Behind Enemy Lines: USC and UCLA are in a race against the clock

We have presented nine different installments of our USC Behind Enemy Lines preseason series with UCLA Wire editor Dylan McNeill. Now comes the tenth and final part of this August series. We asked McNeill what it will take for UCLA to surpass USC football.

"Winning is the best and quickest route for UCLA to surpass USC football in the big picture. Today’s college football players haven’t seen a UCLA football team in national title contention. USC hasn’t won anything too recently but the legend of Reggie Bush, Troy Polamalu and even Caleb Williams gives the program some added aura that UCLA football doesn't currently have," McNeill wrote. "In the NIL era, UCLA can spend their way out of this problem, which is an area where the Bruins are improving but they’re still playing catch up to USC. If UCLA can increase their funding and establish themselves as a winning program they can catch up to USC, unless USC takes that next step before the Bruins can."

This is definitely a case in which USC better win now and solidify its place in Los Angeles. Maybe Bob Chesney won't get it all figured out in 2026, but he could take a big step forward in 2027. If USC isn't solid and competing for championships at the playoff level by 2027, and UCLA takes a forward step, the Trojans ' hold on LA could slip. USC has to be elite soon. If not, it opens the door for the Bruins.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Behind Enemy Lines: USC and UCLA are in a race against the clock

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