UCLA stuns USC!, or the Beauty of Crosstown Rivalries, or Watching Football Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

My alma mater UCLA went into the game against #2 USC as 16 point underdogs. All USC needed was a win to play for the national championship against Ohio State. And USC was on a roll, playing great ball in recent games.

But I've seen almost sixty of these crosstown matchups -- and what you learn is that anything can happen in a neighborly rivalry like this. UCLA's mediocre season suddenly would be successful if they won and had bragging rights in LA. They could avenge all the consecutive losses (7 in a row) to USC in recent years. They could avenge last year's blowout by almost 50 points.


But people laugh when you say the Bruins have a chance in a game like this. They just look at the stats and the records of the teams. They forget about the emotional ingredient in sports. So ... UCLA rose to the occasion, its defense played a spectacular game, and they won 13-9 in a nailbiter so intense that I was worried I might have a heartattack before it was over.

UCLA pulls off shocker against No. 2 USC

By JOHN NADEL, AP Sports Writer

PASADENA, Calif. - Southern California's dejected players trudged off the Rose Bowl field, oblivious to the celebration going on around them. Their national championship hopes had just ended with the biggest upset of the season.

UCLA knocked No. 2 USC out of the Bowl Championship Series title game with a stunning 13-9 victory over its crosstown rival Saturday. The Bruins did it with a vastly improved defense and a quarterback starting on three days' notice.

"Give credit to UCLA. They made it a difficult day," said USC coach Pete Carroll, whose team lost for just the fourth time in its last 59 games. "They kept us from doing what we wanted to do. We had no rhythm. We did not anticipate this happening."

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I watched the action on TV but listened to the game on the radio (which was about 5 seconds ahead of the images) because the commentary was given by John Robinson and Terry Donahue, former USC and UCLA football coaches respectively, who played one another ten times, each winning five games. Robinson was amazing in being able to call what plays were coming up.

UCLA wins! Now somebody like me gets to be really obnoxious and say Told ya! Of course, since I watched the game at home and not at a sports bar, sick H and the dog are the only ones who hear me, H putting another pillow on her head and Sketch running around excitedly, mistaking my energy for an invitation to go for a run. Told ya! I love it.