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1. Bill Doba, Washington State

The Cougars were a delightful story at the beginning of the decade, rising from the dregs of the conference to finish in the top 10 among the polls in 2001, 2002 and 2003. It looked as though they had finally turned the corner, even though they were the king of the "have-nots" in terms of football budget, media market and smallest home venue. But then, USC became a superpower under Pete Carroll, Cal went from a mess under Tom Holmoe to a hot contender under Jeff Tedford, and the other northwest programs like Oregon State and Oregon expanded their stadiums while their success grew on and off the field. All bad things for the scrappy Cougars.

When Mike Price bailed on the WSU program, Doba was elevated to head coach after a career of assistant coaching. It felt as though he was doing the program a favor, more or less taking over the ship while the captain hopped off on a lifeboat full of cash. After a strong beginning, highlighted with a 2003 Holiday Bowl win and another top-10 finish, success has been fleeting. But is it really all his fault, what's happened the last few years? With all the devastating injuries the program has suffered, at a school were depth is always an issue, it's hard to imagine too many coaches doing a heck of a lot better than Doba in the same situation.

So is this the end of the line? He hasn't been a terrible head coach. The last few years have been a struggle, but he still has a 25-22 record from 2003-2006. A lot of coaches around the country wouldn't mind having that kind of record in a tough BCS conference. He's a class act in every sense, from people that deal with him on a daily basis to the utmost respect shown by his peers, you just never hear a bad word about Doba. There has been some rumor mongering lately, including one wild one that had Mike Price returning to Pullman as the head coach and Doba stepping back down to defensive coordinator. But in a recent interview, Doba threw cold water on that talk, as well as any idea that he'd voluntarily walk away after the season. But one thing has become clear. After last season's disappointing fade, the natives are restless. Doba, more than any other coach in the conference, needs to win now. If the Cougars don't return to postseason play in '07, it will mark four consecutive years without a bowl appearance, the longest stretch of bowl-less holidays at WSU since 1982 – 1987. And if that happens, the decision whether to walk away at the end of the year may not be his call after all.

2. Mike Stoops, Arizona

Some may question Stoops' name on this list. After all, despite a slow start, Arizona finished well at the end of last year, winning three of their last four games in convincing fashion, including upsets of then-#25 WSU, #8 Cal, and a blow-out 37-10 win at Oregon.

But if there is a coach and a program that needs to finally break through with a winning season and bowl appearance, it's Stoops and Arizona. Even with a big finish, the Cats did fail to close the deal in '06, losing at home by two touchdowns to their hated rival ASU, a loss that kept them home for the holidays. That obviously didn't sit well with the Arizona faithful. And, Stoops' record, even after his best season last year at 6-6, is still only 12-22 in three seasons in Tucson, including 8-17 in conference play.

Fans and media alike expect more this year, as the Wildcats return 17 starters, including nine on the defensive side of the ball where Arizona looks potentially dominant. And you have to hand it to Stoops, in that at least he isn't sitting around and accepting a 12-22 record. After a very inconsistent offense last year, Stoops fired some offensive assistants and brought in, among others, Sonny Dykes, the co-offensive coordinator of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. With Dykes comes the quick-strike, spread offense, something far and away different than Stoops or Arizona fans are used to seeing on a weekly basis. A move in the right direction? Or is it a situation of desperate times calling for desperate measures? Whatever the case, Arizona hasn't been to a bowl game since 1998 under the fabulous QB Ortege Jenkins, so, patience is wearing thin for this rebuilding project. Another non-bowl season and Stoops may not survive.

3. Mike Bellotti, Oregon

This may be another choice that raises a few eyebrows. After all, Bellotti is the "Dean" of the Pac-10 coaches, going on his 14^th year in charge of the Ducks, with an impressive 97-48 record. But as always, it's what have you done for me lately, after a very successful 10-win season in '05, the Ducks laid an egg last year, rolling out a 7-6 record and a humiliating loss to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. That's the second time in the last three seasons that the Ducks have had six losses, far too many for a program with lofty expectations.

For recent post-season play, it's even worse. Including the 38-8 Vegas disaster, that's now four bowl losses in a row for Oregon, their last victory coming in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl. With all the offensive talent in place, wealthy donors writing checks and the loud, sold-out stadium for every Saturday home game, the fans are expecting at worst an upper-division finish this year, if not a runner-up to USC for the whole thing.

But for the first time, Bellotti is even starting to feel a little heat. Oregonian columnist John Canzano fired a scathing editorial at Bellotti, labeling him the "Teflon" coach (you know, Teflon....nothing sticks....get it??). So even the local scribes are standing up and declaring that maybe, just maybe, the Emporer has no clothes.

Expectations are high once again among Duck fans. Seven offensive starters are back, and a new version of the spread offense in in place by incoming offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. But if Bellotti rolls out another underwhelming season, this duck might be cooked.