Media day an occasion for optimism

It is an eager time of the year in the college football world. The season begins in one month. Thirty-three days from now, UCLA will host San Diego State at the Rose Bowl. That is close enough to begin speculation, but still too far away to know the most important things ““ what a team’s depth chart will look like, how it will improve throughout training camp, how it will be affected by injury or how its freshmen will acclimate.

I think that explains a lot of what was said at Pac-10 Media Day.

The Pac-10 held its annual event last Thursday at a hotel near LAX. Coaches and top players from each of the conference’s 10 teams answered reporters’ questions and everyone ate Mexican food. I heard all the familiar words: excited, optimistic, looking forward and can’t wait.

But coaches and players mostly shied away from specific predictions and guarantees. They say it’s too early for that stuff.

I went with the idea that I would churn out something brilliant to begin this season of columns for the Bruin. Instead, I came to agree with the coaches and players. The good stuff will come in September, October and November. For now, here are a few of my observations about the Bruins and the conference in general.

Hopefully they help ease the wait.

The greatest take-away point for me was the careful optimism of UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel. The second-year head coach said all the right things Thursday.

“I know we’ve proven we can recruit,” he said. “I know that we can coach. Now the question is just developing our team.”

I agree. Last year was ugly, but rebuilding a football program is a slow and methodical process. So far, Neuheisel has not failed a test. He needs three or four years to demonstrate his prowess as a recruiter and developer of talent. I think he’s on the right track.

I get the feeling UCLA middle linebacker Reggie Carter is extremely tired of losing. Exhausted may be the better word. The fifth-year senior has appeared in all of the Bruins’ last 38 games, dating back to the 2006 season. UCLA is a mediocre 17-21 in that span, including a dismal 4-8 finish last year.

When I asked Carter if he had thought about skipping this season to try to play in the NFL, he scoffed.

“You can’t leave after 4-8,” he said.

I am especially intrigued by UCLA tailback Christian Ramirez. Ramirez was a hot topic at media day, although he did not attend. The redshirt junior was academically ineligible last season, but rose to the top of the depth chart this spring and will start for the Bruins. If the UCLA offensive line improves ““ and that’s a big “if” ““ I think Ramirez could have a breakout season. He runs well and coaches say he is a gifted pass catcher.

At media day, Neuheisel emphasized that the Bruins will rely heavily on their running game, in part because of starting quarterback Kevin Prince’s inexperience.

“We’ll run the ball, or we’ll die trying,” Neuheisel said.

Bruin fans should circle the date October 3, when UCLA will travel to play Stanford. To me, this is the most crucial game on the early portion of the Bruins’ schedule. Both UCLA and Stanford are desperate to reach a bowl game, but the loser will have a much more difficult path to the postseason.

At media day, Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart told me his team’s heartbreaking loss to UCLA at the Rose Bowl last year will be a motivator.

“UCLA is kind of in the same situation we are ““ new coach, trying to build it up,” Gerhart said. “UCLA is a team I always want to beat.”

The Pac-10 is constantly comparing itself to the SEC. USC coach Pete Carroll made a point to proclaim his conference as the best in the nation.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly joked about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Neuheisel was asked about playing teams in Florida.

It all reinforces the fact that the SEC is the most prominent and most discussed conference in college football, and, for the businessmen, that’s the most important thing.

Cal coach Jeff Tedford kept referring to tailback Jhavid Best as a Heisman candidate. I realize that there is no harm in a coach who wants to promote his team, but Tedford’s claim is still unrealistic. The Heisman Trophy is a quarterback’s award. Voters snubbed phenoms like Pittsburgh wideout Larry Fitzgerald and Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson in favor of quarterbacks in recent years. And that’s probably all that Best can hope for, considering the abundance of quarterback talent in college football this season.

At the very end of the day I had a chance to meet with new Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott, and I was both surprised and impressed after our conversation.

Scott, who replaced former commissioner Tom Hansen on July 1, is a truly unique figure in college sports. He played collegiate tennis at Harvard and helped build the Women’s Tennis Association, but he has almost no background in football or men’s basketball, the most profitable collegiate sports.

Scott thinks that may be an advantage, and I don’t disagree. He’s serious about marketing women’s sports, and his understanding of new media and television contracts will be an asset to the conference.

Plus, he had nothing but good things to say about his recent visit to UCLA.

E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu.

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