If Jim Harrick really was the Lizard of Westwood, as UCLA's hierarchy essentially declared this week, does that make the football coach Holy Toledo?
Sorry, folks, but UCLA has seldom made such an inviting target.
"It's tough," Bob Toledo said. "I guess I don't know Jim very well, but I feel for him."
While UCLA's rancorous firing of Harrick as basketball coach hogs headlines here, Toledo is quietly trying to motivate his 3-5 team for today's nationally televised football game against bowl-searching Washington State.
"We can still have a winning season," the first-year Bruins coach said.
The Cougars, meanwhile, should have no trouble finding motivation when they line up against the Bruins before thousands of empty seats in the venerable Rose Bowl.
Among the possible sources:
Three months after being picked by media to finish ninth in the Pacific-10 Conference, the Cougars are three wins from a second-place showing that would virtually guarantee their third bowl appearance in five seasons.
And while players have adhered to the one-game-at-a-time mantra, many were rejuvenated when bowl competitors USC and Arizona lost last weekend.
"Everything that could have gone right, did go right," said WSU quarterback Ryan Leaf, a big fan of Dick Tomey's dubious decision to go for two against Cal.
Coming off its second and final bye of the season, WSU has had an extra week to fume over the Oct. 26 lose-from-ahead effort against USC.
Senior linebacker Johnny Nansen will provide inspiration on the sideline, if not the playing field, as his broken jaw has healed enough to allow him to suit up for the first time in nearly a month.
And coach Mike Price is eager to improve upon his notorious November record, which stands sheepishly at 4-16 - including 0-10 in games away from Martin Stadium.
Novembers aside, Price and the Cougars have won two straight against the Bruins. To extend that streak, they'll probably need to contain Skip Hicks and the UCLA running game.
This shouldn't be a problem during the first three quarters, when the Cougars' powerful defensive line will be fresh.
If, however, the WSU offense is unable to establish a running game - vital to keeping one's defense well-rested - the Cougars could be vulnerable to the type of late running attack that provided the difference for USC two weeks ago.
When tackle Delmar Morais was lost for the season in September, it left WSU with just two effective defensive tackles. And while the absence of Morais hasn't kept the Cougars from ranking second in the Pac-10 against the run - UCLA is first - it has contributed to several second-half letdowns.
Notes
Leaf and backup quarterback Steve Birnbaum had planned on attending the Washington-USC game during WSU's bye last week, but ended up watching Stanford beat UCLA 21-20 at the Rose Bowl. So Leaf and Birnbaum got to have a look at the Cougars' next two opponents - WSU visits Stanford next week.
"UCLA blitzes a lot," Leaf said. "It comes down to either them making the big play, or us making the big play."
Today's high temperature in Los Angeles is expected to reach 86.
The Bruins have shuffled their receivers, sending flanker Derek Ayers to the bench.
According to Toledo, UCLA quarterback Cade McNown will either perform well or be supplanted by Steve Buck. McNown completed just 14 of 34 passes against Stanford and is the lowest-rated passer in the Pac-10. Buck has thrown 17 passes in his college career.
