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Part of Rick Neuheisel’s appeal to UCLA when they hired him to coach their football team- aside from seeming to be one of the only people around who actually wanted the job- is that his confidence and accessible personality make him well suited to operate in a town where Pete Carroll walks on water. That’s a big plus in a local college pigskin rivalry in which the appearance of progress is nearly as important as progress itself.In other words, PR matters. Just ask Karl Dorrell. If Neuheisel’s hiring was a message that the Bruins would no longer allow themselves to play CW to USC’s ABC, news that Neuheisel snagged former Trojans offensive guru Norm Chow off the unemployment lines to reinvigorate the flagging O he inherited shows the Bruins aren’t simply content to knock on USC’s door. They’re looking to walk in, check the fridge, then kick back in the living room to watch some TV.

Chow, architect of the incredibly potent USC attack that made stars ouf of Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett, Reggie Bush, and LenDale White, should be able to improve UCLA’s offense relatively quickly, creatively devising ways to maximize the talent on hand and attracting more (especially quarterbacks) down the line. But even if UCLA’s offense never gets any better than it would have with Neuheisel running it himself, Westwood has seriously altered the local football landscape. First, they bring in a high profile coordinator to a school that historically hasn’t been able to do it (in large part because his UCLA salary is being supplemented by the one he had with Tennessee). Second, and more importantly, it’s a big ol’ ‘eff you to USC, as, despite public niceties, Chow and Carroll aren’t exactly BFFs these days. Still, when Chow was let go by Tennessee Titans, there was hope (however faint) among the Trojans faithful still unable to go all in with Steve Sarkisian that maybe Chow would return to Troy. Instead, they go the Doomsday Scenario. About the only thing that would make this worse for Trojans fans would be if Chow rode to Westwood every morning atop Traveler. It’s not Kobe signing with the Clippers, but in the LA CFB universe, it’s at least in the ballpark. Even including last year’s upset, UCLA has had precious little to brag about over the last decade or so in the Big Rivalry. Coming on the back of the Neuheisel hire and the retention of Dewayne Walker, Chow’s arrival couldn’t have Bruins boosters more euphoric if they were popping ecstasy like Tic-Tacs. This is better than stealing a recruit.More like stealing a girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend, at least. Brian Kamenetzky hosts the Lakers Blog and Blue Notes: A Dodgers Blog for the LA Times.com. He’s a contributing writer to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, and can be heard regularly on the Steve Mason Show, on 710 ESPN radio in LA. Write him at bk@sportshubla.com.

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