UCLA #4 on Top 10 "Gutsiest" BCS Teams

by jlegs on Sep 7, 2008 9:04 AM PDT

Bumped. GO BRUINS. - N

Over on WWL's Page 2, they complied a list of BCS scheduling stats...and we are fourth when it comes to scheduling non-conference BCS opponents. What does that mean? For better or for worse, we stray away from cupcakes out of the cellar in non-BCS schools or FCS/D-IAA schools (except for the occassional game against San Diego State):

UCLA hasn't enjoyed the same success in recent years as its crosstown rival, but the team from Westwood shares USC's willingness to schedule tough opponents. The Bruins played an extraordinary nonconference game to cap the 1998 regular season, losing 49-45 at Miami in a game rescheduled from earlier in the season because of Hurricane Georges. UCLA saw a 20-game winning streak and its national championship hopes end as Miami's Edgerrin James ran for 299 yards and three scores. The Bruins' only loss to a non-BCS foe was a 44-6 blowout at Utah in 2007.

And some interesting statistics:

No. of nonconf. gms. Rec. vs. BCS Rec. vs. I-A non-BCS Rec. vs. I-AA Pct. of gms. vs. BCS

32 10-8 (.556) 13-1 (.929) 0-0 .563

I read this on Wikipedia, but apparently we have not scheduled a game against a FCS/D-IAA team...ever. Anyone care to go in-depth with that?

This year's schedule is more of the same, with a quality BCS foe in Tennessee (I don't know if they factored in that recent win into the stats), and two non-BCS WAC opponents who are not to be taken lightly in BYU and Fresno State. The upcoming years add more to this "gutsiness", with future BCS opponents in Kansas State, Texas, and Nebraska (even though SDSU and Rice are also scheduled in the future). What is different, IMO, is that we'll have a fighting chance in these games, as proven with Neuheisel's first win, in comparison to the Toldedo and Dorell years (and the win against Oklahoma is the only one that sticks in my mind during that 2005 season).

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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I love this about UCLA

I love that we don’t schedule 1-AA schools and always play at least one BCS school in non-conference.

I’d rather them not play on the road at non-BCS schools (like BYU), but it would be no fun to beat up on 1-AA and SunBelt teams 60-7 a couple of times a eyar.

by gilbert on Sep 5, 2008 2:14 PM PDT 0 recs

agreed.

you damn right we don’t! and if we were to do it, you better believe we’d win (and not lose and subsequently issue a public apology for doing so, unlike another Pac-10 team).

by deepdish on Sep 5, 2008 5:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

back the truck up a minute ...

When Tommy Maddox was a freshman, didn’t UCLA play CSU Fullerton? I can’t find the 1990 schedule anywhere online.

by Seanny Rotten on Sep 7, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

wait a sec, MY BAD,

UCLA vs CSU Fullerton, 1990 was a PRESEASON game, where the stats and win didn’t count. As I recall, TD decided at the last minute that UCLA had never played a I-AA team, and didn’t officially want to start. Damn I was 13 and I remember this!!

by Seanny Rotten on Sep 7, 2008 10:20 PM PDT up 0 recs

scheduling question...

i remember a couple years back, while looking through future schedules seeing yale on there. they don’t seem to be on anymore. am i mistaken or were they scrapped subsequently?

Across The Face

by rb bruin on Sep 6, 2008 10:24 AM PDT 0 recs

We played Yale in basketball

maybe you confused scheduling them in basketball for football?

by ryebreadraz on Sep 6, 2008 4:50 PM PDT up 0 recs

yes, we played them at one point, iirc. Yale also played Hawaii.

by Deepcut on Sep 7, 2008 7:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

agree 100%

As a native So Californian, who now lives in Portland Or., it’s abundantly clear that the philosophy in So Cal is completely different than here in Oregon..Oregon and Oregon State year after year pad their schedule with cupcakes.
I’m so tired of reading the local newspaper here and see articles on how great the Ducks are after posting “huge” wins over teams like Utah St. or Sacremento St. The reason the *ucks have a respectable team is a direct result of having alum Phil Knight pump 100"s of millions into athletic facilities and marketing.
On the other hand the Bruins and usc( no caps for obvious reasons) do schedule with the BCS in mind. With the talent pool in LA CRN wil put us into national title discussions within 2-3 years.

by powderblue10 on Sep 7, 2008 8:43 AM PDT 0 recs

D******

I like the reference to the utah loss … nice dig against the clown formerly known as our HC. So much talent on that team … what an idiot.

by MichBruin on Sep 7, 2008 11:15 AM PDT 0 recs

I think it was an Aflac Trvia question a little while ago...

… the Bruins were one of four teams (I think) never to have scheduled a I-AA team, according to that annoying duck (if that is any more likely to be accurate than Wikipedia)

by britishbruin on Sep 7, 2008 11:55 AM PDT 0 recs

BCS

In the Toledo era, 2000, one season we were not ranked yet we beat pre-conference opponents #3 Michigan and #3 Alabama, iirc. I think the QB was McCann was QB and Deshaun Foster, Mr. Recruiting Violation was the star.

by Deepcut on Sep 7, 2008 7:45 PM PDT 0 recs

When did Foster committ a recruiting violation?

This is the second time you have commented here without any basis or shred of truth.

You tried to criticize Howland’s recruiting without even knowing the name of our freshman recruits.

And now you make a reference to Foster based out of total ignorance.

Foster was implicated in an NCAA violation which had to do with improper benefits and which pales in comparison to the allegations from cross town. It had nothing to do with “recruiting.”

Do some basic research if you are going to partake in the discussions here. Otherwise stop popping off that make your look like an ignorant fan.

by Nestor on Sep 8, 2008 4:54 AM PDT up 0 recs

Thank You, Nestor

Great catch. This just gets on my last nerve, this. It is the same kind of completely careless commentary that makes me leap to attack Adam Rose et al when they do it, and I expect much better from the folks who post here, frankly. I believe Deepcut was indeed the person who wrote about “Gordon Lee,” and completely disregarded AA2 in his “analysis” of our basketball team and CBH’s decisions. He did all of this in a post about Alex Stepheson, then admitted that he had never seen him play. (By the way, I have watched him play, and Deepcut, you greatly overestimate his physical presence on the floor—based on still photos of him, if I am not mistaken.)

(In all fairness, I completely screwed up in my post on that fanshot, but at least I owned up and corrected my error.)

DeShaun Foster received the improper benefit of the use of a new SUV for six weeks. There was no “recruiting” involved in his personal and individual actions and decisions. He lost his chance at a Heisman, and UCLA lost a terrific player for the rest of their season. So, please stop calling him “Mr. Recruiting Violation,” or you will henceforth be known as “Mr. Inaccurate.”

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Sep 8, 2008 3:35 PM PDT up 0 recs

I think anything else

in terms of scheduling—that is, if UCLA started scheduling 1-AA’s and Sun Belt Conference cream puffs like SEC teams do—would be totally unacceptable. I think UCLA should go after the best teams willing to sign up for a home-and-home series.

by palafox on Sep 8, 2008 10:24 AM PDT 0 recs

Scheduling I-AA opponents...

Last year, when Michigan was playing Appalachian State (a I-AA team), I remember ESPN stating that Michigan was one of six teams that had previously never played a I-AA team… scratch one off the list. Remaining teams are UCLA, USC, Washington, Michigan State, and Notre Dame…

Its says a lot that three of the five teams are from the PAC-10.

by Bruin1997 on Sep 8, 2008 4:36 PM PDT 0 recs

Yep

It’s always seemed that the Pac-10 has always had a moral high ground of sorts. Not just in scheduling but rules, cheating (only one exception), and taking student-athletes needs into consideration (still a long way to go but better than most major conferences).

by gilbert on Sep 8, 2008 5:04 PM PDT up 0 recs