[H]e's (Rick Neuheisel) got UCLA fans starting to froth. After all, they point out, in his second year at Colorado, Neuheisel went 10-2. In his second year at Washington, he went 11-1. And yes, he went 4-8 in his first year at UCLA, but Carroll went 6-6 in his first at USC.

Plus, Neuheisel is nearly 10 years younger than Carroll. He plays the guitar, likes to go inner-tubing down rivers, recruits players and boosters and media like he's on an amphetamine drip. "There's 13 million people in L.A. and no pro football! There's room for both of us!"

Then again, Carroll, 57, looks 37. He runs patterns -- often for an hour -- after practice. He makes 2 a.m. sojourns into the center of the Crips-Bloods gang wars to talk peace and hope. He runs a funnel for great high school players straight to the NFL, with 56 draftees so far. With his long hair facing some permanent unseen wind machine, his mug ever-tan, the man is a fountain of cool.

So how does Wonder Boy plan to topple all that?

Maybe this is how: Last year, the two bumped into each other at Inglewood High School, recruiting the same player. The story goes that Carroll said to Neuheisel, "The UCLA coach is out recruiting an L.A. kid? Crazy."

To which Neuheisel said, "Won't be the last," and walked away.

Reel, reel, reel.