[Quack Attack]

Will Pac-10 coaches let it hang out just a little?



Thursday, July 24, 2008 RYAN WHITE
The Oregonian Staff


Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh probably owes an apology to USC's Pete Carroll at today's Pacific-10 Conference football media day. Not for coaching the Cardinal past the Trojans last season. No need to say "I'm sorry" for that.

Harbaugh was wrong for saying not once, but twice (essentially) that last season would be Carroll's last at USC. It's what he heard, secondhand and from some people who know people. Harbaugh first played prophet to a CBSSports.com reporter, and then confirmed his initial quotes to the Los Angeles Times. Quite admirable, really. But unless Carroll uses his turn at the mic to announce he's moving to New Zealand to take up spelunking -- it could happen, Carroll being Carroll -- he'll be coaching the Trojans when the season begins next month and his team is favored to win its seventh consecutive Pac-10 title.



Lets walk out on that limb of bold predictions and say that's what the preseason rankings will suggest when unveiled today. We're not here this morning, however, to lionize USC (or wonder what's going on with the Reggie Bush investigation). We're here to celebrate.

On Wednesday, the Southeastern Conference began its media days, plural. Three of them. According to a Birmingham (Ala.) News writer's blog, hundreds of Florida fans were waiting for Tim Tebow to arrive. For a staged media event. Al.com, which is to Alabama what Oregonlive.com is to us, has nine blogs feeding its coverage. The SEC, it's different.

In Los Angeles today -- for one day only -- it'll be a casual gathering of coaches and players from each team. What it lacks in insanity, it'll make up for in plot lines
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Rick Neuheisel's move to UCLA gave Carroll a more natural foil, and that was before Neuheisel hired former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow.
Neuheisel and Oregon's Mike Bellotti, of course, have a bit of a testy history going back to Neuheisel's days at Colorado and Washington. Bellotti, as he's grown into his role as the longest-tenured coach in the conference, has inched toward occasionally saying what he really thinks.
Also, Bellotti was probably offered the UCLA job before Neuheisel. Bellotti has that going for him, but he's lost two in a row to Mike Riley and Oregon State.

ASU's Dennis Erickson is, well, Dennis Erickson, enjoyable scamp. Arizona's Mike Stoops could explode at anyone, anytime for anything. Washington's Tyrone Willingham won't say a thing, won't alter his strong-jawed glare, no matter how far up the endangered list he ascends. At least he didn't inherit Paul Wulff's problems at Washington State.

California's Jeff Tedford finally got some help getting the hippies out of the trees around Memorial Stadium, clearing the way for a facilities upgrade, but, like Carroll, he lost to Stanford and Harbaugh last season.
Think Harbaugh might have something to say about that, too?