Now for the most important part of closing the gap, UCLA needs to get better. The last few years, Bruin football has been painful to watch. Since Cade McNown, aside from a series of last minute impossible comebacks in 2005 and one game in 2006, UCLA football has been mediocre. Last season was not even close to mediocre. So one may ask how I can be so optimistic about our future coming off a season where the team went 4-8, the starting quarterback set a UCLA record for interceptions, and the offensive line supplied as much protection as an umbrella during hurricane Katrina?My response...WHY THE HELL NOT?!?
If you can't be optimistic before the season starts why watch at all? We are undefeated until proven otherwise and all you pessimistic fans ready to jump on and off the bandwagon with each play can join the other knowledge-less bandwagoners in red and yellow.
Aside from blind optimism there are actually plenty of things in UCLA's favor for this season and the future. First and foremost is our coaching staff. Norm Chow is the best offensive mind in college football, bar none. $C fans won't argue with it because we all saw what he did to us year after year. The man knows football, and above all he knows quarterbacks. He now has a quarterback. The story of how he found Kevin Prince is eerily similar to how he spotted Leinart. He has already told Prince he expects to be attending a Heisman ceremony with him, which is high praise from someone who has coached 4 Heisman winners, not to mention Steve Young and Phillip Rivers. Neuheisel isn't exactly an amateur either. The most important thing about Neuheisel is his willingness to challenge $C. He gets his face and UCLA out there to the public. He wants to put the Bruins back on the map. With UCLA's natural advantages (location, beautiful campus, playing in the Rose Bowl, etc.) and Neuheisel's determination to resurrect the program, Bruin fans have something to get excited about.
That excitement starts this year. The most important factor of any season is schedule. This season UCLA gets Cal, Oregon, and ASU at home. This UCLA team would be hard pressed to take one of those three games on the road this year, but at home I would not be surprised with two victories, or even a sweep. Tennessee in Tennessee is not an easy challenge, but if there is a year that they are susceptible it is this year. SDSU and KSU at home should both be wins, as should both Washingtons. Which leaves just at Arizona (winnable), at Oregon State (winnable), and $C (probably not our year yet).
UCLA has a new and promising QB. UCLA has a revamped O-line. UCLA finally has some speed on offense. UCLA has veteran all Pac 10 (and possible all Americans) at cornerback, middle linebacker, and defensive tackle. This team will surprise people.
While the gap between UCLA and U$C is still there, we are bridging it. In two years from now don't be surprised when your gardener, maid, janitor, or any other $C grad you know asks you how UCLA's football team came out of nowhere.
As a former player and co-captain of the 1960 UCLA football team, this is how I always chose to view our teams chances for the season. I believe this team is loaded with talent albeit inexperienced for the most part but will surprise and beat a majority of league opponents as well as non-conference opponents. What no one can measure is what is in the hearts and minds of these young players but what is obvious is they all have demonstrated an attitude that will build the foundation for future top 5 Bruin dynasty as long as CRN & Chow are together. What amazing leadership for these young super stars. CRN's greatest asset is his ability, like the late Red Sanders, to build an incomparable coaching staff. Due to my extreme optimism it is hard for me to see this team do worse than 8-4 and I will go out on a limb and predict 10-2. If this offensive line gels in first couple of games, look out and I predict they will.
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CaptainJack65, Class of '61, played '58-'60,
Offensive Guard, Defensive Tackle
Thank you posting a optimistic opinion of this year's team. People have to understand how important coaching and emotion/desire/intensity is in football. This isn't baseball where if you dont have pitching, you cant game plan around that weakness and it really doesnt matter who wants it more. Gameplan and desire go such a long way in college football that really anything can happen this year. Last year was as low as you could go with the staff Coach Neuheisel has put together and as the talent improves, as it has this year, good things can and will happen. In really any other sport, it would be easy to bracket this team around 6 to 7 wins based on experience and proven (as opposed to potential) talent, but in college football, the sky is the limit. In the spirit of Coach Wooden, if they play as good as they can and the coaches work as hard as they can, then I'll be happy with any amount of wins. That being said, we are certainly capable of beating every team on our schedule this year on any given day. Go Bruins!
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