There’s no point in discussing what’s happened so far this season. There’s no point in trying to figure out what will happen for the rest of the season.
Whether you are a UCLA fan or an Oregon fan, the message is the same.
This game is your season.
For UCLA, there’s no other way to look at this game. Had the Bruins not slipped up at Washington, they could handle a loss at Oregon, recover to beat some tough opponents that remain on their schedule, and savor a decent season.
But if the Bruins absorb a second Pac-10 loss now, there is no way they can have a good season.
Actually, that’s not true. UCLA could run the table after losing to the Ducks by winning games at Notre Dame, at California, at Arizona State, and at home against Washington State, Oregon State and USC. By doing that, UCLA would match its 10-2 record from last season, and I suppose you would consider that a successful season.
But when reality’s blinders are removed, you can see what I’m getting at, right?
The truth is, this UCLA team is better than last year’s 10-2 team. Sure the team lost its top three skill position players, but the Bruins might as well have played their games without a defense last year.
This year the defense has done a total 180. The Bruin linemen and linebackers are getting pressure on quarterbacks, the secondary has been on lockdown, and the defensive play calling under new defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker has been savvy.
The offense, while going through its struggles, has shown occasional signs of life and the surprisingly good performance by backup quarterback Pat Cowan last Saturday has lifted the team.
Even though Ben Olson is clearly more talented, Cowan showed the awareness and smarts that Olson had not shown in previous games and the Bruin offense thrived under Cowan against Arizona.
A loss to Oregon makes the progress by either the defensive unit or offensive unit worthless. It would cancel out the confidence boost that the Bruins have gained in the past two games. It would make the slip up to the Huskies loom a lot larger.
But as much as the Oregon game means to the Bruins, there is no reason why they should be the more motivated of the two teams.
If Oregon beats California last Saturday, the program is thinking about bigger and better things. It’s thinking about running the table, about being the team to beat USC, and maybe even entering the national title conversation.
But after getting embarrassed, all of a sudden, a rejuvenated Bruin team creates a big scare for the Ducks. In a season that started off so promising, a loss to UCLA clicks the speed dial button for the fat lady.
Oregon losing last week might have been the worst thing possible for UCLA. If Oregon wins, it could easily overlook the Bruins. The Ducks loss not only adds a sense of urgency for Saturday’s matchup, but it increases the anger and motivation of the players.
Facing an angry Oregon team at one of the most difficult places to play at on the road in college football is not the situation the Bruins want to be in with their season on the line.
Likewise, the fact that UCLA’s offense got rolling against an Arizona team that smoked the Bruins last year isn’t great news for the Ducks.
UCLA’s biggest problem in each of its past four seasons has been the inability to be strong on both sides of the ball during the course of a season. The Bruins are not easy to beat when both units are clicking.
It will be interesting to see how the Bruin defensive unit holds up against Dennis Dixon. Washington’s Isaiah Stanback wore down the Bruin defense in the second half with his ability to create opportunities with his feet and Dixon has similar attributes. Quarterback performance for both teams could very well be the difference in the game
The bottom line is that the UCLA-Oregon game on Saturday will be a dog fight. Both teams are under an equal amount of pressure. Both teams have similar talent.
And both teams are desperate for a victory.
May the best team win.