Two weeks zipped by like a flash, especially with exams breathing down everyone's neck.
For the Bruins athletes, this was pure torture. They'd rather grind it out for eight hours on the field than spend even one hour wrestling with textbooks in the library. But, no dice. They only got two hours of training each day; the rest of the time, they had to hit the books and play the student game seriously.
When exam week finally wrapped up, the whole campus let out a massive sigh of relief. Students were cheering and going wild. It wasn't just 'cause Christmas was around the corner, bringing a sweet holiday break; it was also 'cause the Rose Bowl was just two weeks away. For any UCLA student, this was the highlight of the year since the Rose Bowl was their home turf.
Traditionally, the Rose Bowl goes down on January 1st. If that day’s a Sunday, they push it to Monday, January 2nd, to dodge any church service conflicts.
Three days ago, the event committee dropped the bomb on this year's two teams. By the rules, one team comes from the Pac-12 Conference and the other from the Big Ten Conference. They don’t have to be the champs, just the ones with the best performance, achievements, and toughest schedules. Then, they send out the invites.
In the end, repping the Pac-12 were the UCLA Bruins, and from the Big Ten, the Wisconsin Badgers.
This was the Bruins' first Rose Bowl in eleven years and the Badgers' first in ten. Both teams were making a comeback, and the hype was real.
Fun fact: On January 1, 1999, the Rose Bowl also had the Bruins and the Badgers. Back then, the Badgers were on fire, making back-to-back appearances in '99 and 2000, and winning both times. In '99, they beat the same team they’re facing this year, the Bruins.
For the Bruins, this game was huge. It wasn’t just their first Rose Bowl in the 21st century; it was a golden chance to beat their old rivals and snag the Rose Bowl! After taking down the Trojans, were the Badgers next? Bruins fans were pumped and confident.
Once exams were over, the whole campus flipped into holiday mode. Everyone was stoked for Christmas, but even more so for the epic Rose Bowl showdown!
The Bruins kicked it into high gear, prepping like their lives depended on it. Every player, from the greenest freshman to the seasoned seniors, was all in. The Rose Bowl was their big stage, like the Super Bowl for the NCAA, at least for the Pac-12!
Top scouts from all over North America would be there. It wasn’t just a shot for this year’s draft hopefuls; it was a rare chance for the underclassmen to show off their skills. For those who wouldn’t make it to the pros, the Rose Bowl was their grand finale, making it even more special.
So, every team member went all out, crushing each day’s training with crazy enthusiasm! Luke was right there with them.
Another crack-of-dawn start, another 33,000-foot run, same route, but this time, something was different.
Mid-run, Luke suddenly kicked it up a notch, sprinting full throttle for a short 330 feet. This wasn’t just 330 feet out of 33,000; it was a pure sprint, like a race, pushing his muscles and lungs to the edge. After the sprint, he couldn’t just stop; he had to keep jogging, a real jog. The energy drain was off the charts.
Even though Luke had nailed his daily training over the past two weeks, it was clear his body wasn’t fully on board with this variable-speed running. He needed more training and more grit.
After wrapping up the 33,000 feet, Luke was gasping for air, slowing down, catching his breath, and strolling towards the locker room. The yoga he’d been doing for the past two weeks definitely helped with his breathing and rhythm, but it wasn’t a magic fix. He needed more time to get it right.
Walking down the indoor corridor, Luke felt the muscle soreness easing up. Big improvement from two weeks ago. He still remembered his first try; his knees were shaking like he’d run 165,000 feet instead of 33,000.
It was already 7:15, and the players were rolling into the training field. As they passed by, they all gave Luke a nod or a wave, their faces lit up with smiles, pumped for the new day’s training. The Rose Bowl hype was in the air, touching every part of their lives.
At the end of the players' tunnel, after a quick turn, you’d hit the treatment room, gym, showers, tactical meeting room, and all that jazz. Then came the coaches' offices, ice bath room, examination room, and so on. Right now, a big crowd was buzzing outside the coaches' office, chatting excitedly like spring had come early.
But not everyone was feeling the good vibes. A small group looked like they’d just lost their best friend—serious faces, furrowed brows, the whole nine yards. Some familiar faces were in the mix: Marcus kept shaking his head like he was trying to solve a riddle; John had his hands on his hips, sighing like he had a lot to say but couldn’t get it out; and Logan, with his fiery temper, was muttering, "This is wrong, this is wrong, Jesus Christ, how is this possible? This is ridiculous!"
"Bambi!" John spotted Luke and called out, looking like he’d seen a ghost.
Everyone turned to stare at Luke, eyes wide. Logan rushed over, "Bambi, did you... did you finish your 33,000 feet today? Faster than yesterday again, huh? Looks like your training’s paying off."
Luke chuckled, "What’s up with you guys? Why do you look like you’ve seen an alien?" He patted Logan’s chest, "I don’t mind if you become my coach and time me every day, so my watch can retire."
Seven had been keeping track of Luke’s 33,000-foot run times every day. If Luke wanted, he could check the records to see if his training was working.
It was meant as a joke, but Logan didn’t laugh. He just forced a smile. Luke raised an eyebrow, "What’s up with you guys?" But he didn’t think much of it and walked past them, stopping at the office door to check out the list posted there.
It was the player list, including the starting lineup and the subs.
With only a week left until the Rose Bowl, the coaches had to announce the starting lineup and get the main players into tactical drills and targeted training.
Their opponent, the Wisconsin Badgers, was no joke. They had a ten-win, two-loss record in the Big Ten, finishing second. They were one of the most offensively powerful teams this year, averaging 43 points per game, with three games scoring over 70 points!
Of course, their defense was one of the worst in the conference. They were like a luxury battleship that relied on offense to win, making it a tough job for the Bruins' defense.
Standing in front of the list, Luke searched for his name in alphabetical order. The list of surnames starting with "L" was pretty short. As he scanned through, he didn’t see his name, which made him pause and look again. Still nothing.
His eyes moved from the starting list to the subs, and he quickly found his name, "Luke Howard, Quarterback," in the same spot as the past five months, unchanged.
Luke had a moment of stunned disbelief. He genuinely thought his performance in the last game of the season had proven himself, enough to make him the starting quarterback for the Rose Bowl. But nope, he was disappointed. The starting quarterback was still Kevin Prince, and he and Darius Bell were still the backup quarterbacks.
A wave of disappointment hit Luke hard, making him feel like he was sinking. The sudden feeling of suffocation made him a bit panicked.
"Sorry, man." John’s voice sounded in his ear, full of regret. He raised his right hand, hesitated, and finally placed it on Luke’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
They all knew.
Luke didn’t respond, just stood there, staring blankly at the list, feeling a mix of emotions that were hard to describe. The complex taste on his tongue was almost indistinguishable, and his chest felt empty and hollow.
Turning around, Luke saw his teammates. Marcus stepped forward, trying to offer some comfort but didn’t know what to say, mumbling a vague "Sorry"; Logan hung his head low, kicking the corner of the wall in frustration, saying nothing; other teammates also cast their gazes, filled with pity, sympathy, disappointment, anger, and regret.
Luke forced a smile, though it was bitter, "I’m going to do some basic training. Anyone want to join me?" With that, he didn’t pause and quickly left the vicinity of the coaches' office.
Watching Luke’s departing figure, Logan kept shaking his head, "This is unfair! This is unfair!" No one responded, only a sighing silence answered.