Greg Schain Schain is a Leo. His turn-ons are
watching the sunset, long walks on the beach and candlelight
dinners. E-mail him at [email protected].
To be honest, I’m afraid of Cal.
Every year, Bruin fans circle the game against Cal on their
calendars because it is supposed to be an easy win. Cal
doesn’t have a strong football program like UCLA does.
But the past two seasons, what is usually a laugher of a game
for UCLA has turned into a crier.
Last year, the Bruins went up to Berkeley confident and bullish
at the prospect of taking on the Bears.
By the time the final gun sounded, UCLA’s season would
never be the same.
The Bruins started out 4-1 in 2000 and looked like a legitimate
Pac-10 championship contender. Wins against Alabama and
Michigan vaulted them to No. 6 in the AP poll. Some were thinking
of a possible appearance in the national championship game, or at
least a major bowl.
Then the pathetic 46-38 loss to Cal. We all remember it. It
stood out. Cal made the Bruin defense look like Swiss cheese.
“It is very frustrating,” UCLA wide receiver Brian
Poli-Dixon said after the game. “This is not at all where we
want to be.”
No, it wasn’t. They went on to lose three of their
last five, including losses to USC and Wisconsin in the
not-so-prestigious Sun Bowl.
1999’s loss was bad too. It was 3-3 when UCLA hosted
Cal and needed a win to revitalize any hope of going
“Bowling.” But it wasn’t meant to
be. The Bruins were embarrassed, 17-0, in front of a national
television audience at the Rose Bowl. Through no fault of their
own, the Cal defense pitched a shutout.
After that loss, UCLA went on to lose three of four games and
record one of the bleakest seasons in Bruin history.
Two years saw two season-changing losses to the Golden
Bears.
This year, the Bruins once again have hopes of a national
championship. They have positioned themselves for a serious
attempt at the title.
Losing to Cal would crush those hopes like a monster truck
crushes cars.
Especially since Cal quarterback Kyle Boller, the only bright
spot on an otherwise dismal squad, will not be able to
play. He is out with a back disc injury.
Eric Holtfreter, a senior, will be making his career debut for
Cal. All the better for the Bruins.
Hopefully, Holtfreter isn’t on a mission to prove
himself. If that happens, UCLA is in trouble.
The bottom line is that the Bruins should learn from other
former top teams in college football. Florida was a 22-point
favorite over Auburn last week. But they took Auburn lightly and
ended up losing the game, 23-20, and likely losing the chance of a
trip to Pasadena.
Florida State was blitzed by North Carolina on Sept. 22 and has
also lost the chance of an all-expense paid trip to sunny L.A. on
New Year’s Day.
Hopefully, UCLA will not be added to the list of teams that
flopped before Bowl time. They must take Cal seriously, even
without their quarterback.
The Bruins were a four-touchdown favorite before Boller got
hurt, and are now even more favored. But being the favorite
doesn’t guarantee a victory. They still have to go out
and play the game.
If DeShaun Foster does to Cal what he did to Washington last
week, the Golden Bears could be in for a nice thrashing.
And maybe, for the first time in a long time, Cal won’t
throw UCLA’s season into a tailspin.
“¢bull; “¢bull; “¢bull;
It’s funny how Joey Harrington was once considered a
Heisman candidate. His drives tend to go backwards faster than
Lizzie Grubman’s.
“¢bull; “¢bull; “¢bull;
It’s sad how much Osama bin Laden hates America, and
especially New York. At least John Rocker now has someone to relate
to.
“¢bull; “¢bull; “¢bull;
Tony Gwynn has the potential to accomplish a true claim to fame.
He could become the only Hall of Fame batting champion to ever
weigh more than his batting average.
“¢bull; “¢bull; “¢bull;
Playoff baseball is so much more enjoyable to watch now that Joe
Morgan is off the air.