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UCLA Football: Is the Pac-12 South Division UCLA’s for the taking?

By Mike Regalado

PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 21: The UCLA Bruins head off the field before their game against the Oregon Ducks at Rose Bowl on October 21, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 21: The UCLA Bruins head off the field before their game against the Oregon Ducks at Rose Bowl on October 21, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 18: Keisean Lucier-South
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 18: Keisean Lucier-South /

Is the Pac-12 South division UCLA’s for the taking? (cont.)

Let us start at the top of the final 2017 standings with USC. You cannot knock their efforts under Clay Helton. They won a Rose Bowl and then won the Pac-12 this past season. Pretty good, right?

Yes, but you also cannot avoid their stumbles through 2017 which included a deflating loss at Washington State, and two brutal beatings at the hands of Notre Dame and Ohio State (the latter being in the Cotton Bowl on national television).

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Now, add into the mix the departure of Helton’s saving grace Sam Darnold and this could be a bad situation for the Trojans. Yes, they will continue to be competitive, but they will take a step back without Darnold. Additionally, let us not forget that UCLA came very close to beating USC in their last battle.

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And how about Arizona State? Well for one, they fired Todd Graham and brought in Herm Edwards who has not coached a college team since 1989. So this experiment is going to be an interesting one to watch but not one that I believe will make ASU contenders.

And how about their in-state rivals, Arizona? Well they are going through problems of their own. Just this week, they fired Rich Rodriguez because of the administration was worried about the direction of the program. It also did not help that Rich Rod was in the middle of a sexual harassment allegation (though apparently cleared). Still, the desert is burning and that is good for UCLA.

Speaking of UCLA, they also fired their coach, but unlike the Arizona schools, they upgraded. UCLA quite possibly won the national coaching search with the hiring of Kelly. Sure strong-armed Josh Rosen is leaving, but the Bruins have several dual-threat QBs (including committed, though not signed, 4-star Dorian Thompson-Robinson). The Bruin cupboard is not bare and many expect Kelly to do wonderful things with the roster he has been given.