UCLA vs. Stanford, Pac-12 Championship Game: Bruins try to process tough loss

The UCLA Bruins missed a trip to the 2013 Rose Bowl by just three points, losing 27-24 to the Stanford Cardinal when Ka'Imi Fairbairn's 51-yard field goal attempt went wide. It was a heart-breaking loss for Bruins fans, and over at SB Nation's UCLA blog, Bruins Nation, they try to make some sense of the loss.

While the folks at Bruins Nation take a positive overall view of UCLA's season, they draw a simple conclusion from the game: UCLA should have won.

There is no doubt - right now Stanford is the better football program in the Pac-12. They have more experienced, polished and more talented players in the offensive front-line that can control a game. The Trees probably beat the Bruins 6 out of 10 times. That said I strongly believe the Bruins should have won the game last night.

The offensive game play for UCLA was solid, and Johnathan Franklin was able to make the most of holes opened up by the offensive line. He rushed for 194 yards, his third-highest total of the season. The Bruin offense sputtered on the final drive, leaving Fairbairn to make his first field goal attempt of the season of more than 50 yards. That's a coaching decision Bruins Nation calls into question, one of a few last-second decisions by Jim Mora they examine. The full post has that and more, so don't miss it.