is why he's no longer playing for Oregon.
• Oregon State has picked up a big-time commitment at running back.
• Stanford report card: running backs.
• Who's the next candidate for UCLA?
• Here are USC's end-of-season awards.
• Is now-former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist headed to Utah?
• Washington may be facing the Heisman Trophy winner in the Alamo Bowl.
• Washington State: Guess who's coming to dinner?
• It appears former BYU QB Jake Heaps will transfer to a Pac-12 team.

Rick Neuheisel spent the last few weeks tirelessly lobbying to keep his job at UCLA, displaying the "relentless optimism" that he has often cited as a foundation for success.

On Monday, less than hour after his termination was announced, a subdued Neuheisel seemed to have a good grasp on why he's not coming back for a fifth year.

"Certainly when you're the UCLA coach you'd like to play better against USC, I know that," Neuheisel said. "We had our chances. When you lose in the fashion that we did, it's a difficult pill to swallow."

You can't go 21-28 in four seasons at UCLA, the lowest win percentage -- .429 -- by any Bruins football coach who was around for at least 20 games. You can't go 0-4 versus USC. And you absolutely can not lose 50-0 to the Trojans, as Neuheisel did on Saturday in a game that was widely viewed as his Rubicon.

The source for Neuheisel's comments was ironic, considering the circumstances. He was appearing on a conference call in advance of the Pac-12 championship game. You surely have heard -- it's been relentlessly mocked everywhere -- that UCLA, despite a 6-6 record and said loss to USC, is playing No. 9 Oregon in the conference's first championship game.

The Bruins are the South Division "champions." And their coach is out after the championship game. Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson will be interim head coach starting next week, according to a statement from the school.

So what if the Bruins, 31-point underdogs, win and earn a berth in the Rose Bowl?

"Let's ask that question at the appropriate time," Neuheisel said.

It is, however, the appropriate time to ask why things didn't work out for Neuheisel at his alma mater, where he once went from walk-on QB to Rose Bowl MVP.

It went wrong from the beginning when Neuheisel agreed to form a "dream team" with offensive coordinator Norm Chow and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. That was a mismatched troika from the start. Also, it's head coaching 101: Never, ever take a job where they suggest/tell you who will be on your staff.

Walker bolted after a year to become head coach New Mexico State, and the Bruins never again got good production at defensive coordinator. Chow hung around, but that turned out to be a bad thing. He and Neuheisel seemed to get along personally but not as coaches. The switch to a pistol offense was messy, and the prolonged process of cutting ties last winter just months after Chow was given an ill-advised contract extension was an ugly tango.

Recruiting peaked in 2010 -- the nation's 10th-ranked class -- and cratered in 2011.

And, really, Neuheisel never developed traction. Neuheisel upset Tennessee in his first game. The next week, the Bruins lost 59-0 at BYU. A 3-0 start in 2009 was followed by five consecutive losses. A strong 2009 finish was followed by an 0-2 start to 2010. A three-game winning streak after that 0-2 start -- including a win at Texas -- was followed by six losses in seven games. This year, the Bruins had won three of four before getting thumped by USC.

Neuheisel lost by 21, 21, 14 and 59 points to the Trojans.

The next coach can't do that.

What can we say nice about Neuheisel's tenure? Some used to question his character. That no longer is an issue. Neuheisel was by the book at UCLA and always conducted himself with class and graciousness. And that was doubly true of his conduct on a day that clearly knocked him for a loop.

Of his time at UCLA, Neuheisel said, "It won't be a bitter memory at all." As for what went wrong, he said, "I have plenty of time to think that over. I'm just thankful for the opportunity. This has always been a place where I wanted to have a chance to bring it back to being a place where everyone could be proud. Obviously, we have fallen short of that, but there are lots of things I'm proud of that happened during my time here. They don't always make it to the front pages of a newspaper."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Neuheisel's buyout is only $250,000. So he'll need to start thinking about his future fairly quickly, something he hadn't done on Monday.

"This has kind of hit me between the eyes a little bit," he said. "I hadn't thought about that. I'm on one track to do the best I can for this particular team. That'll be the case at least through Friday. I love coaching. I know that. I'll take some time to figure it out."

It's hard to imagine Neuheisel getting another shot atop a AQ-conference program any time soon. He could return to the NFL as an assistant. Or he could go into broadcasting.

What's next for UCLA? Almost immediately, big names were included in reports. ESPNLa.com reported that Boise State's Chris Petersen will be athletic director Dan Guerrero's first target. The LA Times said Guerrero "is expected to make a trip to Boise to meet with Petersen. UCLA is believed to be able to offer a contract worth more than $3 million annually that includes donations from boosters."

We'll see. I'd rate those odds as remote, though getting Petersen would be a monumental coup. The Times also lists Houston coach Kevin Sumlin and former NFL coach Jon Gruden as candidates. Yes, at this early juncture, you roll out the usual suspects.

But there's the immediate present first: Neuheisel's final game, one that most would project as a blowout defeat.

Neuheisel has made a habit of finding ways out of messes throughout his tumultuous career. But he wasn't able to do that UCLA, and it's hard to imagine a happy ending for the Bruins on Friday in Eugene.

Sometimes things are so obvious, they practically smack you in the face.

So we have ... ouch ... Utah.

Toss aside the Utes' win over FCS Montana State and a highly competitive loss at USC. In Utah's' three other Pac-12 defeats, it lost the turnover battle 14-1. In its wins over BYU and Pittsburgh, it won the turnover battle 11-3.

And in Utah's first-ever Pac-12 victory -- 27-8 over Oregon State last weekend -- it won the turnover battle 3-0.

Ouch! Stop that! We get it.

The Utes do a lot better when they protect the football. It helps, too, when their opponents do not.

"You don't have a chance against quality football teams if you're minus-three, minus-four or minus-five in the turnover ratio," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "You can't compete when you do that."

What beating the Beavers did do is show that the Utes can compete in the Pac-12 when they're not going all Pig-Pen. And an underrated benefit of getting rid of the bagel in the "conference record" column ends a distracting line of questioning.

"I think it was a big lift," Whittingham said. "We needed it. It took far longer to get our first Pac-12 win than we had hoped it would. But we finally got it."

The Utes visit Arizona on Saturday. The Wildcats had a different experience with Oregon State. Their 37-27 loss to the Beavers dropped them to 0-4 in conference play and was followed two days later by the firing of coach Mike Stoops. Since then, however, Arizona has played better football, blowing out UCLA and losing a back-and-forth struggle at Washington.

"Even with the loss last Saturday, they have been 60-minute, gutty performances," interim coach Tim Kish said. "If we do that the remainder of the season, we'll be happy at the end of the day."

Both programs would like to string together a handful of pleasant weekends, but the Utes have a lot more to play for. A win in Tucson would put presently 4-4 Utah just one win away from bowl-eligibility with three to play, including a home-finale against ARCH-Pac-12-RIVAL Colorado, which remains winless in conference play.

Good news for the Utes: The Wildcats have forced only 10 turnovers this year, which ranks 10th in the conference.

Further good news, the Wildcats have struggled to stop the run, also ranking 10th in the conference in run defense (174 yards per game).

And protecting the football, running the ball, solid special teams and relying on its defense is how Utah wins. The only way, in fact, it can win because its passing offense ranks last in the Pac-12 and 100th in the nation.

"I don't know if that's how we'd like to play, but that's the blue print for what we think is best right now," Whittingham said.

The matchup of note is Wildcats QB Nick Foles versus a rugged Utes defense that's No. 1 or 2 in the conference in most major statistical categories, most notably for this matchup in pass efficiency defense and sacks (23). While the Wildcats rushed for 254 yards against the befuddled Bruins, they reverted back to their run game anemia at Washington, gaining just 36 yards on the ground. The Utes run defense ranks 11th in the nation (91 yards per game).

So this one feels ... ouch! Pretty obvious, too.

The team that gets a second conference W is going to be the winner of the Foles vs. the Utes pass defense showdown.

Oh, and the turnover battle will figure in there as well.

The following from Utah coach Kyle Whittingham would be an example of a coach cutting to the chase.

"It's safe to say that was our poorest performance of the year against Cal," Whittingham said to open his weekly news conference. "We didn't do too much on offense, and we reverted back to turning the ball over, which was a big disappointment. I thought we had gotten past that, but it reared its ugly head again. Cal got 17 points directly off those turnovers. We couldn't make first downs, we couldn't run the ball, we couldn't throw the ball. There were no redeeming qualities and we've got to get that fixed."

That about sums up Utah's 34-10 loss at California, which served as the nadir of the Utes' first foray into the Pac-12. They are now 0-4 in conference play, saddled with an offense that can't score.

Oregon State is coming to town, and it can identify with seemingly hopeless struggles. While coach Mike Riley is a softer touch, Whittingham's assessment would aptly describe the Beavers' 0-4 start.

Yet the Beavers also offer some hope. They've reversed the course of their season, winning two of three and playing better in every area during that process.

"We had a horrible start and we're growing," Riley said. "That's about it right now. We'll see if we can finally win two games in a row this week."

Yet there is a very distinct difference between the teams. Oregon State opted to make a stunning change at quarterback at the beginning of the season, benching returning starter Ryan Katz in favor of redshirt freshman Sean Mannion. Mannion has started to play well, justifying the change, but if he got hurt, Katz would be a more-than-adequate replacement.

The Utes have no such luxury at quarterback. When starter Jordan Wynn went down with a shoulder injury, there wasn't much promise on the depth chart behind him. Jon Hays, a transfer from Nebraska-Omaha, has scrapped and clawed but has often seemed overmatched by opposing defenses that are ganging up against what used to be a solid running game with running back John White and daring Hays to throw downfield.

Anyone for more straight talk from Whittingham? Good.

"The first thing [against Cal] is that we turned the ball over four times, all from the quarterback position," he said. "That's a big downer."

Yes, but one without an obvious solution.

"The question is how to generate more competition at quarterback," Whittingham said. "Griff Robles and Hays have a walk-on behind them. [True freshman] Tyler Shreve was really the three going into this week. It made more sense to stick with the redshirt plan. We've got to figure out a way to get better."

So, to conclude, said Whittingham: "We feel Hays at quarterback gives us the best chance to win, and we still feel that way. If the practice week dictates otherwise, we'll adjust accordingly."

There are reasons, however, not to automatically write this one into the win column for Oregon State. For one, there is a common opponent: BYU. The Utes whipped their arch-rivals 54-10, while the Cougars beat the Beavers 38-28.

Of course, the asterisk on that one is that Wynn was Utah's quarterback in that game.

The other two elements in Utah's favor are an A-list defensive front that could challenge the Beavers' offensive line, and playing at home. As good as Mannion has been of late, young quarterbacks tend to have ups and downs. If the MUSS gets to him, that could create turnover opportunities and a short field for Hays and company to generate points.

But Riley points to an improved running game as a big reason Mannion has been able to make plays downfield in the passing game.

"The consistency of the run was a big factor and helped everything," he said. "It makes play-calling a lot easier and makes your opportunity, if you want to call something on third and short, it makes it real. Maybe you’ll fake somebody out.”

Utah has a forgiving schedule ahead, and beating the Beavers would give the Utes a fourth victory and leave them needing just two to get to bowl eligibility. But late-season runs are an Oregon State staple.

The Beavers could be on the cusp of one, though the remaining schedule is tough. Or are the Utes ready to -- finally -- notch a historical victory for the program?