The last two years...
Photo by Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

Rivalry season is here in the Pac-12. Stanford and Cal face off in the Big Game and… What is that game in Arizona called again?

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Dennis Erickson has been lacking upward-trajectory football games.
Photo Charlie Leight/The Arizona Republic

Arizona State has been the Pac-12 hot seat’s best friend the last couple weeks. Both Rick Neuheisel of UCLA and Washington State’s Paul Wulff got a boost by upsetting the Sun Devils.

Unfortunately for Dennis Erickson, in pushing his fellow coaches off the hot seat, he has fallen onto it himself.

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It's not fun when the new guy fights back.
Photo by Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

With the loss to the Colorado Buffaloes the Arizona football season has become a teen movie. It starts with making fun of the new kids (and guys with names like “Beaver”) but it ends with the new guys getting the last laugh. And it’s not as interesting if there’s not a streaker involved.

The reality is with two more losses the 2011 Wildcats make the short list of the worst teams in school history.

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This is how you score six points on one play.
Photo by Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

It’s the Game of the Century, West Coast edition!

Last week was all about Louisiana State and Alabama in the SEC. This week the Pac-12’s two best teams get their turn in the spotlight.

(Well, the portion of the spotlight not glaring on Penn State. I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t feel like watching college football this weekend.)

Alabama still has numbers on its helmets. Oregon has as many different helmets as there are numbers.

Stanford is an academic giant. LSU can’t spell “Go.”

Les Miles eats grass. Chip Kelly’s players possess grass.

Yep, Cardinal v. Ducks will be just like Crimson Tide v. Tigers…but with touchdowns.

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Who wants to start a bowl streak?
Photo Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

So it ends.

With loss number seven against Utah last Saturday the Arizona Wildcats football team will not be setting a school record by going to a fourth consecutive bowl game.

The UA’s run had been the third longest active streak in the Pac-12 (and second longest among the old Pac-10 schools). That honor now belongs to Stanford.

Here are the streaks for each program:

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