SI.com On UCLA: A Traditional Power On The Upswing
by AllHailMightyBruins on Aug 11, 2010 2:13 PM PDT
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PrintBumped. GO BRUINS. -N
Look who is on the homepage of SI.com:
Per Stewart Mandel and Andy Staples of SI.COM, UCLA and Tennessee are traditional powers on the upswing.
The Bruins have several factors working in their favor entering their third season under Rick Neuheisel. Most notably, their cross-town rival just got hit with heavy NCAA sanctions (10 docked scholarships each of the next three seasons) that, at the very least, will benefit UCLA in head-to-head recruiting. But the Bruins weren't exactly struggling in that arena: Even coming off a 7-6 season, they landed Rivals.com's No. 8 class last spring.
"I think we're right on the cusp of being there," said Neuheisel. "The last three years, we've gotten great recruiting classes. We've done our R&D. Now we need to execute the business plan."
If UCLA, which enters preseason camp with just one projected senior starter, struggles this fall, it could spark grumblings about Neuheisel. But by then the foundation should be in place for either him or a successor to instigate a breakthrough right around the time USC feels the brunt of its sanctions. Remember, the Trojans started the 2000s with 5-7 and 6-6 seasons.
CRN has done a wonderful job setting the program up for success, and I (of course) agree that the program is positioned for some very good football.
I do not agree, however, that struggles this year could place CRN on the hotseat, as this article suggests. The fact of the matter is, CRN had to essentially start from scratch. While 4-8 and 7-6 are not good records, they were successful seasons for the most part.
The coaching staff has done a great job putting our team in a position to win. Beating Tennessee (the other power on the rise per SI) was amazing. If some of those close losses are turned in to close wins, competing for the Pac-10 crown soon is not out of the question.
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 would argue
that CRN’s 7-6 record in his second season was way more impressive than Cheatey’s 6-6 season. Cheatey had the horses. That doesn’t mean I expect this year to be a Rose Bowl run, not at all. The schedule and lingering depth issues still make for much more modest expectations. Just think what CTS would have done that year with Kevin Craft as his starter…I shudder at the thought. We’d have been lucky to win 1 game. I am quite happy with the progress so far and just want to see more of it this year. We will still probably lose some close games, but all I expxect this year is not to give them away by shooting ourselves in the foot. If anyone wants to beat us, they should have to take it from us.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
How about
How would have Steve Sarkasian (the toast of many Pac-10 reporters) would have performed if he had Kevin Craft in his first season? Sarkasian lost 6 out of his last 8 games with Jake Locker and he is being perceived as some kind of hot shot.
Imagine what he would have done with Kevin Craft?
Yup
Sark is solid but I don’t think the man crush the pundits have towards him is justified or warranted. If he returns UDub to their prior success, I’ll give it up to him. Until then, he hasn’t done enough to garner all this adulation and respect.
And what could CRN and CNC have done with an elite qb?
Although, I think KP is one in the making and might become one this year if our OL can help him out.
Go Bruins!
The man crush
is on Jake Locker. He has already won the Heisman! The media are always looking for that next star to build up or bring down, it doesn’t matter to them either way.
I really wish we had seen what Willingham could have done with him.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Like it or not
Sark put up a +5 on the win column from the previous season and beat USC with his predecessor’s team. Although,I think Locker being a factor last year (and not the season of 0for) alone and fresh enthusiasm from a new coach got that team to overachieve. For Washington it got better before it will get worse.
Truth is, Washington will be a mediocre team at best and nobody wins the Heisman with a .500 team. Next year they are do for another stinker having to break in a Fr/So Qb with 0 experience.
Bruins are forever but Trojans are good only once.
Beating U$C last year
was not that big of a deal (well, wish we had done it). And in that game, Aaron Corp got the start for the Trogans after being jerked around by Petey and getting relegated to backup. And it was at UW.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
by tasser10 on Aug 11, 2010 9:15 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
spread the blame around
To be fair to Craft who took a tremendous beating behind a suspect line and kept on going out, it would be appropriate to name the whole offensive unit which couldn’t open holes or pass protect, we therefore became at most a one dimensional attack (even the word attack is too strong a word to describe our offense).
+1
I always felt that Craft got a bum deal that season and in our Bruin memory.
Few fans give him the credit that Raybru just did: Craft took a tremendous
beating and kept going out. CRN called him a “man among men” It takes
real guts to suit-up when you know that you’re going to get knocked on your
ass for 60-minutes and lose the game… and get blamed for it. There’s a
George Elliot quote:
Any coward can fight a battle when he’s sure of winning, but
give me the man who has pluck to fight when he’s sure of losing.
Kevin Craft should never have to buy his own drink in any Bruin bar.
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 6:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree.
Kevin Craft will always have a special place in my memories for the win against Tennessee. Fact is, we would not have won that game without some fireworks from Mr. Craft.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Great quote and most applicable for young Craft...
…at times some games in ‘08 seemed like a movie script in which it’s intended for the QB to get the crap beat out of him while he’s scrambling not to be creamed.
In light of that, Mr. Craft is on the single season top 10 list for completions and yards for his work in ’08 (in spite of the INT record). The kid took an amazing pounding, with 35 sacks and double the number of knock downs.
Craft did a good job last year as a back-up…at 56% completion and a 113.4 QB rating in his limited action.
by C.T. in Boston on Aug 12, 2010 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Nicely said!
The kid showed heart and never complained!
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
It shouldn't come across
that I don’t appreciate KC. That kid was tough and got us some nice victories. That being said, he was third on the depth chart, and my point was that CTS could not have gotten out of him one tenth of what CRN and CNC did, especially with his highly predictable offense.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
by tasser10 on Aug 11, 2010 9:18 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I got that
You weren’t dissing KC but facts are facts – he wasn’t the first string QB but kept fighting no matter how many times he was knocked down. (And thanks for the reminder of how he pulled out some victories for us last season – KC wasn’t just a tackling dummy, when he had something to work with he was OK).
Some credit should go to CRN – he kept KC fighting. In fact, CRN showed some great coaching in 08. I don’t know how he kept those kids hearts in it until the end… but they showed up for every game (which is more than be said for when CTS was coaching them). Actually, I don’t know how he kept them trying last season. Mid season was one long drought and who could blame the players for giving up on the season? But CRN got them to a bowl game!
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 10:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Neat Read
Thanks for sharing.
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Aug 11, 2010 10:36 AM PDT reply actions
2011
is the year I feel we can really do some damage. This is the year when we’ll finally have talent coupled with experience which has recently been so elusive. Instead of playing true FR and underclassmen who aren’t ready, our roster will be stocked pretty well with upperclassmen in the 2 deep. In my book, 2011 will be the crucial year for CRN.
I know we have arguably the toughest schedule in the country this year but I’m bullish on this years team. We are not an 8th place team. I thank those that picked us this low because it motivates our boys and I like us being below the radar. We have some injury and possible personnel issues along with a ton of questions but I like what I’ve been reading & seeing. CNC will silence those critics who think he’s over the hill and although the Revolver is not new, I think it’ll really provide the boost to our run game that CRN is hoping for. Defensively, we do lack experience but this is a much faster & athletic defense that should mature as the season progresses.
I agree that during this decade, UCLA will show the nation that we aren’t just a basketball school and our football tradition doesn’t take a back seat to anyone. This has been the lost decade of UCLA FB and I’m confident that CRN will restore our proud program on the gridiron.
I like this year's team as well
The schedule is tough, but so is our team. CRN & Co. have the opportunity to prove that they can play with anybody. I didn’t expect to beat Tennessee in Pasadena or Knoxville, but the guys stepped up to the challenge, and this year the challenges come early and often. We were really IN every game last year, which was a HUGE improvement over the previous year.
This team is young and talented. The key to the season may be the first game; establish confidence, get on a roll, and see how good the team can be.
by AllHailMightyBruins on Aug 11, 2010 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't even know if CRN was starting from scratch
That implies that there is something there to shape and mold from the beginning. I’d say his job is more like digging the program out of a ditch. One look at our depth charts the past few years is more than ample evidence of starting off deep in the hole.
Excellent "ditch" methaphor
I would only add a “really deep” ditch.
by peggysue69 on Aug 11, 2010 10:57 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Starting from scratch implies a blank slate ...
and it is easier to create on a blank slate than to start with someone else’ mess.
Eradicating entrenched bad habits and a ‘culture of mediocrity’ is much harder
than instituting good habits and a culture of success – but tearing down the bad
must be done before building the good.
Instead of second-guessing him, writers should be in awe of CRN’s turning
around the program’s mentality so quickly.
I hate to criticize a Bruin (like Dorrell) but he gave that program some serious
baggage (e.g. encourgaing going over the wall) which kept them from being
contenders. I cannot speak for all of BN, but the thing I hated most about
Dorrellian football wasn’t that we lost so much – it was how we lost.
Our players didn’t play with passion and didn’t seem to care if they won.
It was painful to watch and it reflected poorly on UCLA’s ethos.
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 1:33 PM PDT up reply actions
The fire in a player's belly isn't lit by his coach
but the coach is supposed to fan the flames. Within the context of this metaphor, CTS was a human fire extinguisher.
UCLA could be the next u$c
if we hire Lex Luther as our Chancellor!
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 1:34 PM PDT up reply actions
And they compared TN to Florida. On both accounts...
"It's not what you know, it's what you can prove."
Said it before...
… will say it again. CRN is doing a great job. He inherited a mess, and has been slowly but steadily making foundational (as opposed to cosmetic) changes that will payy long term benefits. I have no way of knowing this, but I believe that his management sees what he is doing and will be patient. And again repeating myself from an earlier post, 7 regular season wins – 6 if Baca is lost to the team – plus a bowl win will be a successful campaign. As others have stated, 2011 should be/will be the breakout year, and I have complete faith in Rick and his staff to get it done. Sick of the haters. The Bruins will do their talking on the field.
Three Wealthy and Influential Alumni have told me ...
CRN will be let go at the end of this season unless:
UCLA goes 13-0 with a NC, CRN finds a cure for cancer and discovers the Higgs Boson!
Three wealthy alumni can bite me!
by cyberdbk on Aug 11, 2010 4:11 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Whoa Nellie
I think this is unlikely to be the “breakout” year that CRN is looking for because of the NC schedule though I doubt he is expecting it to be despite his comments). It is even a hard year to do significantly better in the PAC 10 because of it is one of those years we play all of our more difficult games away.
I feel like CRN and CNC are doing the right things. But I think you folks are minimizing the pressure cooker that is UCLA. I believe CRN WILL BE ON THE HOT SEAT if the season has the feel of last year. I dont mean just wins and losses. Last year we made a significant number of mental mistakes. Last year we had an offense that was pathetic at times, just bad most of the time. It is not just the win loss record that had people grumbling, it was how ugly we looked at times last year. And coaches are accountable for that.
My point is that I think the traditional media is right that there will be lots of grumbling if we do not improve this year. There will be pressure. It may not come from BN. And who knows or cares about 3 wealthy and influential alumni. But I know those sitting around me in the Rose Bowl (not with me) will be mighty agigitated.
Me: I will be happy with real progress however the win loss record comes out. It would be great to be competitive in every game, to feel like we could score when we need to (even if we don’t always). If the breaks go better than that, all the better!
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Aug 11, 2010 2:48 PM PDT reply actions
lol
Yeah, those guys at the Rose Bowl were the ones who put pressure on Dorrell. Whatever.
by Nestor on Aug 11, 2010 3:12 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Dont know how power ebbs and flows around the Athletic Department
Given where we sit, I know none of the people around me are movers and shakers. So I understand your “whatever” comment. Maybe you are connected to those movers and shakers. Dont know.
But I am saying the pressure will be on if there is not marked evidence of improvement.
Hopefully, we will never be able to taunt each other about who was right because we both are betting on marked improvement this year. They are too good of coaches. (Just like I am betting on improvement of the b-ball team.)
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Aug 11, 2010 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions
N's point stands
If there was pressure to succeed like you describe, Dorrell would have never gotten as much time as he did to crater the program. The fact that he stayed as long as he did with the results he put on the field makes me doubt any sort of reference to a pressure cooker.
also
Tradmedia has never gotten anything right when it comes coaching situation of ucla spors. So freaking absurd to waive their nonsense around on BN after all these years.
by Nestor on Aug 11, 2010 3:19 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Who is waving what?
You did a post that points to a SI article. You commented on that article. I am disagreeing with your specific sentence: “I do not agree, however, that struggles this year could place CRN on the hotseat, as this article suggests”.
I think “struggles” will place CRN on the hot seat. I do not necessarily agree that it “should”.
But we are both rooting for and expecting success.
PS I like you waving the media around. I would not have found the reference to UCLA.
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Aug 11, 2010 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Revising and extending my comment from last night
First of all note that I didn’t write the post above. So you need to read closely.
Second, nothing wrong w offering disagreements based on smart and informed takes. What you are postulating here is speculation based on anticipated anecdotary comments from your Rose Bowl section. That is not going to fly around here.
If you are going to offer thoughts on zeitgeist on Bruin Nation on CRN, you are going to have to bring something lot more substantive citing reputable sources with solid tract record.
Otherwise your speculation is more for concern trolls on opposing team’s message boards anxious to put CRN on “hot seat.” It is deeply irresponsible on any Bruin fans’ part to waive around those words without offering anything to back that up.
So don’t bring that kind of speculative nonsense on BN without offering anything to back it up. Thanks.
ignorant and out of touch perception from tradmed. You are not going to get any respect for bringing that kind of garbage on BN. Find some SC message board to concern troll over CRN being on hot seat based on some ignorant expectation standard in tradmed. As I said don’t bring that nonsense on BN. Thanks.
I agree
If you mean that the team must stop making the same sort of mistakes as it did the last two seasons. Whether or not we win 6+ games CRN needs to improve our level of playing. But let us recall those last two seasons and the level of play:
In CRN’s first season we had a 3rd string quarterback behind a non-existent OL giving him a half a second to throw to receivers who couldn’t get open (in half a second) and RB’s who couldn’t overcome the lack of a OL. UCLA threw more interceptions than TD’s. It was F-ugly.
In the second season we had a 2nd string true freshman QB & a 3rd string QB play half the games because our first string QB was injured. We had true freshmen on our OL and young receivers who couldn’t run their routes and RB’s who couldn’t hold onto the ball. We won our games with our kicking game and defense.
Note during both of those seasons: The Bruins never gave up (compare this to u$c football under Steve Carroll – once they lost a couple of games they imploded) – last season it would have been easy after that 0-5 spell to give up. But they kept fighting and got to a bowl game. That is coaching.
I think if CRN can just keep the momentum his job is safe -whatever our record.
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 7:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Pretty sure Steve Carroll is an indie folk musician.
I think of this as Neuheisel’s real 2nd year, because we really can’t call the gutted team in 2008 his first year. I think we will truly be able to accurately evaluate how good Neuheisel is after this year as a coach.
"I never watched baseball on TV. It's slow and boring. I'm not a fan. Never was." - Jeff Kent
FREE POSEY IS FREE
LOL - oops
Steve Carroll probably is more honest, anyway.
I dunno – I think we ought to count 08 as an example of what CRN can do with a bare cupboard. With the team we had in 08 it took a pretty good coach to go 5-7. It took
a great coach to keep the players playing all season.
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Also said it before
Forget about CRN being on the hot seat. Enough of the bullshit. He has 100% backing of the UCLA family and most importantly the team. You don’t see any team bickering or discontent. CRN is a solid,very capable coach with a great staff. Said it before, don’t underestimate CRN. He will keep improving the record. Support the team, Go Bruins. Let the team hear your support during the games. Win or Lose, they deserve your support. Be a Bruin.
100%?
No one has 100% support. To suggest that is dumb. He has my support & the support of most readers here, and the extended Bruin family. But lets face it, if we bomb this season, there will be people out there asking if he’s the right coach for the job. I think he is. He has the passion, the motivation, & starting to get the right pieces in place to get the ball rolling. Can’t wait till football season!
This season it's not about W-L, its about level of play
CRN has no control over how well Texas, Kansas, Oregon, Cal, etc play. He can control how well prepared and focused the Bruins are. He will be judged by our performance.
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 7:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Agree...there is no hot seat
There’s no way CRN get’s canned this year absent of a scandal or some kind of absurd implosion. Even if we do not play well, he gets at least another year as he’s shown he can recruit and he’s shown good progress his first 2 seasons. Guerrero is not going to buckle to fake media pressure nor even that of a few insane alums.
I think the worst we’ll do is play hard, improve, and suffer through a tough W-L record because of the brutal schedule. In such a case, CRN will have done his job of keeping the program on the upswing. Then in 2011 – 2012, we need to see some dividends in the form of annual rankings and challenging for P10 (P12?) titles. If that doesn’t happen, THEN he should be on the hot seat.
I’m hoping that we stud out, show great improvement this year, that speed becomes a weapon for us for the first time in many years and that we catch a few breaks…and climb into the top 3 in the conference this year.
by RealisticBruinFan on Aug 11, 2010 4:04 PM PDT reply actions
Hot Seat does not equal canned
There is NO hot seat today. Nor should there be. The discussion is a prediction about what the future would be like if things don’t work out the way we all think they will.
I agree with your “worst” and am looking for significant improvement. And agree with your hopes.
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Aug 11, 2010 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Good point: what is meant by 'hot seat'?
I take it to mean that the ‘good will’ is gone and fans will
get more critical (and impatient) with CRN.
But again, as long as our team keeps getting better the
True Bruins will not lose the faith. Whatever the record.
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 11, 2010 7:25 PM PDT up reply actions
UCLA is definitely on the rise, and should be able to capitalize on a relatively weak Pac-10 as early as this year.
Visit my blog on all things college football, Pigskin Phenom.
I sure hope so
But Oregon, USC, Stanford, & even Cal have good football teams.
I think our success will be found on the field & in recruiting – SC’s recruiting limitations are going to help out in the long run, but UCLA’s coaching staff was already reaping benefits.
Season Tickets
This will be the first time I’ll be sitting on the other side of the Bowl. A yound alumni buddy scored some sweet seats.
I’m expecting us to match (or exceed) our wins from last year.
I’m also cognizant that it will be tough. That toughness is the barometer we can use to measure 2011’s success.
by UCLAngels on Aug 11, 2010 5:25 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
I'm so tired
of reading that CRN is on the hot seat. The job is his for the next 20 years if he wants it.
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
lol - agree
i guess i’m a little sensitive when it comes to these hacks trying to put pressure on my coach.
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
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