UCLA Football: Calm Down, Bruin Fans, At Least It’s Not Like USC

After a 2-2 start, many UCLA Football fans are calling for a change in the coaching staff. This may not be the way fans envisioned this season starting, but at least it is not like USC.

Look UCLA Football fans, 2-2 is not an ideal way to start the season, but it is not the worst thing that could happen either.

Yes, the Bruins were not able to put away Texas A&M and Stanford, but understand that they were very close to winning both games. Against the Cardinal, UCLA dominated most of the game.

Yes, they fell apart at the end, but now the Bruin coaching staff knows what they need to fix when this situation comes up again..

Either way, the sky is not falling. But across town, it has been reigning tragedy for years.

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I am not trying to gloat about the misfortunes of the USC Football program, but by comparison, UCLA has nothing to worry about.

Understandably, UCLA fans are upset that the Bruins “cannot get over the hump”. UCLA is a good team, they just can’t find a way to be a great team.

So is that grounds for the UCLA coaching staff to be let go? If that is the case, every coach and administrator involved with the USC Football program in the last six years should be facing a firing squad.

USC has had four head coaches (including interim) since 2010. That does nothing for the foundation of a program.

When you have four different systems implemented in six years, it makes the program unstable. And that does not include the variety of position coaches that have entered and exited the program in that time.

Related Story: In Which Clay Helton Comes Into Possession of Some Fine Luxury Items

In addition to that, USC has had a novel’s worth of drama surrounding the team that would make The Hunger Games pale in comparison. This season alone has produced more drama than Trojan fans would care for. Here are a few examples:

• An awkward QB switch from Max Browne to Sam Darnold
• WR Juju Smith-Schuster throwing punches in practice
• There was a rumor OL E.J. Price hit a coach and is now transferring
• A mass exodus of transfers are said to occur
• Former and current USC players are bickering on Twitter

This does not even include past moments of embarrassment, like former coach Steve Sarkisian getting drunk at a USC Football function last year. Sark was then fired just after a month into the season.

Clay Helton was then promoted to interim head coach at that point. After a late-season victory against UCLA, former Athletic Director Pat Haden solidified Helton’s position as head coach. Since then, Helton is 1-5 as the man in charge of USC Football.

This season, the Trojans are 1-3. That is not ideal at all.

So if you think things are bad with UCLA, check out a USC message board sometime. Now that is a fan base that has every right to demand better of their football program. Simply put, it is a mess over there.

Next: UCLA Football: Negating the Negativity

The Bruins are nowhere near this kind of drama. On top of that, UCLA Football Head Coach Jim Mora has run a clean program which speaks volumes about this team. So really Bruin fans, you have a lot to be thankful for.

Especially considering the mismanagement Pat Haden has done.