Well here we go. It's the battle for Los Angeles so-to-speak. Pride on the line for all the players, students, fans and well just about everyone that follows these two programs. The right to cherish a win for 12 months and think about the bowl season coming up. But this year is different of course. This year its just about pride and hopefully that still matters. No player at this level wants to lose and when it's a rivalry where one school is down this is where the level of play and that inner spirit rise up and send a message to the local football world that they are still relevant.
So much has happened so little has been accomplished by both schools in 2021. One coach gone. The other could be gone if he doesn't win out. Coaches around the country are getting their notices and in some cases, like Scott Frost, they are getting a hug and a nod of approval for the next season. Not so here. It's crickets at UCLA and well we have the #1 cricket for an AD in Mike Bohn. He is pure Sergeant Schultz and providing no indication of where he is pointing his check book. He did this to himself by not doing his job at the end of the last two seasons but we have covered that before.
UCLA does what UCLA does when the hype machine is turned up pre season. They win impressively against teams that they should beat and this year, at the time, beat up LSU at home so we have to give them some cred for that win as LSU is not the LSU of 2019 this year or last. But they won. The Trojans fired Helton and had no plan. Nothing. Who does this when its so obvious the previous two seasons? We did or shall I say Bohn did. Thought I was over that anger but apparently not.
The UCLA defense will be geared up for a well rested USC offense. The running game is anyone's guess as to whether our OC Graham Harrell even watches the film of how good it has become under Ingram. We can hope. Slovis should start this game as nothing to date seems to point that he is any less credible vs Dart and why risk Dart at this point? He should be sidelined and studying film and watching. What a great opportunity this would have been to see what Moss could have done. Not like we can go bowling this post season.
To the coaching staff of USC get the kids in there. Get them so real playing time and start to see who will emerge position by position with the remaining games. Nothing to lose.
Fight On #BeatTheBruins
A program finds a new bottom. This USC team is not as bad as the score showed. The staff quit on them. The team is in a race to the bottom and with 1-2 games to go (Hoping CAL gets cancelled as its stupid to play that game now). The good news is that the bottom is needed to bounce back and re-start this program in a new direction. We have hit bottom and with that a new leader with a new staff will start the rebuild. Its a rebuild in every sense of the word. No arguments there.
The clock is ticking fast now. Which team will show up this Saturday at the Coliseum? Where are the heads of the coaching staff as they see the last of the season drift away? Committed recruits are also watching AD Bohn for any signs of who he is leaning in with but he has been crickets all season. What a hot mess this has been and these Kids need fan support now more than ever. Fight On and Beat the Bruins!