They are two of the brightest, most popular coaches in the NFL. The Eagles' Chip Kelly and Seahawks' Pete Carroll only squared off once when they headed the programs at Oregon and USC, respectively. Carroll darted for the pros in 2010, while Kelly stuck around for three more seasons in Eugene. NFL success also came more quickly for the former Ducks coach — he led Philly to an NFC East crown and has positioned them for a repeat this fall. After building a national power in Los Angeles, Carroll's Seahawks went 7-9 his first two seasons — that was good enough to make the playoffs and win a game there in 2010 — before taking home the Lombardi Trophy last year.

Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez played under Carroll at Southern California and has formed a tight bond with Kelly in his first year with the club.

“The atmosphere,” Sanchez said of similarities between the two coaches, according to NJ.com's Matt Lombardo. “They really emphasize that you work your butt off all week, then when you get to game day, just relax and have the time of your life. That’s what it feels like here, that’s what it felt like at USC and at times in New York (with the Jets) it felt like that, too, when things were going great. We have good players, a good system, let’s go have fun on Sunday, and that was the most important thing. It was a competitive atmosphere at all times and you had to be ready to play.''

When Sanchez excelled in the preseason, before he took over for the injured Nick Foles, he said Carroll reached out to congratulate him on his newfound success after his once-promising Jets career came to a turbulent end. He lost his lone meeting against Carroll's Seahawks in 2012, a 28-7 defeat in Seattle.