Whether you’re rooting for the Trojans or the Bruins, there’s plenty to look forward to this season.

USC Trojans Ranked No. 3 in Preseason

A few years ago, it seemed as if the USC Trojans football program would never rise again. They were heavily penalized, which led to not only a loss of scholarships (among other things), but also a loss in reputation, image and values. The NCAA sanctions hit USC hard.

But then Lane Kiffin came along. A person with an attitude to move forward, Kiffin re-established what was considered the most dominant program in all of college football throughout the nation. As the head coach of a team that could not qualify for the postseason, Kiffin managed to stick the unit together. Thusly, he gradually developed a plan to recruit wisely, efficiently and effectively.

For the past two seasons, the Trojans could have earned a Bowl birth, but did not for its two-year sanction. Also during that time, they selected to delay the scholarship reductions until after the Bowl ban ended (last season).

Then, the USC Director of Athletics Pat Haden conveyed his input on the penalties, citing that it would impact the program for about 10 years. That remains to be seen, but it does not look like that will happen the way things are going with Kiffin at the helm.

Now, with a roster full of remarkable young talent, experienced coaches, and three of the best offensive players nationwide, the No. 3 ranked Trojans are indeed back in contention for a national championship.

Led by Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Barkley at the quarterback position, USC figures to outscore most, if not all, opponents in the 2012 campaign. Barkley, a senior out of Newport Beach, threw for 3,528 passing yards with 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Averaging nearly 300 yards on the air per game, Barkley secured 69.1 percent of his throwing attempts. He is very mature, both on and off the field, and also demonstrates natural leadership as a person and athlete.

We cannot discount the production from wide receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. A junior and native of Carson, Woods arguably became the best WR last season after recording 111 receptions for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns. As a freshman, the 6-foot tall Lee provided more than what he was asked for. In fact, his first year with the Trojans can be classified as ridiculously amazing; the Inglewood native posted 73 catches with 1,143 yards and 11 scores. Both Woods and Lee may very well surpass their 2011 stats, and Barkley will lead them.

Interestingly enough, where the Trojans will most likely see more offensive production come September is the backfield. Redshirt senior running back Curtis McNeal returns after collecting 1,038 rushing yards and six TDs on 145 carries. McNeal is as solid as RBs come, but USC will excel in their running game because of its addition of Silas Redd. Along with McNeal and Redd in the backfield, USC’s chances of cultivating a balanced attack via air and ground are frightening for its competitors. While at Penn State in 2011 as a sophomore, Redd ran for 1,241 yards on 244 rushes with seven TDs.

With Barkley, inarguably the most important piece in USC’s offense, Woods, Lee, Redd and McNeal, the Trojans expect to create a potent offense. Their defense, however, will be the key to a successful season that features three crucial road affairs against Stanford (Sept. 15), Utah (Oct. 4), and Washington (Oct. 13).  Already slated as one of the games of the year to watch, USC entertains Oregon at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Nov. 3. This game might turn out to be vital for the Trojans’ path to compete in the national championship contest. And of course, their “road game” at UCLA can come down to the wire in their hopes of going undefeated and hopping from ranking third to first nationally.


UCLA Bruins Aim to Get Back Into Winning Column

Whether it will end up truly meaning anything remains to be seen, but the UCLA Bruins made a splash in hiring former NFL head coach Jim Mora as the face to lead the program.

“Our objective here is simple,” Mora said at a press conference on Dec. 13, 2011. “And that is to make Bruin fans proud of their football team. It has been a tough decade for UCLA football. This is a program that has always represented academic and athletic excellence, and I look forward to the challenge of returning this football team to prominence.”

Yes indeed, but Mora has some work to do to get the Bruins back in contention –and to at least even be mentioned in the nation’s Top 25. That, in itself, would be a start.

UCLA contains a favorable schedule, with perhaps their most arduous meeting coming Oct. 6 at Cal in Berkley. Last season, the Bruins finished 6-8 overall and 5-4 in the South division of the Pac-12 standings. Kevin Prince, now a senior, led the squad in quarterback statistics (1,828 passing yards, 12 touchdowns). Mora has optioned Prince as the starting QB for the opener, but the position could be going back and forth with others competing for the spot for the rest of the season.

Regardless of who takes on the snaps, redshirt senior running back Johnathan Franklin leads the offensive portion for the Bruins. Franklin contributed 1,033 rushing yards in 166 carries to go along with five touchdowns. Everyone is basically awaiting a breakout performance from Franklin, who is healthy, experienced and wants to make a case for himself in the next NFL draft.

Their most prolific receiver, Nelson Rosario (1,161 yards, 64 catches, five TDs) is no longer available, so that remains a question mark as of now. Mora, nevertheless, brings professional experience after having coached the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and Seattle Seahawks (2009). His football mind will not allow the UCLA offense, or even the defense for that matter, to let down despite inexperience at several positions on both ends of the field.

“I’ve always felt that this was a program, a university, that you could build into a special place,” Mora went on to say. “A place where you can win with consistency, where you can win doing it the right way, with kids that are not only committed to being great football players and great athletes, but also great students and great leaders in our community. And so that was very, very appealing to me. This was the job that I wanted, and I was fortunate to get this job.”

Mora has work to do en route to getting UCLA back on the winning column, but it appears he is on the right track.