Something special, and pretty surprising, is happening on Arizona’s college and pro football fields. The home teams are winning ... a lot.

Both Arizona State and the University of Arizona are ranked among the 20 best teams in college football. And the Arizona Cardinals, bottom feeders for most of their existence, have the NFL’s best record with nine wins and one loss.

Bob McManaman covers the NFL and other sports for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. He says the team has earned its victories and a big chunk of that started when the Cardinals hired General Manager Steve Keim and Head Coach Bruce Arians before the 2013 season.