Sacramento State v Stanford

Four weeks in, the college football conference season — the real season — has fully arrived and with it comes an unexpected development.

The Pac-10 is good. So good, ESPN’s College Gameday is sending its crop of talented talking heads — plus, Erin Andrews — to Eugene, OR on Saturday for the Game of the Week.

Oregon, No. 4 in the country, and Stanford, No. 9, meet in a game that could ultimately decide the conference championship. The game also has possible national title implications.

The Pac-10, many have declared, is back. The lull lasted all but one season. 

A year after placing just two teams in the final Top 25 poll, the Pac-10 is showing early signs its back to top form, among the best conferences in the nation.

The latest ESPN conference power poll spots the Pac-10 just below the SEC in overall strength.

Yet, East Coast commentators decry the decision to spotlight Oregon vs. Stanford over Florida vs. Alabama.

The Florida-Alabama matchup (No. 1 vs. No. 7) does pit two teams that have won three of the last four national titles. But it will have to settle for second best (CBS) this week.

The Pac-10 has made its case to be placed once again alongside the elites.

Currently, four teams are among the AP Top 25: Oregon and Stanford break the Top 10, followed by Arizona (14) and USC (18). Oregon St. dropped out after losing a hard-fought game to No. 3 Boise St.

The SEC, on the other hand, boasts six Top 25 teams: Alabama, Florida, Auburn, LSU, Arkansas, South Carolina.

Yet, it’s the quality non-conference wins that have everyone noticing the West Coast. UCLA’s mind-boggling blowout over No. 7 Texas came a week after the Bruins dismantled then-No. 23 Houston, 31-13. UCLA would be in the Top 25 mix if not for two meltdowns to open the season; first against Kansas State, then Stanford (35-0).

Still, the two Top 25 wins backed up Arizona’s unexpected takedown of then-No. 9 Iowa in Week 3.

It’s enough to make fans forget about 2009, a year the conference had not seen the likes of since 2003, when just two Pac-10 teams finished in the Top 25.

Oregon at No. 11, and USC at No. 22; that was it for 2009.

The conference’s most shining moment was watching Toby Gerhart lose the Heisman Trophy to Alabama’s Mark Ingram.

This season, Andrew Luck is trying to make up for the Gerhart snub.

Luck is in the conversation for best quarterback in the nation alongside Denard Robinson (Michigan), Kellen Moore (Boise State) and Terelle Pryor (Ohio State), and he is a Heisman hopeful. So far, he has passed for 912 yards to go with 11 touchdowns against two interceptions (both thrown last week against Notre Dame.) His passer rating stands at 169.5, higher than Moore and Pryor.

It’s the conference’s quarterback star power that has garnered so much attention. Luck leads the list and is joined by Jake Locker of Washington, Matt Barkley of USC and Nick Foles of Arizona. In fact, Locker was another Heisman hopeful before a campaign-killing performance against Nebraska last week.

So, how did we get here? Here’s a look at the Pac-10's four leading teams:

Oregon

In his first season as coach, Chip Kelly led Oregon to the Rose Bowl. Now, at 4-0, he has the Ducks in the national title hunt.

The Ducks, built on speed, don’t tire. They have surrendered just seven points in the second half of games this season. The star is sophomore running back LaMichael James, who has rushed for 455 yards. Overall, the Ducks are averaging 316.8 rushing yards per game.

Another sophomore, quarterback Darron Thomas, beat out senior Nate Costa to start the season and has proved to be an efficient passer.

Oregon beat Tennessee — the only matchup between Pac-10 and SEC teams — behind Thomas’ poise down the stretch.

Stanford

The Cardinal is off to its best start since 1986 at 4-0.

Coach Jim Harbaugh prides himself on playing “smashmouth football,” which has football fans licking their lips in anticipation of Saturday’s game against Oregon, which will be a contrast of styles: speed vs. power.

The offense was plenty good last year too. But it’s the defense of Stanford that has been surprising. With its starting defense on the field, the Cardinal has given up just one touchdown this season; quite a change from one of the nation’s worst units last season.

That defense will face the No. 1 offense in the nation against Oregon.

A win over Oregon could launch Stanford into the Top 5 in the polls and the national title hunt.

Following Oregon, Stanford faces USC on Oct. 9 at home.

Arizona

The Wildcats are also 4-0. Barely.

Last week’s scare versus Cal nearly sent ‘Zona into the bye week with a loss.

However, the defense made its late stand and watched the offense charge 77 yards for the winning touchdown (10-9).

The Cats are scoring 34.3 points per game thanks to breakout star Juron Criner.

Running is a different story. Arizona will need to do more than rely on Foles (74.5 percent completion rate) if it hopes to escape with more wins.

USC

Despite eliciting unprecedented vitriol from pollsters and fans alike, the Trojans are hanging around in the Top 25 after going 4-0.

Everyone’s waiting for the Trojans to implode against a good team. Thus far, the Trojans have faced Hawai'i, Virginia, Minnesota and Washington State — the 57th hardest schedule in the nation according to Jeff Sagarin.

Washington’s disappointing 2-2 start doesn’t exactly help, but the Trojans should face their first real test this week.

Matt Barkley is showing improvement, finding a nice rhythm with star wide receiver Ronald Johnson and up-and-comer Robert Woods.

But it’s the running game that stands out. Dillon Baxter, Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler have all shown ability at running back. The always underrated Stanley Havili is also a big part of USC’s 218.5 rushing yards per game.

The schedule, as it does across the nation, really heats up for the Men of Troy starting this week.

To reach writer Daniel Watson, click here.

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