ESPN College Football

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).

There's ka-ching and then there's KA-CHING!

Much has been made of how Pac-12 coaching salaries went up this off-season -- head and assistant -- due to the new mega-TV deal with ESPN and Fox. And rightly so.

But, well, then there's Alabama, which is coming off its second national title in three years under Nick Saban.

Saban just signed a contract extension through 2020. He'll be making $5.3 million in 2012 and $5.97 million in 2019.

Moreover, Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart received a $100,000 raise to $950,000. The Alabama's nine-man staff, in total, will be paid $3.81 million.

That, of course, dwarfs the highest paid staff in the Pac-12 -- Washington at $2.73 million in 2012 (though USC's and Stanford's figures are not public records because both are private schools). The highest paid staff from the non-private Pac-12 schools in 2011 was Colorado at $2,490,000.

Of course, Alabama's eye-popping numbers are based on success. As Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News pointed out, Alabama's staff made $2.24 million in 2007, Saban's first year. Big money, yes, but not off the charts.

By the way, Saban's staff also includes new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who with the Huskies in 2011. He signed a three-year deal that will pay him $590,000 annually. He was paid $365,000 at Washington.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly told Eugene sports radio talk show host Steve Tannen Thursday that he never flip-flopped from the Ducks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and back again last weekend, as reported in both Tampa and Oregon.

"The only decision I ever made was to not accept the job," Kelly said. "I never changed my mind. I never committed to the job and then flip-flopped."

You can listen to the full interview here.

First, response: Interesting, but it doesn't matter. He's still the Ducks' coach. End of story.

But as far as reading the entrails on this, there are four options you can choose from: 1) Kelly is telling the truth; 2) Kelly is lying; 3) Kelly is splitting hairs; 4) Kelly is shortly going to improve to 35-6 at Oregon and not 1-0 at Tampa Bay -- again, end of story.

Whatever Kelly said on the radio, lots of people believed Sunday night that he was headed to Tampa. It's possible -- and perhaps likely in some way -- that Kelly gave a strong indication to principals on both ends that he was leaning toward Tampa and away from Eugene, but when it came time to put pen to paper he got cold feet, likely considering the spiraling void of darkness that would ensue without regular chats with the Pac-12 blog. "Eeek," he said. "Can't do it."

Yes, no one can prove that Kelly didn't return to Oregon because the Pac-12 blog has very little interaction with the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Just as no one can prove that Kelly said "yes" to Tampa before he said "no."

Why is it important whether Kelly flip-flopped or not? In either scenario, he turned down a hefty raise to remain at Oregon. So this flirtation wasn't about contract leverage, and it's reasonable to conclude that money isn't solely driving him. An interesting tidbit from the Eugene Register-Guard:

Kelly pointed out that his decision "obviously wasn't financial, because I turned it down and it was more than I got paid." The Register-Guard has reported that Kelly received a contract extension but that his deal with the Ducks wasn't otherwise dramatically overhauled.

Further, Kelly got to cite a heart-warming reason for returning: "... the relationships I have with the current coaches on our staff and the players was the underlying reason why I came back."

Oregon fans can look at this any way they like, but I'd rate it a win-win for Kelly and Oregon.

The football nation -- NFL and college -- got to see how highly Kelly is held in esteem. Multiple NFL pundits, including former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, have said of late that Kelly would be a good NFL coach. Kelly's star, which is already high, just climbed a bit higher. That's good for him, of course, but it's also good for Oregon as long as Kelly is in Eugene.

Some have said Kelly's flirtation would hurt recruiting. They are not only wrong; the opposite is true.

Players respect superstar coaches. Recall that, in his heyday, Florida State's Bobby Bowden used to crush it the final week of recruiting with that last in-home visit. So did Pete Carroll. So does Nick Saban, etc. Oregon fans, not satisfied with winning three consecutive conference titles, want to move up the recruiting rankings. Lots of five-star guys -- in 2012-13 and beyond -- just learned a little bit more about Kelly.

The NFL banging on Kelly's door makes him more of a star, and that will play well in living rooms, much more so than the idea that Kelly might leave for an NFL job at some point.

Further, some have tried to diminish Kelly as a "system" coach. In recruiting, some coaches say that Oregon is a great program but it's not an NFL feeder with pro-style schemes. Well, now there's clear evidence the NFL thinks highly of Kelly and his systems.

The key thing on the Oregon end of things: It will be a huge mistake if the Ducks' top boosters -- Phil Knight, et al. -- want to get grumpy over this. Creating friction to make a point about loyalty or acting wounded will only hasten Kelly's exit. And hurt the program.

The most interesting aspect coming out of this was detailed in this column from George Schroeder: Oregon's potential succession plan would have made offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich the head coach.

Helfrich is highly respected, but I'd always thought he'd have to leave for another job -- and call his own plays -- to escape Kelly's considerable shadow and land a head-coaching gig. Schroeder's column shows that the same folks who quickly and accurately identified Kelly's rising star believe Helfrich is made of the same coaching stuff.

So just as Kelly's star rose this week, and Oregon fans got a huge relief after it stayed in the Eugene sky, so did Helfrich's. Know that more than a few ADs at some AQ schools added his name to their list of coaches to watch.

Happy Friday.

Follow me on Twitter.

To the notes!

Zach from Mesa, Ariz., writes: Not sure how I should feel about Todd Graham coaching my Sun Devils. Seems like a used-car salesman and he really hasn't done anything.

Mike from Philly writes: I'm not going to call you an idiot, even though that might help get this published, but you've missed the mark on Graham. Not sure if he can coach, but he's completely full of it. He's a liar. He's spineless. Why would anybody want him to lead their sons?

Ted Miller: Got plenty of feedback on my admittedly quasi-Machiavellian takes -- and here -- on Todd Graham bolting Pittsburgh after one year for Arizona State and texting his departure to his players instead of meeting with them face-to-face. I have many thoughts on this, but I'd rather not do another 1,000-plus word column. So I'll try to be brief. Briefer, at least.

Let's start with this: Recall just a week ago when Graham said, "I don't know how else I can say it. I've said it on three different occasions. I'm not going to be the Arizona State's coach."

Oh. Wait. That wasn't Graham talking about Arizona State. That was the best coach in college football. That was, gulp, then Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban, talking about Alabama, not Arizona State, and who just days after saying that became... wait for it... wait for it...

Alabama's coach!

And what did Saban say when he later sat down with ESPN Chris Mortensen, who asked if Saban's disingenuousness would be an issue for him in recruiting going forward?

"The number one thing for me, Nick Saban, whatever anyone thinks, is to be a good person," Saban said. "Honesty, integrity, loyalty, being fair and honest with people is always been the trademark of what I've done."

So know that when Graham talked about how important "relationships" were for him Wednesday, that same forehead slap of indignation over the unintentional irony has happened before. And will again. It's the nature of their business.

You cannot compare Saban's and Graham's resumes, of course. But Saban has long been a climber at the highest level while Graham has been scratching and clawing -- some might suggest scurrying -- to arrive at an A-list job. That means you often leave unhappy people in your wake.

Do any Alabama fans care about Saban's messy departure from Miami? Are you kidding? No coach in America is more beloved by his fan base. Why? Have you looked at Saban's win-loss ledger and trophy case?

Same goes for Bobby Petrino at Arkansas, who didn't even finish his only season with the Atlanta Falcons before bolting for the Razorbacks, leaving behind only a note for his players.

Graham, suffice it to say, is not alone in the Hall of Coaching Transition Infamy. Don't gloat Arizona fans. You might recall your new coach, Rich Rodriguez had some issues at West Virginia, too.

Then let's consider this name: Mike Riley.

Riley left Oregon State in 1998 after just two season -- his hometown team! -- for the San Diego Chargers, where things went badly. But he got lucky. The Beavers were willing to re-hire him in 2003, believing he'd learned the proverbial "the grass is always greener lesson." No coach in the nation has been more loyal to his university since then while not getting super-rich. At $1.3 million a year, Riley is now the second lowest paid coach in the Pac-12.

He could have doubled his pay when Alabama came calling. He could have tripled his pay when USC came calling. But he remained loyal. And he's been praised for it. Which is nice.

Yet now, despite averaging nine wins a year from 2006-09 at a program that didn't post a winning season from 1971-98, two consecutive losing seasons have him sitting on the conference's hottest seat heading into 2012. There's a vocal minority of fans who believe he should be fired now. A larger percentage believe he needs to make a staff overhaul. My belief is he won't survive a third consecutive losing season.

If Riley had been "disloyal" to Oregon State and bolted in 2010 for USC -- he was widely seen as then-athletic director Mike Garrett's first choice -- he would have more job security today than he does now and a far more financially-secure future for his family. This side of the story is rarely considered, but such cautionary tales pass by word of mouth among coaches -- i.e., watch your back and look out for No. 1.

Maybe Graham is a double-talking con artist. Or maybe his circumstances and opportunities just have been different than other coaches, particularly in terms of timing. Maybe he felt like he and his family being unhappy at Pittsburgh was a good enough reason to leave for a place they wanted to go.

What Arizona State fans need to know is this: This is a tempest in a teapot. It's the story of the week. If Arizona State wins eight games next year, there will be grins all around in Tempe. And if the Sun Devils go to the Rose Bowl within five years with Graham, his exit from Pitt will, at most, be a curious sidenote.

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Brian from Pullman, Wash., writes: In your post "Imagining the perfect coach," you said that "There are only 10 or so destination jobs in college football -- places where there really isn't a move up." I'm curious to know which universities you believe are on this list.

Ted Miller: My list of 13 destination jobs would include (in alphabetical order): Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas and USC.

Of course, everyone's personal list would be different. I'd rather be the coach at Stanford or California -- Bay Area! -- than Nebraska or Oklahoma. But the quality of area restaurants is more important to me than most coaches.

And immediate circumstances matter. Even before the Penn State scandal, following Joe Paterno would have been an extraordinary challenge. No one likes to be the man after the man.

Factors? Tradition, stadium size, all-time winning percentage, recruiting base and revenue.

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Lolita from Riverside, Calif., writes: My name is Lolita Anderson. I am Dres Anderson's mother. I am so elated! Thank you so much for my son's recognition. You absolutely made our family's Christmas! By the way what rubric do you use when making these decisions? This is Awesome!!! Go Airforce! Go Utes!!

Ted Miller: Most of it has to do with on-field performance.

But some of it is based on having a cool mom.

The economy is still in the dumps in a lot of places, but not if you want to become a Pac-12 head coach.

For those keeping score at home, here's where the conference coaching salaries stand now, with Arizona State and UCLA still looking for new coaches.

Chip Kelly, Oregon, $2,800,000
Jeff Tedford, California, $2,300,000
Steve Sarkisian, Washington, $2,250,000
Mike Leach, Washington State, $2,250,000
Rich Rodriguez, Arizona, $1,910,000
Kyle Whittingham, Utah, $1,700,000
Mike Riley, Oregon State, $1,313,471
Jon Embree, Colorado, $725,000

The two new guys are bolded. USC's Lane Kiffin is believed to be the Pac-12's highest paid coach. His salary has been reported as high as $4 million a year, which he has denied. Stanford coach David Shaw's salary also is not published.

See if you notice something about the guys on the way out.

Dennis Erickson, Arizona State, $1,503,000
Mike Stoops, Arizona, $1,465,000
Rick Neuheisel, UCLA, $1,285,000
Paul Wulff, Washington State, $600,050

The new guys are making more. A lot more. Don't be surprised if both UCLA and Arizona State end up paying more for their new coaches than Washington State and Arizona did for Mike Leach and Rich Rodriguez.

Sun Devils and, most pointedly, UCLA fans should feel disappointed otherwise.

The new guys aren't getting Nick Saban money ($4,833,333). Or even Bobby Petrino money ($3,638,000). But they are pushing the needle up, and that also is going to drag along long neglected salaries for assistant coaches. With Washington State budgeting $1.8 million for assistant coaches and Arizona likely to be slightly north of that, it's fairly clear that things are a-changing.

Wonder if some current coaches and assistants wonder if they are going to get some deal sweeteners?

What does that 12-year, $3 billion Pac-12 TV contract bring? Bigger name coaches and bigger name coordinators and assistant coaches.

Does that guarantee better football? No.

But I'm in the camp that says it should increase the odds the Pac-12 will play better football in 2015 than it did in 2010.

Happy Friday.

Lead me on Twitter!

To the notes!

John from Los Angeles writes: What, in your opinion, do you think, has made the SEC the preeminent conference in the country? I remember the good old days when Washington, Colorado, UCLA, and USC were in the top 5 and top 10, with some National Championships along the way (Personally, I thought it had a lot to do with recruiting the Los Angeles area). But with the rise of the SEC do you think it has more to do with the changing of the game? More specifically, the move to more spread offenses and the need for speedier athletes, which the SEC currently has? Or do you think it has a lot to do with the defensive lineman in the SEC, who seem to be so much better than West Coast d-lineman? A lot of people say conference strength is cyclical, but is the current change in the game really cyclical or has it just evolved? Maybe it is demographics, as more and more people move to the Sunbelt and the talent pool has gotten bigger? Sorry, a lot to digest here from a concerned West Coast football fan.

Ted Miller: This could be a 15,000-word essay. Or a 400-page book. But here's a CliffsNotes version.

• Money: The SEC's rise parallels the rise of the BCS and the game growing from a pretty big business to a multi-billion dollar business. The SEC always had huge stadiums packed to overflow, but over the past 15 or so years, the conference has been able to monetize its popularity. What does money do? It hires elite coaches like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier and it pays top assistant coaches what head coaches make in other conferences.
• Recruiting: Demographics have concentrated more talent in the Southeast than anywhere else. You've got big guys and fast guys and fast big guys. (I mean Anthony Johnson: Are you kidding me?). The population may be greater in California, which still produces the premium quarterbacks, but a walk across a football field on a Friday night in the Southeast will have you asking if these are truly high school teams.
• Culture: College football is king in the South (not the NFL, as it is everywhere else). Almost all the best athletes play football, and dream of playing in college, even though playing the most physically and mentally taxing sport in the Southeast humidity is worse than anywhere else. Want to know where all the West Coast linemen are? Playing basketball. Go to a big high school hoops tournament this winter. See all those 6-foot-5 guys? They will never sniff a Division I basketball court but they could have become NFL tight ends or offensive tackles. 100s of young men on the West Coast miss out every year on Pac-12 scholarships because they choose -- or are steered to -- basketball.
• Self-fulfilling prophecy: Those who have been reading the Pac-12 blog since 2008, know I've taken on the topic of the SEC's dominance multiple times. Three years ago, I was more resistant to it. Not because I was a "Pac-10 homer," but because I didn't completely buy the "SEC rules" argument. That was three SEC national titles ago, including one lost by a Pac-10 team -- Oregon -- that I thought was going to stomp the team it lost to (Auburn). My feeling is all that "SEC rules!" talk, which has been around since Bear Bryant was the toast to of Tuscaloosa, was repeated so often, it became a recognized truth before it actually was true. And that perception helped the conference grow stronger and stronger until it became true. How? It also became a potent recruiting selling point. Consider the words of former top-rated recruit Ronald Powell of Moreno Valley, Calif. Yeah, not easy to hear for Pac-12 defensive coaches.

By the way, I know some of you might be tired of this topic. It seems like we take it on a few times a year. The reason I do that, though, is because it appears in the mailbag at least a handful of times every week. It seems like a topic that continues to be of genuine interest.

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Brian from Beaverton, Ore., writes: While you can't argue with the overall effectiveness of James at running back this year, have you noticed that even though they are running the spread offense, the majority of these running plays do not appear to be as read heavy between [QB Darron] Thomas and [RB LaMichael] James as they were last year? With Thomas being such an effective duel threat quarterback they are effectively removing an offensive weapon when he isn't taking the read option as much. This is allowing the defense to load up the tackle box and focus on the running back. Last year the defense had to be more honest because Thomas was more effective at holding onto the option and rushing himself. Do you see this as a fundamental change within the system or am I reading too much into it?

Ted Miller: Chip Kelly has said repeatedly that Thomas is just doing his proper reads and has not been steered away from running the ball.

Of course, sometimes Chip just says "high" because a reporter said "low." I know that an opposing coach who was talking to me about the 3-4 looks Oregon sometimes uses on defense laughed in my face when I told him that Kelly said they didn't use a 3-4 defense. His response, which employed several colorful terms, was Kelly is full of malarkey and that reporters are stupid.

Thomas rushed for 486 yards in 13 games last year. He's rushed for 100 yards through five games. That does seem like a statistical trend suggesting he's running less. Is that just him reading what the defense gives him? I doubt it.

That said, Thomas rushed 10 times for 52 yards and scored both his rushing TDs against Arizona. So the threat is still there.

And, if I were going to crawl inside Chip Kelly's head and look around, I'd say that's exactly what he wants.

Because the Ducks run a spread-option, an opposing defense has to spend time accounting for the QB run. That takes up precious time. And if a defense coordinator takes note that Thomas rushed only five times in the first three games and decides to de-emphasize that possibility, he could get burned -- see Arizona.

Coaches spend a lot of time thinking about tendencies and what their opposition might be thinking. I think Kelly -- quite reasonably -- likes the idea of Thomas running less because it puts him at less risk for injury. But he also likes burning your butt when you start to think Thomas won't run.

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Mark from La Quinta, Calif., writes: Do you agree with your colleague Jesse Palmer when he stated that Cal had the two best wide outs in the conference? Or was he hyping the game as a lot of announcers tend to do on games they are broadcasting?

Ted Miller: There are so many good receiver combos in the Pac-12 it's hard to choose, but Palmer's position is defensible: Entering the weekend, Keenan Allen ranked third and Marvin Jones sixth in the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game. No other tandem matched that. And that's notable because QB Zach Maynard only ranked fifth in passing yards per game (268.2).

Allen will be in the mix with USC's Robert Woods, Washington State's Marquess Wilson and Arizona's Juron Criner for first-team All-Pac-10. He's a big-time player. I suspect Jones will get drafted this spring.

So these guys are both good, experienced, A-list players.

So do I share Palmer's take? I might not have in the preseason, and I might not at season's end, but at this point, yes, they are the best 1-2 punch in the conference.

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Jacob from Fort Hood, Texas, writes: I feel as though Foles is getting the shaft because he is on a losing record team, but can you tell me why he isn't even being considered for the Heisman award even though he has more passing yardage than nearly every qb in the country? It doesn't make sense to me. Maybe you can shed some light on how the voting works and who is deserving in reality of the Heisman trophy. Is it more of a beauty pageant than an award for shear talent? Also, if Foles continues down the path that he is heading what round of the draft do you think that he will be picked up in?

Ted Miller: The Heisman Trophy goes to a player for one of two reasons (and sometimes both). 1. Outrageous numbers; 2. Best player on best team. Often, those two are blended.

To start, Foles wasn't billed as a top candidate entering the season. Further, he is hurt because his team is 1-4.

To overcome those two issues, Foles would have to have outrageous numbers. He's got very good numbers, but not outrageous ones. He presently ranks 22nd in the nation in passing efficiency. And though he's piled up a lot of yards, 10 other QBs match or beat Foles' 14 TD passes.

As for the NFL draft, it's hard to say. I would be more surprised if he lasted past the third round than if he was selected in the first round. If you've ever chatted with him, he's a lot like Andrew Luck in terms of makeup. Smart, humble, eager to give credit to his teammates. And clearly very competitive.

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Evan from Charlottesville, Va., writes: You've written a couple times on the puzzling exclusion of LaMichael James from the current Heisman discussion. What is particularly confusing to me, however, is the fact that you yourself left him off of your ESPN Heisman Watch ballot this week. Assuming you vote Andrew Luck at number one, who filled out the rest of your ballot in spots two through five? And if you rated any other running backs ahead of James, what was your reasoning?

Ted Miller: We do a top-five for ESPN.com each week. Here's mine from last week.

1. Andrew Luck. 2. Kellen Moore; 3. Trent Richardson; 4. Robert Griffin; 5. Marcus Lattimore

(In retrospect, I should have dropped Lattimore after two straight underwhelming games).

My reasoning for leaving James off the ballot was twofold: 1. He didn't play well on a big stage against LSU (which he admitted); 2. His competition since then has been weak. His performance this week against a solid Cal defense will likely push him into my top five. Of course, now he's hurt and likely to miss at least a couple of weeks.

And if he doesn't, that would certainly add to his aura of being Heisman-worthy.

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Spencer from Baton Rouge, La., writes: Because I live a couple thousand miles away from the West Coast, Thursday's game against Oregon was the first time I have watched Cal play this season. Having listened to the other games via online radio streams, I knew Maynard struggled with accuracy. But I was shocked to see how poor his throwing mechanics are. How does a QB guru such as Jeff Tedford let such play fly? Granted, Maynard has not yet thrown the interceptions that Riley and Mansion did (which I attribute to poor decision making), but it is extremely surprising that Tedford would feel comfortable with the way Maynard throws the ball.

Ted Miller: Without asking Tedford, my guess is that he chose not to mess with Maynard's natural throwing motion too much. Maynard is 22-years-old. Making drastic changes wouldn't be easy, especially with Maynard arriving at Cal as a junior, not a true freshman.

Sure, Maynard did have to sit out last year after transferring from Buffalo, meaning he could have refined his technique to a degree. I suspect Tedford has worked with him on his technique. But it might have been pretty late in the game for wholesale changes.

And I'm guessing that Maynard will get lots of work with Tedford based on how he threw at Oregon.

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Rotfogel from Oakland writes: You have Cal only scoring 17? Oregon's porous defense is going to hold the Pac 12's best WR tandem and offensive to 17? Maybe, highly unlikely but as you've said, Oregon is a tough place to play. I'm kinda happy you made that the score though, Cal's defense is far and away the Pac 12s best, hopefully they show it tonight.

Ted Miller: I predicted 44-17. Oregon won 43-15.

I know: Gloating is unseemly. So sorry about that.

And is it just me or does it seem like the mailbag fills up more when I'm wrong than when I'm right?

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Pete from Los Angeles writes: Not sure if you saw this, but the Times of London's prestigious international rankings of the top 400 universities was released this week, and the Pac 12 has 4 schools in the top 25...in the world! No other AQ conference comes close. Once again shows that the Pac 12 is dominant in at least one category!

Ted Miller: We are so smart.

Will I pick up any second-hand smart from hanging around with you guys?

The final entry in a series looking at potential dream and nightmare scenarios for all Pac-12 teams.

Understand: These are not predictions. They are extreme scenarios and pieces of fiction. You can read last season's versions here.

We're going in reverse order of my post-spring power rankings (which might not be identical to my preseason power rankings).

Up next: Oregon

Best case

The moderator walks into the interview room at Cowboys Stadium: "We have LSU coach Les Miles here. Any comments coach before we take questions?"

"Yes," Miles says, letting out a breath. "Wow."

Four hours before, a pre-game brawl between the Ducks and Tigers was barely averted as the teams stood face-mask-to-face-mask at midfield. Later, the exact cause -- and instigators -- would become a subject of intense speculation and rumor. But both teams went back to their locker rooms before kickoff unhappy with the other.

Pregame: Ducks coach Chip Kelly, splatters of blood spider-webbing down his white shirt, stands amid his players.

"We have practiced better than any team in the nation," he begins. "We have come together for this moment. I'm all about judging ourselves only by the perfection of our effort every day, not by anything outside our program. That's win the day. That's what we are about. But if anger motivates you, then feel free to be angry. It's clear that team doesn't respect you. I will guarantee you this, though. That is going to change."

Oregon outgains LSU 476-220 in a 42-10 victory. Running back LaMichael James rushes for 185 yards and two scores, doing most of his damage between the tackles. The Ducks sack LSU QB Jarrett Lee five times.

"Wow, that's a good football team," Miles says. "They are fast and physical. They will get my vote for No. 1 this week."

The Ducks are voted No. 1 in both polls.

After pounding Nevada and Missouri State, the Ducks visit Arizona. The game is tied 17-17 at halftime. Five minutes into the fourth quarter, the score is 44-17.

"No team explodes like the Ducks," ESPN's Chris Fowler. "They are sort of like my favorite superhero, another green beast, the Incredible Hulk."

"Oh, good one," replies Kirk Herbstreit. "I can just see Chip Kelly, 'Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.'"

The Ducks roll over California, Arizona State, Colorado and Washington State. James is neck-and-neck with Stanford QB Andrew Luck in most Heisman Trophy polls.

"I don't care about individual awards," James says. "I care about my teammates and winning -- in that order."

The Ducks head to overflowing Husky Stadium to take on 10th-ranked Washington, which has only lost at Stanford.

An enterprising Huskies fans sells 50,000 purple T-shirts with a cartoon of Kelly passing money to alleged street agent Willie Lyles, and College GameDay runs a story on the bad feelings over the shirts.

"Did Chip Kelly run up the score?" a reporter asks Washington coach Steve Sarkisian after the Ducks whip the Huskies 60-14, their eighth victory in a row in the rivalry, each by at least 20 points.

Sarkisian pauses, "Well, it's our job to stop them. And I guess he thought getting LaMichael James rushing for 300 yards would help his Heisman Trophy chances."

That sets up the biggest conference game in decades: No. 1 Oregon versus No. 3 Stanford.

"One of the biggest regular-season games we've had in a while," Herbstreit says. "Not only will the winner earn poll position in the race for the national title game, you'd have to think either Luck or James wins the Heisman tonight."

Not unlike the 2010 game, Luck and Stanford start quickly and lead at halftime. And not unlike the 2010 game, the Ducks roll in the second half, winning 48-31.

Oregon improves to 11-0 with a 45-17 win over USC. Next up: The Civil War, against 17th-ranked Oregon State.

"Chip, a lot of folks are saying this is the best team of all time," Fowler says from the GameDay set in front of Autzen Stadium. "What do you think?"

"Maybe," Kelly replies.

"What are your feelings on the NCAA clearing you and the program of all wrong-doing in the Willie Lyles investigation?" Fowler asks.

"Who?" Kelly replies. "Oh, you mean, Will. My feelings are ... good."

Oregon whips the Beavers 55-10.

After stomping Arizona State 43-16 in the Pac-12 title game, the Ducks earn a berth in their second-consecutive BCS national championship game. The opponent? Unbeaten and second-ranked Alabama.

James wins the Heisman Trophy.

"The lead story for the national championship game, obviously, is the Ducks top-ranked offense against the Crimson Tide's top-ranked defense," Fowler says. "But SEC fans might be a little surprised that this Pac-12 team can play some D -- see 15.2 points per game. Oh, and by the way, this SEC team can play some offense -- see 41 points per game."

"And, of course, everybody is asking what would it mean for college football if the SEC wins a sixth consecutive national title and adds Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and North Carolina," Herbstreit replies. "Fair to say much of the college football nation is rooting for the Ducks to bring the SEC back down to earth."

"Other than Washington fans," Fowler quips.

"True that," says Herbstreit.

The Ducks gather inside the Louisiana Superdome.

"Great moments, are born from great opportunity," Kelly says."Forever is about to happen, gentlemen. That is your opportunity: To complete a perfect season and have your name written down on a list of champions where it will never be stricken. Look around this room. Look around! My heart is full of love for you guys. Our bond from this season will never be broken. And that is why we have to live in this moment together. We love this game. Play it with absolute joy tonight. Don't let any play, any moment of this game pass without your absolute focus, your absolute intensity. That is what we owe each other. Forever is about to happen, gentlemen. Lay it on the line. Four quarters for forever."

Oregon trails 24-19 with 12 seconds left. It faces a fourth-and-goal on the Crimson Tide 1-yard line.

"Darron," Kelly says to QB Darron Thomas. "We're going right at them. Tell LaMichael to jump. High."

James is immediately met short of the goal line by Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw. He lands, twists. Ducks tackle Mark Asper rams Upshaw. Three more Crimson Tide players surge into Upshaw, James and Asper, and three Ducks join the fracas. What develops is a scrum of 22 bodies moving sideways along the line of scrimmage. With no whistle.

Then everything collapses. It takes two minutes to clear the bodies.

It starts slowly. A hum, an inhale of recognition, then an explosion of joy followed by complete, prolonged pandemonium.

Touchdown, Oregon. The Ducks are national champions.

"It was a great football game," says Alabama coach Nick Saban afterward, "No shame in losing to a great team."

Kelly signs a lifetime contract. He could leave for another job, but he's agreed that he can only do so if he cuts off all of his limbs and leaves them behind. Most think that condition will keep him in Eugene.

Oregon announces it's expanding Autzen Stadium to 100,000 seats and that Nike has figured out a way to get the work done in advance of the 2012 season.

The Ducks sign the nation's No. 1 recruiting class.

The renovation of Husky Stadium uncovers a massive lake of quicksand, into which the entire stadium sinks in just minutes.

The Pac-12 blog's postseason list of the conference's top-25 players is entirely made up of Ducks. Oregon fans complain that the list should number 30.

Worst case

The moderator walks into the interview room at Cowboys Stadium: "We have LSU coach Les Miles here. Any comments coach before we take questions?"

"Yes," Miles says, letting out a breath. "Wow."

He continues, "Did we beat their butts or what?"

The Ducks offense is again stymied by a big, fast defense with extra time to prepare as the Tigers prevail 28-12.

But the Ducks bounce back with seven consecutive impressive victories, rising again to No. 5 in the polls.

"They are still in the national title hunt," notes ESPN's Chris Fowler.

The Ducks head to Husky Stadium to take on unbeaten, fourth-ranked Washington, which handed Stanford its only loss two weeks before.

Oregon leads 28-24 with nine minutes left. A Jackson Rice punt rolls out of bounds on the Huskies 1-yard line.

On first down, Huskies running back Chris Polk rushes for 3 yards. On second down, Polk rushes for 8 yards. On first down, Polk rushes for 4 yards. After 16 plays, Washington has a first down on Oregon's 8-yard line with 40 seconds left.

Polk rushes for 3 yards. Polk rushes for 2 yards. Polk rushes for 2 yards. Polk scores the winning touchdown as time expires.

"Wow, Chris Polk just ripped the hearts out of Oregon fans everywhere!" says Oregon play-by-play man Jerry Allen. "You can see why he's neck-and-neck with Andrew Luck in the Heisman Trophy race. The Huskies clearly are in the national title hunt."

Up next: No. 8 Stanford.

"This looked like the Pac-12 game of the year in the preseason, but right now everyone is chasing the Huskies," observes Fowler.

Luck throws four touchdown passes in a 42-28 win.

The Ducks bounce back with a win over USC.

"If we win the Civil War, we can still go to a quality bowl game," Ducks coach Chip Kelly says."I was reading the paper the other day, and it said we can still get to the Alamo Bowl."

Beavers receiver James Rodgers hauls in a game-winning 2-point conversion in triple-overtime. The Beavers rush the Autzen Stadium field, and chant together, "@%$@! Oregon!"

The Ducks lose to Clemson in the Sun Bowl to finish 8-5.

Washington beats Oklahoma for the national title.

Kelly becomes Georgia's new head coach. The Ducks hire Jim Lambright to replace him. "Now I can be happy about watching Kenny Wheaton return that interception!" Lambright says at his introductory press conference.

On July 20, the NCAA docks Oregon 15 scholarships and gives it a one-year postseason ban.

Nike files for bankruptcy. Phil Knight moves to Tibet, becomes a monk.

Fourth in a series looking at potential dream and nightmare scenarios for all Pac-12 teams.

Understand: These are not predictions. They are extreme scenarios and pieces of fiction. You can read last year's versions here.

We're going in reverse order of my post-spring power rankings (which might not be identical to my preseason power rankings).

Up next: Oregon State

Best case

Even the Wisconsin fans couldn't help but notice the crescendo building from the orange and black pie slice in the visitor's section at Camp Randall Stadium.

"Cripes sakes!" says a Wisconsin fan. "What's all that racket?"

"It's for the little guy, don'tcha know," says another. "'That one in the No. 1 jersey. Pass me a brat!"

James Rodgers takes the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.

"By golly, I tells ya, sure as God made little green apples, he's a fast one!" says the first.

"Ohh, yaaa...Yoo Betcha!" replies the second.

Wisconsin scores a late touchdown and holds on for a 30-28 victory, but the Beavers matching up well physically with the Big Ten favorites bodes well for the season.

"This bodes well for the season," coach Mike Riley says. "You never like losing, but what I saw today made me optimistic after a tough go with injuries in preseason camp."

Rodgers didn't play in the opening win over Sacramento State and his entry was a bit of a surprise.

"That, yeah, well, James thought it would be fun not to tell any of y'all about that," Riley said. "Our little surprise for the Beaver Nation."

Rodgers catches two touchdown passes in a 28-17 win over UCLA.

The Beavers drop a 28-24 decision at Arizona State to fall to 2-2, which is good news: The only time two early losses didn't auger a good season since 2006 was last fall, and that was due to Rodgers knee injury.

"I know it's a great story, but is he a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate?" ESPN College GameDay's Chris Fowler asks. "Eight touchdowns in four games. Rodgers is well on his way to 1,000 yards receiving and 500 yards rushing. And he leads the nation in kickoff returns."

"I hear you, but his team needs to win," replies Kirk Herbstreit.

The Beavers win their next four, besting Arizona, BYU, Washington State and, in overtime, Utah.

"Stanford might be looking ahead to its matchup with Oregon," Fowler says.

Nope. The unbeaten Cardinal rolls 35-21.

Oregon State wins at California and nips Washington. The Beavers, at 8-3, are ranked 17th when they head to Oregon for another high stakes Civil War. The unbeaten Ducks are No. 1 in the nation, with many pundits already salivating over a matchup of the Alabama defense and the Oregon offense.

Rodgers stands up in the locker room. The din of Autzen Stadium can be heard -- felt -- through the walls. "I'm from Texas. I had to learn to dislike Oregon. My freshman year, I scored the game-winning touchdown on a 25-yard fly sweep in this damn stadium in double overtime. I never thought that would be my only victory over them. I know this is only a football game. And know what? I like a lot of guys in that other locker room. LaMichael James is a good dude. We go bowling together. I kick his butt in bowling [laughter]. But [Rodgers voice rises] I am sick of Oregon. Everything about them. Everybody is sick of Oregon. But we will all -- everyone in this room, my brothers! -- will continue to be sick, to suffer, to have something inside us, biting at us, until we go out there and shut. Them. Up. Until we go out there and beat their butts.

"Know what? @%$@! Oregon!"

As his teammates mob Rodgers moments after he hauled in the game-winning 2-point conversion in triple-overtime, they chant together, "@%$@! Oregon!"

"Well, at least we're still going to the Rose Bowl!" angry Ducks fans shout as the ebullient Beavers head back to their locker room.

Utah beats Oregon 45-42 in the first Pac-12 championship game. The Utes, in their first year in the conference, go to the Rose Bowl. Oregon settles for the Alamo Bowl, where it loses to Oklahoma State.

Oregon State beats Texas A&M 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl and finishes 10-3 and ranked 12th. Oregon finishes 17th.

Chip Kelly becomes Georgia's new head coach.

On July 20, the NCAA docks Oregon 15 scholarships and gives it a one-year postseason ban.

Worst case

Though it was using vanilla schemes, the performance against Sacramento State suggests Oregon State has issues. A 45-17 loss at Wisconsin makes it abundantly clear the Beavers do.

The Beavers, not deep to begin with, are missing too many key starters, most notably receiver James Rodgers, H-back Joe Halahuni, cornerback Brandon Hardin, linebacker Cameron Collins and defensive tackle Kevin Frahm.

"I'm hoping we get some guys back," coach Mike Riley says. "James is still a ways away, though."

Frahm and Collins return and the Beavers beat UCLA. Halahuni comes back for the Arizona State game, but the Beavers are overwhelmed 35-20. Arizona takes revenge for a 2010 defeat with an overtime victory in Reser Stadium.

Rodgers returns against BYU. He catches six passes for 80 yards and a TD, and the Beavers win 28-24. But he's clearly not his old self.

Oregon State, highly motivated after losing at home to Washington State in 2010, improves to 4-3 with a win over the Cougars. But all the news isn't good.

"We're shutting James down," Riley says. "He's got an NFL future, and we need to protect that. His knee needs to be cleaned up, and if they do it now he'll be 100 percent before the NFL combine."

Bowl hopes end after four consecutive defeats. The Beavers limp into Eugene to face unbeaten and top-ranked Oregon.

"Chip, a lot of folks are saying this is the best team of all time," Chris Fowler says from the GameDay set in front of Autzen Stadium. "What do you think?"

"Maybe," Kelly replies.

"What are your feelings on the NCAA clearing you and the program of all wrong-doing in the Willie Lyles investigation?" Fowler asks.

"Who?" Kelly replies. "Oh, you mean, Will. My feelings are ... good."

Oregon whips the Beavers 55-10.

The Ducks roll Alabama 48-17 in the BCS national title game.

"That," says Alabama coach Nick Saban afterward, "is the best football team I've ever seen. And that include my tenure with the Miami Dolphins."

Oregon announces it's expanding Autzen Stadium to 100,000 seats and that Nike has figured out a way to get the work done in advance of the 2012 season.

The Ducks sign the nation's No. 1 recruiting class. Kelly signs a lifetime contract. Oregonian columnist John Canzano requests that he be put on the Oregon State beat. His request is granted.

Tim Davis is Utah's new offensive line coach, the school announced Thursday.

Davis is a former Ute offensive tackle from 1978-80 and a Utah offensive line coach from 1990-96. Pac-10 fans will remember him from his two years at USC in 2003 and 2004, which some of you might recall as successful seasons. And he worked with Norm Chow when he was there. Hmm.

Davis has spent the past two seasons as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at Minnesota. Davis has also coached at Wisconsin (1997-2001), and he left USC for the Miami Dolphins in 2005.

"This will be Tim Davis's second time around at Utah and he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our program," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement. "Tim is known for developing a strong rapport with his players and he will be a great addition to our staff. He has coached at some of the premier football programs in the country over the course of his career and that experience should prove valuable as we head into the Pac 12 Conference."

Davis left USC to join Nick Saban, then head coach of the Miami Dolphins, as an assistant offensive line coach. He would later go to Alabama with Saban, serving as his director of player personnel in 2008, before returning to the sidelines with the Minnesota.

More here. As for the Chow-to-Utah talk, the Deseret News reports, "Utah sources said 'there have been no developments' as of Thursday afternoon."

USC coach Lane Kiffin said lots of nice things about Oregon's offense before playing the Ducks. Suffice it to say, his opinion hasn't changed after the Ducks whipped the Trojans 53-32 on Saturday.

"It's a great offense," Kiffin said. "And as I said leading up to the game, maybe one of the best to ever play in college football."

Oregon leads the nation in scoring (55.9 points per game) and total yards (572.9 ypg) and ranks third in rushing (308.8 ypg).

Kiffin said he's watched the game film a number of times, and his diagnosis of what went wrong is fairly straight forward: "We just ran out of gas. It was very obvious."

He said that the only teams that will be able to play with Oregon will have great depth and use a lot of players, so they can stay fresh in the face of the Ducks relentless pace. He also added that he doesn't see a team remaining on the Ducks schedule he believes will be able to do that.

"I think they are great," Kiffin said. "I think they'll run the table pretty easy."

So who could hang with Oregon? Kiffin pointed at a deep, defensive-minded team, such as Alabama.

"It will be interesting to see," Kiffin said. "They are so explosive, it's going to take a team like Alabama, who has built their roster like Nick [Saban] has over his last three recruiting classes, to be able to have enough depth to be able to hang with these guys. I think, otherwise, it's going to be hard for anyone to play with them."

So Nick Saban's D versus Chip Kelly's O. It could happen if both teams win out. It might be fun to test the whole SEC defense versus Pac-10 offense debate in the real world, instead of just barking on message boards.

Kiffin also called the Oregon defense "very underrated."

But, obviously, the offense is the show. Kiffin said he has yet to see anything like it in his coaching career.

"That's the best offense by far we've played," he said.

ESPN The Magazine polled 135 college football players to break down the upcoming season from both a national and a conference perspective.

The results for the Pac-10 were interesting.

First, the players not only picked Stanford to win the Pac-10 championship -- 44.4 percent -- they also named Jim Harbaugh as the best coach (44.4 percent). Said one player: "They were terrible when I first got here. That's all Harbaugh -- he's brought in a completely different level of player."

Best player was Washington QB Jake Locker (33 percent).

But this question -- and answer -- struck me:

1. Is your school in the right conference? YES: 66.7 percent | NO: 33.3 percent.

What?

Which conference do one third of the Pac-10 players polled want to be in?

It's notable that players from the Big East (100 percent), SEC (100 percent), Big Ten (93.8 percent) and ACC (93.3) were overwhelming happy in their conference. As for the Big 12, 25 percent said they were not in the right conference.

Judging from the offseason news about commissioner Larry Scott raiding the Big 12 in order to build the Pac-16, perhaps the Big 12 players want to join the Pac-10.

Or do the Pac-10 players want to join the Big 12? Confusing? Yes.

Wait. There's more!

Turning to a national perspective, guess whose uniforms rate No. 1.

This was an Oregon landslide (53.7 percent). One Big Ten star was particularly blown away. "I don't even have to think about that one," he says. "I almost wanted to transfer there just for those uniforms." As for worst unis, winner Wyoming's brown-and-yellow jerseys elicited 18.9 percent. Wonders one player: "The worst colors ever? What is that, piss and poop?"

Ah, the generation gap. Traditionalists make fun of Oregon's uniforms. But players love them.

As for best coach, that's Alabama's Nick Saban, which I'd second, though Florida's Urban Meyer has to be 1B. But a Pac-10 coach did get mentioned.

As for the last coach you'd ever want to play for, players aren't rooting for USC's Lane Kiffin (29.6 percent). "He's an awesome football coach," says one O-lineman. "But he took a program for one year, talked a lot, then left them out to dry."

But guess what: The first part of that statement will be what matters going forward -- and by that I mean whether it proves true or not.

And, again, sorry to disappoint the folks who constantly pipe the tired "Jake Locker hasn't done anything" but the reality is the players see the same things that NFL draft experts do. To the question of the nation's best player:

Shocker! Reigning Heisman winner Mark Ingram won with 51.1 percent of the vote. But No. 2 was a real surprise. Forget Terrelle Pryor. The dual-threat QB players love is Washington's Jake Locker (14.1 percent). They're in awe of the senior's talent (4.39 40, drafted by MLB) and understand why both Mel Kiper and Todd McShay project him as a possible No. 1 NFL pick in 2011. "Best QB in the country. Best prospect, too," says a fellow top draft prospect.

Finally, you can read what players think about a potential playoff here.

The mailbag has been away for awhile -- last Friday's efforts were ruined by Pete Carroll -- and the bag overfloweth.

David from San Diego writes: Ted this is in regards to your blog "Riley to USC: Thanks but no thanks""Feel free to pause for a moment and soak in the warm glow of a coach who radiates contentment and isn't driven by greed and naked ambition." Ted I normally really like your stuff but that is the most arrogant and condescending statement I have seen you make. So any coach who wants to move up, maybe for more money, maybe to a bigger name program, or maybe just to someplace he has always wanted to coach at is "driven by greed and naked ambition?"Maybe Riley just likes being a big fish in a small pound, maybe he likes living in Oregon, you know there are people who do? So he is something special cause he is comfortable where he is at, yet if another coach wants to move up the latter they are low lifes, is that what you are saying? Please tell me I am misreading what you are trying to say?

Ted Miller: Not an unfair point, but I think I'm being misunderstood. I suspected I might be when I typed that, and thought about clarifying, but decided not to muddy the point of a short story about Mike Riley with my a lengthy sidebar on my personal philosophies.

First, you're inferring -- not unreasonably, I admit -- that I was specifically tweaking Lane Kiffin for leaving Tennessee after one season to go to USC. I was not.

For the record: I think Kiffin made a smart move. He'd rather coach USC than Tennessee. USC is a better, more storied program than Tennessee. He'll make more money. He's a West Coast guy anyway.

And, by the way, I am on record as a guy who mocks the maudlin stories and columns that pop up like sad little flowers whenever a coach leaves program A for program B.

Major college coaching is a demanding job with little security. If a coach believes he's got a chance to improve his finances and situation by making a move, he should.

Despite how fans -- and some reporters -- regard a college football team, it's not a family. It's a business.

I particularly dislike hypocrisy. My guess is 95 percent of the people acting sanctimonious about this -- probably more -- would leave their present job without a second thought for, say, a 100 percent raise.

So why did I write that about Riley? Because there's something refreshing about his attitude. Because there's something inspiring about a guy like Riley thriving in a brutal business that often rewards the disingenuous and those who are willing to take short cuts.

I feel I can understand the coaching business -- and even be sympathetic to the motives of those who are often working the angles -- while also recognizing a conspicuous demonstration of character.

I'd go so far to say that Riley is role-modeling what we should all be seeking for ourselves: He's well-liked, well-paid, respected, successful, secure and content.

To me, that casts a warm glow.

Eric from Las Vegas writes: My question is about the media frenzy over Kiffin's move to 'SC. I hear a lot of opinion writers say that he is a "weasel" for lying to his players. I'm curious as to why we didn't hear this same outrage towards other coaches who have left their jobs. Are we not to feel sorry for the freshmen at Cincinnati for Brian Kelly leaving? I'm hoping you can explain the difference to me.

Ted Miller: Eric, everybody's got their own take.

There was some negative chatter about Kelly leaving -- some of it later retracted -- but it was limited for two reasons: 1. Notre Dame is an obvious and significant promotion from Cincinnati; 2. Kelly had distinguished himself at Cincinnati.

Kelly, by the way, is going to awaken the echoes. Great hire.

Questioning what Kiffin has accomplished in his career is fair, and he said so during his introductory news conference. He was 5-15 with the Oakland Raiders and got fired before his second season was over. He went 7-6 in his one year at Tennessee in a season when the SEC wasn't terribly good. He lost at home to UCLA; the Bruins only road win in the Pac-10 came at Washington State.

As for the name-calling, that's just part of the game, part of operating in the media spotlight.

If, 10 years from now, Kiffin is sitting in his office in Heritage Hall reflecting on his second national title, the hiring controversy that surrounded him will become a curiosity, a bit of color to add to a lionizing profile.

You know, like the stuff they are writing about Nick Saban this month, as opposed to 2007.

Kent from Mariposa, Calif., writes: Gee, Ted, thanks for dumping on the Bears. But didn't' they beat your darlings, Arizona and Stanford ,in back-to-back weeks (two teams you ranked above them, who had identical records)? Also, great to mention the back-to-back games against Oregon and U$C in your top 10 moments. Maybe you tried to make yourself feel better by piling on after you touted them in the preseason. What about Best and Vereen each almost hitting 1,000 yards?By the way, I do enjoy your blog, but ESPN seems to like to stick it to Cal.

Ted Miller: Sorry.

California was decisively beaten in its final two games. In fact, Cal was decisively beaten in five games this season. It got blown out by Washington in the regular season-finale, and the Huskies were only one game behind the Bears in the final Pac-10 standings.

The parity among the No. 2 through No. 8 teams made it difficult to rank things -- you can go in circles about who beat who. The power rankings are about "at that moment" and are not a slave to the standings. And, as I noted, there was a bit of forward-thinking mixed in.

I don't feel too bad about ranking Cal eighth. And, yes, you are correct: I am mad at Cal for making my preseason prediction of potentially wonderful things for the program look stupid.

Kenny from Florence, Ariz., writes: In regards to your final Pac-10 rankings, I don't see how it's justifiable to rank Oregon State, USC and Stanford ahead of Arizona. Sure we stunk it up in the Holiday Bowl. But one game shouldn't reflect on the body of work over the whole season. Remember we won AT Corvallis (vs. Oregon State, who you gave the No. 2 spot just because they played their last regular season game for the Rose Bowl, remember that Arizona did the same the week before).

Andy from Vail, Ariz., writes: Final Power Rankings -- First, love reading your stuff every week. Thanks! I do, however, take exception to your final power rankings. Arizona beat all three teams immediately above them in the regular season, Stanford, USC, and Oregon State. You hammer AZ about the lackluster performance in the Holiday bowl, rightfully so, but you give a pass to Oregon and especially Oregon State for their woeful performances?? One game does not a season make, and our body of work deserves more love! :))

Ted Miller: Kenny, Andy and other Wildcats fans who wrote, you all may be right. I'm certainly more sympathetic to your position than I am to Kent's.

Yes, I may have been unduly influenced by the Holiday Bowl.

But let me point to a note from frequent mailbag contributor and Arizona fan, "Raymond from Tucson," who also didn't like my final Power Rankings.

He wrote in response to my entry on bowl ratings, "'The Holiday Bowl, a 33-0 Nebraska blowout of Arizona, was down five percent.' I turned the game off at half. So I contributed to the 5%."

I, however, was not allowed to turn off the game. Because it's my job, I had to watch the entire thing. All of it.

All of it!

By the end, I was bleeding from my eyes and ears.

So, that's why I may have screwed over your Wildcats.

Sorry.

Boy, who have thought hiring a football coach could inspire such... feeling?

USC fans mourn Pete Carroll's departure with a candlelight vigil. Tennessee fans mourn the loss of Lane Kiffin with a, er, near-riot.

It makes sense that Tennessee fans feel jilted. But the reaction most everywhere else, including LA, also is mostly negative.

The pessimists think all those people who are saying bad things about Kiffin are way too generous.

The optimists can't understand this. They think Kiffin is a great hire.

In the interest of making everyone happy -- or, in the case of the pessimists, justified -- the Pac-10 blog will present talking points for each position.

The Kiffin Pessimist

• Kiffin is bailing on Tennessee after only one season. He showed zero loyalty to the school that entrusted him, at just 33, with its cherished football program.
• Kiffin was fired from his previous head coaching job, the Oakland Raiders, before the end of his second season. His record? 5-15. Said owner Al Davis, "I think he conned me like he conned all you people."
• USC is entrusting its tradition-rich program to a coach whose career record is 12-21.
• He's an immature, attention-seeking loudmouth. He popped off at Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier. His mouth earned a reprimand from the SEC.
• In just one season, he committed at least six secondary NCAA violations.
• Tennessee faces at least two more violations as the NCAA continues an ongoing inquiry into other infractions, including the possible misuse of recruiting hostesses and impermissible visits.
• That's the NCAA baggage he brings to USC, a school facing its own NCAA inquiry. That hammering you hear outside? That's the NCAA building a gallows.
• Three Vols freshmen were involved in a robbery on November 12. Two were later kicked off the team.
• That's the sort of discipline he inspires.
• Kiffin is trying to hire Norm Chow as his offensive coordinator. Recall that Kiffin was part of the palace coup that convinced a suddenly marginalized Chow to bolt USC for the Tennessee Titans. Sure they'll be swell together.
• With Chow gone, Kiffin was USC's offensive coordinator when UCLA beat the Trojans 13-9 in 2006, costing them a berth in the BCS national title game.
• Kiffin lost 19-15 at home this season to UCLA, which went 3-6 in Pac-10 play.

The Kiffin Optimist

• One word: Recruiting.
• Make that two words and a sentence: Recruiting, recruiting. Kiffin and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron will be the nation's best recruiting tandem, and nothing in college football is more important than great recruiting.
• Xs and Os? The defense goes to Monte Kiffin, one of the great coaching legends on that side of the ball. The offense -- hopefully! -- goes to Norm Chow, one of the great coaching legends on that side of the ball.
• So, great recruiting plus great schemes: We could stop there.
• Lack of loyalty? Wait, phone's ringing. Hello. You want to offer Mr. Pessimist his dream job? Sorry. He's not going to take it. He's loyal.
• Maybe the reason Kiffin has been hired for his third head coaching job in 17 months -- before he turned 35 -- is because everybody knows he's got loads of talent? It's not like the Raiders, Volunteers and Trojans hired him because they felt sorry for him.
• The loudmouth stuff? Overblown. But he's been told to tone it down. He will.
• The secondary NCAA violations? Randomly audit 10 other elite BCS programs. How do they compare to Kiffin? No, we don't know why those other schools didn't get as much publicity for their peccadillos.
• Look, fans and media who don't understand the nature of NCAA violations and sanctions can prattle on about how horribly the Trojans will get hammered, but, please, just make sure they're around when the actual penalties are handed out. We want photos of the chagrined expressions.
• When you oversee 85 young men, ages 18 to 23, the odds of going a year without any of them getting into trouble aren't great. That's just the way things go.
• Chow's a pro. He and Kiffin, if reunited, will work fine together.
• Kiffin took over a Vols team that went 5-7 in 2008 and lost to Florida by 24, Georgia by 12 and Alabama by 20. He went 7-6, beat Georgia 45-19 and lost to Florida and Alabama by a combined 12 points. Where did the Gators and Tide finish in the final polls?
• Anyone recall the uproar when USC hired Carroll? Who thought that was an inspired decision in 2000?
• When the pessimists unanimously back a position, always bet against them (Carroll taught us that).

Two lines of negative thinking hang over the USC football program at present, and it's possible neither is true.

No. 1: The NCAA is about to hammer the football program for a lack of institutional control.

No. 2: Potential severe NCAA sanctions make becoming USC's next head football coach far less appealing.

Both may be true.

But it's not unreasonable to entertain the notion that both are not.

As to No. 1, it's almost certain that the NCAA is going to sanction USC's football program in some way at some point in the near-future. At a basic level, USC's problem appears to be running a loose oversight ship. Just too much smoke for there to be no fire.

But USC's case is often misunderstood by fans and some media.

At present, unless the NCAA has discovered other, unreported violations, none of the issues with Reggie Bush or Joe McKnight involves pay-for-play from USC boosters. In fact, it's practically the opposite. It could be asserted the individuals -- would-be agents and marketers -- who allegedly provided extra benefits only cared about what the players did after they left USC.

Know that USC, when defending itself to the NCAA, noted to investigators these individuals could be construed as working against the interests of the football program.

For comparison's sake, read this. It's about Alabama's NCAA case in 2000. The Crimson Tide was put on five years probation with a two-year bowl ban and scholarships were reduced by 21 over three years.

"They were absolutely staring down the barrel of a gun," Thomas Yeager, chairman of the infractions committee at the time, told the AP. "These violations are some of the worst, most serious that have ever occurred."

USC's case doesn't approach the severity of Alabama's, which was almost entirely about boosters paying recruits, which is blatant cheating intended to gain a competitive advantage.

In the worst-case for USC -- other than a long list of new violations being discovered -- the NCAA could find that USC coaches and administrators knew about Bush's dealings with potential agents and turned a blind eye to them, meaning they ignored the violations and allowed a player who should have been ineligible to continue to play with the team. At this point, there's little evidence of that, but it's a plausible scenario.

That's a serious violation, one that likely would lead to a finding of "lack of institutional control." But it's hard to imagine sanctions would even approach Alabama's penalties, at least in terms of damaging the short-term future (potentially forfeiting games, including a BCS national title, however, could put an axe-wound in the past).

Moreover, sanctions won't kill the football program as long as it hires the right leader. Consider Alabama. The Tide won 10 games in 2002 and 2005, and its poor seasons could be attributed almost as much to lackluster and unstable leadership as to scholarship reductions. Once the program hired the right coach, this fella' Nick Saban, it rejoined the super-elite, winning 12 games in 2008 and capturing this year's national title.

So it's a fair bet that even if the next coach inherits sanctions, the Trojans won't be down for long if he's a good coach.

Moreover, the sanctions actually could work in a new coach's favor.

Consider: Which scenario would be more challenging.

• Coach X replaces Pete Carroll after he won his third national title and finished 13-0. And 17 starters return in 2010!
• Coach X replaces Pete Carroll after USC has its worst season since 2001 and is about to get hit with NCAA sanctions. And the returning personnel is questionable.

No one likes to be "the Man after The Man," but Carroll is less "The Man" than at any time since 2003, when he won his first of two national titles.

The potential sanctions could operate as a muffler for the always stratospheric expectations of Trojans fans. They could give the new guy time to figure out the lay of the land, which might be necessary for a coach whose roots are almost entirely in the NFL. Sort of like what Carroll went through in 2001.

Oh, by the way, toss in a salary that figures to rank No. 1 in the Pac-10. Money always fancies things up.

It actually might be fair to say that if a coach ever wanted to take over at USC, this could be the best time in years.

It's been a heck of a first season for Oregon's Chip Kelly.

Already named the Pac-10 coach of the year, Kelly is one of seven finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

The other six finalists are Texas' Mack Brown, Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson, Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, Alabama's Nick Saban, TCU's Gary Patterson and Boise State's Chris Petersen.

The award is voted on by the Football Writers Association of America and will be announced at a reception on Jan. 5 in Newport Beach, Calif.