ESPN College Football

We like doing Power Rankings at ESPN.com. These are the post-signing day Power Rankings.

If you want to see where your team stood on Jan. 10, go here.

The schedule does not factor into these. This is a projected pecking order based on where a team stands right now.

And if you don't like where your team is in the post-signing day Power Rankings, then I'd suggest whining about it until your team plays better.

1. USC: The Trojans ranked 13th in the final recruiting rankings with just 12 signees. They will be ranked in the preseason top five, perhaps even No. 1. If things go according to plan, USC will blow a big raspberry at Paul Dee next January.

2. Oregon: The Ducks surprisingly lost QB Darron Thomas to the NFL, but the far more important news is not losing coach Chip Kelly to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A strong recruiting class and another likely top-five preseason ranking sets the Ducks up nicely to enter the national title chase.

3. Stanford: Stanford signed the best recruiting class in the Pac-12. It was ranked 12th by ESPN Recruiting and much higher by just about every other recruiting service. While the Cardinal have big holes to fill -- most notably behind center -- a glance through the roster suggests those rooting for the program to topple after a grand rise will be disappointed.

4. Washington: Much of the recruiting season had been disappointing for the Huskies, particularly losing almost all of the top in-state prospects, including a pair of A-list linemen who would have addressed major needs. But Steve Sarkisian made a series of aggressive moves rebuilding his coaching staff, most notably with the hiring of defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi. That supplies much of the positive momentum here.

5. Utah: The Utes signed a strong recruiting class and welcome back a wealth of starters from a team that won eight games without much production at QB. The promotion of 24-year-old Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator was a surprising move, particularly with fans rooting for a "celebrity" hire. It could prove to be a stroke of genius, but the onus is now on Johnson to make it become so.

6. UCLA: The Bruins are the big climbers from our Jan. 10 power rankings -- moving up from No. 10 -- but that's what happens when new coach Jim Mora punches back at skepticism with an outstanding recruiting class. A team that looked like a "meh" is moving closer to a "maybe."

7. California: Despite all the hand-wringing over the loss of Lupoi and receivers coach Eric Kiesau to Washington, the Bears still signed a top-25 recruiting class that addresses needs. Still, perception matters, and at present, Bears fans seem more worried than optimistic. Nothing, of course, that a few wins in a shiny remodeled stadium can't change.

8. Arizona: Rich Rodriguez's recruiting class finished at or near the bottom of the Pac-12, according to most rankings. That said, Rodriguez got his man at defensive coordinator, Jeff Casteel, which is significant because most trace the problems at Michigan to his failure to do so for the Wolverines.

9. Washington State: The Cougars didn't soar in the recruiting rankings just because of the hiring of coach Mike Leach. Still, that doesn't appear to be dampening the enthusiasm in Pullman.

10. Arizona State: New coach Todd Graham did a solid job salvaging the Sun Devils' recruiting class. But the loss of QB Brock Osweiler to the NFL and the NCAA's rejection of receiver T.J. Simpson's bid for a sixth year of eligibility leave the program with plenty of questions on offense. And just as many on defense.

11. Oregon State: The Beavers were victimized by a handful of late recruiting flips that put dents in what was shaping up to be a strong class. And the loss of secondary coach Keith Heyward to Washington also was a blow. On the plus side, the Beavers will see 17 returning starters during spring practices.

12. Colorado: The Buffaloes remain at the bottom because the bottom line is this: They welcome back 13 starters from a team that went 3-10 and ranked last in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Still, coach Jon Embree put together a solid recruiting class, one that could become the foundation of his substantial rebuilding project.

Look at California football. It is your Rorschach test. How you view it -- the 2012 recruiting class as well as coach Jeff Tedford -- measures your sense of perspective.

To some, California's 2012 recruiting class is a disappointment. To others, it's a top-25 class. Both assessments are fair. And true.

To some, Tedford has built a consistent winner in Berkeley, and that has earned him some patience as the Bears try to regain their footing after going 12-13 over the past two seasons. To others, Tedford has plateaued and he faces a win-or-else campaign in 2012. Both assessment are fair. And true.

Everyone knew Tedford would face some tough questions during his signing day news conference Wednesday. Not necessarily tough in a sense of probing his feelings on his job security, but tough in the sense of being distracting from what he wanted to talk about: Another top-25 recruiting class.

"I don't want this to be a big Tosh thing," he said. "I understand where you guys are coming from, but this is about the recruits that are here."

A "Tosh thing" was unavoidable. Tosh Lupoi, Cal's celebrated ace recruiter, had bolted for Washington with two weeks left in the recruiting season. He got a big raise. Folks didn't begrudge him that. The timing, however bad, and the money move, however big, didn't bother Cal fans. It was the process, and the perception of behind-the-scenes double-dealing.

Much of this has been overblown by folks who don't understand how dirty this business sometimes -- mostly by necessity -- gets. Still, there was a disconnect between Tedford and Lupoi over a home visit with top safety prospect Shaq Thompson (Sacramento, Calif./Grant). There is some residual suspicion about which program Lupoi was representing. No, Lupoi wasn't forthcoming with Tedford about what he was doing that night. (We don't know Lupoi's perspective here because Washington decided not to make Lupoi available for interviews until next week. Feel free to judge the wisdom of that media strategy.)

Thereafter, Tedford and Cal asked the Pac-12 to void the evening as a home visit.

"I'm not going to get into mudslinging or anything like that," Tedford said. "The recruiting process went the way that it went. Really, the only thought was that we asked the conference about having a home visit that was kind of used and we wanted to have another home visit to get in and really represent our school. That was really the only thing we asked. Can we go into the home during the week? They said no."

And, yes, Thompson flipped to Washington.

But, really, the big payoff for Lupoi leaving didn't go to Washington. It went to UCLA, which signed defensive end Ellis McCarthy (Monrovia, Calif.), receiver Jordan Payton (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian) -- who decommitted from Cal, committed to Washington and then signed with the Bruins -- and athlete Kenneth Walker (Richmond, Calif./Kennedy). Oregon ended up with lineman Arik Armstead, who had Cal among his finalists.

Yes, that's a lot of quality beef. Still, the general feeling coming out of the Cal football office is this is life in the big city. You might have noticed this week, and signing day in particular, featured flips across the conference and the nation. Flips are part of recruiting. Fan perspective on them is almost exclusively based on which side of a flip said fan is on.

And, by the way, a prospect has a perfect right to decommit whenever he wants. If he needs to do it 20 times, fine. The only time the athlete is empowered during the process is before he puts pen to paper. Thereafter, he yields power to the program and draconian NCAA rules.

Let's, however, switch gears with a humble question: Did anyone notice that Cal signed ESPNU 150 receiver Darius Powe (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood) and four-star receiver Bryce Treggs (Bellflower, Calif./St. John's Bosco)? Or the nation's No. 2 QB in Zach Kline? Seven of 17 signees were rated four stars.

Fact: Tedford and the Bears signed a good class. Yes, it could have been a great one. But you could say that about a lot of programs that finished second or third with elite prospects. Just imagine, for example, if USC had signed offensive linemen Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy? Or Armstead, who originally committed to USC?

There should be no illusions about where Tedford and Cal stands. There is substantial and reasonable frustration over the recent trajectory of the program. It's based on wins and losses. It's based on the sense that Cal got big-timed by Washington with the loss of two assistant coaches. And it's based on a "what could have been" around the recruiting class.

Some see trouble. Tedford knows this. Naturally, he rejects it.

"The perception that we are in trouble is wrong because we aren't in trouble," Tedford said.

Not to go all Simon & Garfunkel in conclusion, but Tedford's task is simple: Build a bridge over these troubled waters. And start winning again in 2012.

National signing day is over. But life is not, even if it feels that way.

Clearing away the confetti and reviewing what happened.

Top class: Stanford signed a class that is the envy of all but a small handful of teams in the nation. ESPN Recruiting ranked Stanford's class 12th. Rivals rated the Cardinal No. 5; Scout ranked Stanford No. 6; 24/7 sports ranked the Cardinal No. 9; and Tom Lemming ranked Stanford 10th. Stanford's haul of offensive linemen might be one of the best in the history of recruiting rankings.

Biggest surprise: Is UCLA coach Jim Mora a rookie or a freshman? However the NFL lifer is best described, his first recruiting haul was outstanding by any measure, but particularly for a coach with basically zero college experience. What you have to credit is Mora hiring a great recruiting staff. The Bruins signed a top-20 class and hit plenty of need areas.

Biggest disappointment: There are very few people who believe that Rich Rodriguez wasn't a great hire for Arizona. Zero, maybe. That said, the Wildcats didn't get a recruiting bump based on that perception. They finished at or near the bottom of most rankings of Pac-12 recruiting classes and didn't sign any recruits with at least a four-star rating from ESPN Recruiting.

Fastest riser: Just over a week ago, Washington's recruiting was surprisingly mediocre, particularly after the Huskies lured ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi away from California. But the Huskies surged late, starting with a commitment from elite safety Shaq Thompson, a former Cal commitment. And the Huskies' surge didn't stop on signing day, as they moved up to No. 23 in the final national rankings.

Under the radar: While Pac-12 newbies Colorado and Utah didn't sign top-25 classes, both very quietly signed strong classes that addressed immediate needs, and they finished in the middle of the Pac-12 recruiting rankings. In their first season recruiting as real Pac-12 teams -- as in having a season of play under their belts -- here's a guess that both Colorado coach Jon Embree and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham are happy with how things went and are eager for another go-around in 2013.

Recruiter of the year: Many wondered if Stanford coach David Shaw could maintain the program momentum created by former coach Jim Harbaugh. Well, in his first season, he led the Cardinal to a BCS bowl game and top-10 finish. On Wednesday, he produced a better recruiting class than Harbaugh ever put together -- at least in terms of recruiting rankings. Those who think Stanford is going away because of the departure of Harbaugh and QB Andrew Luck might be in for a surprise.

Player you'll see next season: It would be surprising if Shaq Thompson isn't starting at safety for Washington in the opener against San Diego State. The same could be said for Isaac Seumalo on the Oregon State offensive line. In L.A., it will be battle between UCLA defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, USC outside linebacker Jabari Ruffin and USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams for top freshman defender. It will be interesting to see how Stanford's elite class of frosh offensive linemen shapes up. There should be some hot competition there, with one freshman breaking through and at least earning playing time. Also interesting in the Bay Area: Is senior Zach Maynard the answer at QB for Cal, or might Zach Kline earn playing time as a true freshman?

Monday wasn't a Banner Day for Washington recruiting, but sometimes it takes a Shaq to shelter a class.

(I know. Sorry).

After offensive lineman Zach Banner (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) picked USC over Washington, the Huskies shortly thereafter landed a commitment from perhaps the nation's No. 1 safety: Shaq Thompson (Sacramento, Calif./Grant).

Thompson was previously committed to California, so this could be termed the first flip from the Bears to the Huskies for former Cal assistant Tosh Lupoi.

It turns out, however, that the Huskies actually beat out Oregon for Thompson's services. From ESPN Recruiting's Greg Biggins:

Here’s how close it was between Washington and Oregon. Last week, Thomson met with Arik Armstead and the two made a pact to play their college ball together. Oregon was the choice for both, and Thompson even went out and bought a Ducks hat and engraved his name in it.

Shortly afterwards, Thompson thought more about his decision and decided that Washington was a better fit. He let Armstead know and then took an unofficial visit over the weekend to Seattle to check out the Huskies one more time. Just one more look was all it took for the talented safety, and the Huskies landed what could arguably be their biggest recruit in years.

But, yes, Lupoi made a difference for the Huskies -- as well as new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox:

“He was the one guy I was close with on the staff,” Thompson said. “I knew he wouldn’t be coaching me, but just knowing he was there was big for me. When he left, I immediately opened up my recruitment and decided to check out my options.”

As big as Lupoi was, new Husky defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox might have played an even bigger role. Wilcox recruited Thompson’s older brother Syd Thompson to Cal seven years ago, and the family was very comfortable with him.

The Huskies have 19 commitments, and Thompson is the highest rated.

The Huskies will go up against Cal for a number of other recruits on Wednesday, national signing day. Will Lupoi make a difference again?

Oregon won the Arik Armstead lottery on Sunday.

Armstead, one of the nation's top-rated linemen, picked the Ducks over California, Washington, Auburn and Notre Dame. The one-time USC commitment will play defense for the Ducks -- he's rated higher as an offensive lineman -- and also will play basketball and will enroll at Oregon in time to participate in spring practices.

From ESPN Recruiting's Greg Biggins:

Before Cal defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi left for Washington, Armstead seemed like a very solid bet to end up with the Bears. Even late last week, there was talk among a few other 2012 recruits that it looked good for Cal to land Armstead.

Oregon, led by head coach Chip Kelly and linebacker coach Don Pellum, came in for a home visit last week and wowed the family.

Kelly was able to sell the opportunity to play for a national championship right away and Pellum sold Armstead on how he would fit in with the defense.

Interesting twist here. While Cal fans will be sour that Armstead didn't pick the Bears -- allegedly because of Lupoi's departure -- they also can take heart from the fact that he didn't make the flip for the Huskies.

Further, this seems to validate the contention of many -- including yours truly-- that Oregon coach Chip Kelly may actually have helped recruiting by flirting with Tampa Bay.

The real test of Lupoi's jump to Washington: Shaq Thompson. He's choosing between Cal, where he has committed, Washington and Oregon. Thompson and Armstead are close, but not necessarily a package deal.

If the Huskies get Thompson, Lupoi immediately yields fruit. If Cal does, Lupoi's loss gets muted, at least in the short term.

And if Oregon gets him, then the Ducks start to show signs of taking a step toward elite recruiting.

Some good stuff on Armstead here.

National signing day, if you haven't heard, is Wednesday.

It's a beautiful thing to be able to recruit in the Golden State -- and even sweeter to be based there. But let's face it, almost every school in America wants to wet their beak and drink from California's recruiting fountain, one of the top four recruiting states in the union, where players of all positions are in abundance.

Interesting then, that cross-bay rivals Cal and Stanford both landed as two of the top five out-of-state recruiters, as described in a piece by ESPN The Magazine's LaRue Cook.

Cook and the folks at RecruitingNation teamed up to see which 10 programs land the most blue-chip recruits from outside of their home states.

Stanford checked in at No. 2 behind Auburn, and Cal is No. 5 behind Clemson and Alabama.

Cook on Stanford:

The Cardinal just can't compete with USC and UCLA for California's top talent, signing only two of the state's 73 ESPNU 150 recruits from 2007-11. But when Jim Harbaugh landed [Andrew] Luck, it proved that top prospects will travel to Palo Alto. After Harbaugh left for the 49ers, new head coach David Shaw convinced 2011's No. 2 ILB James Vaughters (Tucker, Ga.) to stick with Stanford, and the Cardinal currently have three out-of-state ESPNU 150 preps committed for 2012, including top-25 overall prospect OLB Noor Davis (Leesburg, Fla.).

Shaw has gone out of his way numerous times in his first year as head coach to talk about Stanford as one of the countries true national recruiters.

Cook on Cal:

When we calculated how many miles on average ESPNU 150 recruits traveled to attend their programs, Cal was second (1,179 miles) only to Stanford (1,466) in terms of distance. For that distinction, you can thank [Keenan] Allen, whose signature helped land his high school teammate, WR Maurice Harris, in 2011. (No. 6 S Avery Walls from McDonough, Ga., also added to the mileage.)

While this out-of-state trend is on hiatus in 2012, Jeff Tedford doesn't mind an off year that includes three in-state ESPNU 150 preps (S Shaq Thompson, QB Zach Kline, WR Darius Powe) and a possible top-10 class ranking.

Cal, of course, recently lost Tosh Lupoi to Washington. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact that has on the Bears in the coming classes. Though with a heralded class less than a week away from signing, the immediate impact seems minimal, and there don't appear to be any major defections.

Thirty-year-old Tosh Lupoi, born and bred a Cal Bear and arguably the top-recruiting assistant coach on the West Coast, bolted Berkeley on Monday for Washington — a huge blow, 15 days before signing day, to 10th-year coach Jeff Tedford and a landscape-altering move in the Pac-12.

This is reality at Cal, where the athletic department operates under the weight of a budget deficit that exceeded, on average, more than $11 million from 2003 to 2010, according to a university report.

Lupoi, who recently finished his fourth year as defensive line coach under Tedford, reportedly earned $164,000 at Cal. At Washington, he received a new title: defensive run game coordinator — and, no doubt, a big raise.

How does Cal match that? It can't.

Read more from Mitch Sherman here.

It has been a busy offseason of comings and goings at Washington, the latest being backup quarterback Nick Montana being granted his release to transfer on the day the Huskies hired super-recruiter Tosh Lupoi away from California.

Montana's decision is simple: He wants to play and he's not going to beat out Keith Price, who will be a junior next fall. Montana's plan is to go to a junior college first, then transfer to a four-year school. That way he can avoid sitting out and not seeing game action for a year.

"I've got three years [of college eligibility] left and I want to spend those on the field," he told the Seattle Times. "I don't want to wait another year. You only get one shot at playing college football so I just kind of made the best decision for me and I'm going with it.''

It doesn't seem like there are any hard feelings here. For one, Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian did the same thing when he was a college QB. Again from the Times:

"I just told [Sarkisian] straight up," he said. "He understood. He told me about how he transferred [from USC to El Camino and then to BYU] and how his career kind of went. So he was totally understanding and supported me in that and let me know if I need anything to just let me know. He was really supportive about the whole thing and that just made it that much easier for me. Obviously it's not an easy decision, but having him handle it the way he did made it a lot better for me."

Montana got one start for Price last season, and it was mostly forgettable. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 79 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 38-21 Huskies loss at Oregon State. Price, in fact, came off the bench to try to rally the offense in the fourth quarter.

What it means for the Huskies, however, is the depth behind Price has no experience. Redshirt freshman Derrick Brown appears to be the leading candidate for the backup job, but the Huskies have two touted incoming freshmen in Jeff Lindquist (Mercer Island, Wash.) and Cyler Miles (Denver).

Now that hiring season for head coaches is complete, here are three items about hiring assistants:

1. It’s two weeks before signing date and Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian already has the best class ... of new assistant coaches. Sarkisian hired line coach Tosh Lupoi from Pac-12 North rival California, Lupoi’s alma mater and only employer. Lupoi, known for his recruiting prowess, joins new coordinator Justin Wilcox and linebacker coach Peter Sirmon, both of whom who came from Tennessee.

2. Alabama head coach Nick Saban likes coaches who know what he expects, which is why he just hired Tennessee defensive line coach Lance Thompson … for the third time. Thompson went with Saban to Alabama in 2007 and left for Knoxville three years ago, which means Thompson missed both of the Crimson Tide’s BCS titles (he won a ring with Saban and LSU in 2003). Out of the eight jobs that Thompson has held since 1995, Saban and George O'Leary (at Georgia Tech and UCF) each have hired him three times.

3. If you are looking for an example of grace and class in a difficult situation, read Tom Bradley’s statement after 37 years as a student, player and coach at Penn State. Jay Paterno, Joe’s son, also said goodbye after playing for his father and spending 17 years on his staff. I can't help but think, after all these years and all that stability, they are finally learning how the rest of the business lives -- at the whim of the head coach and his record.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Even after a dutiful warning from a California athletic department staffer that he doesn't want to talk about it, it's impossible for a curious person not to ask California defensive end Rulon Davis about his six months in Iraq as a U.S. Marine.

	Icon SMI
	Rulon Davis wants to focus discussions on the Cal defense.

"Everybody is really inquisitive about that aspect of my life," Davis said. "But I'm playing football now. I'm not in the Marine Corps. I love the Marines. Every time a commercial comes on I get all motivated and pumped up. But at the same time, it's . . . I'm done. I did my deal. I served my country. I'm playing Cal football now. If it comes up, it comes up and I answer any little questions you guys have and that's it."

He was stationed at Al Taqaddum, which is about 10 miles outside of Fallujah. Yes, he saw action. No, he's not going to share war stories.

"It was a combat zone," he said with a tone that suggested it was time to move on to the next topic.

Which should be how Davis is widely known as one of the Pac-10's best defensive ends, but that topic is limited also -- in this instance because injuries have truncated the senior's resume.

Davis, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College, played in six games in 2006 before a stress fracture in his left leg ended his season. Last year, he missed seven games due to injury. He missed four with a foot injury, but returned to play against Arizona State, when he recorded 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble before a knee injury sent him back to the sidelines for three games.

Davis, who carries a solid 281 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame, certainly passes the sight test. He's also been dominant at times during practices.

The hopeful question around the Bears is: What could Davis do if he stays healthy for 12 games?

"I think the sky is the limit as far as that goes," Davis said. "I am going to play 12 games, so I guess we'll see what happens."

Said defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi, "He definitely offers us some great play-making ability."

Making a bunch of plays also would help Davis to become the most famous "Rulon". More than a handful of writers (who me?) have slipped up and called him "Rulon Jones" in stories.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he said.

Davis wasn't recruited out of Charter Oak High School in Covina, Calif., where he played on the offensive line. He'd attended military school in Texas when he was younger and enjoyed the structure and had long wanted to be a Marine. So he enlisted.

While he doesn't want to detail his Iraq tour, he is willing to extol the value of what he experienced as a whole. 

"You couldn't put a price on it," he said. "All the things I've learned, the experiences I've had -- I feel like I'm 45 with the knowledge I have and all the experiences I've gained, learning what the real world was really like."

He's 25, by the way, and therefor a lot older than nearly all of his teammates. But he said he views himself as "just one of the guys."

That means talking about the Cal defense as a whole and not himself.

That said, Davis knows that if he plays 12 games, there's almost certainly going to be a 13th -- a bowl game -- and perhaps some games in the future. "I know so," he said of his NFL prospects. "I'm not going to have any of those [injury] problems this year. I need to prove to everybody that I can stay healthy."

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

BERKELEY, Calif. -- When I watched Washington roll up 360 yards rushing against California last fall, one thought stood out about the Bears defense, particularly their defensive line.

These guys are terrible.

Two very different things, however, stood out watching Monday's practice.

The Bears -- if they stay healthy -- will be a lot better up front with their new 3-4 defense. They will be more athletic. They will be much deeper.

They certainly pass the sight test -- hello, 6-foot-5, 281-pound Rulon Davis.

And with an impressive foursome of linebackers, my guess is no team will rush for 360 yards against them. Or even half that.

The second thing that stood out is the guy running around barking instructions looked like he forgot to put on his uniform. With his hat turned backwards and unwrinkled face, Tosh Lupoi looked more like a player than an assistant coach.

And, if you followed Cal football during the Jeff Tedford years, you know that, of course, Lupoi was a standout on the defense from 2001-05.

A standout when he was healthy, that is. His career was cut short by a recurrent foot injury.

Which, in part, is why Lupoi, who turned 27 in July, is the youngest position coach in the Pac-10 -- and perhaps in any BCS conference.

"[As a player] he almost worked too hard, almost went overboard," Tedford said. "That's how he ended up hurting himself with his stress fractures."

Now for Tedford, an admitted workaholic who often sleeps in his office, to accuse someone of working too hard is meaningful. Clearly, the coach saw a kindred spirit in the player.

Lupoi's father, John, played at BYU and was a longtime football coach, including a stint at Cal. But Tosh had no plans to pursue coaching; he dreamed only of the NFL. But when he broke his foot for the third time, he started to face the reality of his situation.

And then defensive coordinator Bob Gregory invited Lupoi to spend a game in the press box with him.

"That was the day when I started pondering about doing this for the rest of my life," Lupoi said.

Lupoi spend the past two years as a Cal graduate assistant. When D-line coach Ken Delgado left for Louisville, Tedford didn't worry too much about Lupoi's youth.

Lupoi was smart, hard-working and already was well-versed in the system and personnel.

"He's unbelievably dedicated and passionate about his work, and he's a very good recruiter," Tedford said. "A young guy's got to get their start somewhere and he really deserved the opportunity to fill that position."

Of course, he's only a few years older than the players he's in charge of -- Davis, for example, is 25 after having served three years in the Marines.

No problem, Tedford and Lupoi both said. The trust developed quickly, and Lupoi said he's never felt like the players view him as a peer instead of a coach.

"It wasn't really my goal to prove anything," he said. "It was just to show them as quickly as I could that I could offer them some things to better them as players."

Now he's convinced he's found his life's calling.

"I get so fired up out here, I feel like I'm living through them still," he said. "There's nothing like the reward of seeing players commit themselves to improving and then actually seeing that on film."