Stanford Cardinal

Five things we learned at Day 2 of Pac-12 Media Days

Published Jul. 15, 2016 10:29 a.m. ET

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Some observations from Day 2 of Pac-12 Media Days in Hollywood on Friday.

And check out our post from Day 1.

Christian McCaffrey uses music as an escape

Everyone knows who Mr. McCaffrey is, now even more after his electric 368-yard peformance in Stanford's Rose Bowl blowout of Iowa.

McCaffrey, also an Academic All-American, says he enjoys playing the piano located in his dorm and, though he doesn't count any classic music artist as his favorite, he is a fan of Beethoven.

McCaffrey is sure to be the Heisman frontrunner heading into the 2016 season and it will be interesting to see his follow up to setting the NCA all-purpose yardage record (3,864) in 2015.

Jim Mora drinks decaf

No one can doubt the energy of UCLA coach Jim Mora.

When Mora approached our table carrying two cups of coffee, Mora insisted they were both decaf and that, if he drank caffeinated coffee to go along with his natural high level of energy, he would be bouncing off the walls.

Mora and the Bruins were picked by the media to win the Pac-12 South so we will wait and see if that energy transfers to the football field.

Aussie punters stick together

It was a pleasure to talk to Oregon State punter Nick Porebski, who hails from Melbourne, Australia.

Porebski, who can punt with either foot, says he's good friends with the Aussie punters at Ohio State and Michigan and they all look out for each other.

The best part of our chat was when Poresbki noted his first-career punt with the Beavers, which almost ended in disaster, went 65 yards after he booted it rugby style.

Colordao players don't get out much

Our final question we've been asking during our '10 West' podcast interviews has been: 'What the best concert you've ever attended, who, when and where?'

Both Buffaloes players, quarterback Sefo Liufau and defensive back Chidobe Awuzie, said they had never been to a live music show.

We let them off easy, saying if we gave them a blank ticket to see anyone, alive or dead, who would they choose and get some good answers. You can hear them on next week's podcast.

Watch out for the Bruins

The Pac-12 South preseason favorites, UCLA is set to be one of the top teams in the nation.

Entering the fifth season of the Mora era, we were thrilled to chat with linebacker Jayon Brown, a Long Beach Poly product, and offensive lineman Conor McDermott, a 6-foot-9 monster from Tennessee. 

Both fellas were extremely laid back, even though McDermott started off by saying he was shy, and while Brown told us of his recent bowling exploits, McDermott went off when we asked him to describe the best food joints in all of Nashville.

Be sure to listen to the Pac 12 Media Days recap on The '10 West' Podcast, which will air next week.

1. Mike Leach is still the most interesting man in college football

Sorry, Jim Harbaugh, but Leach continues to hold this crown in CFB.

We were lucky to get 10 minutes with Leach, entering his fifth season as head coach Washington State, for The '10 West' Podcast.

For nine of those minutes, we discussed Leach's recent trip to Cuba where he was blown away by the people, the architecture and the 1950 style cars that are 'everywhere down there.'

2. Kyle Whittingham loves classic rock

Whittingham, who's led Utah to eight straight bowl games since taking over as head coach, still looks like he could play today.

A former WAC Defensive Player of the Year at BYU, Whittingham said that, to him, no good music exists after 1979.

He listed AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, Kansas, Steely Dan and Lnyrd Skynyrd as some of his favorites.

3. Stanford is FINALLY getting some respect

Early Thursday, the Cardinal were named preseason Pac-12 favorites for the first time in the 56 years of the media poll.

With plenty of talent returning, led by all-purpose phenom back Christian McCaffrey, from the squad that stomped Iowa in last season's Rose Bowl, it will be interesting to see if Stanford lives up to the hype.

With USC, UCLA, Notre Dame and Oregon on all the roster, it won't be easy going for the Cardinal but if anyone can make it happen, it's coach David Shaw. 

4. Adoree' Jackson has much love for track

Jackson, the triple-threat star for USC, recently wrapped up his track season, finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships ... just missing out on a chance to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

Jackson, a two-time All-American long jumper, said that people don't realize how much he loves track and that he hopes to get a chance at the next Olympics.

Jackson praised his USC coaches for letting him miss seven months of football activities to chase his Olympic dream and can't wait to resume activities on the gridiron.

5. Zach Banner is large ... and smart as a whip

Banner, the 6-foot-9, 360 pound offensive tackle for the Trojans, holds the title as USC's biggest player.

A former Trojans basketball player to boot, Banner, following our routine podcast chat, took some time to preach for understanding between the police and society.

It's an extremely powerful speech, one which will debut during our Pac-12 Media Days podcast next week.

You won't want to miss it.

   by TaboolaSponsored LinksPromoted Stories  The Complete Guide to Lead NurturingSalesforce  Obama's "Secret Mortgage Payoff Program" Explodes After Brexit CrisisLow Mortgage Rates  Don't Miss These 34 Movie Sequels Coming Out This YearSheKnows  How These 67 Actors Looked in 2000 Compared to NowMSN  Cable TV Is Dying in 2016. Here's What Comes NextThe Motley Fool  Each Country Has A Different View Of The Perfect Female BodyDaily Bananas 

1. Mike Leach is still the most interesting man in college football

Sorry, Jim Harbaugh, but Leach continues to hold this crown in CFB.

We were lucky to get 10 minutes with Leach, entering his fifth season as head coach Washington State, for The '10 West' Podcast.

For nine of those minutes, we discussed Leach's recent trip to Cuba where he was blown away by the people, the architecture and the 1950 style cars that are 'everywhere down there.'

2. Kyle Whittingham loves classic rock

Whittingham, who's led Utah to eight straight bowl games since taking over as head coach, still looks like he could play today.

A former WAC Defensive Player of the Year at BYU, Whittingham said that, to him, no good music exists after 1979.

He listed AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, Kansas, Steely Dan and Lnyrd Skynyrd as some of his favorites.

3. Stanford is FINALLY getting some respect

Early Thursday, the Cardinal were named preseason Pac-12 favorites for the first time in the 56 years of the media poll.

With plenty of talent returning, led by all-purpose phenom back Christian McCaffrey, from the squad that stomped Iowa in last season's Rose Bowl, it will be interesting to see if Stanford lives up to the hype.

With USC, UCLA, Notre Dame and Oregon on all the roster, it won't be easy going for the Cardinal but if anyone can make it happen, it's coach David Shaw. 

4. Adoree' Jackson has much love for track

Jackson, the triple-threat star for USC, recently wrapped up his track season, finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships ... just missing out on a chance to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

Jackson, a two-time All-American long jumper, said that people don't realize how much he loves track and that he hopes to get a chance at the next Olympics.

Jackson praised his USC coaches for letting him miss seven months of football activities to chase his Olympic dream and can't wait to resume activities on the gridiron.

5. Zach Banner is large ... and smart as a whip

Banner, the 6-foot-9, 360 pound offensive tackle for the Trojans, holds the title as USC's biggest player.

A former Trojans basketball player to boot, Banner, following our routine podcast chat, took some time to preach for understanding between the police and society.

It's an extremely powerful speech, one which will debut during our Pac-12 Media Days podcast next week.

You won't want to miss it.

   by TaboolaSponsored LinksPromoted Stories  The Complete Guide to Lead NurturingSalesforce  Obama's "Secret Mortgage Payoff Program" Explodes After Brexit CrisisLow Mortgage Rates  Don't Miss These 34 Movie Sequels Coming Out This YearSheKnows  How These 67 Actors Looked in 2000 Compared to NowMSN  Cable TV Is Dying in 2016. Here's What Comes NextThe Motley Fool  Each Country Has A Different View Of The Perfect Female BodyDaily Bananas 

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