UCLA heads to Knoxville looking for respect, but who will rise to the occasion?
The UCLA Football Bruins are a joke… to many people in and out of Los Angeles. This weekend presents a chance to end that joke.
If the Bruins can travel to Neyland Stadium and win as a 7 1/2 point Underdog in front of 100,000+ screaming lunatics, it won’t be so easy to come up with anti-UCLA punchlines. Sure the Bruins beat Tennessee last year in O.T. at the Rose Bowl, but Tennesseee had a down year and are supposed to be “back” this season. They started the season for new Coach Lane Kiffin by destroying some patsy, a victory which has renewed the hopes of Vol fans.
Now the Vols have a stiffer challenge: Norm Chow (and Rick Neuheisel) against Lane Kiffin. Supposedly, the former trojan assistants are not the best of buddies, and will be hungry to show one another up. This is why, supposedly, that the Bruins didn’t reveal any trick plays last Saturday — To save them for the Volunteeers.
The coaching will be there for UCLA… the question is: Which player will step up? Freshman QB Kevin Prince? That’s asking a lot, so how about one of the three Tailbacks? Watch for one of them to have a breakout game, as the Tennessee D tries to rattle Prince, while forgetting how good the Bruin runners can be.
If UCLA can handle Tennessee, the Bruins would come back at home to play KSU, meaning that a 3-0 start could easily be in the offing. And if the victories are at all “convincing,” the Bruins might even find themselves (god forbid) RANKED.
And speaking of “rank,” the trojans play in Columbus on Saturday, against the highly-ranked Buckeyes. The trojans are favored by a Touchdown, but after seeing Ohio State BARELY beat Navy last week, you’ve GOT to think that sc will destroy OSU, just like they did last season. So go ahead, bite down hard, and GIVE THE POINTS.
Comments
6 responses to “ANYBODY WANNA VOLUNTEER?”
Yum!
Functioning in Neyland Stadium is an unbelieveable test for a freshman QB (redshirt or not) and a young OL. I think the improvement playing there for Tennessee is about 11 points versus playing in the Rose Bowl. Although UCLA won by 3 points last year, since it went to OT, score-prediction wise it’s a draw, so I’m going 28-17 Tennessee – not a discouraging result for THIS UCLA team, especially after the 0-59 result in their first road game last year.
That said, don’t believe it if you hear that the weather will be a factor for UCLA. Living in MO, I can tell you that although temperatures in the low 80s with humidity around 60% (current prediction) is an uncommon experience for UCLA athletes, it should NOT be a problem for them. If it is, then they are a bunch of pu$$ies. I know all too well that some days in the Rose Bowl are far more oppressive than that. Knoxville, TN is NOT Austin, TX or Gainsville, FL.
For anyone who ever gets the chance, make sure to visit Knoxville. Although it is a college town, some people you see there redefine the word “bumpkin”. It is one of the few places I have visited that truly lives up to the stereotypes. I can only imagine the smugness Nashville must feel toward it.
That picture of the Tennessee song girl is pretty tasteless on your part. UCLA BRUINS are more classy than that. I have noticed this before and it is not very nice. Please stop doing anymore of those shots.
[T-H’s Note: This is a matter of opinion. Many people do not see this issue the same way you do. That photo was taken from the bleachers, with an amateur camera, in the middle of a routine, not sneakily taken in a locker room. There were a thousand cameras clicking away in front of the squad. No one was asked to not take pictures. I did not choose their outfits. By the way, you will find shots exactly like this in Sports Illustrated and every other Sports Photography site on the Internet, and SI is not apologizing, so why should I? I do not post shots like that of the Bruins, but only because they made a polite request. Some of the Bruin girls think that these shots are fine, and part of the deal of being a Cheerleader in this day and age. They have even used “kick shots” on their own Facebook pages. Even the girls’ fathers (some of them) have written me telling me that the shots are terrific, and not offensive as you claim that they are. Like I said, it is not a fact, it is just your opinion. The basic agreement was that one shot like that once in a while is not so horrible, as long as I don’t go overboard. So I thought just one, of this week’s “hated” opponent would be okay. Other schools’ fansites photograph our Bruins in the same manner. I’m sorry that it offends your personal sensibilities, but I am not going to promise to stop posting them. I do have another idea, though: You don’t HAVE to come to my site. There are plenty of other sites out there that won’t upset you so much. This site was supposed to be SATIRICAL, and aimed at drunken frat boys. I never promised that it wouldn’t be tasteless or classless every now and then. Sorry, but I guess you will just have to “deal with it” and with your own personal hang-ups/antiquated beliefs].
If you think that shot is bad, you should have seen some of the shots I had to talk him out of posting! For those of you more moral than I, THAT was a joke.
That shot isn’t immoral. It’s a sad reminder that I was never that flexible to begin with and now, past my college days, I’m already on the down slope of life… :/
Congrats, Bruins, on the win. Good game.
I love that picture, what a beautiful young lady indeed. Great game!! Go Bruins!!!