It's Pac-10 Media Day. Do you care? Just in case you do, here's a mediocre preview to whet your whistle.
Also, because the media will be releasing their poll today, the Building the Dam pre-season poll has been released. USC comes in at #1, and you're never going to believe comes in at #2. Check it out...
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PAC-10 MEDIA DAY
9:30 am - Introduction - Jim Muldoon
Assistant Commish Muldoon will introduce Pete Carroll as the new Dean of Pac-10 Coaches. Carroll will replace Mike Bellotti, who served 14 years as the Dean before being promoted to Oregon's Athletic Director this year. Before Bellotti was Washington State's Mike Price, who also served for 14 season.
9:35 am - Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott
This will be the first real public appearance for new the new Pac-10 Commish. Expect questions about what he's planning to do regarding television contracts, as well as questions about the quirky new Rose Bowl selection rules.
9:45 am - Paul Wulff/C Kenny Alfred - Washington State
What a great way to start off Media Day. Paul Wulff, who doesn't get a ton of attention from the media on a regular basis, will have a lot of eyes on him for the first time in awhile. He's got some pressure after his team finished last season with a 2-11 record.... it seems like WSU fans are still behind him, but he'll have to come up with something more intelligent than, "We have some players who have played college football." Yes, he really said that.
10:00 am - Steve Sarkisian/OLB Donald Butler - Washington
It's at this point in the press conference in which you realize that the teams speak to the media in the reverse order of their Pac-10 finish last year. Coach Sark will likely try to avoid questions about recruiting violations while talking about the potential his team has this year... but it's always tough to build off an 0-12 season. We hear he's excited to face the media... things can only get better from here, I suppose.
10:15 am - Rick Neuheisel/MLB Reggie Carter - UCLA
Slick Rick will have a lot of questions to answer about his offensive line, and whether they can provide some sort of protection for newly-dubbed starter Kevin Prince. Prince takes over for Kevin Craft, who will be a senior this year, but just doesn't have what it takes to take the Bruins beyond four wins this season. Neuheisel will also have a promising recruiting class to talk about, one that has the Bruin Nation thinking that he has the program headed in the right direction.
10:30 am - Jim Harbaugh/RB Toby Gerhart - Stanford
We know, Harbaugh. Gerhart is a stud. He makes your offense go. Gerhart rushed for 1,136 yards last year, but still calls last year just "alright". Stanford faded down the stretch last year when they needed to win to become bowl eligible... a bowl is definitely what Harbaugh and Gerhart have their eyes set on this year.
10:45 am - Dennis Erickson/OLB Mike Nixon - Arizona State
Arizona State was the Pac-10's biggest disappointment a year ago, when they were picked to finish second in the conferece at Media Day and ended up finishing with a losing record. The defense should be solid with Nixon as one of it's studs, but the offense has some problems on the line, and ASU will need to break in a new QB-- Danny Sullivan seems like the guy there.
11:00 am - Break
11:10 am - Mike Stoops/FS Cam Nelson - Arizona
Arizona fans were happy to see Coach Stoops get the Wildcats to a bowl game for the first time in ten years last season, but he has his work cut out for him in order to repeat the feat. Concussion-prone but skillful Willie Tuitama is gone, and the Wildcats have a quarterback competition on their hands in fall camp. Matt Scott and Nick Foles are the two guys who will duke it out in camp. Eight players return on the UA defense, so that shouldn't be a huge issue, so expect most of the questions to be directed towards the offense.
11:25 am - Jeff Tedford/TB Jahvid Best - California
It is at this point in the press conference when all hell could break loose, as the California Golden Blogs will have representation at Pac-10 Media Day, and I'm sure they'll have a question prepared that has nothing to do with on-field matters and more with, you know, trees. Or something like that. But really, I would be interested to hear how the linebackers are doing, since Follett, Williams, and Felder are all gone at that positon.
11:40 am - Mike Riley/OLB Keaton Kristick - Oregon State
When I first saw that Keaton Kristick would be Oregon State's representative about a week ago, I thought it was an interesting choice. He's not a high profile guy like the Rodgers' or even Moevao or Canfield, he's just a hardworking guy on the defense, who will really need to step up this year. He should get questions more oriented towards OSU's need to replace eight on the defense. Also, everyone will want to know about the quarterback situation, even though we all know what Riley's going to say. If you want to see what went down last year, here's the place.
11:55 am - Chip Kelly/CB Walter Thurmond III - Oregon
It's the first media day for Coach Kelly... and expectations are high in Eugene. They have a lot of playmakers to work with-- Jeremiah Masoli and Legarrette Blount, to name just two. It seems that the biggest questions are on defense, where Nick Allioti has to replace key secondary members and Nick Reed on the defensive line. The Ducks' defensive statistics from last season don't look good at all-- but that's mostly due in part to the Oregon quick-strike offense. Expect questions about how Kelly is liking his new office chair, the job, and if UO can contend for a Pac-10 title this year.
12:10 pm - Pete Carroll/FS Taylor Mays - USC
Taylor Mays is back as one of only three returners on the USC defenses, so expect Carroll and Mays to spend some considerable time talking about the progression of the defense. When it comes time to talk about the offense, Carroll will probably have to address the quarterback "battle" between Mustain and Corp. Then he'll probably brag about his running backs. Look for USC to be atop the Media Poll once again.
12:25 pm - Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott
The press conference will go back to the commish for some closing thoughts, before everyone jumps back on a plane and gets out of the LA smog.
Here's your place to talk anything media-day related.
--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)