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Making the morning rounds.
• Today on ‘Oregon Confidential.’ Eugene police offered no new answers Tuesday in the campus theft investigation in which two Oregon players have been repeatedly implicated by aggrieved frat boys in the local press, but a police spokesman did deny a pair of local television reports that star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and receiver Garrett Embry were not suspects in the case: “We have not released any details from the case except to acknowledge EPD took a theft report … We have no reason to release names of victims or persons of interest or suspects at this time.” The owner of a bar across the street from the fraternity house also reportedly submitted video to the police that shows Masoli in the bar at the time the robbery is supposed to have occurred last Sunday morning. [The Oregonian]
• Senior Bowlin’. After a rocky debut on Monday, Tim Tebow was “a little more comfortable and got the ball out of his hand quicker” at his second Senior Bowl practice on Tuesday, despite running a high fever on Monday night. Tebow hit a pair of deep balls in practice, but after watching him for two days, ESPN pundit and consistent Tebow critic Todd McShay sounds more convinced than ever that Tebow is only “a mid-level quarterback prospect” in the upcoming draft class: “He’s not accurate enough as a passer at this point to be considered a starter in the NFL.” (Don’t tell that to the guy filming the Tebow documentary, McShay.) [Associated Press, Gainesville Sun]
On the flip side, the guys who appear to be making themselves the most money in Mobile: Ole Miss offensive lineman John Jerry, Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon and Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham. Hordes of coaches who have no official role in the game are also in town for the sake of their professional futures; prominent among them Tuesday was recently fired South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, who vowed to stalk the sidelines again, as an NFL position coach if necessary. [St. Petersburg Times]
• Mustang on ice. SMU defensive lineman Torlan Pittman has been suspended indefinitely by coach June Jones after Pittman’s arrest Monday on a charge of aggravated sexual assault. Huntsville, Texas police arrested Pittman — a backup who played in all 13 games last season — and a former Sam Houston State baseball player for raping a girl in a Huntsville apartment last September. [Associated Press]
In yet more legal news, two more Michigan State players — defensive lineman Oren Wilson and receiver Myles White — have been hit with conspiracy and assault charges stemming from the Nov. 22 attack on a fraternity dinner immediately following MSU’s team banquet, making them the 14th and 15th Spartans charged in the incident. Unlike the other 13 — all charged and suspended from the team by mid-December — Wilson started in the Alamo Bowl loss against Texas Tech on Jan. 2; White was already suspended from the game for an unrelated arrest outside a bar on the same morning as the frat assault. [Detroit Free Press]
Quickly … Pulling off the rare SEC-to-Ivy League defection, the smarties at Cornell tabbed Ole Miss offensive coordinator Kent Austin as their new head coach. … USC quarterback Matt Barkley underwent minor surgery on his right (throwing) wrist, but expects to recover quickly and be full speed in spring practice. … Rocky Seto, a former USC walk-on promoted to defensive coordinator last year after a decade as an assistant coach, confirmed he won’t be back on Lane Kiffin’s staff this fall. … And Ed Orgeron reminds Trojan fans that top-ranked recruiting classes don’t come cheap.