It’s one thing to live with when your rival is across the state. It’s quite another when your rival is just across town.

If you recall the 13-9 UCLA victory a few years back that prevented USC from playing in the national championship game, Bruin fans have reminded Trojan fans of that loss for these past four years.

It didn’t matter that USC had also lost to Oregon State earlier in that season. As far as wins and losses went, both losses held equal weight. But it was the UCLA loss that USC players and fans could not live down.

It turned UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker into a hero and co-offensive coordinators at USC, Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian along with quarterback John David Booty into instant goats.

The fact that USC was the Pac-10 champion and defeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl that season did little to assuage the upset loss to rival UCLA.

Even though Booty had a terrific Rose Bowl, for the next 12 months fans were beseeching Pete Carroll to replace him with Mark Sanchez.

Kiffin and Sarkisian couldn’t escape the fans’ ire either, who were clamoring for their removal as well.

But that was then, this is now. Even though neither team can win the Pac-10 or is in line for a BCS bowl, the game still matters to fans of both schools.

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New Orleans Saints 24, New York Jets 10

You didn’t really think Mark Sanchez was going to lead the Jets to an undefeated season, did you?  Sanchez’ perfect start to his NFL career came crashing to the turf and it sounded a lot like the Saints scoring two defensive touchdowns on returns after his own turnovers.  That said, the Jets held the undefeated Saints’ offense to just 10 points and are still the leaders of the AFC East.

Fantasy Studs: Pierre Thomas (19 carries, 86 yards, 1 touchdown), Saints’ defense (2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery)

Next Week: New York Jets (3-1) at Miami (1-3), Monday 5:30 PM; New Orleans (4-0) – bye

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By nearly all accounts, the quarterbacks traded between the Broncos and the Bears in the off-season were not in the same league.  Apparently no one told Kyle Orton that he was supposedly the bad one.  Orton and the Broncos kept the momentum up from last week’s miraculous win in Cincinnati and look like the class of the weak AFC West.  Denver’s offense more than doubled up on Cleveland in total yardage, and the defense forced three turnovers to turn their home-opener into a rout.

Fantasy Studs: Denver defense (1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries, 6 points allowed)

Next Week: Denver (2-0) at Oakland (1-1), 1:15 PM; Cleveland (0-2) at Baltimore (2-0), 10 AM

Chicago 17, Pittsburgh 14

After a dismal first game with his new team, the other half of that quarterback trade faced his home fans for the first time at Soldier Field and helped thousands of Chicago fans justify their new Jay Cutler jersey purchases.  Cutler was far from spectacular, but he didn’t turn the ball over and helped the Bears grind out a win over the Super Bowl Champs thanks to a 44-yard field goal with just :15 to play.  Pittsburgh’s defense stepped up in the absence of Troy Polamalu and held the Bears’ stud running back Matt Forte to just 29 yards on 13 carries.

Fantasy Studs: Jay Cutler (27/38, 236 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions)

Next Week: Chicago (1-1) at Seattle (1-1), 1:05 PM; Pittsburgh (1-1) at Cincinnati (1-1), 1:15 PM

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