15 Years Gone: UCLA's Downward Spiral and Uptown Revival

It's funny how rivalry week shakes out. 2007, I was at the Coliseum where UCLA got spanked by USC and Karl Dorrell's press conference sounded like a funeral of a man who would be fired soon. This year, USC changes coaches after being spanked and Jim Mora re-ups with UCLA for a longer extension.

One thing is clear. As my friend Rahshaun Haylock of Fox Sports showed in that picture above, UCLA runs the city now. It's something I thought I'd never see after 1998 and this week marks the 15th anniversary of the game that changed UCLA's fortune. The collapse against Miami.

You might remember that year as the Bruins were the first team to debut at No. 1 in the BCS. The Bruins were in the middle of a 20-game winning streak. Cade McNown was poised to be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony and two freshman named Deshaun Foster and Freddie Mitchell (before he got hurt that year) had me excited. I had the season poster as one of my book covers.

Did I mention the Bruins had an eight-game winning streak against USC? Foster went wild that game and I remember ABC calling it "Foster's Freeze". Everything was clicking and the Bruins seemed ready for their first national title game in my lifetime.

Pac-12 Football Preview: UCLA's Encore

UCLA and USC will be opening up fall camps this week to get ready for the 2013 season. To get ready, I'm doing a two-part preview of both schools assessing strengths and weaknesses, key players to watch and my outlook this year. I'll also do a brief follow-up before the season kicks off on August 31. First up, UCLA.

UCLA's 2012 season was one to remember. It wasn't just the best season the school had since 2005, it was a renewed optimism that the program was headed in a positive direction and could stay there. What Jim Mora Jr. did last year was more than wins and losses as he created an identity and attitude that programs could build upon for years to come.

Last year, they finished 9-5 and won the Pac-12 South Division. For the first time since 1998, they had a better record than USC, who they defeated 38-28 for the first time since 2006. While they lost three straight to end the season, including twice to Stanford, there was reason to be optimistic about the road ahead.

Four Bruins were drafted, including first round selection Datone Jones and second rounder Johnathan Franklin, both to Green Bay. So what's next for Year 2 under Mora? Improvement and more of the same to get even better. High expectations as they were the media pick to win the Pac-12 South division.

"We're not where we want to be but we have a vision of where we want to be," Mora said at Pac-12 Media Day.