Pac-12 Media Days 2012: What to Watch for During Popular Summer Event

College football media days provide fans with a chance to catch up with their favorite team. They also signal that the start of the season is right around the corner, which is terrific news for everybody who has been waiting months for the action to begin again.

One conference that should be particularly interesting this fall is the Pac-12. With several high-profile teams and no shortage of sleepers, it should be a fun season. With the league's media day set for Tuesday, let's take a look at some people to watch.

Rich Rodriguez

After a season away, Rodriguez returns to the coaching ranks to lead the Arizona program. His three-year run at Michigan didn't go nearly as well as everybody was hoping, so this is really a chance for the polarizing coach to redeem himself.

He takes over for Mike Stoops, who held the position for eight seasons but was never able to have any sustained success. That gives Rodriguez a great chance to win over the fanbase if he can turn the Wildcats into a winner in short order.

His first big test will come at media day. While he's never been afraid to speak his mind, he would probably be better off trying to lay low this time around. That said, you never know what to expect from him, so he's worth keeping an eye on.

Matt Barkley

It's quickly going to become an extremely important year for Barkley. He decided on returning to USC instead of heading to the NFL, which puts a boatload of pressure on his shoulders to perform at a high level to prove it was the right call.

The senior quarterback threw 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions last season while completing 69 percent of his passes. He posted career-high numbers across the board, which leaves very little room for error this season.

Players usually don't provide much insight at these events, likely because that's how they are coached ahead of time. Barkley might be different, though. He will have plenty of questions to answer and should be more revealing than most.

Chip Kelly

Kelly has built a powerhouse at Oregon with at least 10 wins in each of his first three seasons as head coach. With those terrific results comes sky-high expectations. Anything less than another dominant season would be a disappointment.

As always, the biggest key to success will be the team's high-powered offense. However, with Darron Thomas and LaMichael James both gone, Kelly will be tested as he looks to fill those holes without missing a beat.

He's worth watching to see how confident he seems in the progress of the replacements for those two stars. Although normally coaches say everything is going great, he doesn't want to put any pressure on guys like Kenjon Barner. He has to walk a fine line at the media day.