This post was updated Nov. 22 at 1:02 a.m.

Saturday will mark arguably the biggest test of the season for UCLA football (4-6, 3-5 Big Ten) and USC (5-5, 3-4), as the two schools compete for the Victory Bell for the first time as Big Ten opponents. Here are this week’s gameday predictions from Sports editor Ira Gorawara and assistant Sports editors Kai Dizon and Connor Dullinger – along with guest predictions from slot editor Barnett Salle-Widelock and News editor Dylan Winward.

Ira Gorawara
Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 24, USC 28

I’d be lying if I said I would’ve predicted the same result last week.

Until Friday, it would’ve been flipped – UCLA 28, USC 24 for a sound Bruin victory.

Call me capricious, call me mercurial – but after watching UCLA football’s train-wreck loss to Washington in person to kick off this past weekend, my shaky faith in the team crumbled.

Faith is a tall order for a team that stumbled out the gates 1-5, flirted with improvement for a three-game tear – all just to revert to its familiar failures when pressure mounted.

The Bruins looked eerily similar to their 1-5 selves Friday night. What seemed to have been fixed during the three-game stretch evaporated as UCLA couldn’t run the ball, piled up nine penalties and watched redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers scramble in pursuit of his own shadow.

None of that exactly screams optimism.

Now, the Victory Bell perches in the middle of Los Angeles, waiting to decree its annual judgment. And Saturday, it’ll begin to reflect cardinal and gold – a reminder of UCLA’s 2024 imperfections looming too large to ignore.

I’ve dissected this extensively here, but Saturday’s duel will be coach DeShaun Foster’s proving ground. I’ll be the first to champion the newfound culture he’s instilled in Westwood – one that doesn’t happen overnight. But when it comes to the X’s and O’s, the question remains unanswered.

The UCLA offense has proven to have flashes of potential, but cracks remain in its foundation. It’s chased consistency like a dream half remembered but stumbles at crucial junctures – junctures former Bruin defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn will exploit with his new Trojan pack.

The bell will toll around 11 p.m. Friday – a bittersweet reminder that UCLA’s 2024 season, caught in the throes of transition, is a story unfinished.

Kai Dizon
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 33, USC 19

The Bruins’ past two triumphs over the Trojans were catapulted by their offense.

Last year, it was a 38-20 smothering, and in 2021, a 62-33 trouncing – both at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

And though the home team hasn’t won the Victory Bell since 2019, Bruin fans shouldn’t fret – UCLA’s attack will once again reign supreme.

For the Bruins know their opponent – Trojan defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn – like the back of their hand.

After leading the Bruins to a top-10 defense in his first and only year in Westwood, Lynn fled east for USC after the 2023 regular season.

On top of UCLA’s firsthand knowledge that’ll shrink the defensive coordinator’s playbook, USC’s defense just hasn’t been as potent as UCLA’s was a year ago. By yards allowed per game, the Trojans’ defense ranks 67th in the nation and 15th in the Big Ten.

And despite the loss in Seattle, the Bruin offense still showed some signs of life and has already displayed its explosive potential during its previous three-game win streak.

Right at the center of UCLA’s resurgence has been redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers, who has averaged 273 passing yards over his past five games after a horrendous start to his final collegiate season.

On the other side will be USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. In his first career start as a Trojan, Maiava performed admirably in USC’s 28-20 win over Nebraska on Saturday, completing 25 of 35 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns.

But now, the Bruins have a bit of game footage to help extinguish the sophomore’s flame.

The Victory Bell will stay blue in Pasadena.

Connor Dullinger
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 28, USC 24

It’s do or die now.

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Bruins need to win out to be bowl-eligible and finish 2024 with a winning record.

And with UCLA’s last contest coming against Fresno State – which has lost four out of its last six fixtures – it’ll likely need to be victorious Saturday to sustain any postseason hopes.

Despite defeating USC and future NFL first overall pick Caleb Williams almost exactly a year ago at the Coliseum, UCLA hasn’t won a rivalry game at the Rose Bowl since 2018.

But that will change come Saturday night.

While UCLA’s rushing offense has struggled through the beginning of its 2024 campaign, its recent resurgence on the ground may prove fatal for USC – which has conceded at least 100 rushing yards in eight of 10 matchups this season, including allowing Michigan a 290-rushing-yard performance.

The Bruins have rushed for more than 90 yards in three of their last four contests, and in their 38-20 victory over the Trojans last season, then-sophomore running back T.J. Harden had a career day on the ground with 142 rushing yards and one touchdown.

And just two weeks ago, against Iowa, Harden put on his second-best career performance, garnering 125 rushing yards on 20 carries, good enough for a 6.2 clip.

The Bruins have a chip on their shoulders having not won a game against the Trojans in Pasadena in over six years. If there is a game to win to save their season, this is it.

Barnett Salle-Widelock
Slot editor
Prediction: UCLA 28, USC 21

It hasn’t been a great week for Trojan fans.

On Nov. 14, the NCAA sanctioned USC football and issued it a $50,000 fine for coaching violations. Then Sunday, Julian Lewis, the second-ranked player in the 2025 class, decommitted from the school.

All of this added pressure to coach Lincoln Riley, who – missing now-NFL quarterback Williams – has delivered an underwhelming entry into the Big Ten. Predicted sixth in conference preseason polling, USC now sits at 12th, with UCLA – having jumped two spots from its preseason rank – right behind.

Saturday, the Bruins will make the leap over their crosstown rival. In his two-year tenure, Riley has notched one narrow win against UCLA, and last year’s edition of the matchup marked a tough 38-20 loss for the Trojans.

Coach DeShaun Foster, however, has the passion and knowledge to keep the Victory Bell in Westwood. In his freshman season with the Bruins in 1998, he ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns at the Rose Bowl, also notching a receiving score to carry the team to a 34-17 stomping of the Trojans.

And last year, Foster’s running backs ran 199 yards, practically far enough to carry the trophy back from Pasadena.

However, this past week hasn’t been easy for UCLA either, with a loss to Washington putting a damper on three weeks of cautious optimism. But no one should lose hope – all the pieces are coming together.

We’re witnessing a falling USC, a rising UCLA and a Bruin offense that has shown flashes of its running dominance of yore.

Things are looking rosy this Saturday.

Dylan Winward
News editor
Prediction: UCLA 53, USC 47

Reporting on politics is a funny thing.

A red team thoroughly trounced its blue opponent this month. With championship scores landing at 312 to 226, the red team must have converted over 12 more touchdowns than the blue team Nov. 5. And President-elect Donald Trump’s Republican Party even won seats it was expected to lose “away from home” in California.

So one would think that all the signs point toward a Trojan victory.

However, to truly divine a sporting result from a political one, one has to look into the context behind the results.

Trump’s win heralded in a new era, with a White House alumnus returning to Pennsylvania Avenue. In the spirit of new eras, Saturday will be the first rivalry game of the “Fos Era,” with Bruin alumnus Foster returning to helm his alma mater – something that’s got to be auspicious.

Plus, this month has been one of surprises. In addition to Trump’s victory, Matt Gaetz’s cabinet nomination and an upset in the recent Botswana general election have shown the world’s ability to surprise us. November’s weather started unusually warm, but the thermometer gets bluer by the day.

So, because I’m English, garish and foolish, I’m backing the Bruins to win. After all, isn’t it the blue team’s turn?