I’m not too much of a gambling man, although I do believe Texas Hold ’Em is a true sport because it’s televised on ESPN. I would have said that Karl Dorrell’s emotionless glare for most of the season made him the greatest bluffer in the world.
But while many of you may be overlooking Wyoming, I’d be willing to bet that Dorrell isn’t expecting any kind of poker face to help get his team past the Cowboys from up north.
In all honesty, I’m not exactly thrilled about this matchup, especially given that an Insight Bowl berth would have been Dorrell’s revenge opportunity against Notre Dame for firing close friend Ty Willingham. UCLA is not exactly heading toward a climatic finish in the Las Vegas Bowl, going from facing No. 1 USC and nearly eking out a win to facing a 6-5 Wyoming team in the season’s finale.
How bad is it?
Collegefootballnews.com ranks it as the second-worst bowl matchup, even worse than the potential classic in the Silicon Valley, Northern Illinois versus Troy.
I don’t even know where Troy is.
But that much aside, given the demeanor and type of team UCLA has grown to become, odds are that the Bruins won’t overlook their bowl matchup, like they did a year ago in the Silicon Valley loss to Fresno State. In the context of the entire season, this team has grown, matured and, yes, united in the face of doubters and naysayers.
They came into the season picked to finish a quiet eighth in the Pac-10. But they made some noise, finished fifth and nearly pulled off the upset of the year.
They came into the season with a brand-new defensive line, as well as an offense that was among the nation’s worst last year. But the defense has more than been adequate for the new high-octane offense.
They entered games like Stanford and Oregon with low expectations. But they promptly shut out the Cardinal and upset Oregon to become bowl-eligible.
It’s like the last scene in “Ocean’s 11,” when they’re all standing around the Bellagio fountain, and the camera pans across each of the faces of the actors, not necessarily thinking about the money, but about what it took as a team to get the job done.
Dorrell’s 22 could easily do the same. You’d pan from Junior Taylor, who made huge strides against USC, to Marcedes Lewis, quickly becoming a top redzone option, to Spencer Havner, who has always had a nose for the big play.
You could pan from Dorrell to defensive coordinator Larry Kerr to offensive coordinator Tom Cable, and reflect on the big strides they’ve made as a coaching staff this season. It’s a far cry from the aura that surrounded the program entering the Silicon Valley Classic a year ago.
But if UCLA is upset by the Cowboys, those naysayers will be back in full force. Recruiting will be more difficult than ever. And any national respect gained from the last two games against Oregon and USC will be lost.
Here’s a case of “what happens in Vegas, gets known everywhere.”
Wyoming is thrilled to be in the Las Vegas Bowl. This was a team that was expected to win maybe three games at the beginning of the year, and doubled that total. Like UCLA, they have something to prove and are trying to gain some national respect. It’s a team and fan base that is excited about its first bowl game in 11 years. With UNLV in their conference, the Cowboys know the rules about playing football games in Vegas: football first, Cirque du Soleil later.
If UCLA comes fully prepared and focused, the question might not even be whether UCLA wins or loses, but rather whether the Bruins cover the spread. UCLA is currently favored by 12 points, and considering the nature and heart of this team, I do like UCLA to cover that spread.
But hey, like I said, I’m not too much of a gambling man.
Let Bruce know your favorite gambling movie at btran@media.ucla.edu.