Diverse coaches key Pac-10's rise
To look at his rsum, Scott had no business in the Pac-10
. He came from professional tennis. He hired marketing people. He commissioned a video that combines college sports and western Americana so artfully that you feel unpatriotic watching another conference. He brought all of his conference head coaches to New York in July to spread the Pac-10 gospel.
And there was that little realignment thing, the one where Scott nearly left the Big 12 for dead before walking away with, beginning next
nfl jersey year, Colorado and Utah.
It turns out that Scott knew a little bit about being commissioner. Yet all that Scott transformed off the football field pales in comparison to how the Pac-10 has transformed on it. Two undefeated teams ranked in the top 10 will play Saturday night, and neither of them is USC. No. 9 Stanford travels to No. 4 Oregon (ABC, 8 p.m. ET).
That's right. Stanford and Oregon.
No. 14 Arizona, also 4-0, is off this week. Together, Oregon, Stanford and Arizona are the hotties who have made USC look like a dowager. USC, winner of seven consecutive Pac-10 championships until last season, is also 4-0. Yet the Trojans are way down at No. 18, stung by the NCAA's lash, a soft schedule and a slow start.
The Pac-10's quartet of unbeaten teams doesn't account for UCLA, which humiliated Texas 34-12 in Austin on Saturday. It doesn't include Oregon State, which has lost competitive games to No. 3 Boise State and No. 5 TCU.
"The depth of the conference has never been greater than what it is right now," said Arizona coach Mike Stoops, in his seventh
mlb jerseys season in Tucson.
Since the league expanded from eight to 10 teams in 1978, Oregon has been to two Rose Bowls and a Fiesta Bowl as Pac-10 champion. Stanford has been to one Rose Bowl. Arizona, zilch. Talk about abandoning the status quo.
Off the field, the Pac-10 made one hire and reshaped not only itself but triggered the reshaping of intercollegiate athletics. On the field, Oregon, Stanford and Arizona each made one hire and reshaped the way football is played on the West Coast.
If Scott has no business being in the Pac-10, neither do the coaches of the league's three highest-ranked teams.
In 2006, Stanford's Jim Harbaugh coached the San Diego Toreros, a non-scholarship FCS school.
In 2006, Oregon's Chip Kelly began his eighth season as offensive coordinator at New Hampshire, an FCS school, dreaming of the day when he might run a program like Division III Amherst.
And when 2007 ended, Stoops had been head coach at Arizona for four years and still hadn't had a winning
nfl jerseyseason. Stoops had a record of 17-29 (.370). In an era when athletic directors are considered humanitarians for not running off struggling coaches after three years, Arizona stuck with Stoops.
Even now, after consecutive bowl seasons and a 4-0 start, Stoops' career record is 37-39. It's the first time that he has been only two games under .500 since he started 1-3.
Each coach has made his program over in his own unique style. Harbaugh, a second-generation head coach who played for Bo Schembechler at Michigan, has turned the Cardinal into a team that inflicts punishment.
Diverse coaches key Pac-10's rise
By: Michael
Vera Zvonareva Reached The Quarter-Finals The Build Muscle And Gain Weight Fast Guide - How to Build Muscle and Gain Weight Fast Guide Struggling with Knee Arthritis? Here are Practical Approaches to Stop It! How To Gain Weight And Build Muscle - Using Whey Protein to Gain Weight and Build Muscle Mass Quickly How To Gain Weight And Build Muscle For Hardgainers - Who Says Hardgainers Cannot Gain Weight? Anthem College Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice Bachelor Degree Distance Learning How to Relieve TMJ Disorder, Speedy! You Don't Have to Suffer TMJ Jaw Ache Any Extra! Answers For Spine Ache TVS Apache 160 Bike Complete Way of Teeth Bleaching Headache Remedies | Natural Remedies for Headache Pain Relief Inexpensive Bachelorette and Bachelor Parties