Prediction Assures Banner Bruin Season

UCLA fans everywhere should thank Randy Harvey for picking the Bruins fifth in the Pacific 10 Conference for the coming football season. Before last basketball season, he picked the Bruins sixth, despite their having five starters from a Pac-10 championship team. This led to another conference title.

For football, not only did he follow the brilliant media poll and put USC ahead of UCLA--even though the Trojans will start a quarterback who has never taken a meaningful collegiate snap, lost half their defense from a 6-6 team, lost to the Bruins for the sixth straight year and had a worse conference record than UCLA--he also bumped the Bruins behind Arizona State.

Arizona State? ASU had an incredible year last season, but lost its best quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive lineman, defensive lineman and linebacker. Meanwhile, the Bruins have virtually everyone back on offense, including a third-year starter at quarterback in Cade McNown and a 1,000-yard rusher in Skip Hicks.

One thing you can count on every fall is the media buying everything that the USC hype machine cranks out and underestimating the Bruins. Randy Harvey, stop making ridiculous football predictions, and stick to your day job. Oh, wait, that is your day job.

RICHARD BRISACHER

Mar Vista