USC v. UCLA

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All things being equal, Jim Mora gets hired for a job over Steve Sarkisian based on Pac-12 accomplishments. Does that mean UCLA (Mora) has an edge over USC (Sarkisian)? Of course.

But two things help USC even up the odds. USC is USC, first off. That means Steve Sarkisian doesn’t need to be as good a coach because he can still get Damien Mama, Adoree Jackson and JuJu Smith to commit on Signing Day. The other factor I hear from coaches in the Pac-12 is that Mora does not enjoy recruiting. That might play a role too.

So at the end of the day, is that enough to break USC’s two-year losing streak to UCLA?

41 thoughts on “USC v. UCLA”

    • It will be nice to see what you have to say after SC crushes the Bruins in the Rose Bowl and takes back the Victory Bell. Then maybe you’ll stop hanging out on the USC blog and go back to the UCLA blog.

        • Gee it sure sounds like he is rooting for UCLA. He says it will be 3 wins in a row and is guaranteeing it. What am I missing to interpret that he is not a UCLA fan?

          • let’s see what happens when usc is at full strength

            ucla has not a had a top ten finish in the last two years

            they have each had one bowl win and one bowl loss
            and we had the worst coach this side of paul hackett

            way too early to predict anything
            sc did not beat ucla but they beat stanford -ucla did not beat them

          • Dude,

            You’ll never be able to keep up this kind of trolling pace.
            Slow it down a bit.

        • SUCC has lost two consecutive UCLA FB games since then; and, the SUCC BB team hasn’t sniffed anything but the Pac 12 cellar since their magnificent 3 – 23 season. It’s really impressive to walk into Galen gym a gaze at all the SUCC BB NC banners.

          • Thanks for the update, however, it is not relevant to my post, so you can see yourself out. Thanks!

          • Anything pointing out the SUCC FB and BB teams as mediocre wouldn’t be relevant to a SUCC screamer. SUCC crumbles on.

    • Charlie, I’d like to meet you in person. I’ll be in LA for awhile next week. How about Tommy’s? It would be fun.

      • i think that would be fun….but i have an interest in keeping my true identity unknown.

        my reasons for this are my own.

        well ok, i’ll tell: although i have many trOXan friends who know i am Bucket–i also do business directly with Southern Cal Univ….if they knew how i bashed their brethren and sistren so viciously, i could very easily lose the business. in the past i have literally had checks from Southern Cal on my desk while unleashing some of my most devastating fusillades….(now i get mostly electronic payments)

        but i do recommend you still go to Tommy’s they do have the best chili dogs and burgers in town.

        • If you really went to Tommy’s, you would not say “chili dogs.” Tommy’s is known for chiliburgers. I like your spirit Charlie. You keep things interesting, but you don’t need the personal attacks. Thanks for responding, and you are one of those “enemies” who I like.

  2. seen today’s LA Times on Mora’s salary?

    6 yr. – $21 mil. – pay $3.25 mil p/yr. as a base for next yr. w. a $925 K performance bonus. Mora scheduled to get $100k in base and talent fee giving him $3.75 mil. in 2019 (no idea what is meant by talent fee His buyout – if Mora leaves before 15th Jan 2015 owes UCL $2 mil., if before 2016 $1.7 and if prior to 2017 $1.35 and if prior to 2018 $1 mil..

    Here’s the flip side – UCLA will waive the buyout clauses if they (UCLA) fail to start construction for their on-campus football practice and training facility before October 2015

    Mora holds all the cards if he wins > 9 games per year esp that cancellation of the buyout clause – then again the Times states all they have to do is ‘begin construction’ NOT complete it.

    I’m guessing their attention is on the possibility of losing Jackie Robinson Field to the VA.

  3. Mora was hired over Sark for what job and over which Pac-12 accomplishments?

    • He beat Sarkiffen and Kiffen who supposedly had the team of the decade! Keep On Sarkiffen On!

      • And Kiffin beat Oregon/Chip Kelly, and other than a #5 ranking at the end of 2011, he had no Pac-12 success to show for it. Transitive logic does not work.

  4. Only seeing Mora as depicted on media video, he seems like a short-fused and arrogant simpleton.

    That said, I bet he feels it is beneath him to beg 17 year olds to come to SUCLA

    But, hey, that is the foundation of college ball

    Now, your inquiry regarding next year’s game is a bit premature. Let’s see how the 2014 season unfolds before we prognosticate game-12 between the Trojans and the Midget-Bears.

    P.S. I bet SC beats them. It just seems to be the Trojans’ way.

    • Mora has been the media’s darling for a while now, though. I was at a USC game when I overheard a woman a couple rows in front complaining that she wondered why USC couldn’t get a nice coach like Mora (this was during Kiffin’s disastrous 7-6 season). Several people around her concurred. But, Mora’s reputation has always been that of a hot head who burns bridges.

    • ‘Allegedly’ Mora was overheard mocking Ed Orgeron just after last year’s defeat at the Coliseum per Ed’s late meeting w. Mora…

      All you need to know about Mora is his ‘direction’ to the parents of Nick Pasquale on how to handle the media.

      Mora….ego…..PC replaced his backend @ SEA….for your skillset Mora….what happens ‘if’ OR & Stanford and now Troy take you down next year?

      “…NFL is now in the gloaming…” – Author of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ Robert Burns would know….truly he would….

      • Learn how to read lap dog. Simpleton is actually a very good description of you. Buy yourself a dictionary Skirt Boy.

  6. So, Mora has a better record the past 2 years in the Pac, so he’s a better coach. Ergo, Jeff Tedford is a better coach than Pete Carroll because his record in Pete’s first 2 years in the Pac was better. Tedford is no doubt a good coach, but, no.

    Honestly, Mora may be a better coach than SS, but it’s not an “of course”. It’s a “time will tell”.

    Recruiting, yes, 9 years out of 10 the guy at SC will have an advantage. But when the Bruins had it going on in the 90s with their 8 game streak, when it was almost impossible to find SC gear among all of the Bruin stuff at your local sporting goods store (I remember talking with the manager of the Chick’s in Laguna Hills, who said in response to the query, “Why no USC hats?”, direct quote: “No one will buy USC stuff.”)…….UCLA had a big advantage in SoCal. So it’s not an automatic like Scott W. claims it is.

    BTW, if he never reads these comments, why does he ask all of the questions?

    • USC was down in the 90s and Westwood tech “had it going on” yet couldn’t win a natty or a Rose Bowl. UCLA will never represent So Cali, never.
      Moron has experience on Sark. That’s it.

  7. Mora is jumping that ship at the first sniff of another NFL job. Everyone knows it. If he has another good (for UCLA) year, he will be gone 11 months.

    • At least you won’t have to worry about the NFL coming in and taking 7-win Sarkiffen away, unless he jumps ship to avoid the wrath of the “I Can’t Compete” Adorable Jackson’s recruiting violations!

      • There is no way Mora will leave next few years even if UCLA wins 2 national titles. He won’t leave for another college job (turned down his dream job in Washington and a top 3 job in Texas). Everybody keeps saying he will bolt to the NFL, but there needs to be an opening for him to leave. There have been 18 coaches hired in the past 3 off seasons (14 in the last 2) so there won’t be as much turnover for the next several years. Most owners give their coaches ~3 years to turn a team around (except the browns, but they are a lost cause). Mora is smart enough to know that if he ever does return to the NFL, it will be his last shot. He needs to go to the right situation (ala Carroll to Seattle with a talented young defense). Where would he go? Falcons? Bills? Browns? Jags? Dolphins? Raiders? Those are all places he would fail miserably at. Cowboys are intriguing, but the owner is too involved. Texans might have worked, but too late. Chargers had a shot last year, but he turned them down.

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