There are going to be some major changes in the Pac-12 South between now and next season, so does that mean that UCLA Football has a chance to take it all under Chip Kelly?
Things did not go as expected in the Pac-12 South Division in 2017 (to be honest, things did not go so well for the entire conference). To top off their underwhelming season, the bowl eligible teams of the Pac-12 went 1-8 in the post season with Utah getting the lone win. Because of this, major changes are being put into place and are going to affect the Pac-12… and UCLA football is in prime position to take it all… well, the South Division, at the very least.
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The Bruins will be starting anew like several other teams in 2018, though they may be the luckiest of all. Why is that? Well, if you have been living under a rock since Thanksgiving, you know that the Bruins axed Jim Mora and, to the surprise of everyone, brought in offensive mastermind Chip Kelly.
Because of this, and because of the changes that have been made to other Pac-12 South teams since the regular season ended, UCLA could be the favorite to win the division in 2018.
2017 Pac-12 South Division Final Standings
- USC 11-3, 8-1
- Arizona State 7-6, 6-3
- Arizona 7-6, 5-4
- UCLA 6-7, 4-5
- Utah 7-6, 3-6
- Colorado 5-7, 2-7
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.
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.