Closing the Gap: USC 50, UCLA 0

 
USC Pac-12 South Champions

We have closed the gap more with SC. We got a chance to win a championship this week. That’s closing the gap. We haven’t had that chance in the past. We’ll see where the gap is after the ball game, but the gap is closed.

— UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel, before the game

Tonight they were clearly the superior team. I don’t think that’s the case all the time. I believe we can close the gap, and we will. We weren’t good enough to play a marquee team like USC.

— UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel, after the game

The gap was really close. You can tell by the score.

— USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil

Maybe Neuheisel meant that the gap has been closed since 1929, when USC won the inaugural crosstown showdown 76-0.

Using any more recent date as a starting point for gap measurement, it looks wider than ever.

At 10-2, USC finishes with the best record in the Pac-12 Southern Division but because of NCAA sanctions isn’t eligible to play in the conference championship.

That means that officially UCLA is the Southern Division “champion” and will play Northern Division winner Oregon next Friday.

Represent!

  1 comment for “Closing the Gap: USC 50, UCLA 0

  1. Ali Chamani
    28 Nov 2011 at 1:43 am

    The Coliseum last night echoed with chants of “One More Year” not only for Barkley, but also for Neuheisel.

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