Two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye, especially during exam season.
For the Bruins' athletes, this was an undoubtedly agonizing and painful time. They would rather spend eight hours training tirelessly on the field than spend one hour sitting in the library fighting with their textbooks. Unfortunately, they had no choice. The team's daily practice only lasted for two hours, and for the rest of the time, they had to go back to being students and seriously devote themselves to their studies.
The moment exam week ended, every student on campus let out a huge sigh of relief, cheering wildly and celebrating madly. Not only because Christmas was coming and they would have a much-needed break, but also because the Rose Bowl was going to be held in two weeks. This was a yearly celebration for every UCLA student because the event was held at the Rose Bowl stadium, which was their home field.
Traditionally, the Rose Bowl was held on January 1st every year. If that day happened to be a Sunday, the game would be postponed to Monday, January 2nd—mainly to avoid conflicting with Sunday church services.
Three days ago, the event committee officially announced the two teams for this year. According to the rules, the opposing teams were chosen by the Pac-12 Conference and the Big Ten Conference. It wasn't necessarily the champions, but rather teams that were invited based on their performance, record, and strength of schedule.
Ultimately, the UCLA Bruins were chosen to represent the Pac-12 Conference, and the University of Wisconsin Badgers were chosen to represent the Big Ten Conference.
This would be the Bruins' first appearance in the Rose Bowl in eleven years. It would also be the Badgers' first appearance in the Rose Bowl in ten years. Both teams were returning to the stage after many years, and there was a lot of anticipation.
It's worth noting that on January 1st, 1999, the two teams in the Rose Bowl were the Bruins and the Badgers. At that time, the Badgers were on a roll, making it to the Rose Bowl for two consecutive years in 1999 and 2000 and winning both times. In 1999, they beat the same team they would be facing again this year, the Bruins.
For the Bruins, this game was naturally very meaningful. It was not only their first time returning to the Rose Bowl in the 21st century, but it was also a perfect opportunity to beat their old rival and win the Rose Bowl again! After the Trojans, was it now the Badgers' turn? The Bruins' supporters were now brimming with confidence.
After exam week ended, the entire campus went into holiday celebration mode. Everyone was eagerly anticipating Christmas, and, more importantly, the Rose Bowl showdown!
The Bruins, on the other hand, entered an intense preparation phase. Every player was full of energy and eagerness. From freshmen to seniors, without exception, the Rose Bowl was their ultimate stage. It was the equivalent of the Super Bowl for the NCAA—at least for the Pac-12 Conference!
At the Rose Bowl, top scouts from all over North America would be there in person. This wasn't just a great stage for rookies who were hoping to get drafted this year, but also for freshmen and sophomores to showcase their skills. For players who would not make it to the professional league, the Rose Bowl would be the perfect stage to say goodbye to their careers.
So, every player was giving it their all, meticulously completing every day's training with unprecedented enthusiasm! Lu Ke was no exception.
It was another early morning, another 10,000-meter run, and the same route, but this time, there was something different.
During his steady run, Lu Ke suddenly sped up, strongly sprinting for a hundred meters. This wasn't just a hundred meters in a 10,000-meter run, but a full-on hundred-meter dash. The state of his muscles and the rhythm of his breathing were a challenge to his body. After finishing the hundred meters, he couldn't stop but had to go back to a steady, slow jog—a real slow jog. This kind of running consumed a lot more energy than he had imagined.
Even though Lu Ke had successfully completed his daily training for the past two weeks, his body still hadn't fully adapted to the heavy burden of variable-speed running. He needed more training and more persistence.
After finishing the 10,000 meters, Lu Ke was breathing heavily. He slowed down, adjusted his breathing, and slowly walked toward the locker room. But he was sure that the yoga practice he had been doing for the past two weeks was helping with his breathing and rhythm. The effect was still limited, and it needed more time to settle.
As he walked through the indoor hallway, Lu Ke walked steadily. The soreness in his muscles was slowly recovering. This was a big improvement from two weeks ago. He still remembered that on the first day he tried it, his knees were constantly shaking. It felt less like he had completed a 10,000-meter run and more like a 50,000-meter run.
It was already 7:15, and players were arriving at the training field one after another. As they passed Lu Ke, they greeted him. Everyone's face was filled with a bright smile, looking forward to the new day's training. It was clear that the Rose Bowl was having an impact on every moment of their lives.
At the end of the players' hallway, after turning a corner, you could see various spaces like the treatment room, weight room, showers, and tactics meeting room, followed by the coaches' offices, ice bath room, and examination room. At this moment, a large group of people was gathered at the door of the coaches' office, chatting noisily. They were all excited and eager, and the lively atmosphere was as if spring had arrived three or four months early.
But among them, a small group of people looked serious and frustrated. Several of them were familiar faces. Marcus was constantly shaking his head, his expression difficult to read. John had his hands on his hips, sighing, as if he had something to say but couldn't express it. Logan, who had a fiery temper, was shaking his head and muttering, "This isn't right, this isn't right... Jesus Christ, how is this possible? This is absurd?"
"Bambi!" John saw Lu Ke and called out, his expression freezing as if he had seen a ghost.
Immediately, everyone turned their heads and stared at Lu Ke. Logan rushed over and said frantically, "Bambi, you... you finished your 10,000-meter run today? It was a little faster than yesterday. Your training seems to be paying off."
Lu Ke chuckled. "What's wrong with you guys? Why do you look like you've seen an alien?" He patted Logan on the chest. "I don't mind you being my coach and timing me every day. That way, my watch can retire."
Little Seven recorded his 10,000-meter run results every day. If Lu Ke wanted, he could pull up the records and check if his training was effective.
This was a joke, but Logan didn't laugh today. He just gave a forced smile. Lu Ke raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you guys?" But he didn't think too much about it. He walked past them and stopped at the door of the office, looking at the roster posted on the door.
This was the player roster, including the starting lineup and the backup lineup.
With only a week left until the Rose Bowl game, the coaching staff had to announce the starting lineup and arrange for the starters to begin more detailed tactical training and specific drills.
Their opponent this time, the Wisconsin Badgers, was not to be underestimated. They had a record of 10 wins and 2 losses in the Big Ten Conference and were ranked second at the end of the season. They were one of the most offensively powerful teams this year, averaging 43 points per game and scoring over 70 points in three games!
Of course, they were also one of the worst teams in the league in terms of points allowed. It could be said that they were a luxury battleship that won games with their offense, and it was a tough task for the Bruins' defense.
Standing in front of the roster, Lu Ke still looked for his name in alphabetical order. The list of last names starting with "L" was very limited. As he looked down the list, Lu Ke didn't see his name. He was stunned and instinctively looked again, but it still wasn't there.
He moved his eyes away from the starting lineup and skillfully looked for his name in the backup lineup. Then he successfully found his name: "Lu, Ke, Quarterback." The same position as the past five months, without any change.
For a moment, Lu Ke was dazed. He truly believed that his performance in the last game of the season had proven himself, and that was enough for him to be the starter for the Rose Bowl game. But unfortunately, he was disappointed. The starting quarterback was still Kevin Prince, and he and Darius Bell were still the backup quarterbacks.
The instant feeling of loss pulled at his ankles, dragging him down hard. The sudden feeling of suffocation made him a little panicked.
"I'm sorry, buddy," John's voice sounded in his ear, full of regret and sadness. He raised his right hand, hesitated for a moment, and then put it on Lu Ke's shoulder. It was a light squeeze, but it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
They all knew.
Lu Ke didn't respond. He just stood there, staring blankly at the roster. He was a mix of emotions, and he couldn't describe it. The complicated taste on his tongue was almost impossible to distinguish, and his chest felt empty and lost.
Turning around, Lu Ke saw his teammates who had been fighting alongside him. Marcus walked forward, trying to offer some comfort, but he didn't know what to say. He just mumbled a vague "I'm sorry." Logan hung his head low, kicking the corner of the wall in frustration, not saying a word. The other teammates also looked at him, with pity, sympathy, disappointment, anger, and regret.
Lu Ke forced a small smile. "I'm going to do my basic training now. Does anyone want to join me?" After he said that, he didn't stop, and he quickly walked away from the area around the coaches' office.
Watching Lu Ke's back as he left, Logan kept shaking his head. "This isn't fair! This isn't fair!" No one responded. The only answer was a sad silence.
(End of chapter)
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