Season Forecast: UCLA/USC

USC’s best case/worst case has already been done, so it’s just a prediction for them.


USC Prediction: Easy wins over Hawaii, Virginia, Minnesota, and WSU open the year. “NATIONAL CHAMP USC IS BACK!!!” proclaims sportswriters. Then they go out and get ripped to shreds by Jake Locker, who humbles Troy in LA to bring them to 4-1. They recover to beat “what’s your deal?” Stanford, but fall to Furd’s rival Cal the next week. Oregon also defeats the Trojans, but USC recovers with back to back wins over the Arizona schools. Back in hostile Corvallis, OS takes out USC yet again led by the Rodgers. At 7-4, USC wins 2 straight over ND and UCLA to close the year 9-4.

UCLA Best Case: Opening the season with a win over Kansas State is nice. Beating Stanford is even better. Beating Houston and starting 3-0? Priceless. A nailbiter it Texas can’t damper the hopes, as wins over Cal+WSU have UCLA opening the year 5-1. Losing to Oregon is disappointing but expected, and splitting Arizona and Oregon State sends Westwood into bedlam; 6-3 is more wins than they’ve in the last 2 regular seasons. Beating Washington and Arizona State is okay they guess, but they want SC. With a win over the Trojans by 14, UCLA can truly say the monopoly in LA is over. They win the bowl to go 10-3 on the year.

UCLA Worst Case: Loss: Kansas State. Loss: Stanford. Loss: Houston. Loss: Texas. UCLA opens the year 0-4 before finally beating WSU. It doesn’t get better, losing to Cal next and then to Oregon, Arizona, and Oregon State. They do recover to beat UW and ASU, but USC absolutely crushes the Bruins to take hold of LA yet again. 3-9 is the sad sad final.

UCLA Prediction: A loss to Kansas State sends the campus into a panic, but wins over Stanford and Houston calm the masses. A loss to Texas doesn’t make many people angry, and a win over WSU sets them on their way. A loss to Cal is disappointing, as they had hope to defeat big brother. A loss to Oregon is expected, but a win over Arizona gets them back on track. The alternating wins/losses works for them, so they loss to Oregon State but recover to beat Washington. Following the pattern, they are shocked by Arizona State. Needing a win over SC to get to a bowl, UCLA fights but just can’t pull it out to finish 5-7.