Oh my gosh, Tosh!
Tosh Lupoi is up to his old tricks, and this time he may be out of a job. Oregon defensive line recruit Tua Talia revealed today that Lupoi has been recruiting him. That’s not unusal by itself, even though Talia is verbally committed to the Ducks. But Lupoi was trying to poach Talia for USC while still under contract with Washington.
Prior bad acting: Tosh Lupoi signaled in this play from the sideline in a 2010 game against the Ducks. Third-string nose tackle Aaron Tipoti looked to the sideline, then took a dive to slow down a drive. Lupoi stands freshly accused of trying to steal recruits for one school while being employed by another.
This time, the former California Injury Fake Coordinator got his just reward: he’s about to be fired by Washington, and SC has no interest in adding him to the staff. Justin Hopkins of Duck Territory was the first to report the story, and it’s not surprising: Lupoi has made more tricky, dirty moves than an Xbox wizard with 300 cheat codes, and an end to his underhanded shenanigans and fast-and-loose recruiting style in two PAC-12 stops is long overdue.
DAT draft notice
No practice until this weekend as the Oregon players finish up their finals. De’Anthony Thomas tweeted tonight that he turned in his last one for the quarter, which at least means he is still studying and taking classes, although most of the scuttlebutt says he is likely to declare for the draft.
Cbssports.com projects the Oregon junior as a 6th-round pick. Scouts have compared him to Tavon Austin or Devin Hester, with the most optimistic comparisons being DeSean Jackson or Darren Sproles. Sproles is a reach–he’s 5-6, 190, and DAT is smaller than that, probably 20-25 pounds less when he steps on the scales at the combine. Thomas has as much speed, talent and elusiveness as any of these players, but Austin is the closest match physically at 5-8, 174. The Rams wide receiver has 40 catches this season for 418 yards, 4 tds, and a 98-yard punt return.
Meanwhile, Duck defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu stands to make a lot of money if he declares. Projections at cbs.com by draft analysts Rob Rang and Dane Brugler have him going 14th or 20th in the first round if he declares. Some still think he’ll return for his senior season, which would be huge for Oregon’s 2014 outlook.
Early Frost warning
Boise State just hired Arkansas State coach Bryan Harsin as their new head coach, a former Broncos assistant. Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost was one of BSU’s finalists, along with UW defensive coordinator and former Duck defensive back Justin Wilcox.
With his NFL background, coaching pedigree and ability to relate to players, Frost is starting to get attention as a future head coach, and his name came up earlier this year as Bo Pelini endured an 8-4 year at Nebraska while plagued with media controversies and run-ins with officials. The NU AD and regents elected to hang on to their embattled coach, however, and Frost seems safe to remain a Duck for now.
The first-year offensive coordinator drew some criticism over play-calling this season at Oregon, somewhat unfairly, as his unit is approaching an all-time team record for total offense, 3rd in the nation in scoring at 46.8 points per game. Critics point to poor showings at Stanford and Arizona, charging him with predictability and a failure to adjust. The bowl is always a referendum for coaches, given that they have four weeks to scheme. In the Chip Kelly years, bowl offensive outputs sparkled: Kelly once got four touchdown passes out of Justin Roper in a 56-21 victory over South Florida.
Mack the Knifed
Rumors are boiling over in Texas that Mack Brown will either retire or be dismissed by Friday as Longhorns head coach despite a BCS Championship in 2005-6 and a BCS Championship appearance in 2009-2010. Brown is 158-47 at UT, winning 10 or more games 9 straight years from 2001-2009, but his squad has struggled over the last four seasons despite a rich pool of recruiting talent.
Speculation continues to swirl about Texas boosters casting covetous eyes on Nick Saban, with the Longhorn Athletic Department opening up the vault in an attempt to lure the four-time national champion coach from the Crimson Tide. Forbes magazine values the Texas football program at $133 million, tops in college football, with an estimated $104 million in annual revenue. They can afford to play “Nick Satan,” as he is not-so-affectionately known around the SEC, more than anyone else.
Saban denies interest, and Kirk Herbstreit says “there’s no chance” that the 62-year-old coach will leave Tuscaloosa for Austin. The Tide have countered with a contract extension but Saban hasn’t signed it yet, according to the Sporting News. His current deal pays him $5.6 million a year.
A million here and a million there, and pretty soon you are talking about some real money.
Christmas Break
If all the talk of firings, contracts and coaching moves gives you an egg nog headache, here are two stories more in the spirit of hope and giving.
The first is a lovely Christmas surprise from West Jet airlines for the passengers on one of their flights. It’s a marketing campaign turned viral video, but it’s a marketing campaign with a heart:
The second is the legendary speech by Jim Valvano at the 1993 ESPY Awards, accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award, 20 years ago last March, eight weeks before his death from cancer.
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