BCS National Championship: 10 Ways An Oregon Win Will Bring Pac-10 Respect

It feels like it's been a lifetime, but we're actually going to play a National Championship Game this month. It's Monday to be exact, when Oregon and Auburn will decide which high-powered offense will be crowned the National Champion.

Auburn is considered the favorite, bringing with it the Heisman Trophy winner and trying to keep the SEC as the dominant power in college football. But in perhaps the biggest game in school history, the Oregon Ducks are playing for more than themselves; they're also playing for their conference.

For years, the Pac-10 has been known as a basketball conference, with USC being the only relevant football powerhouse. And while the conference has become very good, it's still a hidden gem in the college football world. So with that in mind, here are 10 reasons why the Pac-10 will gain respect from an Oregon victory Monday night.

10. Emerging From Troy's Shadow

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PASADENA, CA - DECEMBER 04: Running back Allen Bradford #21 of the USC Trojans carries the ball against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at the Rose Bowl on December 4, 2010 in Pasadena, California. USC defeated UCLA 28-14. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Ge

Anyone who follows college football knows that the Pac-10 is more than USC. But the average fan thinks of the conference and most likely they would think of Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and the Men of Troy. With USC down, Oregon's presented with a great opportunity to become the other signature program in the conference.

9. Conference Bowl Record

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 03: Andrew Luck #12 of the Stanford Cardinal ellude Jack Tyler #58 of the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2011 in Miami, Florida. STanford won 40-12. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Ge

Amazingly, the conference has only four bowl games this year, with Arizona State not making a bowl and USC being ineligible. Yet the conference won two of the three bowl games to date, with Stanford making a big impression and Washington shutting down Nebraska. An Oregon win would make the conference 2-0 in the BCS and send the SEC to an 0-2 BCS record.

8. Improving Conference

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PASADENA, CA - DECEMBER 04: UCLA Bruins head coach Rick Neuheisel yells from the sideline against the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl on December 4, 2010 in Pasadena, California. USC defeated UCLA 28-14. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

The league is still very top heavy with USC and Oregon, and rightfully so. But there is life in the rest of the conference. Stanford is once again relevant and Washington went to a bowl game for the first time in eight years, winning one for the first time in nine. UCLA is improving, and with Utah entering the league next year, the top of the conference is now very competitive.

7. Conference Pride

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CORVALLIS, OR - DECEMBER 4: Running back Josh Huff #4 of the Oregon Ducks runs with the ball in the second quarter of the game against hte the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Corvallis, Oregon. The Ducks beat the Beavers 37-20

For all the talk about the conference, when it comes to football championships, it's been pretty selective. USC, Cal, Washington and UCLA are the only Pac-10 schools to win a national championship and the last time someone other than USC won an FBS title was Washington, way back in 1991.Oregon has the opportunity to join that exclusive club and give the conference a huge boost.

6. You Can't Learn Speed

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CORVALLIS, OR - DECEMBER 4: LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game at Reser Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Corvallis, Oregon. The Ducks beat the Beavers 37-20 to likely go on to the BCS Championshi

There has always been one go-to description when referring to the SEC's dominance in football, and that's that no one can match the speed and athleticism of the SEC schools.

Albeit very quietly, the Pac-10 has some great athletes, especially in Oregon, where they've run circles around their opponents for years. If there is any conference that can match the speed and athleticism of the SEC and Auburn, it's the Pac-10, with Oregon being their best bet.

5. Rebuilding The Reputation

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PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 23: Owen Marecic #48 of the Stanford Cardinal grabs the fask mask of Daniel Blackledge #2 of the Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

A couple of years ago, the conference was trying to rebuild after a poor bowl season. Even now, the league is still trying to rebuild with Washington State trying to get back to respectability. But the improved bowl record and getting teams back into bowls next year would go a long way, as would claiming another National Championship.

4. Pac-10 Football Is Winning Football

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CORVALLIS, OR - DECEMBER 04: The Oregon Ducks hold their helmets high before the game against the Oregon State Beavers during the 114th Civil War on December 4, 2010 at the Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

The Pac-10 is a speed-based, balanced offense type of league. Many teams have offenses that can run and throw the ball and the better teams can also play defense. College football leans very much to high-powered offenses, and an Oregon win against the SEC can go a long way toward showing other schools how to beat SEC teams. 

3. Pac-10 Exposure For Recruits

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 03: Players from the Stanford Cardinal hold up the Orange Bowl Champion trophy after they won 40-12 against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2011 in Miami, Florida. (Photo

In front of a prime time audience, the nation is finding out how good the conference is and how well the teams travel. With that in mind, an Oregon win in front of a bunch of rabid Ducks fans would be great exposure, both for the conference and recruits outside of the West Coast bubble. All of a sudden, more of the mid-level schools would be able to compete for recruits.

2. Money, Money, Money

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 03: Orange Bowl MVP Andrew Luck of the Stanford Cardinal celebrates with fans after Stanford won 40-14 against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2011 in Miami, Florida. (P

The Pac-10 has its television rights up soon, and for the most part, they've been relegated to regional television and ESPN. A win would definitely raise the conference's profile, plus with the impending expansion next year and a conference championship game, it could mean a very lucrative deal for the conference and make them a very attractive property.

1. We're No. 2

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 03: Stepfan Taylor #33 of the Stanford Cardinal runs the ball in the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2011 in Miami, Florida. Stanford won 40-12. (Pho

It's pretty obvious that the SEC is considered the best conference in football, and it's a reputation that's been rightfully deserved. The league has won the last four national championships.

But a Pac-10 win, combined with the recent struggles of the Big 12 and the Big Ten, could put the Pac-10 close to the top of the FBS conference food chain. A win in the biggest stage in the sport would do wonders for the conference, establishing itself as the second best conference in the sport, possibly a No. 1A to the SEC's No.1