Nov 28, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez (left) greets Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham following the 88th annual territorial cup at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats defeated the Sun Devils 42-35 to win the Pac-12 south title. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
With about a month until kickoff, college football fans in Arizona are excited for another year of Rich Rodriguez and Todd Graham football. But when they were both hired in 2011, there were concerns from both fan bases about the choices their schools had made.
Rich Rod was coming off a a disappointing three year stretch at Michigan. The Wolverines received some NCAA heat and were 15-22 on his watch.
The season after Rodriguez left, Michigan dominated with players mostly recruited during the Rich Rod regime. The Wolverines were 11-2 and won the Sugar Bowl.
Rodriguez probably wasn’t given enough time in Ann Arbor, but in the end not many of the hallowed Michigan faithful wanted him there anyway. He wasn’t a “Michigan Man”.
When Todd Graham came to Tempe he had just finished his sixth year as a head coach. The scary part for Sun Devil fans was he was only at three schools during that time.
What’s scarier than that? He was only at Rice and Pittsburgh one year a piece.
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez reacts against the Boise State Broncos in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
After three years of football success for both programs, each fan base is on board with Rich Rod and Graham, and hope they are both in it for the long haul.
Graham got the program on the fast track in Tempe thanks partly to a rich talent pool left from the Dennis Erickson regime.
Rodriguez may not have had as much talent but Mike Stoops left two key ingredients in the Arizona Football cupboard when he left town. A fifth-year senior quarterback named Matt Scott and arguably the best running back in Arizona Football history named Ka’deem Carey helped the Cats compete right away.
Arizona Wildcats
So far during their time in Arizona, both coaches have 2-1 bowl records and a Pac-12 South title each under their belts.
Graham won Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2013 and Rich Rod won the award in 2014 on the same day Michigan fired Rich Rod’s replacement, Brady Hoke.
Rich Rod got his first taste of Territorial Cup bliss last year and hopes to even his mark against Graham on Nov. 21 at Sun Devil Stadium.
From 1998-2014 during the BCS era the Grand Canyon State combined for zero BCS bowl berths.
ASU reached the Rose Bowl because of their outstanding 1996 campaign right before the BCS era began. The Wildcats reached the Fiesta Bowl during 2014’s surprising season during the first year of the College Football Playoff. Both teams lost their respected games.
Both coaches have their programs competing at a high level and have taken the rivalry to new heights. Yesterday on Sports Center they were asked about the rivalry:
If both coaches stick around, the Territorial Cup could become one of the premier college football rivalries in the nation. Football fans in Arizona are hopeful that College Football Playoff spots are on the line when these hated rivals face each other every November.
Bear Down!