Acceptable Vs Successful: How To Define UCLA Football’s Season

As I was doing Episode 48 of the What’s Bruin Podcast this week, something occurred to me that I believe has been a misunderstanding in regards to UCLA’s Football’s season. It was something that even I had trouble defining. Before recording the podcast, hosts Bill Shirley, Jake Merrifield and I had asked our Twitter followers to send in any questions they have about UCLA football and that we would answer what we could. There was one tweet in particular that had caught my eye.

Mr. Reeves had brought up these questions in regards to how UCLA football is perceived right now. After the heartbreaking loss to Stanford, many have said, especially on social media, that this was not a successful season. Using the term “successful” is wrong. What should be asked if this season was acceptable. No, by all means it was not acceptable.

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Yes, there was a lot of hype about the Bruins to start the season and no they did not capitalize on key opportunities as in beating Utah and closing out the season against Stanford. That does not mean it was not successful.

If you think that the Bruins had an unsuccessful season, you are wrong.

This was a very successful season, especially looking at where UCLA was before Jim Mora took over the program. Though they tried, there is no denying that coaches Karl Dorrell and Rick Neuheisel did not do UCLA football any favors in their time as head coach. By the end of both their fourth and final years, fans were calling for their head, some more viciously than others. In Neuheisel’s last year, the Bruins went 6-8 with three straight loses to end the season including a 50-0 smacking by USC, a 49-31 humbling by Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game and an embarrassing 20-14 loss to Illinois in a subpar bowl.

Sep 25, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

As I see it, things look pretty good right now with a 9-3 record which coincidentally gives UCLA three seasons in a row in which they have won nine games… that is the first time in UCLA football history that has happened. But let us go back a bit. Though this season was successful, some may say otherwise, but they are confusing that with it being acceptable and by all means, this was not acceptable.

In the games against Utah, Oregon and Stanford, the Bruins had looked good in stretches and had several chances to take control, but as we saw, they did not. That is unacceptable. It is not about being young and inexperienced (okay, maybe a little, but that excuse is wearing thin), it is about not being ready. Mora and Co. have realized that and you can expect them to take a different approach going into next season.

In 2015, the Bruins know they have to slay Stanford and Oregon (though UCLA does not play the Ducks in the regular season, we could see a Pac-12 Championship Game meeting) if they want to become an elite team in both the conference and the nation. But if UCLA continues to be unable to beat them, then maybe there is an argument that 9-3 seasons are unsuccessful after so many seasons underachieving in that department.

But let us be serious, 9-3 is a damn good place to be especially with UCLA still in the Top 15 of whatever relevant polls remain. On top of that, UCLA has a good chance to play in one of two respectable bowls. It is hard to swallow that “losing to Stanford” pill, but it is not the end of the world. It is just unacceptable.

Go Bruins!

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