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As Morpheus said to Neo in the distopian science fiction epic of 1999, "Welcome to the desert of the real."
And, is there really a better way to say it? You may think this is merely bitter rumblings after a troubling loss Thursday night, but as the discussions have shown, this is exactly the mood of Bruins Nation. Like Neo, we are incredulous, and shocked into a lack of words. Actually, scratch that. As, the discussions have also shown, we have more than enough words to describe the post apocalyptic wasteland that is UCLA Football. Many of us have already climbed out of the chair and vomited onto the ground, because after all, the first time is hard for most people. Unfortunately, like Cipher, some have looked around, preferred the warm embrace of the old lie that is the Matrix, and are even now asking to be put back to sleep, so they don't have to think about the harsh realities of living with the awful truth.
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I don't blame them. But, I can't do it. There is an old Mexican proverb that says, "That which has no remedy, must be endured." There is of course a remedy, but it lies in the hands of the one person who has repeatedly shown an unwillingness to do what is necessary; and an inability to do the job right: Apathetic Director Dan Guerrero. It seems, in purely my opinion, that we must continue to endure the Jim Mora era at UCLA, lest we be punished with a football equivalent of Steve Alford.
With that in mind, let's turn away for a day from the reality of our wretched existence and take a look around the College Football landscape for examples of what quality programs truly look like.
No. 17 Iowa at No. 20 Northwestern, 9:00am - ABC
~ Northwestern beat Stanford! So, we know it's possible. Iowa is undefeated! What else do you need to know?
No. 13 Mississippi at Memphis, 9:00am - ABC regional/ESPN2
~ Memphis has a coach that 'gets it.' Mississippi is a region of the country that 'gets it.' Fireworks, right?
No. 7 Michigan St. at No. 12 Michigan, 12:30pm - ESPN
~ This has to be the game of the week if not month. MSU is the little engine that could. It's done what we could only wish to accomplish when their rival was down. Now, that rival, Big Blue is rolling. And, within one season!! Further proof that it CAN happen. Programs CAN elevate themselves with one smart hire.
No. 10 Alabama at No. 9 Texas A&M, 12:30pm - CBS
~ Alabama has been the bully of College Football ever since Nick Satan Arrived. Texas A&M is another program that never really got any respect. Until it moved to the SEC and beat Alabama. And, the A&M crowd 'gets it,' they can show us what a true home field advantage can look like.
No. 8 Florida at No. 6 LSU, 4:00pm - ESPN
~ Both teams have won National Championships in the BCS era. Both have gone down on their luck since then. Both are back. Having standards can make a difference.
Southern Cal at No. 14 Notre Dame, 4:30pm - NBC
~ As much as we hate them, we can learn a thing or two by how fast SC pulled the hook on Kiffin, and Sarkisian. They're facing their bitter rivals which should also bring out there best. Another thing we could learn from them. Or, maybe someone needs to notify our coaches that Stanford is one of our rivals?
Penn State at No. 1 Ohio State, 5:00pm - ABC
~ Penn State has a solid defense. Ohio State has finally figured out their offense. I don't know what we're doing in either. Sadly, our coaches don't either.
ASU at No. 4 Utah, 7:00pm - ESPN
~ We got stomped by ASU. We will eventually play Utah. There is nothing we can learn by watching this game. Watch it anyway.
Enjoy your games, everyone and if so inclined, take a look around our SBN sister sites.
ESPN3
Western Michigan
ESPNU
South Florida
Connecticut
ESPNN
BTN
Purdue
Wisconsin
FCS
FSN
FS1
Texas Tech
Kansas
Bucknell
FOX
West Virginia
(2) Baylor
ABC/ESPN2
(17) Iowa
(20) Northwestern
(13) Mississippi
SECN
Mississippi State
ESPN
Louisville
(11) Florida State
Pittsburgh
Georgia Tech
Buffalo
Air Force
Virginia Tech
Miami (FL)
CBS
(10) Alabama
(9) Texas A&M
Syracuse
Virginia
ABC
(19) Oklahoma
Kansas State
Rutgers
Indiana
(7) Michigan State
(12) Michigan
ESPN2
Nebraska
Minnesota
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
PAC12
Oregon State
Washington State
(8) Florida
(6) LSU
Wake Forest
North Carolina
Boston College
(5) Clemson
(3) TCU
Iowa State
NBC
USC
(14) Notre Dame
Missouri
Georgia
Penn State
(1) Ohio State
Arizona
Colorado
Arizona State
(4) Utah
Oregon
Washington
The Bruins do not play today. In the meantime, sit down, relax, and enjoy some other college football games with the rest of the Bruins Nation community.
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