Pacific Soundbites: Pac-12 & DirecTV unresolved, Pac-12 & SEC square off

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

Avinash Kunnath, Pacific Takes: And when you're just looking at everything that's happened in the conference this year. There's a lot of things that have been happening in college football. The Ed O'Bannon case, the new college football playoff. What do you think is the most compelling storyline to watch this season in college football, Sean?

Sean Fitzhugh, California Golden Blogs: I think that the idea that the Pac-12 is really embracing being [at the] forefront, and setting these new rules for practice. Trying to protect player safety and all that. It's kind of interesting because you can imagine that if you asked SEC folks about this, they might be a little more hesitant. They might say, "Let's kind of do it the way we've been doing it." But in the Pac-12, from the commissioner down to several of the coaches, when they were talking today, they really seemed to embrace these ideas.

AK: And David, on that issue, Mike Leach was talking about how the bottom half of the Pac-12 is better than the bottom half of the SEC. He thinks the Pac-12 is a more competitive conference. Do you agree with that statement? Do you think the Pac-12 is actually more competitive top to bottom?

David Gerhardt, Ralphie Report: Yeah. Maybe not at the very bottom, where my team currently resides. Hopefully that'll change soon enough. But he's not wrong, where the SEC really does have haves and have-nots. There's a big break just below the middle, and it's been that way for awhile, and it's probably not going to stop being that way.

Where's the Pac-12 with all teams getting the kind of money they are (or Utah about to be getting that kind of money), the sharing of the resources in that way... You have a lot more exciting programs. It's easier to get behind a program that has some excitement and has some exciting kind of styles of offenses and exciting styles of defenses even if they haven't been doing as well.

You've got a Washington State who was picked to finish last in the Top Six [conferences] ... But Mike Leach's offense is always ridiculous. I mean you can't help but enjoy even if he's playing against you the kind of stuff that happens on the field when his team's out there. So yeah you have that kind of balance overall.

AK: Anthony, when you're looking at the Pac-12 and the innovations they've been making, do you think it's become more of a fan-friendly conference than it has before? There was always an issue about exposure and whether the Pac-12 was getting enough attention. Do you think that's as big an issue as it is now, or is it really gained national recognition?

Anthony Cassino, UW Dawg Pound: It's getting better, it's improving. Although with some of the issues the Pac-12 Networks are having, they're kind of turning some fans off. I know that we have some fans out on the East Coast that are struggling to watch games, and they just can't do it.

AK: Regarding the DirecTV situation.

AC: Right. As far as being fan-friendly as a viewer, actually watching the games, I love it. There are so many different styles. Put a lot of points on the board if you like that. I'd rather watch Washington and Baylor go back and forth then Alabama and LSU kick field goals all days.