Rivalries

They saved the best rivalry for last. It’s the annual USC-UCLA football game, and boy is it going to be a doozy. This rivalry is quite unlike any other. While it is not as intense as Alabama-Auburn, Ohio St-Michigan and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, it is one of the only ones where both schools are in the same city. This game is completely electrifying LA making us forget that we haven’t had an NFL team here in ten years.

And what makes it even better is that #1 ranked USC (10-0) and #11 ranked UCLA (9-1) are playing for a share in the Pac-10 championship. If USC wins, it goes to the Rose Bowl to play for a national championship. If UCLA win, it splits the Pac-10 championship with USC and Orgeon and could possibly get a BCS at-large bowl bid (though it’s highly unlikely). But most importantly whoever wins gets bragging rights for the city for the year. And if 21-point underdogs UCLA pulls out an upset victory on national tv, you can bet some goalposts are coming down at the Coliseum. My pick: UCLA 49; USC 50.

Now the other rivalry game this weekend that I’m paying attention to is the Green Bay(2-9)-Chicago(8-3) game on Sunday. No matter how bad a season the Bears have, the first priority is to beat the Packers. And it looks like we will get the season sweep based on how the teams are playing. Even though this game isn’t going to be aired nationally, I’ll be on NFL.com following the lines and cheering and hooting and hollering. My pick: Green Bay 0; Chicago 10.