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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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BOULDER, CO – NOVEMBER 3: Running back Soso Jamabo
BOULDER, CO – NOVEMBER 3: Running back Soso Jamabo /

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

Utah will always be Utah and I expect Kyle Whittingham to have his team bounce back in 2018, though not enough to compete for the division. Quick side note, Utah is the only team to not win the South Division since the Pac-10 changed to the Pac-12.

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And for Colorado, well, try as they might, it does not look as though they will be a contender in the South, despite winning the division in 2016. One of the big reasons for this was the loss of former defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt who had the Buffaloes rolling on defense. He jumped ship to Oregon in 2017 and the defense suffered a bit.

So with all this being said and looking at the progression of these six schools, as unbiased as possible, it seems as though the UCLA football team might have the best shot to win the South. The Bruins have the momentum and the coaching staff (which is still being developed) to go far in 2018.

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Kelly is a coaching mastermind and should at least have the Bruins back on the winning track, though if they do not win the South, the only other team I see completing is USC. By the way, in the four years Kelly was in Oregon, he had a 3-1 record against USC. Go Bruins.