Can't count out Arizona with Rich Rodriguez at the helm

Published Jul. 21, 2015 12:38 p.m. ET

foxsports

Arizona has changed for the better under Rich Rodriguez.

Three seasons in Tucson has turned the Wildcats from a sleeper to a national contender. Arizona last season finished with 10 wins and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. Making that all the more impressive is the Wildcats doing so with a sophomore quarterback.

So far, there are others in the Pac-12 South Division that should be considered strong contenders for the South crown (USC, UCLA). But the same was said last year, when it was the Wildcats who came out on top.

SB Naton's Bill Connelly writes that as long as Rich Rodriguez is in town, the Wildcats are always a Pac-12 South contender.

"Arizona won't be the South favorite, and that makes sense when you look at what other schools return and when you reflect on last year's good fortune," Connelly writes. "But that's okay. Rodriguez is turning the Wildcats into a proven entity, a consistent top-30 program that could have quite a few more opportunities for title games and big bowls in the future."

(h/t SB Nation)

Photo Credit: Christian Petersen, Getty Images