UCLA starts the season ranked ahead of USC, hopes history doesn’t repeat

UCLA fans will be pleased to know that the Bruins are ranked heading into the 2013 football season.

They may also remember that it didn’t work out so well last time.

UCLA is ranked 21st in the USA Today poll, released Tuesday. USC is ranked 24th, making this the first time since 2011 that the Bruins enter the season ranked ahead of the Trojans.

It is the first time the Bruins have been ranked in the preseason since 2007.

The Bruins were 14th in the Associated Press poll that season and got as high as 11th. Then came disaster in Utah, a 44-6 loss to the Utes. UCLA tumbled, never to return until being ranked 22nd after in Week 2 of the 2012 season.

Things went south quick in 2007. UCLA finished 6-7 and Coach Karl Dorrell was fired.

The Bruins go to Salt Lake City on Oct. 3.

UCLA plays four teams ranked in the USA Today preseason top 25: No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Stanford, No. 18 Nebraska and No. 24 USC.

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