Living near the UCLA campus as I have for several years now, this day has often been a noisy one, but not for the reasons one might expect.

Odd as it may seem, many of my neighbors are loyal to crosstown rival USC. I've come to this conclusion not simply because of the few USC flags I've seen in front of homes, or on the balconies of apartments, but because, in the past several years, I have heard whoops and hollers beyond compare during the annual USC-UCLA football matchup. I'm talking about a cacophony of shouts and whistles that has erupted every time USC put points on the board.

But today was different.

I had my window open all day, but not a single sound of applause traveled through it.

The reason was likely as simple as 13-9.

I expect I'll hear from the UCLA faithful tonight, but, as I write this, it's still quiet in Westwood.* There must be some bad traffic between here and Pasadena.

Congratulations UCLA.

* CLARIFICATION: I don't live in Westwood Village, which was, as you'd expect, alive with celebration.