Pacific Soundbites: Oregon State, Stanford feeling good, USC & Oregon feeling heat

Listen to the SB Nation at Pac-12 Media Day 2013 podcast!

(Click here for Part I)

Avinash Kunnath, Pacific Takes: So based on what you've seen from the press conferences, who do you think is looking the most confident going into this season? Who do you think is under a lot of pressure to succeed? And I'll just go around the table and start with you David.

David Gerhardt, Ralphie Report: Most confident might have been Mike Riley.

AK: Mike Riley? Interesting.

DG: Especially after the comeback they had last season. There's a lot of teams in good shape. He just doesn't seem to--I mean, why would he at this point--but he doesn't seem to feel any pressure.

Sean Fitzhugh, California Golden Blogs: So I hate to say it, writing for a Cal site, but the Stanford folks really come across. They haven't lost a ton of personnel. Their offensive and defensive lines are just going to be incredible. They're going to keep doing the same things they've done the past couple of years. They're going to run people over, they're going to shut them down defensively. It just doesn't sound like a whole lot has changed. And they just don't seem worried at all about this upcoming season, and I don't think that they do really have any reason to worry.

AK: Changing topics to the other side, who do you think is facing the most pressure going into this season, and looking at the way the press conferences went and the questions that were being asked, who do you see as getting the most scrutiny. Jack?

Jack Follman, Pacific Takes: I mean without a doubt USC, Lane Kiffin. I mean like I said in the live blog, he should just adopt a Stone Cold Steve Austin attitude because everyone hates him, and he might as well just embrace it. And I mean just being here, by default he's going to get more questions than anyone. And I feel like he hasn't done himself any favors. But he always seem to be the guy who's getting the most flak for everything and getting the toughest questions.

AK: Ben, what are your thoughts on who's facing scrutiny?

Ben Haber, House of Sparky: When you talk about pressure, to me, you gotta start with the teams that are at the top of the national radar, and that starts with Oregon. And the transition now into the Helfrich era from Chip Kelly has gotta be something interest. They didn't seem to be too worried about it at all, plan on putting up as many points as possible as always. And the clashing style with Stanford will be very interesting again and this year. And I think they're on the hot seat because they gotta try and win a national championship.