Think/Know: Week 10

* I know that discipline isn't something you enforce, it's something you instill
Most people think of the term discipline from the outside in, as in: "He disciplines his children." I look at it the other way. You dole out punishment. You don't dole at discipline. I just don't think of it that way. I believe you have discipline, that it is possessive, that it comes from within and with the guidance of a paternal or maternal figure.
That brings us to UCLA.
I've always believed in the idea that midwest kids who deal with harsh elements and absolute boredom have a more ingrained sense of toughness by the time they're 18 than west kids who get the sun and the beach. I've always believed you need to overcompensate for that and not only instill a heightened sense of discipline, but make sure it is maintained weekly.
As we saw so clearly early in the Bruins' 31-6 loss to Utah, this is a team that has very, very little discipline. In a winnable game, UCLA committed 12 penalties for 91 yards, including 10 for 76 in a first half that was ripe for the picking. The Bruins actually were owning both lines of scrimmage early on, and without the penalties, could've taken control early. I know it was a snow game, and I know it was loud, but all those pre-snap penalties were costly, and they can't happen.

* I think the Pistol offense cannot be the primary offense in the Pac-12
I'll expand on this idea in a post sometime in the next couple days, but I've had doubts that the pistol offense could sustain success on a week-in, week-out basis in the Pac-12. UCLA finally proved that to me against Utah, with a drastic drop-off in production after two straight successful performances against Cal and ASU.
The Utes completely took Kevin Prince out of the game, playing a *disciplined* brand of football on the perimeter, with the ends simply not crashing in on the handoff. Even with moderate success early, the Bruins were hampered by the penalties, and there were still openings in the pass game.
Prince's first completion, to Nelson Rosario on 2nd-and-11 on the second drive, was a perfectly designed play and it went for 16 yards. Then UCLA gets a delay of game to make it 1st-and-15, and Johnathan Franklin rushes for one yard, then Jeff Baca compounds the issue with a 15-yard personal foul penalty, and yet the Bruins still run on 2nd-and-29, then run again on 3rd-and-21. They don't complete another pass until less than five minutes were left in the first half.

* I know the Bruins shouldn't feel toooo bad about getting torched by John White IV
One of the perks of covering a Pac-12 team is getting to see so many great running backs over the years. The list is kind of staggering if you think about it: Toby Gerhart, Jaquizz Rodgers, LeGarrette Blount, LaMichael James (and Kenjon Barner and DeAnthony Thomas), Jahvid Best, Shane Vereen, Franklin and Bash, Chris Polk and I know I'm forgetting some. And that's just in my three years on this beat.
But I think White is up there, too. White had 167 yards against UCLA, but his longest run was only 22 yards. That means he gained 145 yards on 32 carries. Some may be underwhelmed by that YPC figure, but I was constantly impressed by how he seemed to gain the extra yard or two almost every single time. UCLA played OK up front for most of the game, and the tackling itself wasn't awful - sometimes the other guy is just really good.

* I think UCLA's defensive line isn't too far away if the right personnel is used
For the first half against the Utes, the Bruins were truly stout up front. At times, they looked dominant. At least four or five times, UCLA defensive linemen were a swim, a rip or a spin away from getting to the quarterback or ball-carrier behind the line of scrimmage. Of course, you can argue that the one extra move, that one fraction of a second, is the difference between good and great or average and good. But UCLA needs to utilize more speed off the edge, and if that means using Iuta Tepa or Aramide Olaniyan more, so be it.

* I know this is the strangest season in college sports history
Forget all of the scandals and forget the Penn State nightmare and just focus on football, and this is still such a weird year. I realized over the weekend that UCLA can win the Pac-12 South - heck, even the whole Pac-12! - and not be invited to a bowl. And that all stems from the mediocrity of the south division.
Who would've thought that in this turbulent season, the Bruins would still not only have something to play for, but actually have lofty aspirations. Tony Dye talked about that yesterday, and while a long-shot, it's unfair to dash those dreams, I think. But what a weird year.