USC-UCLA: Has the Rivalry Lost Its Luster?

For USC and UCLA fans, this year’s rivalry game is what it is—the biggest game on the schedule.  No matter if the teams are 11-0 or 0-11, the school that loses must live with that for an entire year.

It’s one thing to live with when your rival is across the state.  It’s quite another when your rival is just across town.

If you recall the 13-9 UCLA victory a few years back that prevented USC from playing in the national championship game, Bruin fans have reminded Trojan fans of that loss for these past four years.

It didn’t matter that USC had also lost to Oregon State earlier in that season.  As far as wins and losses went, both losses held equal weight.  But it was the UCLA loss that USC players and fans could not live down.

It turned UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker into a hero and co-offensive coordinators at USC, Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian along with quarterback John David Booty into instant goats.

The fact that USC was the Pac-10 champion and defeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl that season did little to assuage the upset loss to rival UCLA.

Even though Booty had a terrific Rose Bowl, for the next 12 months fans were beseeching Pete Carroll to replace him with Mark Sanchez.

Kiffin and Sarkisian couldn’t escape the fans’ ire either, who were clamoring for their removal as well.

But that was then, this is now.  Even though neither team can win the Pac-10 or is in line for a BCS bowl, the game still matters to fans of both schools.

This is the first time in eight years that this game has neither Pac-10 Championship nor BCS implications.

So, what about fans of other schools and conferences?  Other Pac-10 fans, Big Ten fans, SEC fans, college football fans in general?  Has this game lost its luster for you? Are you still going to tune in and watch it Saturday evening?

I would like to hear from fans of other schools in the Pac-10 and from other conferences across the nation.  Tell me how you feel about this year’s game between the Trojans and the Bruins.

As for USC and UCLA fans, I would like to hear your thoughts on the BCS matchups. Especially USC fans, have all the BCS ratings and possible BCS bowl matchups lost their luster for you?

Or are you following them with as much interest as you have in the recent past?  What intrigues you about this year’s top ten standings and the BCS bowls? What disinterests you?

Have you closed the book on this year and are thinking about next season?  I’d like to know your thoughts.