Have you circled your calendar yet?

Coaches tend to avoid looking ahead, preferring to focus on their immediate challenges. Sports writers, on the other hand, are already circling Nov. 15 on their calendar.

That Saturday, the Bruins will storm into Washington in a game unlikely to mean much  when it comes to conference titles and bowl games. The bigger storyline will revolve around Rick Neuheisel's return to a school that harbors bad feelings about his tenure there.

Asked if the UCLA game will be as interesting as Notre Dame's visit to Washington, Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel figured the Irish hatred of Husky coach Tyrone Willingham would be more compelling. But ESPN's Ted Miller has another train of thought:

Now when Neuheisel comes to town. Golly.

It will be a Hate-a-palooza.

Notre Dame fans are defensive about Willingham. They blame him for the sorry state of their program. But their feelings fall short of hate.

A majority of Huskies fans simply hate Neuheisel. They blame him for everything bad that's happened to their once-elite program. They don't just see him as a bad coach and an overrated recruiter. They think he's a dishonest slickster con man who was always looking for his next big gig. And they quickly muster further ill will for folks who try to defend him (who me?).

Unless Jake Locker really is the Tim Tebow of the West, this game should be one of the most manageable for UCLA in 2008. Despite playing all three out-of-conference games at home, Washington will be punished by a schedule featuring Oklahoma, BYU and Notre Dame. Immediately before the UCLA game, the Huskies will face potential blowout losses to USC and Arizona State. Morale could reach epic depths.

The real storyline of this game should probably be about two coaches headed in opposite directions. Willingham has had an up-and-down career, but his 11-25 record with Washington is unlikely to improve this season. Assuming he makes it to Nov. 15, will he last another month?

Neuheisel, on the other hand, should be starting to pick up steam on the recruiting front. That's important because the measure of a successful first year probably won't hinge on the Bruin's win-loss record. UCLA fans understand that he's working with an injury-riddled quarterback group that's behind a frighteningly thin offensive line. Neuheisel will get plenty of slack, and his enthusiasm will keep everybody dreaming about finishing the year with a shocking, season-validating upset against Arizona State or USC.

There's the key difference between a coach on the up and a coach on the out: Neuheisel is giving Bruin fans something to look forward to.