It is that time of year again. The Annual UCLA USC game. This year, back to the Rose Bowl for a matchup of top 20 teams.
The Pac-12 is judged in football on the level of play by USC, because of their status as one of the historically best football programs in the nation. UCLA, as their in city rival also has a decent football program, with numerous Rose Bowl victories and conference championships. When both teams are hot, the Pac-12 is hot.
UCLA will not need machetes to defeat USC this year. The Bruins bring a strong offense to the end of the season, and have managed to avoid nasty quarterback injuries. It is their game to lose. These games are never in the bag for either team. And they are a poor bet in Las Vegas.
This year, UCLA can help cement its berth in the 2014 Pac-12 championship game. This year, the championship will be played on a Neutral site in the Bay Area. Oregon is the leading team in the Pac-12, and would likely have hosted it otherwise.