In the press room beneath the Rose Bowl there are four big plasma screen televisions. One of these televisions was showing the thrilling game between USC and Notre Dame Saturday afternoon. Media that gathered in the press room had clustered to watch the dramatic finish.
At that moment UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel walked into the room, sunburned and exasperated after his team’s 45-26 defeat to rival Cal.
Almost no one moved. Necks remained craned toward the USC game until a frustrated Neuheisel spoke sharply.
“Would everyone like to watch the end of that ball game?” Neuheisel asked. “I am more than willing to wait.”
There was a hint of bitterness in Neuheisel’s voice, a slight sign of the wounded pride of UCLA football.
Neuheisel wants his team to be playing in those electrifying games. The Bruins want to receive the attention reserved for college football’s best teams ““ the attention that is reserved in this town for USC.
But for now, UCLA is playing mediocre football. The offense cannot capitalize on its opportunities. The defense is vulnerable to big plays. And at crucial moments, the Bruins have not stepped up their game.
The Cal game was a reminder of how frustrating UCLA football can be. The Bruins always seem to be slipping, always looking up at the better teams in their conference.
This season, the Bruins are ninth among 10 Pac-10 teams and pretty much irrelevant to the BCS title race. A time when UCLA can ascend to the highest echelon seems far away.
Neuheisel said he can still see it happening.
“All the great people in the world have vision,” he said.
And he is right; vision is important. Neuheisel and his staff are indeed tremendous recruiters. If they continue to bring the best high school talent to Westwood, the team will improve.
But can a team be great if it does not overachieve on the field?
I don’t think so. In fact, I think that is exactly what great teams must do. The great teams get more out of their talent than their opponents. They win tough games. They survive.
UCLA football has not done that under coach Neuheisel. And if Neuheisel wants to convince people that his vision is legitimate, UCLA needs to do that this year. The Bruins need to win a tough game. They need to surprise people. Next Saturday will offer that opportunity.
UCLA will travel to Tucson to face Arizona. The Wildcats are 4-2 and putting up a lot of points under new quarterback Nick Foles.
A UCLA win would be a huge statement.
It’s like what defensive tackle Brian Price told me.
“We’re fighting for our identity now,” Price said.
Or safety Rahim Moore.
“All we have to do is worry about Arizona,” Moore said. “The accolades and the rankings, that doesn’t mean anything.”
Doesn’t that set the stage?
It’s a Saturday night game. I’m sure there will be a raucous crowd at Arizona. The Bruins will have to maintain their composure. They’ll have to score touchdowns, and they’ll have to tackle well.
If UCLA falls again, things will look even bleaker. But if they respond to this adversity, well, that would mean a lot. It would prove that Neuheisel’s team has the mettle to win tough ball games. It would add a lot of credence to Neuheisel’s vision, because it would show that he can channel the talent of his roster into a team that wins big games.
And, maybe, best of all, it wouldn’t make UCLA football feel so second fiddle.
E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu.