Ninth-ranked Arizona State comes to the Rose Bowl on Saturday, but the biggest question has nothing to do with the Sun Devils.
It is simply: Which Bruin team will show up?
The one that was blown out by Utah, Notre Dame, Washington State and Arizona? Or the team that put up wins over Cal and BYU and still has a shot at the Rose Bowl?
The answer to this question will make or break their season ““ that is, if it’s not already broken.
Technically, if the Bruins finish the season with wins over No. 9 ASU, No. 3 Oregon and No. 17 USC, they will win the Pac-10 and go to the Rose Bowl. Realistically, Saturday’s game is a must win.
Lose on Saturday and the Bruins (5-4, 4-2 Pac-10) will have thrown away an opportunity to make something happen. Lose and UCLA will be staring down the barrel of a sub-.500 season. Lose and watch the recruits decommit.
And if they win? Oh, but if they win.
The Bruins will have pulled off their biggest victory of the season and shown that they have some fire left in their bellies. Win and they’ve proved that a team decimated by injuries and publicly skewered still has some fight. Win and improbably the Bruins will be in position to claim the conference crown.
But that’s all talk for later.
Right now, the Bruins are sick of losing, and for the 25 seniors on the team, something’s got to change this weekend.
“It’s getting down to the last three games, and for a lot of the seniors, it’s their last three games,” senior wide receiver Brandon Breazell said. “That’s when your heart really starts to show. Your heart really turns out because I’ve only got three games left.
“You got to turn it around. You got to look in the mirror and (think) “˜Did I give it my all playing for UCLA?’ So you just got to turn it around. You play with your heart and give it your all every game, every day at practice.”
For the Bruins to turn it around, something needs to change. Starting in the second half of last week’s loss, they had the look and fire of a different team. Quarterback Osaar Rasshan injected new life into the offense and sparked an excited mentality that has carried over into practice this past week.
“We definitely have a lot of energy this week,” senior defensive end Bruce Davis said. “It hadn’t been like this for a while around here. It’s a good feeling.
“Just the vibe, the energy, the excitement to be out here ““ it hasn’t been like that in a long time.”
For senior cornerback Trey Brown, that intensity is something that should be there all the time for a Bruin team that still has much to play for.
“The fire’s got to be there,” Brown said. “It can’t be off and on; it’s got to be every day you’re out here. Our mind-set this week is to get 1-0 and getting back to winning ball games.”
For the Bruins to convert their newfound excitement into a W, they will have to slow down quarterback Rudy Carpenter and a prolific Sun Devil passing attack that currently ranks No. 1 in the conference at over 373 yards per game.
“He’s a very elusive quarterback,” coach Karl Dorrell said. “He’s very athletic. He can move well in the pocket, and he throws well on the run.
“We want to try to disrupt him. That’s the goal: Try to disrupt his timing and to throw him off a bit to where he’s second guessing and thinking about things a little bit. He’s a good player, and he makes that offense go.”
Slowing Carpenter down is one thing, but finding out which UCLA team will show up to the Rose Bowl on Saturday is something very different.