Pac-12 Notebook: USC QB Matt Barkley is ready to chase the lion

Here are some Pac-12 links from media outlets that regularly cover the conference.

USC QB Matt Barkley draws daily inspiration from a quote in the book "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day." Mark Batterson's book is based on a biblical passage, 2 Samuel 23:20. Benaiah chases a lion into a pit. Despite snowy, slippery ground, he catches the lion and kills it. This season, which begins Saturday, is Barkley's chase-the-lion moment, Michael Lev of the Orange County Register wrote.
UCLA DE Ellis McCarthy is the real dea, havingl participated in team drills for the first time Saturday. There were no shoulder pads and McCarthy was part of a rotating defensive front, but teammates saw enough to give McCarthy rave reviews.
Here’s something different: a photo essay of new Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, courtesy of the Oregonian.
With a heavy background in running offenses, Oregon State coach Mike Riley has opted to call plays again this season, Cliff Kirkpatrick of the Corvallis Gazette-Times reported. Offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf’s will be as a spotter from the press box and advise Riley on what defenses are doing.
Cal boasts five players whose fathers also played for the school, creating more of a family affair than coach Jeff Tedford has had before in his tenure in Berkeley, John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Stanford’s first offensive option this season will be to run. But with opponents likely stacking the box, daring the Cardinal to throw, we’ll soon find out if QB Josh Nunes’ arm is strong enough to throw the deep out, strong enough to convert some third-and-long situations and reliable enough to keep defenses honest, Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Ask Todd Graham his goal for the 2012 season, and he'll say "to win every game." It's the right answer but highly unlikely with a schedule that includes No. 1 USC and No. 5 Oregon. The real litmus test for the Sun Devils has less to do with wins and losses and more to do with effort and culture, Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic opined.
Later this week, QB Matt Scott will lead Arizona onto the field, stand in the shotgun, check down, call for the snap. Sometime during UA's Sept. 1 season opener against Toledo, he will experience something that he's mostly avoided during the last 22 months: pain. The quarterback was off-limits to defenders in spring drills and fall camp as coaches made an effort to keep Scott as healthy as possible. The Wildcats know their hopes ride on the health of their promising yet largely untested QB, Ryan Finley of the Arizona Daily Star reported.
In case the Washington football team forgets the goal this season, it’s visible just about everywhere they turn. From locker room walls to the covers of playbooks, the motto for this season is: "Take the next step." It's an obvious goal for the Huskies, who in the first three seasons under coach Steve Sarkisian have stabilized after the disaster that was the end of the Tyrone Willingham era, finishing 7-6 the past two seasons and each time advancing to a bowl game, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported.
Washington State football coaches usually have big personalities, from Lone Star Dietz, a Carlisle Indian who used to indulge photographers by donning full headdress almost a century ago; to Jim Walden, who lamented after a loss to California that "We got run over by a damn mo-ped;" to Mike Price, who, during a particularly futile season, referred to himself as "The King of Poop Island." Now comes Mike Leach, who appears born for the role. In the eight months since his appointment, he has shot a bear and shot the bull, Bud Withers of the Seattle Times reported.
Last year it seemed as if Utah couldn’t do anything Pac-12 related without a parade or some sort of ceremony to commemorate its first year in the conference. This season, the Utes aim to get down to business, Lya Wodraska of the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
For Colorado football fans still aghast that the Buffaloes' starting quarterback, Jordan Webb, is a transfer from a downtrodden Kansas program, it’s important to remember that despite being sacked 52 times behind a questionable offensive line and tossing 20 interceptions, Webb also threw for 3,079 yards with 20 touchdowns. Just as important, his competitiveness has never been questioned, Tom Kensler of the Denver Post reported.