Arizona A Contender In Wide Open Pac-10

Over the past few years, the Pacific-10 Conference has emerged as the home to some of college footballs most talented teams and competitive games. The Trojans of Southern California have been a national power and are constantly favorites to compete for the BCS Title every January, and each year there is a team that seemingly comes out of nowhere and makes an impact on the national scene. Last year it was Oregon, and before them it was California.

However, the 2008 season has been a nightmare for Pac-10 teams. After a promising start that saw USC demolish the then #5 Buckeyes of Ohio State and UCLA upset the then #18 Tennessee Volunteers, the performance of the Pac-10 has been nothing short of embarrassing.

Winless (0-4) against the Mountain West Conference (a non-BCS league), only two teams in the AP Top 25 Poll, only one team in the top 20, and not a single team with an undefeated record. To put that in perspective, the aforementioned non-BCS Mountain West Conference has more ranked teams than the Pac-10. 

Rather than the Pac-10 matching blows with the Southeast Conference for national supremacy, they are in a thumb-wrestling match with the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference for worst conference in the BCS system.

Despite the struggles, however, there still has to be a winner. And, fortunately for that team, the winner of the Pac-10 has an automatic bid to play on New Years Day in Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

But, in a league mired in mediocrity, who will that winner be?

Before the season teams like USC, Oregon, and Arizona State were heralded as the favorites. Just five weeks in, however, the Trojans were upset by 25 point underdog Oregon State, the Ducks have been struck by the injury spell, and the Sun Devils already have two losses, leaving those teams out of the picture for now.

With the window open for another school to take control, why not the Arizona Wildcats? They are an experienced team with a veteran leader at quarterback, playmakers at the skill positions, and a head coach determined to fulfill the expectations placed on the program when he was hired.

The Wildcats dominated Idaho and Toledo and easily handled UCLA. They lost a tight game to New Mexico, but anybody that watched the game will tell you that Arizona lost that game more than New Mexico won it. Usually a loss like that is devastating, but this year it is merely a blip on the radar screen.

In their remaining eight games, the Wildcats play just four teams currently over .500, and they can use there next two games against Washington and Stanford as tune-ups for their showdowns with California and USC.

The success of the WIldcats lies on the shoulders of senior quarterback Willie Tuitama, and he is more than up to the task. Tuitama is tied for first in the Pac-10 with 10 touchdown passes, and he is in the top three in passing yards and passing efficiency.

It’s no easy task for Arizona, but with a favorable schedule, a steady hand under center, and a down year for other conference teams, a date on New Years Day is certainly not out of the question.