UCLA Football: 5 reasons the Bruins will be better than USC in 2018

Chip Kelly, Michigan transfer Wilton Speight, and experience on defense will all contribute to UCLA football being the top team in Los Angeles this year.

Like most cities with two major sports teams, there is a significant divide in the side one takes. You’re either born a fan of one team or born a fan of the other…and you stay that way for your entire life. You’re either a Yankees fan or a Mets fan. Jets or Giants. Well in Los Angeles, the rivalry and passion for UCLA and USC is no different.

In order to keep a rivalry healthy, there needs to be a reasonable chance that either team could win from year to year. For example, after Navy beat Army for the 13th year in a row in 2015, the rivalry started to die for everyone but those who played in the game. Luckily, for the health of the rivalry, Army has won the past two games.

And the UCLA-USC rivalry is no different. Historically, we have seen primarily 3-6 year streaks where one team will dominate the rivalry. From 2007-2011, USC won every game and had the better team. In the three years from 2012-2014, the trend swung in favor of the Bruins. The past three years the Trojans have been the better team.

However, in 2018, the UCLA Bruins will reestablish themselves as the top team in Los Angeles. The first reason the Bruins will be better than USC is the return of Chip Kelly to college football.