Minutes from destiny, few in Arizona Stadium know just how close Arizona is to it. The Wildcats are closing in on a Territorial Cup win over Arizona State, and that alone is enough to make the stadium sway. It’s been a few years, and Rich Rodriguez has never beaten those hated Sun Devils, so you get it.

But the clock ticks down in two games — one in Tucson, one in Pasadena — and on the line, in college football terms, is everything. In one game, Arizona controls its fate. In the other, Stanford must prevail over UCLA. A Cardinal win over the Bruins means that the winner of the Tucson contest will advance to the Pac-12 title game against North champion Oregon.

Finally, the clock hits zeros at Arizona Stadium, and the scoreboard flashes “Pac-12 South champs.” Stanford, 7-5 on the year, has defeated the Bruins, 31-10. It’s done. The place erupts.

All week long, Rich Rodriguez wants his team to stay in the dark. He orders the UA game-day crew to keep the score off the video screen. Though in 2014, it’s not like everyone in the darn stadium doesn’t have his or her own personal scoreboard.

Rodriguez has spent the season pressing all the right buttons, but on Friday, only one matters.

The mute button.