UCLA’s convincing 38-28 victory over arch-rival USC this past Saturday led to some undeniable truths.

The Monopoly is over
It may have been ex UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel that proclaimed the era of USC dominance in LA was coming to an end, but it was Coach Jim Mora who put his money where his mouth is. We’re not sure this marks the beginning of a new UCLA era, but they sure outplayed their crosstown rivals on Saturday.

USC just learned a lesson in hubris
To go from a preseason ranking of #1 with BCS Title talks abound to suddenly finding yourself in the Completely-Irrelevant-Shameless-Corporate-Sponsorship Bowl with a 7-4 record (possibly 7-5 after the final game Saturday against #1 ranked Notre Dame) is about as big a letdown as watching the Star Wars Prequels. Don’t believe your own hype if you can’t back it up against Stanford, Arizona, Oregon, and UCLA.

Matt Barkley regrets not going to the NFL
Barkley will probably not win the Heisman. Barkley will not win a BCS Championship. Barkley will finish the season with an injury. Barkley has potentially lowered his stock in the NFL draft. Barkley should have cashed out while he was still ahead.

Stick a sword in it, UCLA
UCLA needs to take the sword, err, stick, out of their, um… Let’s just say UCLA needs to relax. What makes this game (and the rivalry as a whole) so much fun is that this is essentially a home game for both teams. So why is UCLA making a big deal out of the Trojan mascot trusting a sword into the ground at mid-field during half-time? Where’s Traveler, USC’s white horse that parades around the field after every touchdown? Home field traditions should be encouraged, not outlawed. Get with it guys.

USC needs a lesson in creativity
Last week we reported USC’s version of a prank—spray painting two penises and an “S” over the UCLA entrance—versus UCLA’s orchestrated light show along the entire wall of a multistory building (you can read about it here). If the prank war was any indicator of how the game would play out, USC was doomed before they even hit the field.

-Carlos Delgado, CBS Radio