Gorney's takeaways: Pac-12 Media Days Thursday

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – The second and final day of the Pac-12 Football Media Days is finished, as coaches and players from half of the conference's programs met with reporters on Thursday. Here are some takeaways from the event.

MORE: Wednesday Pac-12 takeaways | Standout Pac-12 early enrollees

An early signing period is coming to college football – for better or worse – and Washington State coach Mike Leach opposes it.

“I’m generally against that,” Leach said. “It depends when. Anything before December is ridiculous. Everybody forgets what it was like when they were 18.

“Maybe I remember better than some, part of it is because I’m around 18-year-olds all the time. When you’re 18 trying to sort out a decision of where to go to college, you could make the argument February is challenging enough. All of a sudden you’re going to make a binding, significant decision, you move it up even more, it’s difficult.”

Because Leach is Leach and has strong opinions about everything, plus it’s that time of summer called “talking season,” Leach was asked about hot dogs. Yes, hot dogs.

Pointedly, is a hot dog a sandwich? Important stuff. It looks like Leach and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut are in agreement about a topic that keeps so many up at night.

“I don’t like hot dogs,” Leach said. “I didn’t like hot dogs when I was a kid. Some of that started when I was a real young kid, I’d have baloney sandwich after baloney sandwich, so anything that remotely resembled baloney, I hated.

“Everybody says go to the ball game and eat a hot dog, not me. No, it’s not a sandwich. I’m not into hot dogs. With all due respect to those that are, they can have mine, so there will be more for them.”

The counter-argument in favor of the early signing period was offered by Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who said it will provide clarity in recruiting and will basically break the recruiting calendar into two.

One part will be the lead in to the Dec. 20 window where players have 72 hours to sign. That will be followed by the traditional National Signing Day in February.

Both positions have validity, and it’s one reason why coaches are so split on the topic of whether it’s good for coaches, recruits and the sport in general.

“For example, we have a guy who has a Utah offer and Alabama interest and December 20 comes along and we say, ‘We have a scholarship for you now or we’re going to move on or you can wait and roll the dice and see if something else materializes,’” Whittingham said.

“A lot of guys are going to take the bird in the hand. It’s an earlier indicator for us just where we stand with the kid and how strongly he feels about it. Commitments change. They commit, decommit, re-commit, there are so many unknowns and so much uncertainty in that. This will provide a much clearer picture of where you stand at least on December 20.

“It’s like you have two milestones now – December 20, who can we get in the boat and signed up. Then you have to know what you have to do from December 20 to February 1.”

There is a renewed energy at Oregon. It’s evident when first-year coach Willie Taggart talks about his vision for the program, and it's plain to see when the Ducks’ players here describe how things are going so far in Eugene.

Of course, Oregon has not played a game yet and every team is optimistic this time of year, but Taggart seems to be getting things rolling in his first few months on campus. On the recruiting trail, too.

The Ducks currently have the top-rated recruiting class in the Pac-12 with 15 commits, including seven four-stars, and they’re tied for No. 10 nationally with Florida. Taggart has been particularly successful in Florida so far – he came to Oregon from USF – with three commits from that state led by four-star WR Warren Thompson.

Despite Taggart's success in the Sunshine State, however, recruiting Southern California will continue to be a priority.

“The O and the Nike Swoosh helps going in there and then the tradition,” Taggart said. “The players in Southern Cal and the players around the country, they all know about the University of Oregon. For us, it’s getting them up there and getting them around our players and coaches and to see our vision and to see what we want to be and see if that’s something they want to be a part of. In the past, Southern Cal has been great for the University of Oregon.”

If Arizona State moves to more pro-style formations like expected, it makes sense because the running back position is loaded.

Former four-star Kalen Ballage, rated as the sixth-best athlete in the 2014 class, looked exceptional in his ASU polo shirt here on Thursday. He said that he and Demario Richard could continue to be a special duo in the Sun Devil’s backfield.

Elsewhere on offense, there is a heated quarterback battle going on between Alabama transfer Blake Barnett and Manny Wilkins. No matter which signal caller opens the season as starter, expect the run game to be dynamic.

“Just sticking together with each other through everything,” Ballage said. “There are going to be times when you feel like you should be the one playing; no, it’s not about that. It’s about winning football games. You get out there and that’s what we have the opportunity to do.”

Arizona State is going to have to score a ton of points because the Sun Devils' defense has been like Swiss cheese recently. That said, there are big-time players returning on defense, and Ballage is confident ASU will turn it around. Granted, everyone is hopeful this time of year until teams start lighting up the scoreboard.

“I believe in our defense,” Ballage said. “Everybody has a down year, that was our down year, and we’ll be ready to bounce back.”