USC Football: Winner of Rivalry Game Against UCLA Will Crown King of Mediocrity

Ah, the dashed hopes of a ruined season.

When the college football season started for the Trojans and Bruins, optimism abounded for the two legendary football teams.

Oh, to be sure, there were some serious questions both programs had to answer.

For the Bruins, coming off of a 7-6 record in 2009 including a minor bowl win, could the Bruins show significant improvement in head coach Rick Neuheisel's third year?

And could UCLA finally show some semblance of an offense under Norm Chow? 

Ummm, no and no.

Welcome to your 4-7 nightmare so far in 2010, UCLA fan.

Meanwhile, across town at Trojanville, the questions were even more pointed.

Following a decade of mostly brilliance under Pete Carroll, USC not only has had a new regime of coaches, but also had the specter of punishments handed down by the NCAA in the Reggie Bush scandal.

From the moment that the sanctions were handed down, new head coach Lane Kiffin warned that there would be a very bumpy road ahead for the Trojans in the next few years.

Most Trojans fans smugly chuckled and said, "Maybe for some, but not us, we are USC!"

Now, after posting a 7-5 record and getting blown out in games against opponents the Trojans routinely feasted on, the bravado is no more.

More to the point, after losing at home to a very ordinary Notre Dame team, the Trojans are barely clinging on to a shred of pride.

The Trojans, operating under a postseason bowl ban, would point to important games this season and say something to the effect of, "This is our bowl game!"

Then they would promptly fall flat on their face.

Last week's embarrassing loss to the Fighting Irish was only the latest installment of that futility.

Now the Trojans travel across town to face the stumbling Bruins.

Of course, both UCLA's Neuheisel and the Trojans' Kiffin will say all the right things and talk about how this game is for pride and will act as a "springboard" for the 2011 season.

Whatever.

What this game really means, at least for 2010, is that one team, at least head-to-head, is less horrible than the other.

Oh, and that one team gets to strut around for year and claim they are champions of Los Angeles.

What they are really claiming is that they are the Kings of Mediocrity.

Congratulations on that.