Brooks: Noteworthy (Or Not) From Pac-12 Media Day

CULVER CITY, Calif. - Bits, bytes, scraps and outtakes from the Pac-12 Conference's 2013 Football Media Day at Sony Studios, where it's easy to lose your way without a map (fortunately the Pac-12 provided them) . . .

SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW? In the wake of a 1-11 2012 season and a coaching change, Friday's big surprise would have been Colorado being picked anywhere but sixth (last) in the Pac-12 South Division.

That said, when the media poll was released as a morning prelude to media day there was nothing startling for CU attendees Paul Richardson and Chidera Uzo-Diribe. The Buffs brought up the rear.

"We'll just use that as motivation and prove them wrong," said Uzo-Diribe, a senior defensive end. "You never want to be part of a program that's picked last. It changes my whole mindset and makes me want to work even harder."

Richardson, a junior receiver who's returning from the knee injury that sidelined him last season, also called the last-place projection a source of "a little motivation, but that's not what I play for . . . of course we want to win and be at the top of their polls, but I play for this program, for this community and what we stand for."

First-year coach Mike MacIntyre was anything but traumatized by the media's dire predictions for the Buffs. He said he and his assistants "hit the field running fast" and "can't wait" until the players report on Aug. 5 and open practice the next day.

"The future is bright no matter what you hear out there," MacIntyre said. "Our future is bright."

STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION: MacIntyre didn't require most of his freshmen to report until late June. The exception was quarterback Sefo Liufau, who arrived several weeks earlier.

But that's been enough time for Uzo-Diribe to form this opinion of MacIntyre's first recruiting class: "These guys are all willing to work. They don't talk back, they don't complain. They're willing to put in the work. If they keep that attitude in them until they're seniors they'll turn this program around."

THE COMMISH PLAYS HARDBALL: Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott appears tired of waiting on DirecTV to come to terms with the Pac-12 Network.

In leading off Friday's media day, one of the topics addressed by Scott was the "impasse" between the two networks. "We're no closer (to an agreement) than we were last season," he said.

Scott acknowledged Pac-12 fans' patience but also said he recognized "they have ample opportunities" with other providers already aligned with the Pac-12 Network. He then urged fans "to drop DirecTV and switch to another provider."

The Pac-12 Network televised 550 live events last year, more than any other conference TV network, and is planning 750 live events this year.

SCOTT ON THE NCAA: At recent conference football media days, respective commissioners have weighed in on the future of the NCAA. Scott stepped on the scales Friday, saying college athletics' governing body clearly "is at a crossroads" and there is "eroding trust in the NCAA and its reform agenda."

Scott said the NCAA should "pursue a strategy of evolution rather than overhaul . . . what we heard this week is too radical, too narrow. The discussion should be broader, focusing on future shape of college athletics."

Scott offered four priority items he would like to see addressed:

Student-athlete welfare. "It should be paramount."

Governance. "One size does not fit all."

Enforcement. "Confidence in it is at an all-time low."

One-and-done in college basketball. "We need to reconsider a system that allows a student-athlete to be on campus less than 12 months."

MACINTYRE HAS COMPANY: Besides CU, two other Pac-12 schools - California and Oregon - will break in new head coaches this season. Sonny Dykes takes over at Cal, Mark Helfrich at Oregon.

Of the three new hires, the most is expected from Helfrich - you'll remember him as Dan Hawkins' offensive coordinator at CU for one season.

The Ducks are the media's pick to win the North, getting 15 first-place votes to Stanford's 11.

Of replacing Chip Kelly (Philadelphia Eagles), Helfrich said, "It's an honor to follow in Chip's footsteps." Aside from "tweaking the margins a little bit," Helfrich doesn't plan any kind of overhaul.

But then, why would he even consider it? Once again, the Ducks are loaded, starting with quarterback Marcus Mariota, arguably the best combo QB in college football.

"The most important thing is our guys believe in our program," Helfrich said. "They're a bunch of great guys who believe in what we do and that's the most important part."

Helfrich said being named to his first head coaching job last winter did not satisfy any personal timeline: "I've never been a guy who said he wanted to do this by this age or that title by that stage . . . I'm very fortunate to be in this position now and want to work every day to earn it."

TARGETING NEW TACKLING RULE: Coaches and players across the board are in favor of reducing head injuries in their sport. But they aren't on board with a new rule that could lead to more penalty yards and even ejections for defensive players "leading" with their helmets.

Washington State coach Mike Leach predicted enforcement of the rule will "become a guessing game . . . rules have to be enforceable, you have to see it."

Leach, the Pac-12's most colorful and outspoken coach, said he if lined two of his players up across the room and ordered them to run headlong toward each other - basically a one-on-one tackling drill - "I don't think you can say who lowered his head first."

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney met Michigan running back Vincent Smith head-on behind the line of scrimmage in last season's Outback Bowl, delivering a hit that was replayed numerous times then and is drawing even more attention now because of the new rule.

Said Leach: "The Clowney hit is why they have football."

Several Pac-12 coaches/players reiterated they teach or are taught proper tackling technique. Said Stanford linebacker Shane Skov: "We've been trained properly; football is an aggressive sport and I'm going to continue to play the way I play . . . I'll play aggressive football but do it the right way."

Added UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr: "As a defensive player it's going to be difficult to adjust my game for that rule . . . I'm going to play full speed and attacking. If I get penalized, so be it. But I'm going to play football and my game."

HE GOES BEYOND HUNGRY: Asked if missing last season due to his knee rehab made him hungrier than ever to play, Richardson answered: "That's the nice way of putting it. I can't express the hunger and how intense I'm going to be, how intense I am right now. I really can't wait to play in another game, and what better way to start it than against your in-state rival?"

The Buffs open the season on Sunday, Sept. 1 in Denver against Colorado State.

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE IN PULLMAN? After a particularly lackluster Saturday last fall, Leach made headlines when he said his players performed like "empty corpses and zombies." (And no, it wasn't after CU won its only game of the season, 35-34, with an unlikely fourth-quarter comeback against WSU.)

Asked Friday about that quote and if his second Cougars team had rid itself of those dark tendencies, Leach said, "This day and age, people ask questions, but they don't always want honest answers."

He called himself "the head zombie, the head corpse" and added, "Anything with regard to team effort or coaching, if you don't like the way your players are playing, that's about how well you're coaching, you know?"

WSU finished 3-9 last season.

LOTS TO SAY, LOTS MORE TO DO: The Pac-12 scheduled 15 minutes for each school Friday. Southern California, represented by coach Lane Kiffin and players Marqise Lee (receiver) and Hayes Pullard (linebacker) went at least 10 minutes into OT.

A preseason No. 1 pick last season, the Trojans slumped at mid-season, finished 7-6 and were beaten by UCLA in their crosstown rivalry game. Not a good fall for the beleaguered Kiffin, who was asked what he might have handled differently during USC's tailspin, particularly in the 39-36 loss at Arizona. USC then lost four of its next five, including a Sun Bowl defeat by Georgia Tech.

Kiffin said the 2012 season changed in the Arizona game: "We were 6-1 at that time and we were in command of the game, up 15 with the ball. Their crowd was starting to leave and we were coming back to play Oregon (in L.A.) and we missed a bunch of plays the rest of the game there. As far as handling things differently, I don't know that."

ANYTHING BUT A DRAG: Taylor Kelly had to know this was coming. The Arizona State quarterback and his family spend their summer drag racing in Eagle, Idaho - so it was bound to be brought up at media day.

It was.

The question to Kelly: "Taylor, I've seen videos of you drag racing and I wanted to know if that is something that bothers your coaches, that you're involved in something like that? Do you have another hidden talent that you want to share?"

His answer: "It bothers them a little bit. I only do it once a year, but I'm going to stop doing that and focus on football."

And from Arizona coach Todd Graham, seated next to Kelly: "Bothers me a lot."

2013 Pac-12 Media Poll

NORTH DIVISION: 1. Oregon (15) 145; 2. Stanford (11) 139; 3. Oregon State 95; 4. Washington 84; 5. California 47; 6. Washington State 33

SOUTH DIVISION: 1. UCLA (12) 135; 2. Arizona State (10) 130; 3. USC (4) 117; 4. Arizona 76; 5. Utah 60; 6. Colorado 28

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU