School football critique: Shock! UCLA and USC are University Football Playoff contenders

Lincoln Riley towards Chip Kelly. Two offensive wizards, one particular predicted to inevitably develop into an NFL head mentor, the other been-there-carried out-that and settling into his collegiate second act.

Caleb Williams towards Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Two dual-threat quarterback supermen, one particular so confident he essentially accepted the nickname “Superman,” the other content to internalize all doubters and silence them in a solitary sure.

Travis Dye against Zach Charbonnet. Two bruising and cunning transfer tailbacks lifted in better Los Angeles, one an straightforward conversationalist back again from a formational stint at Oregon, the other a sturdy and silent type who talks with the thuds of his pads and was not enamored with his experience at Michigan.

USC towards UCLA on Nov. 19 in a sport that truly issues nationally mainly because each applications are working genuine operations — no spoilers allowed, only contenders. Which is what we’re staring at after Saturday, a working day in which no major-10 groups shed throughout the place but L.A.’s relevance skyrocketed.

In the afternoon, Kelly’s 18th-rated Bruins puffed out their chests for 4 quarters against No. 11 Utah, successful their next-straight leading-15 game at the Rose Bowl 42-32.

In the East Coast key-time slot, Riley’s sixth-rated Trojans were challenged the moment once again, this time by a capable Washington Condition crew, but ran off 20 unanswered factors to win easily 30-14. Folks who nitpick USC are showing their genuine colours at this position — they are either self-loathing Trojans or folks whose faces change cardinal at the thought of USC profitable.

This Sunday morning in L.A., sports lovers wake to the brink of a Dodgers playoff operate and the upcoming NBA nonsensical melodramas, but the most surprising and maximum effect enhancement lies below: USC and UCLA are both equally 6- for the very first time because 2005, with an all-far too-genuine likelihood of taking part in their very first prime-10 rivalry matchup due to the fact 1988 — a couple of months following the Dodgers received the Globe Series more than the A’s. (All theoretical, of training course).

If you just did a double-get, welcome to the club. Has it genuinely been 34 yrs due to the fact USC and UCLA played not just for the Victory Bell bragging rights, but also for a shot at the national championship?

For regardless of what explanation, the Trojans and Bruins just can not seem to be to participate in very well at the exact time. It is kind of uncomfortable, truthfully. This isn’t Oregon-Oregon Point out, which is regionally described in a component of the region that produces several blue-chip recruits. This is USC-UCLA, established in a town that exports ample upcoming NFL talent to university programs just about every 12 months to fill much more than a couple of teams’ recruiting courses.

If you are an L.A. athletics supporter, even if your curiosity traits towards the specialist ranks, the prospect of USC-UCLA stepping into a new period in which it gets an yearly exhibit of our city’s excellence on the soccer subject really should be a rationale to treatment.

Saturday evening, Fox university football analyst Joel Klatt tweeted his new rankings, which showcased No. 6 USC and No. 10 UCLA. Sunday’s Involved Press poll will glimpse one thing like that. (I be expecting the Bruins to appear in at No. 12 simply because I question they jump idle No. 10 Penn Point out and No. 11 Oregon, which crushed Arizona 49-22 on the road Saturday.)

The certain rankings don’t subject this early, with so substantially carnage however to arrive. But projecting in advance, I see 14 teams left that could fairly make the College Soccer Playoff semifinals, and two of them reside in L.A., wherever, coincidentally, the CFP countrywide championship match will be performed at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Jan. 9.

Identifying people 14 groups should not choose a lot detective work, but right here goes: Alabama, Georgia, Ohio Point out, Michigan, Clemson, USC, Oklahoma Condition, Tennessee, Mississippi, Penn Condition, Oregon, UCLA, Texas Christian and Texas (the Longhorns have two losses, positive, but if they somehow bought to 11-2 they would have a compelling argument they’d be undefeated if commencing quarterback Quinn Ewers did not get damage in the to start with quarter from Alabama — yes, a prolonged shot, but the CFP committee just cannot resist a Tv rankings winner with a scenario).

Individuals 14 groups are most likely to perform each and every other (factoring in potential convention championship matchups) 14 occasions.

Of study course, we should want USC and UCLA to both be 10- when they perform the weekend ahead of Thanksgiving at the Rose Bowl. Regrettably, that may well be the only way to promise an genuine sellout of the hallowed venue.

Each individual team would have to acquire an particularly rough street activity — USC at Utah up coming Saturday and UCLA at Oregon Oct. 22. Soon after that, they are all entice game titles, and the Trojans and Bruins have proven more than enough so far to make have faith in they will not choke and wreck the pleasurable.

Since even if a person or both of those of the groups were 9-1, this would be a just can't-skip civic celebration.

Obviously, if both are 10-, the winner would vault by itself into playoff pole place. In that situation, the loser would also continue being alive and hope to avenge the decline in the Pac-12 championship game (which now characteristics the teams with the two very best convention data, not the division champions).

If just one is 10- and the other is 9-1, it’s an elimination game for the 9-1 staff.

If the two are 9-1, the winner stays quite much alive for the Pac-12 championship and a playoff spot.

As it stands, USC will be rated bigger, but UCLA has proven additional on the industry thanks to Saturday’s convincing acquire above Utah, very last year’s Pac-12 champ. The Bruins showed they can enjoy physical with a rough team like the Utes but also flash their pace when the window opens to do so. USC will have the very same possibility up coming weekend with Utah, but it will be considerably harder given that the recreation is at night time in Salt Lake City.

From listed here, UCLA has the much easier route. That’s typically because of to the Trojans getting to host resurgent Notre Dame, which has received three straight game titles soon after beginning -2, in the season finale at the Coliseum.

These dreamy situations have to be earning the Massive 10 (and Fox) giddy. On the other facet, the relaxation of the Pac-12 colleges have to be rolling their eyes — oh, so now you two are likely to flex that muscle we normally read about?

On the lookout forward, USC and UCLA mounting up the polls alongside one another (for after!) is pristinely timed. When they depart for the Massive Ten in 2024, as it at the moment stands with no further more enlargement, they will be one another’s only meeting rival.

To keep supporter curiosity amid video games against Rutgers, Illinois, Purdue and the like, USC and UCLA will need to have every other’s ideal extra than they ever have.

How nice of the Trojans and Bruins to get a head start in 2022. Now they just have to retain it.