Pac-10 football has a different look — except for that team on top

LOS ANGELES — So this is the new world order: You fly to L.A. to get out of the heat in Seattle.

You come upon a Pac-10 Conference football media day where, by tradition, each school brings one of its marquee players. And the Pac-10, the conference that copyrighted the quarterback position, shows off four linebackers, two safeties, two tailbacks, a cornerback and a center. No quarterbacks.

You happen upon a league in which the best returning quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli of Oregon, can't be found in the top 10 in passing yards from 2008.

"This," said Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh grandly, "is a mighty man's league."

Huh? Since when did the Pac-10 go all Big Ten on us? This was always a pitch-and-catch conference, a place where Bill Walsh made a name, where it somehow was tough to find defensive tackles to plug the middle, where excellence was measured in seam routes and square-outs.

Suddenly, the league's gone all Cro-Magnon.

"You better be able to stop the run," warned Harbaugh, who brought with him running back Toby Gerhart.

Not to imply that the league is totally inverted. USC was picked by media for the 37th straight year — no, make that the seventh straight — to win the conference, with California second. So maybe it's merely all about finding new ways to try to beat the Trojans.

Under Jeff Tedford, Cal has had USC in its crosshairs for years. In 2004, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, it came within a last-minute, inside-the-10 misfire of setting the Trojans dynasty ablaze, but nobody has one-upped USC since.

If the Bears do it this year, no doubt they'll have Jahvid Best to thank. He rushed for 1,580 yards in 2008, about nine-tenths of it against the Huskies and Cougars, and an 8.1-yard average. He's the most notable offensive returnee in a conference that has eight of its top 10 rushers back.

"He's worth the price of admission," said Tedford.

So understated was the star power among the players in attendance that baseball seemingly was addressed as much as football.

Gerhart is good enough to have hit 16 homers and stolen 12 bases in as many attempts in three seasons playing outfield at Stanford.

Meanwhile, Arizona State linebacker Mike Nixon, who accompanied coach Dennis Erickson, is a 25-year-old who played catcher in the Dodgers chain until he gave that up in 2005, apparently having saved some of his bonus.

"He's got the greatest house I've ever seen for somebody playing college football," cracked Erickson.

Steve Sarkisian, the first-year Washington coach, burst to the podium — he pretty much bursts no matter what he's doing — and said he thinks Jake Locker, his quarterback, is going to sign with the Angels.

That's not a deal-breaker for Huskies fans. Locker, drafted by L.A. in June, has until Aug. 17 to sign an agreement that would keep his rights with the Angels for six years if he chooses to play baseball. That's still a big "if" and in any case, he plans to finish his last two years at Washington playing football.

"I don't know how close, exactly, they are," Sarkisian said. "I just know that the Angels are one of the premier organizations. I think it'll be fair to both parties. He's a terrific athlete; I'm sure he's a priority for them."

As always, the last guys to appear were those from USC. You know, it's like nine lounge acts, followed by the Rolling Stones.

Actually, the Troy Boys' day began with a story in the L.A. Times that questioned whether the duties of people like special-teams expert Pete Rodriguez as a "consultant" to Carroll might have actually caused them to overstep NCAA limits on coaching-staff numbers.

Ah, but nothing — Reggie Bush, O.J. Mayo — seems to stick to the Teflon Trojans. Nothing except championships, anyway.

If the Pac-10 can reverse that, then the conference's about-face will be complete.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com