SONS OF WESTWOOD, MEN OF TROY

Troy Aikman. Marcus Allen. Keyshawn Johnson. Ken Norton Jr. All of these men are either Hall of Famers or future ones. But it’s much more than that. They have something much more in common.

The UCLA-USC rivalry is the college rivalry between two universities located in Los Angeles, California: the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California.

The athletic competition rivalry between the two schools is among the more notable in NCAA Division I sports because both schools are located within the same city. The campuses are only ten miles apart. The sheer proximity of both alumni and students, and the likelihood of encountering each other and interacting on a daily basis make this one of the most intense college rivalries in the United States.

See, in the annals of college football history, we will always here about the great rivalries of all time: Michigan-Ohio State, Florida -Florida St, Army -Navy. But rarely do we here about UCLA-USC? Maybe because UCLA is a “basketball” school or the west coast bias that permeates sports in general? But take a look at some of the great highlights in this rivalry’s history?

USC is always one of the top teams in the country in college football, and recognizes 11 of its teams as National Champions. UCLA has one team recognized as a Champion. When the football teams from these schools compete against each other, the victor is awarded the Victory Bell. The Victory Bell was originally from an old Southern Pacific railroad locomotive. It was given to the UCLA student body by the UCLA Alumni Association in 1939. It was UCLA’s symbol of victory until it was stolen by USC students in 1941. When it was surrendered in 1942, the student body presidents of the two schools agreed that the bell would be the trophy awarded the winner of the annual UCLA-USC football game. The bell itself is brass, and the metal mounting around it is painted blue or red by the school that won the football game and earned its possession. When UCLA possesses it, the UCLA Rally Committee is responsible for its protection and care. As of the 2007 season, the overall record of the football series is 42 wins for USC, 28 wins for UCLA and 7 ties. There has been one overtime game in the series in 1996.

Quite often, the winner of the football game has won or shared the Pacific Ten Conference title in football. A berth in the Rose Bowl game has been on the line many times as well for both schools. Since the formation of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1916, USC has won or shared 37 conference titles and UCLA has won or shared 17 titles.^[10] Washington is third in overall conference titles with 15.^[10] Since the 1959 season, when the Pacific 10 Conference was formed as the Athletic Association of Western Universities, through the 2007 season, the schools have won or shared 33 of the 48 conference titles.^[10] USC has won 17 championships outright, shared eight and gone to the Rose Bowl or BCS bowl 21 times.^[10] UCLA has won six championships outright, shared five and gone to the Rose Bowl eight times.^[10] The schools have shared the championship between them three times.^[10] Both teams have spoiled conference and national championship runs for the other.

USC was already an established national football power under Howard Jones and had begun a major rivalry with Notre Dame when UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference in 1929. Los Angeles Times Sportswriter Braven Dyer predicted on the day of the first football meeting on September 28, 1929, “In years to come, this game will probably be one of the football spectacles of the West” ^[11] USC dominated the early games (so much so, that after the first two games, the series was suspended for five years and they did not play each other from 1931-1935) until UCLA established itself. By the late 1930s, star players such as Kenny Washington, Jackie Robinson, and Bob Waterfield enabled UCLA to be competitive. With the hiring of Hall of Fame Coach Henry “Red” Sanders, UCLA became the more dominant program in the 1950s, culminating in their 1954 National Championship. A famous quote was attributed to Sanders regarding the rivalry, “Beating ‘SC is not a matter of life or death, it’s more important than that.” ^[12][13] But Sanders died suddenly of a heart attack, and shortly thereafter, John McKay took over a struggling USC program and returned it to national prominence. For most seasons from the mid 1960s to the end of the 1970s, the two schools were the top powers on the west coast. In the 15 Rose Bowls played from 1966 to 1980, USC or UCLA played in 12 of them. Even with the rise of Don James‘ Washington Huskies in the 1980s and early 90s, UCLA or USC still went to the Rose Bowl seven times between 1981 and 1995. In the 1990s and until the hiring of Pete Carroll by USC, UCLA was the dominant team, winning 8 straight from USC from 1991-1998, before USC then won 7 in a row from 1999-2005.

This year’s addition of UCLA has struggled under first year coach and UCLA alum Rick Neuheisels and USC, under Carroll, is once again in the national hunt. But records are damned when these two teams meet. For my money, and especially being a native of Southern California, it is the top rivalry in college football. Kickoff is schedule for December 6^th at 1:30pm PST. So pull up a chair and witness the crowned jewel of college football rivalries, the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans. Late

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