ESPN College Football

SEC and Big 12 folks have been tweaking the Big Ten and Pac-12's love of the Rose Bowl of late. That made me grin because the primary motivation for those tweaks was jealousy.

Don't buy that assessment? Well, then what do you make of this: The SEC and Big 12 champions, starting in 2014 after the current BCS contract expires and we presumably adopt a four-team playoff, will meet annually in a prime time New Year's Day "bowl" game.

Unless, of course, the SEC and/or Big 12 champions are selected for the four-team playoff, which one is almost certain to be and both are likely to be.

But, if one or both is selected for the playoff, then, just like the Rose Bowl, a No. 2 team from both or either conference will be selected.

So the SEC and Big 12 have adopted the Rose Bowl model in its entirety. Other than the fact that they can't play in the Rose Bowl stadium as the sun goes down over the San Gabriel Mountains.

The location has not been set. The Sugar Bowl (SEC) and Fiesta Bowl (Big 12) already have a dog in this fight, but expect bids to come from Jerry Jones and his deluxe Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as well as a play from Atlanta.

By the way, the Rose Bowl jealousy stuff is mostly good-natured ribbing while I'm gaping at another sudden shift in college football's tectonic plates.

Folks, this stuff is amazing, and there's a stunning plot twist seemingly on a weekly basis -- Florida State to the Big 12? Notre Dame back in play?

The main take-away: This is a step closer to four power conferences, with the ACC and Big East finding their footing suddenly precarious.

And, if you want to worry, Pac-12 fans, it looks like the SEC and Big 12 are being far more aggressive -- read: expansionist -- as college football remakes itself. Keep in mind that the Pac-12 could have ended the Big 12 last September and become the first 16-team super-conference if Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech had made a jump.

Pac-12 presidents might end up regretting their decision not to expand -- and giving Oklahoma, in particular, the shaft. Newly enriched by a mega-TV deal, they might have lost track of the big picture while they were counting their money.

Commissioner Larry Scott has long held that further consolidation at the top of college football was inevitable. This is another example of him proving right, though this time without a blockbuster deal for Pac-12 folks to celebrate.

This latest news is a reason to get nervous. Or to just marvel at how quickly the game has changed.

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).

Folks like rankings, which is why a lot of you had opinions on both Athlon Sports and our rankings of Pac-12 coaches this week.

There are very few naysayers to the idea that Oregon's Chip Kelly is an obvious No. 1. In fact, I'm not even sure how you gainsay that.

But who's No. 2?

That's the question before your faithful Pac-12 bloggers.

Kevin Gemmell: Since you went first last week, and I used it as an opportunity to take a shot at you about Darron/De'Anthony Thomas Top 25 incident, I'll take the lead this week and suffer whatever ribbing comes from it.

To be honest, I was pretty torn when trying to figure out who I would put at No. 2 in the conference. I think you can easily make an argument for three or four different guys. But I've also seen what Kyle Whittingham has done at Utah from the very beginning when I used to cover the Mountain West Conference.

His résumé is stellar, and his credentials are without question. He has an undefeated season to his credit and two BCS bowl game victories (I believe the NCAA credits him and Urban Meyer both for the Fiesta Bowl win). If I'm wrong on that, he still has a BCS bowl victory at a then mid-major program.

He's 7-1 all-time in bowl games. That means he's a closer. The only bowl loss was in 2010 to Boise State -- the Broncos' second football game following the Nevada field goal debacle. There weren't many that thought Boise would lose that one.

What I think is the most impressive thing about Whittingham, though, is that he's proven to be his own man. He easily could have fallen into the trap that David Shaw now finds himself in at Stanford. Critics will constantly question Shaw about if he can do it outside of Jim Harbaugh's shadow and without Andrew Luck on the roster. Whittingham faced similar charges in the face of Meyer's departure.

In that time, he's gone 66-25 and stewarded the program into the Pac-12, where the Utes went 8-5 last season, including a come-from-behind win over Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl. Sustained success means several things. He can recruit. He can reinvent himself and the team with each new generation of players. And he makes good hires.

We all know one bad recruiting class can set a program back several years. Bad hires can have an even longer impact. Whittingham is not afraid to take gambles -- and the latest one is naming former quarterback-turned quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson his offensive coordinator. At least some see it as a gamble. But Whittingham has given us no reason over his career to think it's not going to be a great hire.

The fact is, Whittingham wins year after year. Can't ask for much more out of your coach.

Ted Miller: I deserved the snark over the twin No. 12s. That was a moment of clumsy compensation for a boneheaded oversight on my part. Of course, you did steal my No. 2 coach, which I will write off to your savvy and your foreknowledge you got to go first this week.

And it gives me a chance to tout a guy who might shortly challenge for the top-spot on this list: Arizona's Rich Rodriguez. In fact, if we could make Rodriguez's ill-fated, three-year tenure at Michigan magically disappear, and then view Rodriguez as arriving in Tucson after a brilliant run at West Virginia, you would be able to make a case for him against even Kelly.

Before the disaster in Ann Arbor, Rodriguez was widely viewed as among the nation's best coaches. He'd been successful everywhere he went, and was considered one of the nation's truly great offensive minds -- not unlike Kelly. He went 60-26 at West Virginia and, after going 3-8 his first year, never won fewer than eight games. He also won a Sugar Bowl over Georgia, and his team won the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma after he bolted for Michigan. The Mountaineers won 33 games his final three seasons. According to this high-powered calculator, that's an average of 11 wins per season.

But what about Michigan? Well, as we've said before and surely will say again, his failure at Michigan was more about Michigan than Rich Rodriguez. It was a bad fit from the get-go in terms of his personality versus the "Michigan way"; Rodriguez wasn't able to hire his defensive coordinator, as he has done at Arizona with Jeff Casteel; he was shamefully betrayed and undermined by a Machiavellian Lloyd Carr; and it's not unreasonable to question the agendas of some of the media coverage he received.

Some Michigan fans take issue with that perspective on Rodriguez's Michigan tenure, much of which is detailed in John Bacon's book "Three and Out." But only because they love the Wolverines more than the truth, at least in this instance.

Rodriguez repeatedly has said he's not a quick-fix guy -- he, by the way, told the folks hiring him at Michigan exactly that -- and that it will take three years for his systems and recruiting to truly take hold. I doubt Wildcats fans are exciting about waiting that long, but the smart money is on Rodriguez finding a way to get it done in Tucson.

And, yeah, that means it's legitimate to dream about a first Rose Bowl within five years.

Wouldn't it be fun if it were against the Wolverines?

When Utah coach Kyle Whittingham tapped Norm Chow as his offensive coordinator last year, he got a celebrated, experienced veteran. With Chow off to the islands as Hawaii's new head coach, Whittingham is going with youth, energy and potential this go-around.

Whittingham has promoted has promoted Brian Johnson from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.

Johnson, who will turn 25 on Feb. 16, has been the Utes quarterbacks coach for just a year. He will continue to coach quarterbacks, and it seems likely that the Utes will use more of a spread-option scheme in 2012 as they did before Chow arrived with a pro-style offense.

"After spending the past month conducting a national search for an offensive coordinator, it became very apparent that we had the best candidate for the job right here on our own staff," Whittingham said in a statement. "Brian is a leader and a special coaching talent, just as he was a special player, and he is the right person to lead our offense."

The winningest quarterback in Utah history, going 26-7 as the Utes' starter, Johnson was the MVP of the blowout victory against Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl, which capped a 13-0 season.

This is a bold move for Whittingham -- if there are any 24-year-old coordinators with any other AQ team, none come immediately to mind -- and a huge career boost for Johnson. Simply put, if he's successful he will become a head coach before he turns 30.

"I am excited that Coach Whittingham has given me this opportunity and I am prepared for the challenge," Johnson said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to working with a great coaching staff and putting together a productive offense that will help us win a conference championship. I've had many good mentors as a player and a coach, including Dan Mullen, Andy Ludwig, Aaron Roderick and Norm Chow."

Whittingham also announced other staff moves. Defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake was given the title of assistant head coach. Aaron Roderick, in his eighth year coaching the receivers, will also serve as the passing game coordinator.

Sitake, 36, has become a hot defensive coordinator since being promoted from linebackers coach in 2009. Roderick was the Utes' co-offensive coordinator before Chow arrived, and he applied for the job that went to Johnson.

Dan Finn, a Utah graduate assistant from 2004-06, has been hired to coach the centers and guards. Finn spent last season as the offensive line coach at San Diego State, and the previous four years as the offensive line coach at Idaho (2007-10). Tim Davis, Utah's offensive line coach in 2011, will now concentrate on coaching the tackles and tight ends.

Jay Hill, in his eighth season as a full-time assistant, takes over the running backs for Dave Schramm, who was hired as Fresno State's offensive coordinator. Hill has served two different stints as the cornerbacks coach, most recently in 2010 and 2011, and oversaw the tight ends from 2007-09. He remains Utah's special teams coordinator.

Sharrieff Shah, a starting safety for the Utes from 1990-93 and a three-year team captain, returns to his alma mater to coach the cornerbacks. Shah, a Salt Lake City attorney since 2001, was a certified NFL agent from 1996-2002, representing players in the NFL, CFL and NFL-Europe. He received his bachelor's, master's and law degrees from the University of Utah. Shah has also served as the team's sideline reporter for ESPN 700 radio for the past 12 years.

Happy Friday.

Follow me on Twitter. But only if awesomeness doesn't frighten you.

To the notes.

Shad from Eugene, Ore., writes: I'm a Duck fan. I loved watching Peter Sirmon and Justin Wilcox play here and I think they've both turned into great coaches. Now they work for dogs though, what should I do?! I'm having a hard time hating them as much as I ought to, even though their talents will make an already very scary Husky team that much better. What is the appropriate etiquette when a respected former player starts coaching for hated rivals?

Ted Miller: I had two reactions when the hiring became official. 1. Great hires by Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian; 2. Wow. Both are Ducks. And I'm guessing lots of serious Pac-12 fans -- not just Oregon and Washington fans -- thought the same thing.

You've got to admit it's amusing. Wilcox's brother, Josh, was at the Rose Bowl working for Comcast SportsNet -- some of you might recall him catching 11 passes for 135 yards and a TD in the Ducks’ 38-20 loss to Penn State in the 1995 Rose Bowl -- and he was able to laugh when I asked him if he would feel conflicted or start wearing purple. My guess is Wilcox will continue to love his brother, only without wearing purple. And he'll hope the Ducks beat the Huskies 3-0 every year.

But once we get past the amusement -- and there will be plenty of moments, at least this first year, when Wilcox and Sirmon quietly will crack wise with each other about being inside Husky Stadium with the home team -- it gets down to this: This is a business. It's a high-stakes game of winning and losing, and that sort of pressure quickly wears away emotional biases for jersey colors.

If the Huskies defense improves under Wilcox -- and there is every reason to believe it will -- Wilcox probably won't last more than two or three years before getting significant looks for head coaching jobs. Wilcox is a West Coast guy, so a move back to the West suggests that's where he wants to end up. Joining the Huskies was a business decision, and both parties benefit only if Wilcox does well.

Same for Sirmon. He's an up-and-comer. His next step is running a defense. If the Huskies defense improves, and the LB play is notably good, Sirmon will raise eyebrows as a potential coordinator, the next step for him up the coaching staircase. And if, say, Oregon State offered up a defense, he'd jump at the chance, even if that meant standing on the opposite sideline during the Civil War.

My take for Oregon fans: Wilcox and Sirmon are great Ducks and always will be, but that doesn't mean you should dislike Washington any less. Or want the Ducks offense to take it easy on the Huskies defense. When Wilcox and Sirmon don the purple shirts, they become Huskies. And that means they are only slightly more likable than Mephistopheles.

And, likewise for Washington fans: Once in purple, Wilcox and Sirmon are your guys -- yes, Huskies -- particularly if the defense starts forcing three-and-outs.

Still, I dug this up from The Oregonian in 2009. It's an article about the Huskies-Ducks rivalry. It made me smile.

First-year [Oregon] graduate assistant Peter Sirmon said he had "a little passion for Washington" while growing up in Walla Walla, Wash. But that quickly went away as soon as he suited up against them as a standout Ducks linebacker from 1996-99.

"Once you've played in the Oregon-Washington game, you realize that no other game shares the same intensity," Sirmon said. "When you're at Husky Stadium or you see those purple jerseys running out of the Autzen tunnels, you can tell that it's not just a regular game."

Sirmon kept that rivalry going when he played for the NFL's Tennessee Titans, making friendly bets with Tennessee teammate Benji Olson. The former Washington offensive lineman will be honored at the game Saturday and Sirmon looks forward to exchanging more friendly rivalry talk with his friend.

"For years and years and years, they dominated the Northwest," Sirmon said. "In fact, they dominated the West Coast. It was a big step for this Oregon program when we started beating them consistently."

Now Wilcox's and Sirmon's job is to reverse that trend, an embarrassing one for Washington. You should expect them to pour every ounce of passion into it, wanting to beat Oregon perhaps even worse than any other team because losing to family is almost as bad as losing to an enemy.

---

Sean from Portland writes: What's your sense as to how much people are looking forward to this Championship game? To me it seems like people aren't caring nearly as much as they have in years past. this could easily be because I am living in Pac-12 country, but I'd like to hear your take on this.

Ted Miller: I've noticed some SEC/rematch exhaustion in the comments section. Some have said they won't watch the game.

I think that's crazy talk, though, of course, I respect everyone's right to talk crazy.

If LSU beats Alabama, it will have posted perhaps the most distinguished season in college football history. It will have beaten nine teams -- counting the Crimson Tide twice -- that were ranked when the Tigers played them. It will have beaten six teams ranked in the final BCS standings, including three in the top six. It will have beaten two BCS bowl game winners (Oregon and West Virginia).

And it will have done so without great play at quarterback, which I find very NFL-ish.

Will the game be as much fun as the Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl? Maybe not. As much as everyone touted the great defense in the first game, it was as much about terrible -- and terribly cautious -- offensive play.

Still, these are two epically good defenses. Count on me watching. And I'm guessing more than a few folks who claim they are boycotting the game will, too.

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Jake from Boise, Idaho writes: You question the non-conference schedule for the Ducks next year but as you may recall, Oregon had a home-and-home series scheduled with Kansas State that was cancelled by the Wildcats. Also consider that last year, Oregon got hammered in the polls for shooting itself in the foot in a virtual road game against LSU. It's a subject you've mentioned at times in the past year: is it really worth playing a difficult non-conference schedule when the risk-reward can be so high?

Ted Miller: It is true that Kansas State backed out of a home-and-home series with the Ducks, and New Mexico backed out of a repeat game this year in order to get a bigger -- and less humiliating -- payday at Texas.

And your point about the overreaction in the polls to the LSU loss is valid, though it's notable that the Ducks moved back up fairly quickly with wins as well as a realization that LSU was really, really good.

I love tough nonconference games. I see them as true measuring sticks for the national pecking order. It certainly helped LSU gain respect on the West Coast. I'd hate for Cowardly Lion scheduling practices to take over in the Pac-12. The alliance with the Big Ten will make that difficult.

If Oregon had won that game, however, and ended up 12-1 after losing to USC, my guess is the Ducks would have finished No. 1 or No. 2 in the BCS standings -- with all other games across the nation remaining the same -- and played for the national title. So there was a potentially high reward.

Yes, there also was a high risk. But Oregon's season turned out OK, right?

And let's remember: This is supposed to be about competition. Avoiding it is lame, even if some schools artificially elevate their standing by doing just that.

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Matt from Chicago writes: Watching OSU's offense dismantle Stanford's D made me wonder how things might have been different had Shayne Skov been healthy. Dude was a beast the few times I saw him play in 2010. Any insight as to his progress, and whether he'll back in a Cardinal uni next season? This Trojan wouldn't mind seeing him in the NFL!

Ted Miller: Not sure Oklahoma State "dismantled" Stanford's defense. The Cowboys rushed for 13 yards, so it certainly wasn't a linebacker issue.

As for Skov, he's a beast, but this was a serious knee injury, requiring two separate surgical procedures to repair his ACL and MCL. He won't be available for spring practices, but the prognosis is good for a full recovery by preseason camp.

And my guess is he's got a nice future playing on Sundays.

---

Every VT Fan and any self respecting Michigan Fan from Blacksburg, Va., writes: How was Danny Coale's catch not a catch? I asked you about Coale's catch because the officials were from the pac-12.

Ted Miller: This note refers to the officials' decision to overturn a diving TD catch by Virginia Tech's Danny Coale in overtime of the Sugar Bowl against Michigan. The official explanation was Coale briefly -- really, really briefly -- lost possession of the ball as he hit the ground, negating the touchdown.

My feeling -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- is that Virginia Tech fans, with all due respect, disagree with the call? That's it, right? I'm on the right track, right?

I thought it was a catch, but this picture does give you pause. Just a little. I still think it was a catch. But I'm just a lowly Pac-12 blogger.

And, as our your Pac-12 fans will tell you, we are shocked -- SHOCKED! -- that Pac-12 officiating left you wanting.

Please, tell our visitors from Virginia Tech how much you like Pac-12 officiating.

Arizona State showed some fight, but that might make the final 56-24 margin in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas smart even more for Boise State.

How the game was won: Boise State dominated on both sides of the ball. It was the better team in every aspect. And let the Pac-12 blog officially voice its opinion -- late to a loud chorus -- that the Broncos in the Las Vegas Bowl instead of a BCS bowl is a travesty. Yes, Allstate Sugar Bowl, we are talking to you. You should be ashamed.

Turning point: Boise State's Doug Martin took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD. Other than 0-all just before that, 7-0 would be the closest the Sun Devils got all night. So the turning point was Boise State walking into the stadium.

Stat of the game: Arizona State was outrushed 162 yards to minus-11. Wow. What can you say about that?

Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore didn't have his best game -- he threw two interceptions -- but his 50th win capped one of the greatest careers in college football history. With him behind center, Boise State became the first Football Bowl Subdivision program to win 50 games in four years. One word from all of college football, Kellen: Thanks.

What Arizona State learned: Some Sun Devils showed fight -- QB Brock Osweiler and receiver Gerell Robinson being two -- but this is a program that needs to transform itself. Sloppy, me-first play needs to end. Doing the exact wrong thing at critical moments needs to end. New coach Todd Graham has inherited a considerable challenge.

Record performance: Osweiler, after throwing for 395 yards, set a school single-season record for yards this season.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- One hundred and twenty FBS football teams will head into the summer claiming they're going to be good next year. Most will be wrong, despite their insistence on unparalleled locker room chemistry.

Arizona State is no exception to the universal spring optimism, but there's some momentum behind the good feeling after a strong finish in 2010. Expectations are high in Tempe. How high? Buckle up.

"A lot of people are talking about the Rose Bowl," quarterback Brock Osweiler said. "But we're talking about the Sugar Bowl. That's how much confidence we have as a team."

Osweiler isn't talking about the Allstate Sugar Bowl, though. He's talking about the BCS title game. Really.

Arizona State hasn't posted a winning season since 2007, when it went 10-3 in Dennis Erickson's debut and inspired false hope that things would be easy under a pedigreed coach. Not so. Over the past few seasons, the Sun Devils have found ways to lose, and they were typically creative in doing so. Missed field goals and extra points, turnovers on the goal line, turnovers in extraordinary bunches, missed tackles, missed throws, missed opportunities. It was sometimes great theater, though redundant tragedy from the Sun Devils' perspective.

In 2009, they lost four games by five or fewer points. In 2010, they lost four games by four or fewer points, including squandered opportunities versus Wisconsin and Stanford. They somehow managed to stay within 11 points of Oregon -- one of three teams to do so -- despite seven (seven!) turnovers.

But from that manure pile sprouts the flower of hope. The Sun Devils welcome back 17 starters that includes depth on the offensive line and loads of speed and skill on both sides of the ball. They look like a slight favorite in the first year of the Pac-12 South Division, even though two returning starters, cornerback Omar Bolden and receiver T.J. Simpson, went down with knee injuries this spring.

"Everybody has to be optimistic before the season starts, but this year it's like everybody just knows," receiver Gerell Robinson said. "It's not like a hope or a feeling. Everybody just knows that if we do what we're supposed to do, we'll get to where we want to be."

That high expectations are the top story is good news for Erickson, who would be the subject of hot seat talk otherwise. His fast start hid some roster shortcomings -- most notably a dearth of offensive linemen -- and fans had started to turn away as the mediocrity piled up. In 2007, the average attendance in Sun Devil Stadium was 62,875. Last fall, it was 47,943.

The players are aware there's pressure to win in 2011.

"It's like some negative energy that we're turning into a positive on the field because nobody wants to see a coaching staff change," cornerback Deveron Carr said.

Beyond returning a majority of starters from 2010, the Sun Devils are a veteran team: They will feature a 30-man "senior" class (players in their final year of eligibility). The offensive line welcomes back all five starters and many of the backups even have starting experience. The top-six rushers from last fall are back, as are four of the top-six receivers. On defense, the top-three tacklers are back as are the three leaders in sacks and tackles for a loss.

And these aren't just hacks. The Sun Devils averaged 32.2 points per game in 2010, which ranked third in the Pac-10, and ranked fifth in total and scoring defense.

"We have some experience coming back and we have a lot of confidence in what we are doing," Erickson said. "Our players have been through a lot the last three years, lost some close games. Now it's their chance to step up and make some plays."

The biggest question: Is Osweiler up to the job? After starter Steven Threet went down with his third concussion against UCLA, Osweiler was brilliant coming off the bench and then overcame a bad first half to beat archrival Arizona. It was expected to be a tight quarterback competition this spring, but Osweiler won the job by default when the recurrent concussions forced Threet to retire.

The offense struggled early in spring practices, but Osweiler inspired confidence with five touchdown passes in the spring game as the offense dominated.

"He made some great throws that make you go, 'Wow, that was amazing,'" left tackle Evan Finkenberg said.

While losing Bolden and Simpson was a big blow -- both could return by midseason -- the pieces still appear to be in place for a run at the first Pac-12 title game. And one of those pieces is confidence.

"I think this team knows it's our time now," Finkenberg said. "We have the pieces in place to have a big season and do the things we want to do."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Stanford's 40-12 whipping of Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl was meaningful for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it made what happened in Autzen Stadium on Oct. 2 the best victory of the 2011 regular season.

Stanford, which finished 12-1, is almost certain to finish ranked in the top-four in the nation in the final polls. But that day at Oregon, the Cardinal got overwhelmed 52-31, despite taking an early 21-3 lead. Stanford, a big, physical team, couldn't keep up with the Ducks' across-the-board speed and offensive tempo.

Auburn has played a tougher overall schedule than Oregon, but the Tigers haven't beaten a team that will finish ranked as highly as Stanford will, particularly after Arkansas was exposed by Ohio State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. No Tigers foe will finish with fewer than two defeats.

And, yes, the Ducks were watching the Orange Bowl. And, yes, they were rooting hard for their Pac-10 rival.

"I was a Cardinal that night," linebacker Spencer Paysinger said.

Paysinger said his sentiments had added depth because he's friends with Stanford O-linemen Derek Hall and Johnathan Martin.

"For them to go all the way to Florida and rep the Pac-10 like that speaks volumes for them," Paysinger said.

In fact, there was no gloating from Oregon players about beating Stanford in Oct. 2. Instead, there seemed to be a lot of respect.

"Stanford, they have been playing as good as anyone lately," linebacker Casey Matthews said. "I mean, obviously people are going to say we beat them by 21, [but] it doesn't really carry over into other games. It's all about matchups and how teams perform and just their simple fundamentals. Last year, [Ohio State, which beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl] lost to USC and Purdue and we beat both of them. We can't really compare scores. Obviously seeing Stanford be that dominant is definitely exciting to see and for the Pac-10 as well. Hopefully we get a little more respect."

Pat Forde and Ivan Maisel take a quick look at all five BCS bowl games.

Stanford's Andrew Luck and Oregon's Darron Thomas are among 10 finalists for this year's Manning Award.

The winner will be announced after the bowl games on Jan. 19 and will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans. The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes the candidates’ bowl performances into consideration in its balloting.

The finalists are:
Andy Dalton, TCU
Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
Kellen Moore, Boise State
Cameron Newton, Auburn
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
Denard Robinson, Michigan
Darron Thomas, Oregon
Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

Stanford: You probably aren't going to the Rose Bowl.

The most likely scenario is (at present): Oregon-Auburn in the national title game and TCU in the Rose Bowl opposite the Big Ten champion.

That's what happened when Auburn rallied for a win at Alabama and Boise State lost to Nevada, which actually helps your BCS bowl cause, just not so much for the Rose Bowl.

The only way Stanford goes to the Rose Bowl is if Oregon and TCU play for the national title. That would require Auburn losing in the SEC title game. And if Oregon falls at Oregon State next weekend, then the Ducks go to the Rose Bowl.

But there is still hope for a BCS bowl game. All the Cardinal need is to push into the top 4 of the final BCS standings. That would guarantee it an automatic berth, per BCS rules.

With Boise State's loss, the Cardinal figure to move up from No. 6 in the standings to No. 5. At least. Because if Arkansas beats No. 5 LSU today, the Cardinal likely would move into the top 4. And that would mean either the Orange Bowl or the Sugar Bowl would have to take the Cardinal.

What about Wisconsin? Well, it wouldn't hurt for the No. 7 Badgers to lose to Northwestern. Wisconsin is likely headed to the Rose Bowl, but if it eclipses Stanford in the BCS standings and moves into the No. 4 spot, it would likely kill the Cardinal's BCS bowl chances.

So, Stanford fans should spend Saturday: 1. Rooting for the Cardinal against Oregon State; 2. Rooting against every one-loss team (Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State).

Washington State's 31-14 win at Oregon State was impressive and significant in many ways, not the least of which was it ending a 16-game Pac-10 losing streak.

But let's face it: Planets often align in strange ways in the college football universe. Just in the past few years we've seen FCS teams win at powers such as Michigan and Virginia Tech. We saw Stanford, as a 41-point underdog, win at USC with its backup quarterback. We saw Alabama get physically manhandled by Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

This year, we've seen Kansas lose to North Dakota State in its opener, beat then-No. 15 Georgia Tech in Week 2, then lose to Baylor and Kansas State by a combined count of 114 to 14 on consecutive weekends, then score 35 consecutive fourth-quarter points to beat Colorado 52-45.

So freaky, unpredictable stuff happens all the time.

But nothing about the Cougars win feels "freaky." And this victory -- their first on the road since 2007 -- is about more than a long-awaited payoff for the Cougars. They have repeatedly played well into the second half and even the fourth quarter this season.

To me, the most significant reference point that highlights their improvement is the 42-0 loss at Arizona State on Oct. 30. That's the point in which many, including me, thought the Cougars were waving the white flag over coach Paul Wulff's tenure.

That game seemed to indicate exhaustion and malaise had set in. It seemed to say that Wulff's players had lost their faith and, subsequently, their will. On the Tuesday Pac-10 coaches conference call after that dreadful performance, Wulff said a number of things that could have been used to make a case against him.

Said Wulff, "It felt like we played with a tank that was empty with emotion."

Said Wulff, "We just didn't get a response."

Said Wulff, "That ultimately comes back on me. I've got to get us ready emotionally."

Said Wulff, "I try not to gauge the state of the program on one game."

Said Wulff, "I'm not really worried about retaining for next year. We're in year three of a major rebuilding project. I don't know if I'd state it we have to win these games. Were playing in a lot of ways to our potential and what we are capable of doing. We're close."

All of that could could easily fall into a column about why Wulff shouldn't be back in Year 4. Wulff was being himself -- an honest, stand-up guy -- but it wasn't hard to construe "ultimate defeat" from his words.

But, instead, this is a column about why the only sensible decision is to retain Wulff.

In a nutshell, he got the feckless team that lost 42-zip at Arizona State to become the team that won at Oregon State 31-14 two weeks later. One word: leadership. Wulff got his players, who had fought hard all year -- until the Arizona State game -- to reinvest after they'd hit an emotional nadir. If you've ever been in charge of a group of people, you know how hard that is. Wulff could offer them little incentive; a bowl game wasn't a possibility. His players probably were aware his job status was shaky, so if they quit on him, they'd get a fresh start in 2011 with a new coach.

All Wulff could say was, "We're in this together. Let's show some pride and compete." And guess what happened? The message stuck and then resonated in what was produced in Reser Stadium.

According to the Sagarin Ratings, Washington State has played the second-toughest schedule in the nation, one that has included No. 1 Oregon, No. 6 Stanford, No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 20 USC (AP) and No. 22 Arizona. Moreover, they've played 11 consecutive weeks without a bye.

That's at tough road, period. But the Cougars have done it playing a bevy of young players. Of the 60 Cougars who played at Oklahoma State in the season-opener, 24 were making their college football debuts. The Cougars have played 10 true freshman this season. Of the 113 players on the Cougar roster, only 17 have been in the program more than three years, or prior to head coach Wulff’s arrival in December of 2007. On defense alone, 14 of the 22 players on the current depth chart are freshmen or sophomores.

Oh, and that defense, which is statistically terrible based on the entire season, held Oregon, Arizona and Stanford below their season averages for both points and yards. It held California to just 20 points. And it completely stuffed Oregon State.

In other words, maybe we should have seen the Corvallis Cougars Crusade coming.

Wulff inherited a disaster -- things were much worse than the average fan realized -- and his first two seasons ended up exactly that way. But the black smoke is clearing, and a program appears to be reemerging.

Every coach in the Pac-10 has remarked that the Cougars are different this year -- faster, more physical and less sloppy. The list of young talent coming back in 2011 is impressive: quarterback Jeff Tuel, wide receiver Marquess Wilson, Safety Deone Bucannon, defensive end Travis Long, defensive tackle Brandon Rankin, linebacker C.J. Mizell, etc.

We're not ready to proclaim a return to the run from 2001-2003 when Washington State finished ranked in the the final top-10 three consecutive seasons. The Cougars in a bowl game in 2011, in fact, probably will be seen as a longshot.

But you saw what just happened, didn't you? We just typed "Cougars" and "bowl game" in the same sentence and you read it without flinching or doubling over in laughter.

Ranking the BCS conferences: It's an exercise that guarantees at least one constituency will think you're a genius and another will think you're an idiot.

It's easy to dump the Big East into sixth place: Eight teams, not enough elite teams, not enough depth. After that, the margin of separation between the other five seems thin and wildly subjective.

Of course, SEC adherents will start to fulminate if they are not given a free pass into the top spot. Something about four consecutive national championships (it's an annoying point because it's hard to counter).

But let's look at the 2010 SEC for a moment. Here's a ranking of the SEC quarterbacks. It's basically Ryan Mallett of Arkansas and a bunch of nobodies and question marks. It's fair to say nine teams have serious issues at the position. At the end of the season, when we're talking about dominant SEC defenses, let's remember this cast of "Whos?"

Also, consider this interesting comment from ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper when asked about whether Mallett should be judged differently from other QBs because he plays against "SEC defenses": "First of all, let's dispel this myth that throwing for a bunch of yards and touchdowns in the SEC is somehow a more impressive feat. I wasn't high on Tim Tebow, partly because he threw into massive windows as an SEC quarterback. I was pretty high on JaMarcus Russell as a prospect if he maintained his work ethic, but I said then that he, too, was throwing into massive windows. I don't question that the SEC produces a lot of talent, but the quarterbacks also play a lot of cupcakes, and the depth of the conference is still a matter for debate."

Hmm.

Further, you could make a case that the SEC heading into 2010 is Alabama and Florida and a bunch of maybes. And the Crimson Tide must replace eight starters off their dominant defense, while Florida lost nine guys to the NFL draft. Lots of questions there.

In fact, just for fun. Match the SEC and the Pac-10, but do it from the bottom up. Here's Chris Low's post-spring power rankings. And here's mine for the Pac-10.

Vanderbilt beats Washington State, Arizona State beats Kentucky, UCLA beats Tennessee, Arizona beats Mississippi State, Washington beats Ole Miss, California beats South Carolina, Stanford beats Georgia, Oregon State beats Auburn, Oregon beats LSU and USC beats Arkansas.

Of course, you can't just drop Alabama and Florida, two of the nation's top-three programs (Texas is the third).

Which is why we're still ranking the SEC No. 1.

The larger point is the difference between BCS conferences is marginal, despite the huffing and puffing you hear to the contrary.

When I began reviewing what was coming back in each conference, I considered ranking the Big Ten No. 1 based on the Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin triumvirate, but then it seemed like the Big Ten has less depth than the Pac-10, ACC and Big 12. Then I thought the Big 12 looked good with Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Missouri. Then the ACC looked underrated.

Then I just needed to get on with it.

(By the way, here's a good place to see how many returning starters each team has).

1. SEC: While I have a hunch the SEC won't be on top at season's end, the impressive track record earns the conference the top spot.

2. Big 12: Five legitimate Top 25 teams and respectable at the bottom.

3. Big Ten: Top-heavy, but very good at the top.

4. Pac-10: The apparent lack of a national title contender hurts, but the conference has nine teams that could win at least six games.

5. ACC: The conference has big upside -- it might end up No. 1 at season's end -- but its track record is disappointment (see Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl). The SEC gets the benefit of the doubt. The ACC still has to prove itself.

6. Big East: Only obvious preseason Top 25 team is Pittsburgh. Based on the Sugar Bowl, we're in wait-and-see-mode with a Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati.

Don't expect either Jeff Tedford or Mike Riley to suggest that Utah or BYU would be "mid-level" Pac-10 teams over the next few days.

That assessment about BYU made by then-Oregon coach Mike Bellotti in 2006 came back to bite the Ducks and the Pac-10 when the Cougars rolled to a 38-8 Las Vegas Bowl victory.

Utah fans probably don't spend much time fretting perceived slights lobbed at rival BYU, but conference pride is an issue anytime the Pac-10 and Mountain West square off, as they will twice early next week when Oregon State faces BYU in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl on Tuesday and Tedford's Bears take on Utah in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Wednesday.

The Pac-10 is a BCS conference. The MWC is the best of the non-AQ conferences. That means one conference wants to prove it belongs at the expense of one that already does.

Tedford obviously has no interest in fanning any perceived rivalry flames.

"The Mountain West is as strong as there is. I have a lot of respect for everybody in their conference," he said. "We have a lot of respect for them. I don't know if we look at it like a rivalry-type thing."

As for Riley, controversial comments really aren't his style, not to mention that BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall is a former Beavers player and coach and he and Riley have become friendly through the years.

"I have a lot of respect for him," Riley said.

Notice the respect theme?

Still, things have been fairly spirited between the Pac-10 and MWC since the 2006 Las Vegas Bowl. Much was made of the MWC going 6-1 vs. the Pac-10 during the 2008 regular season. Less has been made of the Pac-10 running off four consecutive victories since then. The Pac-10 went 6-3 vs. the MWC in 2007.

No. 23 Utah and No. 14 BYU are ranked ahead of their Pac-10 foes, unranked Cal and No. 18 Oregon State. But the Bears and Beavers are both slight favorites to win.

The conference rivalry, however, is mostly an issue among fans. Motivation and attitude will be bigger issues for the players.

Three of the teams are coming off season-ending defeats and none of the four teams are thrilled about their bowl destination.

BYU had hopes for a BCS bowl berth when it opened with a victory over Oklahoma. Those fizzled after blowout defeats to Florida State and TCU.

Instead of a BCS bowl, the Cougars are playing in their fifth consecutive Las Vegas Bowl. Feel free to consider the humor of BYU being redundantly sent to Sin City.

Utah, meanwhile, has played three ranked teams this year and lost to all three, most painfully to BYU, 26-23, in the season-finale. The Poinsettia Bowl won't feel much like last year's Sugar Bowl berth opposite Alabama, a victory that capped an unbeaten season.

Cal once was ranked sixth in the country, but it was thoroughly drubbed in each of its four losses, including a stunningly poor performance in the season finale at Washington that ended a late-season surge with a thud.

Oregon State also lost its season-finale to rival Oregon. That only cost the Beavers a berth in the Rose Bowl.

So which teams will overcome disappointment, be focused in practice and play with a sense of urgency come game time?

The teams that end up winning.

"It's one of those life lessons for everybody," Riley said. "Disappointment is not a bad thing."

Riley said it's all about how a team responds to adversity. He said his team appears to be responding well and will not use disappointment as an excuse.

Said Tedford, "There's been a lot of excitement... I sense an eagerness to have another opportunity to play."

What are the stakes then upon which that excitement is based?

None of the four want to be perceived as a mid-level Pac-10 team.

Happy Friday.

Bowls, bowls, bowls -- what are you guys, college football fans?

To the notes.

Micah from Berkeley, Calif., writes: You've been talking for a while about the Pac-10 getting that "elusive" 2nd BCS team. Any chance that the Cardinal wiggle their way into the conversation if they don't go to the Rose Bowl?

Ted Miller: If Stanford wins its final two games, it likely will be eligible for an at-large selection for a BCS bowl berth.

(See the rules here -- what's relevant is the Cardinal will have nine wins and likely would rank among the top-14 of the BCS standings. They presently are 17th).

The problem for Stanford is it probably would be a less attractive candidate compared to other potential at-large team.

There figure to be seven automatic qualifiers -- six BCS conference winners and either TCU or Boise State.

That leaves three at-large berths. If both TCU and Boise State are undefeated, it's likely the one that doesn't get the automatic berth -- Boise State -- will still get an at-large berth. We'd have more congressional hearings if it didn't.

The SEC runner-up also is a sure thing.

So that leaves one spot. And bowl organizers concerned about selling out their stadium, selling out hotel rooms and notching high TV ratings likely would find a Big Ten runner-up -- Penn State or Iowa -- more appealing.

It might not seem fair. But Stanford's chances are remote, at best, to receive an at-large berth, even if Toby Gerhart wins the Heisman Trophy.

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Donald from Eugene, Ore., writes: You have talked about how the Pac-10's nine-game schedule, and relatively difficult non-conference games, hurt the conference's BCS hopes. But what about the cost to the season ticket holders? Sure having eight home games seems nice, but who wants to pay full price to see exhibition games against the likes of FIU, Chattanooga and Louisiana-Monroe? Personally, I would rather pay to see Oregon play games in which conference standing is on the line, or a non-conference opponent in which the outcome is not predetermined. Watching WSU is painful enough, we don't need anymore cupcakes.

Ted Miller: Obviously, that's the trade-off. I never implied my position was perfect.

This weekend, Alabama will play host to Chattanooga, while Florida welcomes Florida International.

And both Bryant-Denny and The Swamp will be packed.

For many programs that fill their schedule with cupcakes, attendance isn't an issue. Fans are so dedicated, they just want to see their team -- who cares who the opponent is?

The position of Pac-10 athletic directors is that's not the case on the West Coast, and, Donald, you give support to their position. A part of your loyalty is being highly entertained. You aren't a "My team wrong or right." For fans in other parts of the country, it's about supporting their team no matter what.

Please don't be offended. Your position is more sane. But sanity doesn't help win championships.

My counter is this: How'd you like that season ticket to earn you a priority position to buy tickets to the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl?

If the Pac-10 went back to an eight-game conference schedule, it would get a second BCS team on a far more regular basis, particularly with the present rising trajectory of the conference.

That means more opportunities to travel to BCS bowl games, which are much bigger shows than other bowls, and therefore are much more exciting events in which to invest discretionary money. I suspect the allure of that experience, once unleashed, would compensate fans for a cupcake game during the regular season.

Say Oregon, as the Pac-10 runner-up, is coming off a victory over Florida in the Sugar Bowl one year. My guess is plenty of Ducks fans -- including you, Donald -- would suffer through a game with Chattanooga to back their team.

If the game was boring, you could talk about who did what on Bourbon Street.

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Jeff from Los Angeles writes: If UCLA becomes bowl eligible, what are the likely bowls that would have an at-large spot to take them?

Ted Miller: Mark Schlabach projects that the Bruins will go to the Roady's Humanitarian.

This is a hard one to figure. What I can say is the UCLA should be appealing to many bowls scrambling to fill their spots because they are a high-profile team from a BCS conference that plays in a major media market.

What you're looking for are bowls with tie-ins with conferences that won't have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill their slots.

Other possibilities might include: the EagleBank Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Little Caesars Pizza Bowl or the GMAC Bowl.

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Jason from Seattle writes: Regarding Harbaugh's 2-point conversion attempt, he's not the one that has made it personal, you, the sports media has. In what is vintage irresponsible reporting, you posted in your blog that Harbaugh was rubbing it in while the game was going on. How did you know that? Did he tell you as soon as it happened? Did he Tweet it? Did he say he had personal issues with Pete before the game? No. Why don't you exhibit some integrity and accountability and quit ascribing actions and motivations without a modicum of proof. Speaking of proof, let's look at a fact. On that preceding drive, Stanford ran six plays all on the ground. Stanford averaged 10 yards a carry. The USC defense looked like they had given up. Stanford was crushing them at the point of attack. You tell any coach that with six-plus minutes left against USC you can get two points easy, 90% of them take it. It doesn't matter who's coaching either team. Harbaugh saw easy points. As a someone who is trained to look for weaknesses, he saw it. You didn't see it. You still don't see it, but you make up attention grabbing nonsene to explain it. Nevermind that you're denigrating a coach's integrity in the process and stirring up animosity amongst fans. Expect more of yourself Ted. Try not to look for the bad in people just to sell headlines.

Ted Miller: Jason, I appreciate a good vent as much as anyone, so here you go.

I also think a diversity of opinions makes the world more interesting. And yours is the most diverse -- and unique -- opinion I've read on Harbaugh going for two with a 27-point lead and 6:47 left.

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Andrew from Berkeley writes: Hey Ted, what's with all the videos? Don't get me wrong, you've got a handsome mug, but you've said yourself that you're a writer, not a TV guy.

Ted Miller: Handsome mug! Andrew sent a picture by the way.

The videos are a new way for the bloggers, using a flip camera, to communicate with our audience.

What they lack in polish is made up for with homemade goodness, like a batch of grandma's buttermilk biscuits. Or dad's martinis!

Moreover, it's a great opportunity for many of you to expand your range of insults when expressing unhappiness with the Pac-10 blog.