Three-time defending Pac-10 champion USC has been picked to win the conference again in a preseason poll of West Coast media members released today.

1. USC (18)
2. California (7)
3. Oregon (3)
4. Arizona State (1)
5. UCLA
6. Arizona
7. Oregon State
8. Washington State
9. Stanford
10. Washington

All the coaches were interviewed at the Sheraton near LAX and here’s what Pete Carroll had to say about the upcoming season.

“It’s great to be back here. We find ourselves in a position where we were a few years back. Three years ago we lost our quarterback, a running back and many other key players and we are now facing those same issues again. Hopefully we will respond just as well. The Coliseum is sold out for every game next year for the first time ever. What is unique about this team is that we have the culmination of three very big recruiting years, and those classes have a sense of what this is all about already. We have a lot of guys that can play and battle for playing time. There are a lot of exciting things that are going to unfold for us at camp … It doesn’t seem to be different this year as compared to last. Being the No. 1 team going in didn’t put any pressure on us last year and it’s not going to change how we are right now if we don’t have that ranking. There are different issues each season, new challenges, exciting challenges. I’m refreshed that there are so many things to be determined this season … This Conference is so loaded with offense, I don’t know how it could get more productive than it’s been, but we’ll see how everyone can get better.”

USC favored to win Pac-10 [OC Register]
2006 Kickoff: Football Media Day Quotes [Pac-10.org]