The most newsworthy thing that comes out of Pac-10 media day, which is Thursday, is usually the unveiling of the annual media poll.

While there are lots of other pre-season picks out there, the Pac-10 poll tends to serve as the "official'' one that everyone recalls later.

Here's the ballot I sent in:

1, USC
2, Cal
3, Oregon
4, Oregon State
5, Arizona State
6, Arizona
7, Stanford
8, UCLA
9, Washington
10, Washington State

I know I'll probably get some criticism for this looking a little too much like the conventional wisdom, especially at the top and bottom.

Spots 4-8, however, have shown some variance, and I found those as hard to pick as everybody else.

UCLA at No. 8 could really come back to bite me. But I like ASU's defense and schedule; I think Arizona still has a lot of pieces in place despite losing some headline acts from last year; and I really debated picking Stanford a lot higher as I think the Cardinal may be about to turn a corner.

As for the top, I'd love to find a legitimate reason to pick against USC, not because I have anything against the Trojans but just to spice things up a bit. But I just can't do it. While USC has inexperience at QB and more defensive starters to replace than usual, I think a standout O-line will make up for the former, and that the Trojans will again simply reload on D. DE Everson Griffin isn't a returning starter, but could be the best at his position in the conference by the end of the season, for instance.

I like Cal over Oregon due in part to a veteran O-line that could give the Bears the best running attack in the Pac-10.

As for the Huskies, I know some of you will ask why I couldn't think outside the box a little and find a way to move them up. But there's just too many question marks right now to objectively pick them any higher --- not to mention that this team simply needs to learn how to win again. It's college football, so little surprises anymore, and I wouldn't be floored if the Huskies finished higher. But right now, the teams above them just have more proven talent.

If you're still reading, I'd like to do again what we did here last year --- let all of you put in your selections in the comments section of this entry. I'll tally them up in a few days and compare how you guys picked it against those of us in the media.