Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham looks up field in the first half during an NCAA college football game against Utah State Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in Salt Lake City. Utah won 24-14. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

 Rick Bowmer

1. Utah’s Kyle Whittingham. The Utes have adjusted to the Pac-12 in a fashion similar to that of Arizona’s Larry Smith from 1980-86. They can play (and beat) anybody. But unlike Smith in an era when multiyear contracts weren’t common and coaches job-hopped to make more money, Whittingham is a Utah homeboy making in excess of $3 million a year. He doesn’t need to leave to make a name for himself. 

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