If Mora develops Rosen half as well as he developed Hundley... UCLA is fucked
I know it's popular bashing Hundley, but he ended up being a pretty damn good college QB.
69% completion rate, 22 td's to 5 ints, 8 yards per attempt, and that's before you add in his running ability.
If Rosen turns into that, UCLA should be just fine.
Agree. Hes won at a 75% clip. Plungered SC three times and dominated the south (13-2) all with a true frosh/soph dominated OL and pedestrian playmakers. But he was just a complete ZERO in going 0-for-6 with Oregon and Stanford.
I do think his inability to make multiple post-snap reads, extend plays with his arm, and throw deep with touch limited the offense. That's Rosen's strength, allegedly. That combined with an emerging OL/RB strength I think the next 3 years will turn out better than the last 3.
He didn't even have a 2 game slide this year ... so thinking he'll have a 3 game slide next year is probably wishful thinking.
That being said, those thinking that SC is a runaway winner for the conference are FS given the losses that they have on the Front 7 as well as replacing most of their WR and RB production for this year.
My guess is that Seven will lose at least 2 games out of this bunch: Stanford, @ASU, @Notre Dame, @Oregon, UCLA.
UCLA is the one team that nobody is talking about because of Hundley leaving. But if they can find a way to get a graduate QB transfer in the fold (i.e. Braxton Miller), they have 18 returning starters. Even if they have to turn everything over to Slick's kid or even a true frosh, there will be a lot of support surrounding an average starter at QB. By the time UCLA plays USC, whoever it is playing QB for UCLA will have plenty of experience.
Josh Rosen will be QB for UCLA. He's a true frosh, but Rated #1 in the country. Biggins has said he's the best QB he's seen come out of SoCal in 10+years. He's already enrolled (like Browning).
They return 18 starters, miss Ore/UW, and have their weakest non-Conf schedule in years. So how quickly Rosen acclimates will be the difference between a Sun Bowl type year or a Rose Bowl type year
I'm optimistic, but admittedly the history on true Frosh succeeding is thin at best.
I like UCLA's team a lot, but I have a couple issues. QB is the obvious one. The other is the defense. For the talent at hand, Mora's defenses have sucked. There was a stretch mid season where your defense was a total dreckfest. What changes are being made on that side of the ball? Something isn't working. After three seasons, I think what you have seen on that side, is how it is always going to be.
If your defense played at a higher level, you might survive having a freshman QB. I don't think Mora and Ulbrich are capable of making that happen.
He didn't even have a 2 game slide this year ... so thinking he'll have a 3 game slide next year is probably wishful thinking.
That being said, those thinking that SC is a runaway winner for the conference are FS given the losses that they have on the Front 7 as well as replacing most of their WR and RB production for this year.
My guess is that Seven will lose at least 2 games out of this bunch: Stanford, @ASU, @Notre Dame, @Oregon, UCLA.
UCLA is the one team that nobody is talking about because of Hundley leaving. But if they can find a way to get a graduate QB transfer in the fold (i.e. Braxton Miller), they have 18 returning starters. Even if they have to turn everything over to Slick's kid or even a true frosh, there will be a lot of support surrounding an average starter at QB. By the time UCLA plays USC, whoever it is playing QB for UCLA will have plenty of experience.
Josh Rosen will be QB for UCLA. He's a true frosh, but Rated #1 in the country. Biggins has said he's the best QB he's seen come out of SoCal in 10+years. He's already enrolled (like Browning).
They return 18 starters, miss Ore/UW, and have their weakest non-Conf schedule in years. So how quickly Rosen acclimates will be the difference between a Sun Bowl type year or a Rose Bowl type year
I'm optimistic, but admittedly the history on true Frosh succeeding is thin at best.
I like UCLA's team a lot, but I have a couple issues. QB is the obvious one. The other is the defense. For the talent at hand, Mora's defenses have sucked. There was a stretch mid season where your defense was a total dreckfest. What changes are being made on that side of the ball? Something isn't working. After three seasons, I think what you have seen on that side, is how it is always going to be.
If your defense played at a higher level, you might survive having a freshman QB. I don't think Mora and Ulbrich are capable of making that happen.
So I've hijacked this thread...
UCLA had a similar issue at DC as UW had with Smith at OC. Promoted internally someone with no prior DC experience and he struggled early. Very vanilla scheme and difficulty replacing Barr generated very few sacks or QB pressures.
As the season progressed he got much more aggressive and he turned in some lights-out performances late in the season against Arizona and SC. I thought the scheme early vs KSU was also excellent. Starting 7 underclassmen on D will lead to uneven performances, especially when you have the #1 SoS.
I think Ulbrichs development could be an issue, but he's shown some promise late in the season.
I still think it's the offense. UCLA is 0-6 vs Stanford and Oregon - and 18-4 vs the rest of the conference (12-2 last two sesons). In those 6 games the offense has been not competitive at all start to finish.
Most Likely: Oregon, UCLA, Bowl Game ASU, UW, ND is 2nd
UW may be catching them at a ideal time. Peterson will have essentially a bye week and will be sandwhiched between a ranked Conf opponent and their rival. Plus you know UW will be fired up for that game.
Also looking at the matchup, UWs weakness (OL) will be going against SCs weakness (Front7). Could be a good matchup for UW. If they get improved QB play I think that's a game they very well could steal.
prayer.jpg
Good post Race but Sark stays 3 years minimum. He'll pull a Pelini and win just enough games to stay on payroll for 3, maybe 4. I think he wins the South so he'll at least get 3. South too weak, USC too friggin good next year. Nobody in the South can match up. Hate to say it but Sark might win conference. Pac12 will suck hind-teat next year, right along with the SEC (sans tennessee and Arkansas upon early look, 1/15/'15 for you fags who bank my shit so you can "attempt" to pounce on pup a year later).)
Most Likely: Oregon, UCLA, Bowl Game ASU, UW, ND is 2nd
UW may be catching them at a ideal time. Peterson will have essentially a bye week and will be sandwhiched between a ranked Conf opponent and their rival. Plus you know UW will be fired up for that game.
Also looking at the matchup, UWs weakness (OL) will be going against SCs weakness (Front7). Could be a good matchup for UW. If they get improved QB play I think that's a game they very well could steal.
prayer.jpg
Good post Race but Sark stays 3 years minimum. He'll pull a Pelini and win just enough games to stay on payroll for 3, maybe 4. I think he wins the South so he'll at least get 3. South too weak, USC too friggin good next year. Nobody in the South can match up. Hate to say it but Sark might win conference. Pac12 will suck hind-teat next year, right along with the SEC (sans tennessee and Arkansas upon early look, 1/15/'15 for you fags who bank my shit so you can "attempt" to pounce on pup a year later).)
Predicting the Pac-12 will suck hind-teat takes just as much courage as predicting the sun will set in the west this evening.
Comments
I do think his inability to make multiple post-snap reads, extend plays with his arm, and throw deep with touch limited the offense. That's Rosen's strength, allegedly. That combined with an emerging OL/RB strength I think the next 3 years will turn out better than the last 3.
The issues at UCLA are not on the offensive end.
UCLA had a similar issue at DC as UW had with Smith at OC. Promoted internally someone with no prior DC experience and he struggled early. Very vanilla scheme and difficulty replacing Barr generated very few sacks or QB pressures.
As the season progressed he got much more aggressive and he turned in some lights-out performances late in the season against Arizona and SC. I thought the scheme early vs KSU was also excellent. Starting 7 underclassmen on D will lead to uneven performances, especially when you have the #1 SoS.
I think Ulbrichs development could be an issue, but he's shown some promise late in the season.
I still think it's the offense. UCLA is 0-6 vs Stanford and Oregon - and 18-4 vs the rest of the conference (12-2 last two sesons). In those 6 games the offense has been not competitive at all start to finish.