Student doesn't exactly face teacher Saturday when Oregon State University journeys to Tempe for its Pacific-10 Conference opener.
But it's close.
OSU coach Mike Riley and ASU's Dennis Erickson both have been the leading man at OSU – but never coached together.
Riley enters his seventh year as the team's head coach, but his tenure in Corvallis was interrupted by his departure and Erickson's arrival.
When Riley left to coach the NFL's San Diego Chargers, Erickson took the reins at OSU in 1999.
Erickson coached the Beavers for four years, before he too to left for the NFL.
And sure enough, when the program had an opening in 2003, OSU turned to Riley.
"I was fortunate enough to come back, and he is coaching in another place," Riley said at his press conference in Corvallis. "He is probably excited about that; I know I am excited about this."
Riley has won three bowl games in the four years since he returned, entering Saturday 40-35 overall.
The game of musical chairs played by each coach is surpassed by their concerns for the game on the field.
Both coaches said the rigorous Pac-10 conference is especially unique because any team can beat the opposition at any time.
But the pair's odd history can't be ignored.
Though he had success at OSU, Erickson said he's been away too long to still feel nostalgia.
However, traces of his regime with the Beavers' program remain.
The oft-traveled Erickson recruited OSU's senior running back Yvenson Bernard and other players out of high school before moving on.
Bernard is now the Beaver's third all-time leading rusher and aiming to run through Erickson's new squad at ASU.
He'll be doing so, knowing that both schools run similar offensive and defensive schemes.
But ASU knows that too, as seven of Erickson's current assistant coaches have also spent time at OSU.
When ASU junior quarterback Rudy Carpenter drops back in practice, he makes reads against a defense that's very similar to the one he'll face Saturday.
"So we got prepared for each other during spring ball," Erickson joked.
Carpenter doesn't want to overestimate the effects of the similarities, but does note its place in pre-game preparations.
"The personnel is still different," Carpenter said. "But obviously it's better too because we can go against our defense in practice; the looks will be similar."
Erickson said he doesn't mind looking back, but that won't affect his focus on a tough opponent in the Beavers.
"I enjoyed my time there, and it was a lot of fun; [we] accomplished some things," Erickson said. "But, it's really no different than any other game anymore."
Riley agreed, as he said this game's importance has more to do with the beginning of a difficult Pac-10 schedule.
"All these games are huge," he said.
There remains little doubt that conference success is how Erickson built OSU and is planning to build ASU.
"I'm excited for Dennis, getting the Arizona State job and [I] know that he'll do a good job," Riley said. "It's very obvious to me that he's already impacting Arizona State Football."
Riley said Erickson's success at OSU is what brings extra attention to the match up.
Erickson went 31-17, taking the Beavers to victory at the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.
"I guess in those regards, for the people outside, it makes it special," Riley said. "I don't know [that] for Dennis and I that it matters a lot."
Reach the reporter at: andrew.pentis@asu.edu.
