Bodog Week 14 College Football Preview

Entering the Rose Bowl this Saturday, junior cornerback Trey Brown and the UCLA Bruins are hoping to play a role that could pull a 180 on their disappointing season. That role is spoiler.

To do it they’ll need to find a way to defeat the No. 2 USC Trojans, a team they haven’t beaten in seven years.

"It's been very frustrating. It makes you sick," Brown told the Associated Press. "Especially for our seniors that have been here and worked so hard through their careers. What better way to send them off than by beating USC? They haven't had a chance to do so, and we have another opportunity. It's great."

The renowned NCAA rivalry has looked more like a tragedy the last few years, including last season when the Bruins lost 66-19 as 21-point underdogs. And although both programs lost a slew of talent to the pros before this season, the Trojans have already rebuilt and reloaded; the Bruins have barely kept the program afloat.

USC has followed up its impressive 2005 season with a 10-1 record in 2006, including wins over ranked opponents Nebraska, Oregon, California, and Notre Dame. UCLA has followed up its 10-2 season with a 6-5 record. The Bruins have yet to beat a ranked opponent, losing at Oregon, Notre Dame and California.

"I don't think you can look at these teams and compare where they were last year," Brown said. "The only thing we can do is think about what a win this week would do for our respect. It would be huge."

USC sits at No. 2 in the BCS standings, and a loss to the Bruins would crush any chance of the Trojans making their fourth straight appearance in the national title game. For the Bruins, a victory would be huge for their school's reputation going into next year.

"Beating them, it may not get us there, but it furthers us in the direction," Bruins corner Rodney Van said. "If you think it and know it, and you go out and prove it against a team that also feels that way and you beat them, then you're definitely on your way."

With a decline in wins, on the surface it would appear that UCLA should be a bigger underdog than last year. However, an improved defense should give it a better chance. The Bruins are only allowing 18.2 points per game after surrendering a horrible 34.2 a year ago. They've also been particularly good against the run, limiting foes to 93.1 yards per game and 2.8 yards per carry.

The Trojans are hardly the offensive juggernaut they were last year, too. Ranked first and second in the Pac-10 in rushing and passing, respectively, they're fourth and fifth this year.

“They’re trying to get to a national championship. I know they’re going to give us their best effort,” Bruins defensive end Bruce Davis told the Galveston Daily News. “We have a chance to do some big things and shake the BCS up a little bit. We just want to go in there, get after it and win this football game.”

They lost their original starting quarterback in the pre-season, they lost their game versus Oregon game due to Pac-10 officials, and they won’t even have their Heisman-worthy running back Adrian Peterson for the seventh week in a row. But this Saturday, if they knock off the No. 19 Cornhuskers, the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners could win the Big-12 conference and earn a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.

"We knew we had it in us, we knew we had the guys, with more experience, a little bit older than we were last year," senior quarterback Paul Thompson said. “I definitely believed we could get to where we're at.”

If they continue their hot play against Big-12 squads, expect the season to end on a high note. After losing two in a row, the Sooners have gone 3-0 straight up and against the spread in the conference.

There’s a chance, albeit a small one, that No. 4 Florida can sneak into the national title game. But to even enter that discussion, they first have to handle the No. 8 Razorbacks in the SEC championships.

The Razorbacks are coming off a season-killing loss to the LSU Tigers, but with a 7-1 record in the toughest conference in the NCAA, don’t expect them to lay down. They’ll find a reason to play hard.

"There's still plenty to play for," Razorbacks defensive tackle Keith Jackson said. "We still get to go to Atlanta and play Florida. This is definitely disappointing, but we're not done."

PHOTO: Cornerback Trey Brown and the Bruins will be trying to shutdown the potent USC offense. (AP Photo)

Note: All NCAA football lines subject to change.

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