Commentary: For USC and UCLA football fans, misery will find uneasy company at Coliseum
J. Brady McCollough (LA Times) — A year ago, when USC visited UCLA at the Rose Bowl, it felt like the start of something great.
The Trojans were 9-1 in coach Lincoln Riley’s first season, and quarterback Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy candidacy was just beginning to blossom. The Bruins were 8-2 and had proved their mettle with wins over Washington and Utah. Fox Sports’ top crew of Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt were in the house, a nod to the importance of the crosstown rivalry in the network’s Big Ten future.
Then there was the game itself — an all-time classic, a 48-45 USC win clinched by a late interception that broke your heart for the dazzling Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
But Saturday, when the Trojans and Bruins meet again at the Coliseum, the fans from both sides who dutifully attend will be more likely to commiserate about their consternation over another lost season than volley good-natured insults.
Each team has compiled four losses, dropping from the top-25 rankings weeks ago. For UCLA, floundering in the sixth year of the Chip Kelly era and coming off a humiliating loss Saturday to 3-7 Arizona State, the USC game feels more like the end of something. Or, at least, many frustrated Bruin diehards will be hoping that it is.
UCLA fans now find themselves in the unenviable position of not necessarily rooting for their school to beat its arch-nemesis. If UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond is looking for any reason to keep Kelly this offseason (given that he just extended his contract last year), a win over USC could certainly suffice. Judging by the tenor of social media angst Saturday night, Jarmond’s constituents would begrudgingly trade a year of bragging rights for a fresh start with a new head coach who wants to recruit and pour his heart into the Westwood experience.
The issue for those who have passed their breaking point with Kelly is that these Trojans are genuinely capable of losing to anyone and, if they’re just clumsy enough in their regular-season finale, could provide Jarmond an easy out.
It’s hard to fathom given Riley’s standing among USC fans just six weeks ago, but they might now be more mad about the state of affairs than UCLA backers.
USC fans have become so disillusioned so quickly that beating the Bruins, particularly struggling as they are, hardly offers Riley’s team a chance to win back any respectability or project positivity into the offseason.
The focus has shifted toward the search for the next defensive coordinator and frustration directed toward the Trojans’ 2024 recruiting class, currently ranked No. 18 nationally with just a sprinkle of Southern California talent. USC fans should enjoy what is likely to be the last game for Williams in a Trojans uniform, but they’d also be wise to be wondering who will be taking the first snap in 2024. It’s safe to say Riley will be big-game hunting for that position in the transfer portal very soon.
Riley has gone out of his way to say in recent weeks that he’s here to build the Trojans for the long haul, but we should prepare ourselves for NFL coaching speculation to kick up a month from now. Any USC fans whose gut instinct is to say, “Well, good riddance!” should try to give Riley the benefit of the doubt. While still learning, he remains one of the top young minds in the game and deserves more time to put his vision in place.
See, USC and UCLA are actually surrounded by intrigue. It’s just sad that very little of it has to do with Saturday’s game.
A note on two-point conversions
My Saturday was bookended by witnessing the same late-game decision in the Michigan-Penn State game and the USC-Oregon game.
Penn State scored a touchdown to pull to within 24-15. I assumed based on a lifetime of watching football that coach James Franklin would send on the kicker to make it a one-score game and preserve hope for his team and the 100,000-plus fans in Happy Valley, but instead, he kept the offense on the field to go for two.
I know analytics have taken over the game, and they say the right thing to do is go for two so that you know what it will take to win the game earlier and can adjust your plan accordingly. Since there were only a few minutes left, Penn State was extremely likely to get the ball back only one time. So why not guarantee that if that happens your team needs only a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie?
Michigan stopped Penn State, effectively ending the game. The Wolverines had minimal pressure to pick up a first down leading by nine points.
Later, Riley made the same call down 36-27. Once again, after watching your team fight to stay in the game all night, wouldn’t you want to stretch out the hope for a miracle on another set of downs? USC did not convert either, and the game was over earlier than it had to be.
Lincoln Riley, conferring with QB/magic man Caleb Williams during the loss to Oregon, mistakenly forced the issue Saturday by going for a two-point conversion when an extra-point try would have made it a one-possession game. (Andy Nelson / AP)
I would understand going for the conversion if there were four to five minutes left, and you could conjure a scenario to get two more offensive possessions down by nine.
I would understand it much more if the team was down by eight and had the opportunity to get the margin to six. In that case, if you don’t convert, you’re still one score away.
Next time, Riley should ignore the analytics on this one. Plus, you never want to be associated with Franklin’s in-game decisions as a general rule.
Playoff setup
The College Football Playoff field is beginning to take shape.
The Georgia-Alabama winner is in. The Michigan-Ohio State winner is in. Florida State is in if it wins out, which is likely. Washington is in if it wins out — although that’s a pretty giant if with a road game at Oregon State and a rematch with surging Oregon ahead.
Things will get interesting if the Huskies or Seminoles lose and Alabama beats Georgia. The debate would then center on the two-time defending champs, sitting at 12-1, and potentially a 12-1 Oregon or 12-1 Texas (either of which would be a conference champion).
Has Georgia done enough? The Bulldogs are surely one of the top four teams, but their resume would not feature a marquee win to match Texas’ win at Alabama or Oregon’s win against Washington.
I think the Longhorns’ win in Tuscaloosa would be the trump card.
Oregon, then, is probably going to need some help down the stretch, particularly in the form of another Texas defeat.
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Why work? As Jimbo walks away from TAMU, his pockets are filled for his lifetime, as he was due $70,000,000 upon termination. That comes out to 3 times the highest payout in college sports, ever. After that TAMU has to buyout the staff, then hire a HC and his staff plus any buyouts they have to come to maybe $120 million. Wow, did I get into the wrong business.
Look like muddy, exciting rivalry game game at the Coliseum Haley Sawyer (OC Register) — UCLA WR Logan Loya has two former teammates from St. John Bosco who are currently on the USC roster. He also has a former Orange Lutheran teammate as a current UCLA teammate in Kyle Ford, a USC transfer. “Super happy to have Kyle on this side now and not the other way around,” Loya said. Norwood said Ford has helped the receiver group point out tendencies of current USC players. He hasn’t sensed any ambivalence from Ford in the days leading up to the game,… Read more »
Dave Aranda Given Best Odds to be Next College Football Coach Fired per BetOnline Sportsbook Who makes up this stuff? It seems to me more like Chip Kelly should be in the top 3. It really sounds like he’s a goner after the Arizona schools dusted him off handily. Very surprised to see Lincoln Riley here, who has no chance whatsoever of being fired, nor should he. Aranda was joined by 14 other coaches on the list including Houston’s Dana Holgorsen, USC’s Lincoln Riley, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, UCLA’s Chip Kelly, and more. CFB Firing Season is always fun, no? 1)… Read more »
Hoke, 65, owns a 39-31 record at SDS, 7th in program history in victories and winning %. For his career, Hoke is 104-89 with stints at his alma mater BALL ST (2003-08), MICH (2011-14), and SDS (2009-10 and 2020-23).
If Tom Allen gets fired I would love to see USC offer him the DC job. Great D coach and definitely knows the B1G.
Aranda would be a good get also though.
He told his team he had been fired, hours before announcing his intention to retire. The local news (San Marcos) is saying he is a casualty of his own success.
If you took the SDSU offense and combined them with the USC defense on the same team. Wow, the top Pop Warner team in the country would slaughter them!
Today the other paper in town, the one that circulates its stories under a variety of names, had two stories to make me laugh. The first was a story about wasted millions of dollars in Las Vegas for a Grand Prix course, that’s drawing crowds like Ucla football. If you have been to Vegas in the past few years, you can hardly miss the mess and monstrosity that has been developed for one race per year. The other story was by the Ucla beat writer. Chocolate Chip Kelly is at .500 wins for his tenure at Westwood 33-33 but he’s… Read more »
Las Vegas is trying to get foreign travelers back, which have been slow to return. The 10pm Saturday start is clearly for the European audience. They are planning for multiple years of races so the initial start up costs are baked in. Sounds they plan to at least break even for this year.
RT — I just spoke with a friend who was recently in Vegas and they totally confirmed your nightmare presentation of the race’s horrible effect on the Strip now. “Mess and monstrosity” is the perfect Vegas Grand Prix alliteration.
I could never envision a scenario where I would want USC to lose to the Ruins. Ruin fans are losers if they want to lose to USC to get a new coach. I like the Trojans in this one. SUCLA has scored 17 points in the last 2 games. Send Chocolate Chip out like we did Neuheisel. 50-0!
I like your reminder of the 50-0 game. I can’t stand Neuheisel and the Chipster either. Both are arrogant and annoying to listen to. I mute my TV when Neuheisel is on a college football program. I’d love to see another 50-0 win for SC, but it’s a tall order for SCs Defense to pitch a shutout, so I’ll take 42-38 USC as a prediction for this game.
This game has had weird things happen. What was the name of the walk on QB who had to start against us and still beat us? I think it was Barnes but I cannot remember. Never did anything in his career other than beat SC.
John Barnes to JJ Stokes was a deadly Bruin Combo that unfortunately I will never forget.
As reported in The Daily Bruin:
“On November 21, 1992 John Barnes, a walk-on senior quarterback who began the year fifth on the team’s depth chart, led the Bruins (5-5) to an improbable 38-37 victory over the No. 15 Trojans. Barnes passed for 384 yards, including a 90-yard strike to sophomore wide receiver J.J. Stokes late in the fourth quarter that gave the Bruins the lead for good.”
I remember that game all too well. Rob Johnson was the QB for USC and, if memory serves me correctly, he never beat UCLA or Notre Dame. He was also the QB when SC lost to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim. I was married at the time and my wife was a Fresno State alum. She really rubbed it in and I didn’t get revenge until Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart beat them in the Coliseum in a what turned out to be a very close game.
Rob Johnson was the king of the almost-comeback. 3 times in 2 years.
92 UCLA game. Led the team back for a last-minute touchdown, SC went for 2 to win and Johnson got sacked.
93 @ Penn State. Same scenario. Late TD to cap a comeback, went for 2 and failed.
93 UCLA. Down 6 with a minute to go. Only need a tie to go to the Rose Bowl. Back-to-back long passes put the ball at the UCLA 3. Two runs gain nothing. Third down pass over the middle is intercepted.
Great memories SC Gator. I remember when Rob brought the Buffalo Bills back to take the lead vs the Tennessee Titans in an NFL Playoff game. Then the “Music City” miracle happened where the Titans scored on a trick play on the ensuing kickoff and won the game.
From 1962-2008, I attended 47 straight SC UCLA games. I was hospitalized in 2009 and missed what would have been #48. I had a bad cold in 2010 and missed #49, a late-night December game at the Rose Bowl.
But I made it back in 2011 for what would have been number 50 in a row and 50-0 couldn’t have been a more perfect score for the occasion.
Was at that game as well. Do not remember much about it. My favorite USC/UCLA game was the Reggie Bush/Maurice Drew (later Drew-Jones) game. I always thought Drew made a huge mistake going to UCLA. He was a great collegiate RB. If it had gone to say, Ohio State, he would have competed for the Heisman. Instead, he went to UCLA and was a virtual unknown. The plays I still remember are (and I cannot remember the order): Drew returning a kick off for a TD and then Reggie returning the favor. Never witnessed that before or since.
That one was also great fun. What I remember most from that game was the blocked extra point that UCLA returned for two points late second quarter. It cut SC’s lead to 30-2, but all the Bruin sprirt groups bolted out of their seats like they had just won the Super Bowl. The guys who carry the big flags did an entire lap around the field. It was really funny.
I do remember the blocked extra point/return celebration. You have a far better memory that I do. I did not link that UCLA game to what I thought was a very silly celebration.
UCLA fans now find themselves in the unenviable position of not necessarily rooting for their school to beat its arch-nemesis. If UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond is looking for any reason to keep Kelly this offseason (given that he just extended his contract last year), a win over USC could certainly suffice. Judging by the tenor of social media angst Saturday night, Jarmond’s constituents would begrudgingly trade a year of bragging rights for a fresh start with a new head coach who wants to recruit and pour his heart into the Westwood experience.
Apparently Ceyair Wright is gone. “Not with the program” according to Lincoln Riley.
That is WOW! Having your starter leave!
Why work? As Jimbo walks away from TAMU, his pockets are filled for his lifetime, as he was due $70,000,000 upon termination. That comes out to 3 times the highest payout in college sports, ever. After that TAMU has to buyout the staff, then hire a HC and his staff plus any buyouts they have to come to maybe $120 million. Wow, did I get into the wrong business.
And we wonder why NIL has gone crazy? The kids figured out that collegiate football is big business and they want part of the action.
Look like muddy, exciting rivalry game game at the Coliseum Haley Sawyer (OC Register) — UCLA WR Logan Loya has two former teammates from St. John Bosco who are currently on the USC roster. He also has a former Orange Lutheran teammate as a current UCLA teammate in Kyle Ford, a USC transfer. “Super happy to have Kyle on this side now and not the other way around,” Loya said. Norwood said Ford has helped the receiver group point out tendencies of current USC players. He hasn’t sensed any ambivalence from Ford in the days leading up to the game,… Read more »
Dave Aranda Given Best Odds to be Next College Football Coach Fired per BetOnline Sportsbook Who makes up this stuff? It seems to me more like Chip Kelly should be in the top 3. It really sounds like he’s a goner after the Arizona schools dusted him off handily. Very surprised to see Lincoln Riley here, who has no chance whatsoever of being fired, nor should he. Aranda was joined by 14 other coaches on the list including Houston’s Dana Holgorsen, USC’s Lincoln Riley, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, UCLA’s Chip Kelly, and more. CFB Firing Season is always fun, no? 1)… Read more »
Brady Hoke annound his intention to retire at the end of this season.
Hoke, 65, owns a 39-31 record at SDS, 7th in program history in victories and winning %. For his career, Hoke is 104-89 with stints at his alma mater BALL ST (2003-08), MICH (2011-14), and SDS (2009-10 and 2020-23).
If Tom Allen gets fired I would love to see USC offer him the DC job. Great D coach and definitely knows the B1G.
Aranda would be a good get also though.
He told his team he had been fired, hours before announcing his intention to retire. The local news (San Marcos) is saying he is a casualty of his own success.
If you took the SDSU offense and combined them with the USC defense on the same team. Wow, the top Pop Warner team in the country would slaughter them!
Who’s the best DC in the top 5-10 plus the already fired Arnett?
Today the other paper in town, the one that circulates its stories under a variety of names, had two stories to make me laugh. The first was a story about wasted millions of dollars in Las Vegas for a Grand Prix course, that’s drawing crowds like Ucla football. If you have been to Vegas in the past few years, you can hardly miss the mess and monstrosity that has been developed for one race per year. The other story was by the Ucla beat writer. Chocolate Chip Kelly is at .500 wins for his tenure at Westwood 33-33 but he’s… Read more »
Las Vegas is trying to get foreign travelers back, which have been slow to return. The 10pm Saturday start is clearly for the European audience. They are planning for multiple years of races so the initial start up costs are baked in. Sounds they plan to at least break even for this year.
RT — I just spoke with a friend who was recently in Vegas and they totally confirmed your nightmare presentation of the race’s horrible effect on the Strip now. “Mess and monstrosity” is the perfect Vegas Grand Prix alliteration.
I could never envision a scenario where I would want USC to lose to the Ruins. Ruin fans are losers if they want to lose to USC to get a new coach. I like the Trojans in this one. SUCLA has scored 17 points in the last 2 games. Send Chocolate Chip out like we did Neuheisel. 50-0!
I like the cut of your jib, GT.
I like your reminder of the 50-0 game. I can’t stand Neuheisel and the Chipster either. Both are arrogant and annoying to listen to. I mute my TV when Neuheisel is on a college football program. I’d love to see another 50-0 win for SC, but it’s a tall order for SCs Defense to pitch a shutout, so I’ll take 42-38 USC as a prediction for this game.
No doubt their offense will find its groove this weekend, and launch yet another opponent’s unknown player into the Heisman discussion.
This game has had weird things happen. What was the name of the walk on QB who had to start against us and still beat us? I think it was Barnes but I cannot remember. Never did anything in his career other than beat SC.
John Barnes to JJ Stokes was a deadly Bruin Combo that unfortunately I will never forget.
As reported in The Daily Bruin:
“On November 21, 1992 John Barnes, a walk-on senior quarterback who began the year fifth on the team’s depth chart, led the Bruins (5-5) to an improbable 38-37 victory over the No. 15 Trojans. Barnes passed for 384 yards, including a 90-yard strike to sophomore wide receiver J.J. Stokes late in the fourth quarter that gave the Bruins the lead for good.”
Here’s some torture for you RJJ:
https://youtu.be/-JhlDp2MZJ8
I remember that game all too well. Rob Johnson was the QB for USC and, if memory serves me correctly, he never beat UCLA or Notre Dame. He was also the QB when SC lost to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim. I was married at the time and my wife was a Fresno State alum. She really rubbed it in and I didn’t get revenge until Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart beat them in the Coliseum in a what turned out to be a very close game.
Rob Johnson was the king of the almost-comeback. 3 times in 2 years.
92 UCLA game. Led the team back for a last-minute touchdown, SC went for 2 to win and Johnson got sacked.
93 @ Penn State. Same scenario. Late TD to cap a comeback, went for 2 and failed.
93 UCLA. Down 6 with a minute to go. Only need a tie to go to the Rose Bowl. Back-to-back long passes put the ball at the UCLA 3. Two runs gain nothing. Third down pass over the middle is intercepted.
I’d say you’ve got Rob pegged. Very frustrating.
Wow. Just noticed I got promoted to Genius Member. What’s next?
Everyone here’s a genius. Haven’t you noticed?
Good one Allen!
Major Genius
Great memories SC Gator. I remember when Rob brought the Buffalo Bills back to take the lead vs the Tennessee Titans in an NFL Playoff game. Then the “Music City” miracle happened where the Titans scored on a trick play on the ensuing kickoff and won the game.
I have great memories of the 50-0 game.
From 1962-2008, I attended 47 straight SC UCLA games. I was hospitalized in 2009 and missed what would have been #48. I had a bad cold in 2010 and missed #49, a late-night December game at the Rose Bowl.
But I made it back in 2011 for what would have been number 50 in a row and 50-0 couldn’t have been a more perfect score for the occasion.
Was at that game as well. Do not remember much about it. My favorite USC/UCLA game was the Reggie Bush/Maurice Drew (later Drew-Jones) game. I always thought Drew made a huge mistake going to UCLA. He was a great collegiate RB. If it had gone to say, Ohio State, he would have competed for the Heisman. Instead, he went to UCLA and was a virtual unknown. The plays I still remember are (and I cannot remember the order): Drew returning a kick off for a TD and then Reggie returning the favor. Never witnessed that before or since.
That one was also great fun. What I remember most from that game was the blocked extra point that UCLA returned for two points late second quarter. It cut SC’s lead to 30-2, but all the Bruin sprirt groups bolted out of their seats like they had just won the Super Bowl. The guys who carry the big flags did an entire lap around the field. It was really funny.
I do remember the blocked extra point/return celebration. You have a far better memory that I do. I did not link that UCLA game to what I thought was a very silly celebration.