Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

This week we hit up the West Coast as we examine the two hottest schools in Los Angeles- the University of Southern California and the University of California- Los Angeles. Amidst the beautiful SoCal climate and a city rife with movie sets and superstars, private USC and public UCLA compete to find out which is most elite in the City of Angels.

1. Superior Sport

USC – The Trojans are known as “the football school” and have been awarded the NCAA national title in football eleven times, including back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004.  They are perennially ranked in the Top 10 football programs in the BCS by ESPN, USA Today, and other publications. And Trojans have taken home the Heisman Trophy seven times.
UCLA - Meanwhile, the Bruins are known as powerhouses in basketball–also earning eleven NCAA titles. Seven of these championships were won consecutively, from 1967-1973.  UCLA is also the all-time leader in total NCAA national titles across all sports.

Meanwhile, the Lexus Gauntlet is an annual all-sports competition between the two schools sponsored by Lexus. Points are awarded for every victory (particularly in head-to-head match ups)  in NCAA-sanctioned competitions, with the school with the most points declared as the winner. (There is also a separate Lexus Gauntlet awarded to the winner of the Stanford-Berkeley rivalry.)  In the eight years of Lexus Gauntlet tradition, USC has walked away with five titles.

Three credits to: TIE.  The two schools pulled a draw in NCAA titles in their respective predominant sport.  On the one hand, the Lexus Gauntlet record gives the Trojans the edge, but UCLA also has the most NCAA titles of any school. Too close to call!! Read More »

We’re back with another edition of G.W.W.E. (Guys We Wanna Eff), and no, that’s not a typo! This week, we have a very special treat in store–instead of featuring one luscious lad, we have decided to salute ten of Hollywood’s hottest vets in honor of Memorial Day. Some battled enemies on the war front, others on screen, but all of these studs are on our short list for a pleasure-filled patriotic eff. After all, what’s hotter than a man in uniform? Read More »

It seems that you can’t make your way through Hollywood without tripping over a Coppola. Though their names are generally disguised , and it is often hard to see the resemblance. The more Francis Ford relatives are spawned, the more careers seem to be thriving. Nicholas Cage boldly dropped his prestigious last name in anticipation of an independent persona, Jason Schwartzman is a Coppola cousin, also related to actress Talia Shire, and actor/director Roman.

But we mustn’t forget the prodigal daughter Sofia. You must forgive my bias opinion when discussing the topic of this Oscar winning writer/director. Visually, I find her films stunning, yet there is a drawback to creating a series of pretty pictures; when they begin to move they just don’t make sense.

Of course, deriving from one of the greatest filmmakers in recent history provides every technical advantage you could imagine, as well as more immediate funding for films that would otherwise be tossed aside. With such a shortage of truly gifted female directors, I find her hipster acclaimed montages scored by post punk and emo ballads to be sort of pointless all together.

Yes, my distaste for Lost In Translation has stirred quite a few vicious arguments among self proclaimed film buffs. But in all honesty, watching Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray discuss a shirt for twenty five minutes in a series of long drawn out shots and very little dialogue made me, by the end of the movie, consider the outcome of the Virgin Suicides as a viable option. Read More »