Story lines worth following at college football media days

Dan Wolken | USA TODAY Sports

Every year during the annual tour of college football media days, you can count on hearing a lot about players who got better in the weight room, about improved 40-yard dash times and how much more players understand the offense/defense they're running. There's rarely any actual news, just a bunch of platitudes.

Then we take those quotes and dissect them for the next few weeks until actual football practices start. By the time actual games start the first week of September, all the talking is pretty much forgotten — and may not even be relevant given injuries, suspensions, dismissals and other factors that tend to pop up in the fall.

Still, there are always teams that have more eventful offseasons and interesting circumstances than others. With the SEC kicking off its spectacle in Hoover, Ala., next week, here are three teams from each of the five power conferences who we can't wait to hear from at media days.

Five burning questions facing the ACC in 2015 USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken weighs in on five burning on questions on ACC campuses leading up to the upcoming NCAA football season.

ACC (July 20-21 in Pinehurst, N.C.)

Florida State: This looked like a year for the Seminoles to take a step back from the national scene before regrouping in 2016. But when quarterback Everett Golson transferred from Notre Dame and took his talents to Tallahassee, it put Florida State back into the conversation — at least in theory. Golson's name is probably bigger than his impact — remember, he left Notre Dame because he hadn't beaten out Malik Zaire for the starting job following spring practice — but it still makes the Seminoles a compelling watch.

Plus, it's Florida State, where there rarely seems to be a shortage of off-field drama these days. De'Andre Johnson, a high-profile freshman quarterback, was dismissed from the team last week after video was released of him striking a woman at a bar. Last month, coach Jimbo Fisher released a statement acknowledging that he and his wife Candi had recently separated and were in the process of a divorce. That's a difficult moment for anyone, much less someone whose life is so public.

Miami: When the ACC preseason poll is released, Miami is unlikely to be found anywhere near the top of the Coastal Division. That doesn't bode well for Al Golden heading into Year 5. Since a 7-0 start in 2013, the Hurricanes are 8-11, a record that looks even worse when you consider that Miami had five players among the top 100 in the 2015 NFL Draft. Is this his last stand? Golden is well-regarded within the industry, but there are questions about whether he's a good fit in Miami (he's made some staff tweaks over the years geared toward local recruiting, but it may be too little too late).

Athletics director Blake James is loyal to Golden, who helped guide the program through severe fallout from the Nevin Shapiro scandal. There's no doubt years of NCAA uncertainty and the two-year postseason ban had a significant impact on where the Hurricanes stand in the ACC. Still, Golden needs to win soon or there will be no more patience left from the people who pay the bills at Miami.

North Carolina: The best thing Larry Fedora has going for him right now (and potentially the worst) is the NCAA allegation of academic misconduct hanging over North Carolina's athletic department. The looming Committee on Infractions hearing is THE biggest (only?) topic of conversation right now about the Tar Heels' football program because it's a case unlike any in recent memory: Vague in specific NCAA rules violations yet so big in scope that it's impossible to predict an outcome for the football or basketball programs at North Carolina.

In the meantime — and it almost seems like a footnote — Fedora is just 21-17 since coming from Southern Miss, with the last two seasons representing significant underachievement. Former Auburn coach and national champion Gene Chizik was brought in to fix North Carolina's embarrassing defense, which makes for an interesting storyline. Combine all those factors and it's reasonable to wonder what the future holds for Fedora and North Carolina if this season goes poorly. In a weird way, the NCAA uncertainty could shield Fedora from the most severe consequences.

Five burning questions from the Big Ten USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken weighs in on five burning on questions on Big Ten campuses leading up to the 2015 college football season.

Big Ten (July 30-31 in Chicago)

Ohio State: The talking points here are endless. Defending a national championship? Quarterback controversy? Ezekiel Elliott's Heisman campaign? Urban Meyer trying to match Nick Saban with four national titles? A burgeoning rivalry with Jim Harbaugh? Ohio State has more star power right now than any program in college football and it's not even close. Everything the Buckeyes do is newsworthy, and Urban has singlehandedly stolen a significant amount of spotlight from the SEC. In the broader sense, his hiring raised the bar for the Big Ten, which is poised for a renaissance after a series of strong coaching hires.

Michigan: Jim Harbaugh isn't so hot being on the radio with ESPN host Colin Cowherd, but he is really, really good at Twitter. And satellite camps. And getting quarterbacks to transfer to Michigan. Sure, we knew Harbaugh's return to the college game would make an impact, but it's wild to think about how much commotion he's caused in one offseason. From shirtless pictures going viral to getting two established starting quarterbacks on campus in Jake Rudock (formerly of Iowa) and John O'Korn (formerly of Houston), headlines involving Michigan were fast and furious over the last six months.

Whether this stuff is part of some grand plan or just a function of Harbaugh's immense weirdness, it's certainly interesting. Who knows how good Michigan is going to be this season. Then again, who cares? Harbaugh will probably not scintillate Big Ten media days with tremendous quotes, but he doesn't have to be entertaining to entertain.

Illinois: There's really only one topic worth addressing at Illinois, and unfortunately for Tim Beckman, it involves a litany of former players going public with allegations of mistreatment. The avalanche started in May when former offensive lineman Simon Cvijanovic went on a Twitter rant claiming he was unreasonably forced to push himself to get back on the field after an injury, which immediately put both Beckman and the university on the defensive.

Regardless of how Beckman might justify or respond to each specific instance, there's pretty much no way this will end well for him. And that doesn't even factor in his 12-25 record and the general apathy of Illinois fans. Beckman's response to the questions about the allegations and his job security will certainly make it worth tuning into the Big Ten Network for his press conference.

Five burning questions for Big 12 football USA Today Sports' Dan Wolken weighs in on five burning questions on Big 12 campuses leading up to the 2015 college football season.

Big 12 (July 20-21 in Dallas)

Texas: Charlie Strong's arrival hasn't re-energized Texas football as much as it's made people in Austin antsy, particularly when you consider that the Longhorns could have hired almost anyone this side of Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. (It's worth noting that James Franklin, another coach Texas could have had, has been breathing fire at Penn State and overachieved in Year 1 to get the Nittany Lions into a bowl game.)

Strong isn't charming fans, hasn't established an offensive identity, isn't killing it on the recruiting trail and forgot his starting quarterback's name during a deposition. (On that note, people throughout the industry are perplexed as to why Texas let Oklahoma State's lawsuit over co-offensive coordinator Joe Wickline's contract become the public spectacle/embarrassment it has turned into. It's made everybody involved look awful over a relatively measly sum of $600,000.) It's only Year 2, but without an answer at quarterback, it could get worse before it gets better. How Strong approaches media day will tell us a lot about what to expect from Texas this season.

Oklahoma: When we last saw the Sooners, they were completing their fall from preseason top-5 to mediocre with a lifeless 40-6 loss to Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It's been a quiet offseason for Bob Stoops — you haven't heard him take any shots at the SEC this summer — but plenty went on behind the scenes with East Carolina wunderkind Lincoln Riley taking over as offensive coordinator while Josh Heupel and Jay Norvell were shown the door.

Stoops heads into his 17th season trying to reinvent some aspects of the Oklahoma program while also trying not to deviate too much from the recipe that yielded eight top-10 finishes between 2000 and 2010. It's a delicate balance, but this season could go a long way to determining whether Stoops has another decade left in him at Oklahoma or it's getting time for a new challenge.

Baylor: Getting snubbed by the College Football Playoff committee is old news by now. That ground has been covered. But you can probably count on Art Briles stirring things up at Big 12 media day after an offseason full of spicy quotes about the makeup of the committee and process that squeezed out Baylor in favor of eventual national champion Ohio State. Has Briles turned the page, or is he going to continue hammering away at last season's disappointment?

Meanwhile, we're going to find out whether Seth Russell can be as productive as his quarterback predecessors in the Baylor system, whether 6-foot-7, 400-pound guard Laquan McGowan is really going to play tight end and whether Baylor's defense is ever going to be good enough to win a national championship. Even though the novelty of Baylor being good has worn off, it continues to be an interesting program.

Five burning questions for Pac-12 football USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken weighs in with five burning questions on Pac-12 campuses leading up to the 2015 NCAA Football season.

Pac 12 (July 30-31 in Burbank, Calif.)

USC: The last time expectations were this high for USC…Lane Kiffin went 7-6 and put himself on the hottest seat in the country. It's too early to say the stakes are that high for Steve Sarkisian, but it did not escape the attention of the Trojans' fan base that his first year included a couple inexplicable losses and a blowout at the hands of rival UCLA. The bar is higher for Sarkisian in Year 2 with Cody Kessler returning at quarterback and more scholarship depth. In other words, there better not be any Boston College debacles this time around. The time to win big is now. Meanwhile, like Jimbo Fisher, Sarkisian's divorce became part of the offseason news cycle.

UCLA: Between Jim Mora's Twitter account being deleted after last year's Alamo Bowl and offensive line coach Adrian Klemm's suspension/reinstatement in the wake of alleged NCAA rules violations, it's been an eventful offseason. But the real intrigue is what will happen with Josh Rosen, the top quarterback recruit in the nation, battling some less-talented veterans for the starting job.

If Rosen is the real deal, UCLA might be good enough to play for a national title. The team is that good everywhere else, particularly on defense. It's reminiscent of Florida State in 2013 losing E.J. Manuel but plugging in Jameis Winston and improving at quarterback. The difference is Winston had a redshirt year, while Rosen only had spring practice. But the impact could be similar if things fall into place.

Oregon: Unless/until the Ducks win a national title, the questions about whether there's a fundamental flaw in the way they're built will continue. It's not fair, but it's reality and will add to the intrigue of Oregon for as long as the Chip Kelly influence remains in the program.

Meanwhile, this feels like a bit of a reset year for the Ducks. Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is gone, likely replaced by Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams as a graduate transfer — if he actually graduates, which seems to be in question following a report Thursday from The Oregonian. That's a big enough storyline on its own. But when you throw in the veterans Oregon lost on defense and along the offensive line, it seems like a completely different group from the one that experienced so much success the past few years. That doesn't mean the Ducks will fall back too far. But Pac 12 media day will be a good time to take stock of Oregon and learn more about the next generation of players coming up in Mark Helfrich's system.

SEC Burning Questions: Who will top the SEC West? USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken weighs in on 5 burning on questions on SEC campuses leading up to the 2015 NCAA Football season.

SEC (July 13-17 in Hoover, Ala.)

Alabama: Between blowing a big lead against Ohio State in the CFP semifinals, taking an unnecessary risk on defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor that blew up in his face, a variety of other minor off-field embarrassments, getting undercut by SEC transfer rules in his pursuit of Everett Golson and appearing generally clueless/overly irritable on issues like cost of attendance, 2015 has gotten off to a pretty poor start for Nick Saban. And yet, the power of Alabama is such that the Crimson Tide heads into the season as the favorite — again — to win the SEC.

For all the talent Saban has amassed, however, there's an underlying feeling that the program isn't quite what it used to be. The intangible, undefinable and yet very real mental edge that Alabama had over its opponents from 2011 until the 2013 Iron Bowl hasn't carried through to the next generation of players. Make no mistake, Alabama isn't about to become some also-ran, but losses to Auburn, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Ohio State the last two seasons were symptomatic of the level dropping just enough to end any thoughts of a dynasty.

LSU: At last year's SEC Media Days, the hype train on Leonard Fournette officially left the station based on what other LSU players said about him. He didn't quite live up to it early in 2014, but a strong finish — and from all accounts, a terrific offseason — have positioned Fournette to be a sophomore monster. And he may not even be the best running back in the SEC this year (paging Nick Chubb). Either way, Fournette is going to be a major draw this year and one thread of an intriguing LSU story line.

After silencing his critics for awhile, Les Miles heads into his 11th season once again feeling some heat after going 8-5. The Tigers' quarterback situation was awful last year, and those questions have carried over to 2015. Meanwhile, it's been a pretty rough summer for off-field behavior at LSU with quarterback Anthony Jennings among a group of four players who were arrested in a three-day span last month. Defensive tackle Trey Lealaimatafao was dismissed from the team after a bar fight.

Ole Miss: The Laremy Tunsil mess ensured that Ole Miss is going to get its share of attention during SEC Media Days. It's unlikely Hugh Freeze will have a lot of answers to a domestic dispute that reportedly resulted in Tunsil's stepfather talking to NCAA investigators, but being under the glare of possible violations is never a good thing when you have to address a room full of reporters looking for story lines.

Meanwhile, star receiver Laquon Treadwell is back after one of the most gruesome-looking injuries imaginable, and there is plenty of intrigue around the Rebels' quarterback situation following the departure of Bo Wallace. Freeze will likely have to answer again for why he took a chance on Chad Kelly, who was dismissed from Clemson, went to junior college, then got arrested days after his Ole Miss commitment for fighting with a bouncer outside a nightclub.

PROJECTING THE 2015 PRESEASON TOP 25