Adams: UCLA to Southern Cal: Bring it on

LOS ANGELES - UCLA isn't shying away from one of the biggest challenges in college football. And I'm not referring to Monday night's season opener against 18th-ranked Tennessee.

The Bruins are calling out Southern Cal.

On the fourth page of Monday's Los Angeles Times sport section, UCLA spells it out in big, bold type: "The Football Monopoly In Los Angeles Is Officially OVER."

Beneath the headline, first-year UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel points into the distance, presumably aiming his left forefinger across town at one of college football's most storied programs. His expression says: "We want you."

Don't give the Bruins too much credit for their moxie. What choice do you have when you share a city with a rival as famous as USC? There's no escaping the challenge. You might as well say, "Bring it on."

And you might as well play a high-profile opponent on national television in your season opener. So what if your offense is down to its third-string quarterback and your offensive line looks just as shaky. You need the spotlight.

Neuheisel admits he might not have sought such exposure if UT hadn't already been scheduled. But if you have to play a nationally ranked non-conference opponent anyway, you might as well do it in prime time on national television.

"To have that kind of exposure, with people talking about UCLA football, that's terrific," he said. "We want to recruit nationally. We want to have people across the country saying, 'This would be a cool place to play.'

"Right across town, Pete Carroll did that (at USC). He built a program that is one of the best, if not the best."

If you set USC aside and judge UCLA on its merits, you can see why Neuheisel would be optimistic. The campus is as impressive as any in the country, and there's a winning tradition, too.

From 1972 through 1998, UCLA was ranked in the top 25 17 times and in the top 10 nine times. By contrast, UT's more renowned program ranked in the top 25 15 times and the top 10 eight times during the same period.

But since 1998 - during the final years under coach Bob Toledo and five years under Karl Dorrell - UCLA has had one top-25 finish and six seasons with six or more losses.

That's where Neuheisel comes in. In eight years as a head coach, four apiece at Colorado and Washington, he had only one losing season and won 10 or more games three times. Moreover, he's a former Bruin who went from walk-on to Rose Bowl MVP as a starting quarterback. He even mentored Troy Aikman as a volunteer coach with the Bruins.

Sure, he has a well documented downside. He was fired at Washington after participating in an NCAA basketball tournament pool. Colorado took a heavy hit from the NCAA after Neuheisel moved on.

But for UCLA, he's worth the risk. He's quick with a quip, capable of matching wits with Carroll in the media and in recruiting. And in Hollywood, his checkered past makes him more colorful.

Neuheisel has something else going for him: his staff. He retained defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, who was considered for the head-coaching job. Then, he landed Norm Chow, one of the game's most celebrated offensive coordinators. How's that for salesmanship?

"I'm really, really happy with the staff I've put together," Neuheisel said. "They (Chow and Walker) can get jobs anywhere they want. This area had an allure they wanted."

They also have a firsthand understanding of the competition. Chow was Carroll's offensive coordinator on USC's 2003 and 2004 national championship teams. Walker was Carroll's secondary coach for two years with the New England Patriots.

Chow and Walker have the same answer when asked about the USC challenge: "Carroll was 6-6 his first year."

Their message, "Give us time," is more realistic than an ad proclaiming the end to the football monopoly in Los Angeles. It's also a reminder that UCLA has little to lose against a nationally ranked opponent.

Neuheisel acknowledges the possibility "to go out and lay an egg" against a stronger, more experienced opponent on national television. But he quickly refocuses on the bigger picture.

"I don't think you can ever pass up a chance to have this kind of exposure, especially in building a program back to prominence," he said.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.