SMQB: UCLA's Win Over Michigan State Proves Penn State Win Was No Fluke
Now, the Bruins will look to turn their momentum into a winning streak.
One of the greatest sports movies of all time is, arguably, Major League. For anyone who hasn’t seen it (is there anyone who hasn’t seen it?), it follows the tribulations of a hapless Cleveland Indians baseball team. Actor James Gammon plays the Indians manager Lou Brown. After his Indians had won their first game in a while, he addresses his team in the clubhouse.
Well, UCLA football won last week. Then, the Bruins won yesterday. If they can win next week, it is a winning streak. And, yes, it has been done before.
Going into yesterday’s game, interim coach Tim Skipper spoke to the team about being a “one-hit wonder.” Every player had a flyer on his seat on the plane asking if they are a “one-hit wonder.”
Of course, after the game yesterday, Coach Skipper was his usual energetic and positive self. Skipper spoke about the team’s energy and passion.
“I’m an energetic guy and I don’t like boring. So, if I don’t feel the juice, we’re going to start the day over. Haven’t had to do that or anything. Um, but energy and passion is how you’re supposed to play football. And that’s the way we’re going to practice. That’s the way we meet. That’s the way we play. So, we’ll continue to keep that consistent.”
Yesterday’s postgame interviews are courtesy of UCLA Athletics on YouTube.
After Coach Skipper met with the media, it was the players’ turn. The three Bruins who spoke were Nico Iamaleava, Jalen Berger and defensive back Cole Martin.
Berger spoke about being back in East Lansing, where he played two seasons for the Spartans.
“It felt good being back here, but we just treated this like any other opponent. It was just someone in the way of the mission.”
While you can’t erase the first four games of the season, there’s no doubt that this team has been much different over the past two games. How different? Different enough that it merits taking a look at the current Big Ten Football standings after this weekend.
It’s worth noting that the Bruins are now just one game behind Indiana and Ohio State in the conference standings.
Now, aside from next week’s opponent Maryland, which at 4-1 overall is no cupcake, every other remaining game on UCLA’s schedule is currently 2-1 or better in conference play.
After Maryland, the Bruins travel to Bloomington, Indiana to take on new #3 Indiana. The Hoosiers face the same Michigan State squad which UCLA beat yesterday. So, it’s reasonable to believe that UCLA will visit the #3 team in the nation in two weeks.
Of course, they can’t get ahead of themselves, but the game against Indiana now looks to be a big one.
In fact, every game each week is huge moving forward. There was a reason, after all, why fans were starting to think that the Bruins could go winless after starting 0-4.
But now, UCLA is arguably one of the hottest teams in the country, and there’s no argument that the program, right now, has more hope than it’s had since at least Chip Kelly’s introductory press conference back in 2017.
As long as this team keeps winning, there’s no limit how far this team might go. After all, under the 12-team CFP format, the Big Ten Champions do get an automatic bid to the CFP. If they win out in the regular season and can win the Big Ten Championship Game, the team would be 9-4.
It certainly won’t be easy.
Every week will be difficult. The Bruins will have to go on the road and beat not just the current #3 team in the country, but also #1 Ohio State too.
Admittedly, it could be a bit too much to suggest that the team will win its next six games. But let’s say they lose to the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes. A bowl game is still not out of the realm of possibility. Heck, it’s possible that they could even lose a third game and request a waiver to play in a bowl if there aren’t enough teams to fill all the bowl spots
Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what happened in the press box yesterday during the third quarter. Here’s a tweet from LA Times’ UCLA beat writer Ben Bolch:
Re-read that one more time. I’ll wait.
So, UCLA AD Martin Jarmond is trying to rehabilitate his image by taking credit for the midseason changes to the coaching staff? Really?
Does he really think any self-respecting Bruin fan who wanted him fired before last Saturday is suddenly going to change their mind because the team has won two in a row?
It’s as if he thinks that stepping in to end a disaster somehow makes him a hero, even though the disaster occurred because of his failure to take action and fire Chip Kelly in November 2023 in the first place.
That might have worked at Boston College. But it sure as heck isn’t going to fly with Bruin fans because Bruin fans are intelligent enough to know better.
Now, if you didn’t click over to X (formerly Twitter) to see the responses to Bolch’s tweet, you really should because the Bruin fans who did reply clearly weren’t buying what Jarmond was selling.
To be sure, there will certainly be some casual fans who may buy that garbage, but no one who follows the team beyond checking the Sunday box score is going to buy it.
Yeah, ok. Jarmond seems to have made some positive changes. Do you know what that shows? It simply illustrates how big of a disaster the program was in to start with and how you should have taken action even sooner than you did.
If he knew how to read the room, he would have resigned already.
Go Bruins!!!
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First, an admission: after the first few games, I stated I was appalled that so many of the Bruin players did not seem to be Division 1-level athletes and players. However, I was wrong…should have looked around the country and noted all the quick rebuilds of previously hopeless teams around the country; solid coaching to motivate players and put them into situations they can handle is key.
That said…I gotta pump the brakes when I hear talk of running the table in the Big Ten; there are still a lot of talent deficiencies on this team, particularly in both lines. Plus, with the “one hit wonders” trope dispelled, the Bruins won’t be sneaking up on people anymore; and I’m not quite sure how many more tricks Little Jerry can possibly have in his bag.
Of more interest is the ongoing coaching search…you hear the name Jonathan Smith a lot, but…yesterday’s undisciplined, unmotivated showing in front of a stunned home crowd should give one pause. MSU had an eerie resemblance to the Bruins of the first three weeks…and nobody ever wants to see that again.
My son and I must've watched Major League a hundred times when he was like 13. I have fond memories.