Pick The USC-UCLA Score

USC.UCLA.PERKINS.2014OK, time to pick the biggest game of the year. Back in the summer, when the Daily News asked me for a prediction for our college football preview, I chose USC and said if the Trojans could not win with a fifth-year senior at quarterback, they might never win.

So much has happened since then at USC, with a coaching change, etc. But whoever is coaching, USC has not won the big games (Stanford, Notre Dame, Oregon). This is a game of that magnitude. I rate it a toss-up. But if I have to choose, I’m going to pick UCLA, 41-34, for two reasons: Jim Mora knows how to win these games and I know what his coaching staff brings. I never know from game to game what USC’s staff brings.

90 thoughts on “Pick The USC-UCLA Score

    • JW, JW, what are we to do with you?
      I say, that whomever has the most points at the end of the 4th quarter, wins the game.
      Guess we are all entitled to our opinions.

  1. Quiet flows the Don….solid victory tomorrow causing anxiety in Heritage Hall esp. if Helton goes the distance by two weeks from tomorrow evening hence…this is the reverse of 2013….Orgeron was already headed for the exit….many are hoping there is no barrier from giving Helton his walking papers….but there is that matter of tomorrow’s game still.

    Solid victory tomorrow…..

      • Times have changed. Napoleon (MG) handled it via a phone-mate for JR2. We must now be technically up-to-date. Otherwise, heaven forbid, we might regress to my day…the card-stunt era…when terminations were administered face-to-face ( I know, it’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it).

  2. Zach Banner has decided not to come back next year.. .Oh indeed the gates have opened, I expect more to run for the hills with the uncertainty of the new coaching staff, next year will be a rough one for the rah rahs

    #Exodus

    • Here’s the counter ….any real interest for the same classmen at UCLA? What’s that? Yeah thought so.

      • Obama will switch to the Republican party before you say something worth the breath to say it.

        It’s going to be cold on the street tonight CS, so chug-a-lug something fortified.

          • Tra la tra la…..a hunting we will go…..a hunting we must go….hi ho the merrio a hunting we must go……hmmmm I ‘sense’ a oso nino….look it’s running away…..

        • He was a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
          Jack will go third round.

          As for Trogan Fan, there is no such thing as a Trogan. Trogon, yes, which is some kind of cuckoo bird, which would seem to fit this SUCLA misfit.

          • LOL. Just like Kendricks and Barr before him, Jack will be a star in the league. LBU don’t produce softies like your friend Banner.

      • Don’t you worry your Oline will remember UCLAs NT Kenny.. .Kenny Clark that is

        #KC #MJ 1st rnd bound, I hope you get to watch the draft

    • Banner leaving is addition by subtraction. He is the poster boy for the USC program over five out of the last six years. All the talent in the world, but no heart or production.

    • When someone of your stature and position tells us Banner is not coming back, it gets immediately dismissed. A little premature, even on Banners part to proclaim moving on.

  3. My emotional side says USC wins the game. My rational side says UCLA does.It doesn’t matter though. Even a loss on the scoreboard is a win for the Trojans because it (hopefully) means we get a new, big-time coach immediately afterwards. BTW, I had thanksgiving dinner with the girlfriend of one of the refs doing tomorrow’s game. He grew up a ucla fan and played baseball at USC, just an interesting sidenote…

    • “It doesn’t matter though. Even a loss on the scoreboard is a win for the Trojans because it (hopefully) means we get a new, big-time coach immediately afterwards.”

      Your post reflects a Fruin upbringing. No true Trojan roots for his team to lose…ever! …no mater what the consequence. Stick your rationality where the sun don’t shine.

  4. If SUCLA wins you can be oh so sure that the no-class bruins on the blog (Encinitas and New York not included) will be crowing and hollering and spitting out their schadenfreude at full volume.

    If SC wins, I suppose there will be some Trojans who will also get down in the gutter, but for the most part I think Troy will immediately put SUCLA in its rear view mirror, and get excited and ready for the West Coast Rose Bowl participant game aka Stanford.

    • All that phony maturity, what a crock. Tell us Walnut have you obtained permission to watch the game Sat., or are chauffeuring the wife to her weekly women’s poetry/quilting meeting.

  5. I was right on last week when I picked SC over Oregon by 21+. I”m doing it again here: SC 55, UCLA 3

    • cannot wait for this staff to move on to the unemployment line … and thanks to Sark for getting them 900k or more in salary
      btw , how is that loser doing still hiding out in Torrance until Pete figures out a way to hire him

  6. I am thinking westwood should win the game, not because they are better, but because USC is down. Big difference. 24-21. Still pulling for Trojans always. Just watched Iowa who is very well coached and very fundamentally sound. What a differnce.

    • I’m staying away from predicting the score Steve. I’ve been way off the last 3 games. And last week was a donkey kick to the Trojans defense, so I’m going with my Trojans, but that’s just a homer pick.

    • It only took Kirk Ferentz 17 years to turn it around at Iowa. Should we wait 17 years for the next coach to turn things around at SC?

      • You have to admit, the administration at Iowa has been patient. What my point was that they are not 4-5 star recruits, but the are well taught fundamentally.
        Not thinking Ferentz for USC at all.

  7. Zach Banner said on Twitter….”can’t believe it’s the last one in the Coli tomorrow already”

    He never said he was leaving early.

      • At this point, I’m AOK if Banner left early. He’s been a let down. That said, he should stay, on his pass protection and would most likely get a bad draft evaluation.

        • Banner and Audrey Walker are the biggest wastes of talent I’ve seen in a long time. They both look like Tarzan and play like Jane. The only difference between the two is that Walker had enough sense to keep his mouth shut.

          • Yep. Walker and Drevno clashed. And Walker played his way to the bench. He looked like a clone of Tyron Smith. But played like Jane.

    • 5* recruit with 2* ability. He should get an internship immed with Colin Cowherd and end this football nonsense. Problem for USC is he’s still the best they’ve got for his spot. Shows you where the program is really at. And if Banner somehow shows up and doesn’t get beat like a drum against ucla, what does that say about USC coaches who could never figure out how to get the best out of the Trojan players.

      Will just be glad when some real coaches are in McKay Center.

      • I’d like it if Banner proved me wrong with a good showing tomorrow. He’s been a drive killer with holding and false starts this season. Tomorrow would be the perfect time to turn on the switch if he has one.

        • I was thinking more about the times opponents just run around him like he’s in stone: a double left-footer with the heart of bambi.

          I hear our at least one of our OLs is (or was) at complete odds with him. No chemistry despite all the talk you hear about OLs working as a unit.

          One last time together – maybe they’ll decide to put aside any differences for the sake of at least one win people mark on their calendars.

          • Definitely. That goes without saying. His “blocking” has us all worried. And I’m with you, hopefully the line can put it together and play a tough, clean game. And maybe Kessler can finally make some kind of Mark with a victory. We’re leaving at 3:50 am, so I’m hoping for a good outcome. It’s hard to sleep before these ones. We’ll see!

  8. Everyone including myself is pinning the impending USC loss on the lack of quality coaching. Many agree that USC has the talent to prevail, but lacks the desire to win.
    With these two things in mind I am torn between the optimistic and pessimistic. Optimism says the Trojans will win if the coaches desire work anywhere in the future. Pessimism says the Bruins will win because our coaches are clueless including their future prospects.
    My prediction: The PAC 12 south will lose the conference championship again because of who wins Saturday. (Just can’t bring myself to type the other guys will win)

  9. UCLA will have to play very poorly to lose to this mess and poorly coached USC team … hope the gutties win or even romp to end this Clay Kiffin for HC garbage once and for all
    btw OregonSt gave Oregon everything they wanted and put up 42 pts … Clay Kiffin not so much

  10. I know coach Helton is going to dip into the bag of tricks tomorrow, but I’d rather see him run right at these guys. Ucla is fit for a pounding and we should be set on playing bully tomorrow. Ground and pound is the winning formula. Take the game away from Cody and don’t rely on the O-line’s “ability” to pass block. You gotta Stanford ucla this week and Oregon Stanford next week. I predicted this game and win long ago and we start to salvage a season tomorrow.

  11. Just had Black Friday Leftovers with my SC alum nephew, who has season tickets and will be chowing down in one of the tailgating tents tomorrow (he works for Scout dot com, so he gets into everything). As he was leaving with his wife and young son, I said, “May the best team win tomorrow,” and he replied, “I hope not.” We both laughed. UCLA 41-31. And…may the best team win.

  12. When coaches do not have a plan,neither do the players…so far SC is only slightly better,Oregon proved this defense has poor game plans and coaching…’O’ line not much better..the athletes are there…where is the coaching.

  13. Scarecrow and Tinman!
    Brainless coaches + heartless players= big asssss whooping from the Bruins!

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