Other articles by Greg Hansen:

Opinion by Greg Hansen : In this month of giving, Wildcats need a gift: support of fans Opinion by Greg Hansen : Big Game Week, always, vs. ASU Opinion by Greg Hansen : Giving thanks for Vern Friedli, ESPN and rain in desert Opinion by Greg Hansen : New club for Match Play has major 'wow factor' Opinion by Greg Hansen : Tucson schools should leave AIA Greg Hansen: Practice made perfectOpinion by Greg Hansen : It's the same old heartbreak as UA fails to win big one Opinion by Greg Hansen : Beavers, armed with Pac-10's top player, will fire 'best shot' Opinion by Greg Hansen : Cats' success fails to fill seats, no butts about it Opinion by Greg Hansen : Cats testing fans' faith, loyalty early in season

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BEST FIGHT SONGS

1. "Notre Dame Victory March"

• Lyrics are what set the Fighting Irish song apart. Classic. "Wake up the echoes'' and "shake down the thunder.'' You can picture the Four Horsemen belting it out after beating Army at Yankee Stadium.

2. Garth Brooks singing "Callin' Baton Rouge'' at LSU

• Technically, it's not a fight song, but in my experience at LSU, it was almost matchless in its ability to arouse the locals.

3. "Utah Man"

• It's gotta be good if a guy like me puts his alma mater's archrival's song on any list of merit. Most people in BCS land never hear it, but it's a winner. "Who am I sir? A Utah man am I."

4. "Rocky Top"

• I revel in the few occasions that I'm at an NCAA basketball tournament site that includes Tennessee. It's instantly clear why Volunteer QB Peyton Manning capped his career by leading his school's band in "Rocky Top.''

5. "Hail To The Victors"

• "Hail to the conquering heroes'' … you can almost see Bo and Woody on the turf at the Big House.

BEST PART OF EACH PAC-10 PROGRAM

Arizona

• The Zona Zoo, a 12,000-strong student section given preferred sideline seating, shows up early and makes itself heard. If all goes right in Year 5 of the Mike Stoops years, Arizona Stadium will become known as The Zoo, the facility will inevitably expand to about 65,000 seats and it will be one of the most difficult spots to play in the Pac-10.

Arizona State

• The coach, Dennis Erickson, truly believes his team will beat your team, and Sun Devil fans can sense it. The entire program operates with confidence.

California

• The Bears were relentless in taking advantage of the decline at UCLA and Washington and became a power player almost overnight. They didn't win a title, but they changed the image of the program.

Oregon

• The Ducks spent so much money for so many years, most of it from their in-state supporters at Nike, and they didn't do so frivolously. Oregon is among the best of the best in amenities, reputation, production and coaching.

Oregon State

• The hiring of three successive head coaches — Mike Riley, Erickson and Riley on the rebound — have been the opposite of what Arizona experienced with John Mackovic. OSU is sound every year because it knows what it is doing from the top down.

Stanford

• Nobody seems to panic when the Cardinal goes awry for a few years. Sooner or later, about three or four years every decade, Stanford is a bowl contender because it goes about business with a feeling of assurance. The down cycles never last.

UCLA

• Hiring Rick Neuheisel, below left, wasn't a gamble at all. In a year or two, the Bruins should be a recruiting giant capable of challenging USC in every capacity.

USC

• Standards are not compromised. The Trojans pursue only elite recruits. They may be able to avoid three- and four-loss seasons for the next decade and routinely win 10 or more games.

Washington

• The Huskies are a sleeping giant in the Northwest; their fan base, financial resources and history of success suggests they won't be down much longer.

Washington State

• This is the middle of a predictable down cycle for the Cougars. Since the Pac-10 began in 1978, they've always been able to overcome their inherent recruiting disadvantages and remain competitive. It may take another few seasons, but Wazzu has never been a quitter.

BEST STADIUMS, PAC-10

1. Reser Stadium, Oregon State

• Expansion to 45,000 seats and closing the south end zone has made the Corvallis arena the most intimate setting in Pac-10 football. It's even better when it is (a) foggy or (b) drizzling.

2. Husky Stadium, Washington

• It is so old that it creaks and it is usually chilly and damp. But when the Huskies are good it provides theater that can match any in the Big Ten and SEC.

3. Rose Bowl, UCLA

• Not because the fans are loud (they are usually not) and not because the Bruins are good (they are usually not a powerhouse). But because it is where it is and so many historical moments in college football have taken place in the Arroyo Seco.

BEST way to treat the home folks

1. Washington

• The Huskies are at the crisis stage, but they won't have to worry about peddling tickets on the cheap. They've got BYU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Arizona State and UCLA coming to Seattle. It is the most attractive home schedule — no patsies — in the country.

2. North Carolina

• The Tar Heels have a home schedule that includes Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Georgia Tech and rival North Carolina State. That should make the early-season home walkover against McNeese State endurable.

3. USC

• True, the Trojans go on the road to play Virginia, but USC gets the three powerhouses on their schedule — Oregon, Arizona State and especially Ohio State — in the Smog Bowl set in the middle of all those freeways. As a capper, Notre Dame visits the Coliseum in November.

4. Florida

• As if Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow didn't endow the Florida Gators with enough advantages, UF treats its fans to home games against Hawaii, Miami, LSU, Kentucky and Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks.

BEST STADIUMS, ALL SCHOOLS

1. Beaver Stadium, Penn State

• Expanded seven times, it is not an architectural delight. But it is built on a far edge of town surrounded by acres of tailgating heaven and it seats 107,282. In my opinion, it is more intimidating than LSU's Tiger Stadium and Ohio State's "Horseshoe.''

2. Camp Randall, Wisconsin

• Two wonderful virtues: It is really old (built in 1917) and it is located adjacent to the school's fraternity and sorority row in one of the most engaging college towns anywhere. Game day begins at sunrise and goes until last call.

3. Aloha Stadium, Hawaii

• It is impossibly humid with almost no air circulation, but it is a few hundred yards from Pearl Harbor, and you can't possibly be in anything but a reverent mood given the chance to be there.

Best coaches, RETIRED/ DECEASED

1. Bear Bryant

• He was so good for so long, without much of a slip, that you often forget he spent eight years at Kentucky and went 11-1 at that basketball school. An encore? He took a 1-9 Texas A&M team and turned it into a 9-0-1 champion in two years. And then came the Bama years.

2. Local angle: Jim Young

• The reason Young was quickly elected to the Hall of Fame is because voters took time to research his success at off-Broadway schools. He was 8-3, 9-2, 9-2 in his first three Arizona seasons and then put together a 9-2-1, 10-2 and 9-3 string at Purdue. He capped his distinguished career by taking Army — Army! — to six winning seasons in seven years.

3. Bud Wilkinson

• Had the Oklahoma coach retired after the 1958 season, he would be an automatic No. 1 almost everywhere. At that time, over 12 years at OU, Wilkinson had gone 124-10-3. He was untouchable and so were his Sooners. His final five seasons (31-19) blemished the legend.

BEST COACH TO HIRE IF YOUR TEAM GOES 2-10

1. Greg Schiano, Rutgers

• He was confident enough that he didn't leave Rutgers after going from 1-11 to 11-2 in four years.

2. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati

• Let's examine Kelly's record at small-time Grand Valley State: He finished with 13-1, 14-0 and 14-1 records. Then he rebuilt Central Michigan in three seasons, finishing with 10 victories. At Cincinnati, he was 10-3 his first season.

3. Chris Petersen, Boise State

• Not only maintaining what his predecessors at BSU achieved, Petersen has established his identity with a 23-3 start. He's an entertainer — the Broncos throw and score — and his time in Boise is probably short.

BEST (and most adorable) UNDERDOGS

1. Fresno State

• No team, no coach, has more brass than FSU's Pat Hill. The former Arizona offensive coordinator opens at Rutgers on Sept. 1, goes home to play Wisconsin two weeks later, then visits UCLA to end the month. The real biggie on FSU's schedule is a Nov. 28 WAC showdown at Boise State. Entertainment guaranteed.

2. Appalachian State

• America's Cinderella in cleats broke Michigan's heart in a game for the ages to open the '07 season. This year the Mountaineers open at LSU. They know what they are getting into: The Mountaineers also played at LSU (then ranked No. 6) in 2005 and were competitive in a 24-0 loss.

3. Notre Dame

• Any team coming off a 3-9 season and has a schedule that includes Michigan, USC, Pitt, Purdue, Boston College and North Carolina gets our sympathy.

BEST STORY LINES OF '08

1. Can a non-traditional power win it all?

• Can Texas Tech's captivating spread offense, starring quarterback Graham Harrell and receiver Michael Crabtree, left, overcome defensive problems and put the Red Raiders in a BCS game? Can they outscore enough opponents to win the Big 12? Wouldn't that be fun?

2. The ranking Southern power isn't from Florida, Alabama or Louisiana

• It looks to be Georgia. The allure to Georgia's schedule is that it must play Sept. 20 against ASU at Sun Devil Stadium and in late October at LSU. If this indeed is Georgia's best club since the Herschel Walker days of the early '80s, tailback Knowshon Moreno is Heisman-worthy timber.

3. How much longer for legends Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden?

• JoePa's Nittany Lions don't appear to be serious title contenders in the Big Ten, and Bowden's FSU Seminoles, 7-6 in each of the last two seasons, are long shots to win the ACC.

Best coaches, ACTIVE

1. Bobby Bowden

• OK, sure, he doesn't know when to make an exit, but that doesn't discount the remarkable period from 1987 to 2000 when Florida State won a minimum of 10 games every season.

2. Pete Carroll

• What distinguishes Carroll is that his USC predecessors, from Paul Hackett and John Robinson to John McKay and Larry Smith, never had anything to match his current six-year stretch of 70-8.

3. Jim Tressel

• How did he stay at Youngstown State all those (15) years when he was going 14-0-1, 11-1, 13-2 and 13-2? At Ohio State, he is the closest thing to Carroll going at 66-11 dating to 2002.

BEST WAY TO WATCH IN HD

1. Thursday night on ESPN

• ESPN regularly dispatches the jewel of its college football crew, Chris Fowler, to its captivating Thursday night games. This year's Thursday schedule with the engaging and informative Fowler is typically attractive: USC at Oregon State is the Sept. 25 game. Auburn plays at West Virginia on Oct. 23. Appearances are scheduled for Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami and Texas.

2. Thanksgiving Day

• If you've got a special cable package, the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) is must-see TV. Eleven games are scheduled, capped by a pair of evening/night games featuring Boise State vs. Fresno State and UCLA vs. Arizona State.

3. UA-ASU

• UA basketball fans won't have to worry about a conflict when the UA-ASU football game is played on Dec. 6. Lute Olson's team is not scheduled to play that day. Game time for the football game is uncertain. ESPN can select the game at 6 p.m., if it chooses. If not, Fox Sports Net will air the game at 1 p.m. Not that tickets are expected to be inexpensive. They are already selling from $53 to $271 on StubHub.

Best TRADITIONS

1. Marching bands

• And not just the dotting of the "i" at Ohio State or USC playing "Fight On.'' Marching bands everywhere.

2. Watching the cadets and the midshipmen take the field at the Army-Navy game.

• The game is no longer relevant; the young men in the stands are.

3. "Win one for the Gipper.''

4. "Tell them … tell the team to bear down."

5. Sooner Schooner and Ralphie the Buffalo

• It's a tie. Not much is better to see than the horse-drawn Sooner Schooner taking the field as the Oklahoma band begins "Boomer Sooner" and those college boys running astride Ralphie on the Colorado sidelines.

BEST HELMETS

1. Mississippi

• The blue helmet with "Ole Miss'' in red script is unique with a touch of class.

2. Wyoming

• Love the brown Cowboy Joe on a buckin' bronco.

3. Michigan

• The maize and blue with no lettering and no number was a brilliant idea.

4. Hawaii

• The bold "H'' on the Hawaiian Island green background was a wonderful improvement on the weak little rainbow.

5. Virginia

• Crossed orange swords under the "V'' was a stroke of genius.