CaliforniaThe Bears had been the one team Locker had never faced in his career

In the end, Kelly deserves it for the way he moved past the team's early season disaster (on and off the field) against Boise State Few first year coaches are greeted with the kind of P.R. nightmare he had to deal with, and Kelly did a terrific job getting his team back on track towards its first BCS berth since 2001. Runner-Up:Mike Riley, Oregon State Despite the Beavers losing out on the Rose Bowl in their final game, one can't say enough about the job Oregon State's head coach does year after year. His teams always start out as afterthoughts in the conference race, and yet the Beavers only seem to get stronger as the season goes on - having played for trips to Pasadena in the past two season finales. Riley has not had a losing record in November since 2005, and went undefeated in the month this year. Honorable Mention: Steve Sarkisian, Washington (5-7)It was a tough decision to exclude Harbaugh, but the turmoil in Washington in 2008 before Sarkisian's arrival can't be understated. The first year coach has injected new life into the Huskies faithful after upsetting USC and throttling Cal at home.

Just a year removed from a winless season, Washington was one crazy play away from bowl eligiblity in 2009 and posted the school's most conference wins in six years. At 5'11", Oregon's junior quarterback may not look big, but he certainly played big in this game - accounting for six total touchdowns. His game-winning touchdown run in double overtime brought the Ducks one game closer to a Rose Bowl berth. With his performance, Masoli came full circle from an early season slump during which he went the first three games without a passing touchdown Runner Up: Toby Gerhart vs.

OregonHis masterpiece against Notre Dame was impressive, but perhaps more so was what he did againstthe nation's seventh ranked team. The performance not only announced his school's Pac-10 presence, but introduced himself as a Heisman candidate Honorable Mention:Jake Locker vs. CaliforniaThe Bears had been the one team Locker had never faced in his career. In what may have been his final game in a Husky uniform, Washington's dual-threat signal caller was nearly flawless through the air (19-of-23 for 248 yards and three touchdowns) and ran fortwo more scores during the 42-10 triumph. There were some quality games throughout the Pac-10 season, but this one had it all: offensive displays, Rose Bowl implications, stellar individual performances and loads of drama. The Wildcats fought back from a 14-0 deficit with 24 unanswered points, and the Ducks responded to tie the game on a touchdown pass from Jeremiah Masoli to Ed Dickson with six seconds to play.

Masoli, who outdueled a four-touchdown night from Nick Foles, capped off the thriller with a game-winning one yard touchdown run in double overtime. The network scheduled some great match-ups this season, but the 2009 Civil War may have been the best.Sean Canfield's two touchdown strikes helped the pesky Beavers take a 30-21 third quarter lead. But after aLaGarrette Blount's redemptive scoring run cut the lead, LaMichael James put Oregon ahead for good with a spectacular 52-yard scamper, as the Ducks earned a trip to Pasadena and broke the Beavers' hearts once again.Honorable Mention: Nov. The game featured brilliant rushing performances from Toby Gerhart (136 yard, four touchdowns) and Shane Vereen (a career-high 193 and three scores). 1) "USC-Arizona: What do you call this" - The sport on Saturday was football, but this endlessly tipped and fumbled play that started as a Matt Barkley pass had elements of volleyball, soccer, and hacky-sack. 3) Sullivan's Prayer Against Washington - In a game that was likely heading for overtime, the Sun Devils' quarterback Danny Sullivan heaved a 50-yard hail mary to - a stunningly wide open - Chris McGaha. It was one of the few highlights of an otherwise disappointing 4-8 campaign for ASU, and will likely haunt Washington as the play that potentially cost them a bowl berth.