USC is once again the Pac-10 favorite but is U¢LA closing the Gap?

if only because because the law of averages will ultimately come into play: UCLA cannot remain so low forever nor can USC remain so high forever. If you prefer more substantive reasons, here’s why UCLA is closing the gap, regardless of last year’s record: 1) RN is a better coach than Dorrell; 2) Chow is a better OC than anyone Dorrell ever had; 3) although the recruiting results still show USC as getting higher ranked recruits than UCLA, UCLA recruiting is improving in and the coaching staff UCLA has is substantially better than the revolving door mediocrities we had under Dorrell (one caveat: Walker was a first-rate DC and it remains to be seen if the new DC can keep the defense at the same level or improve it)-so one would expect quality coaching of talented kids to close the gap.

I think a better question is whether UCLA’s almost-guaranteed improvement will result in wins over USC. I am fairly confident we have seen the last of the blowouts a la 66-19, 47-22, etc that were regular features of this rivalry in Toledo’s last years and under Dorrell (other than the two games against USC at the Rose Bowl under Dorrell.) I see the likely result of UCLA’s gap-closing to be much closer wins for USC and more frequent wins for UCLA, but I don’t see a point where the game is a tossup each year or UCLA assuming the upper hand in the rivalry until Carroll goes or something else happens.

It’s apparent now that the firing of Toledo is the Bruins downfall. This downfall was made certain with Dorrell’s hiring, but even still- where they’ve gone totally wrong is the hiring of Coach Neuheisel.

Okay, so he already had DeWayne Walker on his staff. What did Slick Rick do? He goes and tries to replace his entire staff with ex-coaches from Coach Carroll’s staff. And his blatant charlatan-like promises he made to recruits regarding Coach Ken Norton? This guy’s stripes are firmly still intact.

The fact that he tries, so overtly and blatantly, to mimic the successful model of Coach Carroll’s re-building of Troy is one of epic blunderous proportions. Firstly- there isn’t any program in the country that can mimic or copy this blueprint. It’s part and parcel of Heritage Hall, and no other campus. Doesn’t matter that Ucla and USC occupy the same city (90095-Westwood and 90089-Exposition Park are YES- in LOS ANGELES), Coach Neu, Coach Mack Brown, Coach DeWayne Walker, Coach Mark Richt, Coach Toomey (SJSU)- cannot copy our success. It can’t, and they won’t be able to. Yes, it’s a Trojan thang!

Secondly, we’re talking about a way different mindset between Bruin football fans and Trojan football fans. This carries over to our recruits, because just as much as they are athletes- they are students. Our respective student bodies couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. Our students are conditioned to learn AND be conscious of the world around us and what we- as students, have to potential to become once we obtain our degrees- as it applies to the benefit of our proud society and what we can “give back”. Westwood is all about getting published and raping society of all it’s largess, in order to “profit”. Our measures of success and definitions of prosperity couldn’t be more different than black and white. What does this mean in football? It means, we think locally more than nationally- and if we take care of local (Pac 10), we’ll answer it nationally (BCS) when we get there. Not so in Westwood. They think ONLY to beat USC and hardly give the Cal’s, Furd’s, Ducks, and so on the time of day. (THAT’S why they couldn’t win the hearts and minds of pundits and fans when they were on top of us in the ‘80s! Their only concern was to destroy us, and not take care of business in the PAC 10 or schedule a season where their accomplishments would be noticed) I mean- those Donahue years were scary good for them, even still- they had a high ranking of 5th. In 1982. They haven’t been to the Rose Bowl to play in The Rose Bowl since 1993!!!! Folks, that’s 15 years aight! (my mom’s cat has died of old age, and we got her in 1993!). To top that off, UCLA is one of only five of the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams to have never played a Football Championship Subdivision team since the division was made in 1978. And BCS? Haven’t come close to sniffing that crystal!

Lastly, Coach Neu HAS TO DO WELL with his two recruiting classes- because coaching attrition is a bitch! Bye bye DeWayne (many of us predicted the Holy Triumvirate of Coaching Ninjas wouldn’t last, thank you very much!). No telling how many assistants, especially Coach Chow when he stops getting paid “Titan money”, will fly the coop! It appears there is “tranquility” in the coaching relationships between these two “offensive-minded” coaches. Coach Chow has a GREAT poker face. (see: “I’ve got no problems with Coach Carroll” circa 2004/2005). It ain’t gonna be this way forever and then. . . . .Coach Neu is back at square one.

Maybe, when he gets there. . . . he’ll figure out a plan of his own!

Until Rick cares more about what UCLA is going to do than what USC had done, he will be a failure. His obsession with USC is typical bruin, guess you can’t really blame him for that since he is a bruin. However it’s not doing his program any good. The objective is to win the Rose Bowl, not beat USC.

The last time UCLA won a Rose Bowl…1986.

I think the Neuheisel USC comments are just gamesmanship. He knows it riles up fans on both sides and that is exactly what he wants, to put some meaning and energy back into the fans.

I doubt he and his staff spend nearly as much time focusing on USC as some of us USC fans like to think.

There were a few years in the 80s when UCLA and USC both finished in the top 15 in the AP poll, including the 1988 season when UCLA finished 6th and USC 7th in the AP Poll.

I think it would be great if the UCLA/USC game could become something like the Miami-Florida St game used to be, where it was a de facto playoff game to contend for the national championship. (Of course, college football would be better if there was an actual playoff system, but that’s another topic). However, the Bruins still have a long, long way to go before this becomes a relevant conversation.

For some reason Pete just gets more out of his teams, it really doesn’t matter who his players or coaches are. Look at some of the players and coaches in the pac-10 there are no chumps, but they seem to be just good not great. You got understand that the fact that USC players go all-out in practice just makes them get better and just better than all the rest. If you have notice every year PC has been at USC more players get drafted every year, there is a reason for that. The more this happens the easier it is to bring in new players, I mean how many third string QBs (in college) start in the NFL. Hell PC could even get Nestor and Tydides drafted.

Ben Down & Phillip McCracken! (how’s that?)

but, it’s Stanford who is closing it and who concerns me more. Harbaugh may have something really going on at the Farm. I could see Stanford being the break through team that wins a conference championship w/in the next 5 years post-Barkley. I’m taking a wait and see approach with Oregon and new Coach Kelly. He will have to prove himself. Tedford has proved himself incapable of getting over the hump. Sark may do it, but it will take at least 5 years. Riley is the 2nd best coach in the conference, but his recruiting challenge in Corvallis is monumental. Erickson is old and Stoops mediocre….count out the Zonas.

USC with PC is simply too strong in the LA area. UCLA will not win a conference championship or close the recruiting gap against SC while PC is in charge. Stanford, however, is a team that could surprise one of these years.