With the SEC having wrapped up its media day last Tuesday and the Pac-12 conducting its bevy of press conferences one week later, now seems like a better time than ever to assess two of the NCAA’s more prestigious power conferences. Let’s break down each side with a few early storylines for 2012 as well as a recap of where things have gone since last season.
Pacific-12 Conference
Last year, the Pac-12 sent two teams to BCS bowls for the second consecutive season. However, parity was at a low, with USC ineligible for postseason play and Stanford and University of Oregon rising above the rest of the fold. In the end, Oregon finished No. 4 in the final AP poll after winning the Rose Bowl, followed by No. 6 USC and No. 7 Stanford.
Last season, the conference hosted its first-ever Pac-12 Championship Game, with mixed results. Autzen Stadium housed a sellout crowd for the nationally broadcast contest, but a top-10 Oregon squad faced a middling UCLA team (6-6 overall) coming off a 50-0 blowout loss to USC. With the Trojans primed for postseason play, Pac-12 North vs. Pac-12 South should offer more entertainment in 2012.
The conference title game won’t be the only event attracting widespread attention to the Pac-12 next year. The coming months mark the beginning of a new TV contract with Fox and ESPN that will feature 44 Pac-12 games broadcast nationally, replacing regional broadcasts of the past. In addition, Aug. 15 is the launch date for the newly formed Pac-12 Network, a media subsidiary wholly owned by the conference that will boost exposure to a new stratosphere online and for mobile devices.
Storylines

• Matt is back: USC’s Matt Barkley put together a fantastic season in 2011, showing great chemistry with underclassmen receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. His comfort level was so high that the coveted NFL prospect elected to forego professional riches and return for his senior season in 2012. Barkley is a Heisman favorite, while both Woods and Lee have realistic shots at winning the Biletnikoff Award, bestowed upon the nation’s best receiver. The team received more good news last week when rumors contended that Penn State running back Silas Redd is mulling a transfer to the program. The only foreseeable roadblock for Lane Kiffin’s squad is three-time defending conference champion Oregon, which travels to USC’s Coliseum on Nov. 3.

• New sheriffs in town: Four Pac-12 programs are kicking off 2012 with new head coaches. Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez, Arizona State’s Todd Graham, UCLA’s Jim Mora Jr. and Washington State’s Mike Leach managed to lure headliners to take over their programs. But will a change at the top make all the difference? Each newbie deserves a couple seasons to adapt before judgment is levied, but 2012 offers plenty of opportunity to make a strong first impression.

Favorites
In a preseason poll of media members who cover the league, USC was the favorite to come out on top. The Trojans were chosen by 117 of the 123 voters participating, with Utah picked to finish second in the South Division. Oregon was picked to win the North Division, garnering 117 first-place votes, while Stanford, which tallied five of the other six first-place votes, was selected to finish second. The media poll has correctly selected its champion in 28 of 51 previous polls, including 11 of the last 12.
Quote of the week
“I’m going to give the nod to Kyle (Whittingham). I mean, he’s sandwiched between a lot of mountains. He’s familiar with those mountains. He’s been around them for a while. And he’s a tenacious guy and knows Utah really well.”

— Washington State head coach and outdoor enthusiast Mike Leach on which Pac-12 head coach he would consider the best hunting partner
Southeastern Conference
Last year, the SEC capped one of the most impressive runs by a conference in collegiate football history with arguably its most competitive campaign yet.@@a little over the top@@ In the BCS National Championship Game, Alabama held previously undefeated LSU to 92 yards in a resounding victory that atoned for the Tigers’ 9-6 win in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5.
With that showcase game, the SEC claimed its sixth consecutive national championship. LSU finished No. 2 in the final AP poll on the strength of nonconference victories over Oregon and Big East Champion No. 17 West Virginia. The Tigers were followed by No. 5 Arkansas and No. 9 South Carolina to make it four SEC schools in the top 10.
The SEC placed 93 players on 2012 National Awards Watch Lists, the most of any conference.  These 93 were listed on 17 awards watch lists a total of 183 times, also the most of any conference. In the past six seasons, four SEC players have won national player of the year: Arkansas’ Darren McFadden (2007, Walter Camp), Florida’s Tim Tebow (2007, Heisman & Maxwell; 2008, Maxwell); Alabama’s Mark Ingram (2009, Heisman); and Auburn’s Cam Newton (2010, Heisman, Maxwell and Camp).
Story lines

• National title hangover: The last time Alabama won a national title under Nick Saban (2009), the team had a tough time carrying momentum into the next season. The 2010 Crimson Tide, which came into the season as preseason No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches’ polls, finished 10-3, including conference losses to LSU, Auburn and South Carolina. With starting quarterback and BCS title game MVP A.J. McCarron returning to join a daunting defensive unit, things again look bright in 2012. But can junior running back Eddie Lacy fill the shoes of now-departed Trent Richardson? His 674 yards and seven touchdowns in 2011 seem to say so.

• New kids on the block: Texas A&M and Missouri will make their SEC debuts in 2012. The Aggies are adjusting to a new head coach (Kevin Sumlin) while Missouri returns uber-athletic quarterback James Franklin, who registered 2,865 yards and 21 scores through the air last season while adding 981 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Favorites
In a preseason poll of the league’s 14 football information directors, Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia were named as the teams to beat in the division races. But in the overall strength poll, which is voted on by football information directors across the NCAA, LSU was picked first, followed by Alabama at No. 2.
Quote of the week
“I can tell you that no game is won on a Twitter page.”

— LSU head coach Les Miles, addressing the prevalent use of social media across collegiate football