The UCLA football team has been looking to cement themselves as an elite program, which seemed attainable with the hiring of Chip Kelly, but now appears to be further out of reach than before.
In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the two protagonists, George and Lennie, look to pursue their dreams of owning land in California, which, at the moment, do not seem too far out of reach for them. But as they find out, sometimes life happens, and those dreams are more unattainable than expected. This could also be said for UCLA Football.
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Sometimes there are roadblocks preventing us from reaching our dreams. Sometimes, we are our own personal roadblocks. That is a theme with UCLA football, not just this season, but for the last 20 years. 2018 is amplifying that notion as this dream is becoming somewhat of a nightmare.
"Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head."
With the hiring of Chip Kelly, the Bruins looked to pursue college football supremacy. Kelly is a proven winner and one of the most innovative minds in college football. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what we have seen in the first three games of the Kelly era at UCLA.
When Kelly was hired, it shook the college football world. The Bruin faithful were the ones who were most surprised, primarily because the Athletic Department, which has made some inept coaching hires in recent decades, actually hired a top-tier coach.
The thought was that the Bruins would be on track to becoming a college football powerhouse in the next few seasons. Maybe this season. Though that might still happen, right now, it looks as if they are heading in the opposite direction.
UCLA’s dream of becoming an elite program might simply be just that… a dream.
The plan was set. Kelly would instill his revolutionary system at UCLA and build off of that by evolving it even further. The cupboard was not bare, there were some exciting new players entering the program and all through spring and fall we heard about how fast this team was going to be. Could this be Oregon 2.0?
So far, none of that has manifested into the slightest bit of success for the Bruins. They have started the season 0-3 (the first time since 1971) and could potentially go without a win this season. This is not Oregon 2.0, but more like UCLA 1.9452728 (you get the idea).
"The best-laid plans of mice and men, often go awry."
This goes against the expected trajectory. But maybe that is the plan. Maybe Kelly is using this season to set up what could be a very promising 2019. It is unfortunate that certain things have to be sacrificed, like the playing time of Bruins that have been here before Kelly as the new coach has taken a real shine to his players over those of the veterans. But there is a reason he is running the program and I am sitting here behind my computer screen.
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I’ve seen it all over social media. 2018 is a “throw away” year. It is “Year 0”. Things will really get started in 2019. But why? Why not compete now? Why not go after that piece of land when you have the chance?
That might lie in the reasoning behind Kelly’s process. Sure, we need to be patient, but it is not the 0-3 start that concerns Bruins fans… it is the philosophy.
This team portrays nothing like we have seen from Kelly, except maybe that “throw away season” with the San Francisco 49ers. There is no innovation, no creativity, and no progress.
This start has even torn the fanbase in twain and that is a special talent for a new coach to do who is only three games into his tenure.
And why is that? The dream.
UCLA football and their fans were on their way to fulfilling their dream. That is not the case as the plan has gone awry.
"It ain’t no lie. We’re gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’."
That is the part that is tough to stomach. It just looks bad right now. Sure, Kelly needs this season to set his plan into place, even if it is the best-laid plan. But right now, it is tough.