UCLA Football: Bruins Make the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll
The UCLA Football team just made the cut for the Football Writers Association of America and the National Football Foundation FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll.
The UCLA Football team is expected to make major improvements after going 8-5 last season, which has garnered the attention of college football critics across the land.
Related Story: UCLA Football: Pedicting Noel Mazzone
After being selected 16th in the preseason AP Poll, the Bruins occupied the same spot in the 2016 FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll.
Here is the poll in its entirety (first-place votes in parenthesis):
UCLA Bruins
1. Alabama, 657 points (26)
2. Clemson, 628 (9)
3. Oklahoma, 543
4. Florida State, 542 (4)
5. LSU, 510 (3)
6. Ohio State, 468
7. Michigan, 404 (1)
8. Stanford, 343
9. Tennessee, 330
10. Notre Dame, 305
11. TCU, 172
12. Ole Miss, 171
13. Michigan State, 168
14. Houston, 160
15. Washington, 111
16. UCLA, 73
Others receiving votes: Iowa (67), Georgia (47), Oklanhoma State (22), Oregon (21), Baylor (18), USC (16), Louisville (16), Wisconsin (11), Miami, FL (9), Texas A&M (9), North Carolina (7), Florida (6), Texas (5), Arkansas (4), Auburn (4),, Boise State (1)
This ranking seems to be a fair assessment of how the Bruins will do in 2016. Despite only winning 8 games in 2015 after winning at least 9 games in the previous three seasons, the Bruins under Head Coach Jim Mora have made adjustments in the offseason to help them evolve and navigate through a tough 2016 schedule.
On offense, UCLA has adopted a few power schemes to go along with with their spread offense. On defense they are trying to stop the run by implementing a 4-3 formations as opposed to a 3-4/nickel formation (though expect some nickel this season).
Next: UCLA Football Will Have A Lot of True Freshmen Play This Season
Behind second year QB Josh Rosen and junior DT Eddie Vanderdoes, both the offense and defense will try to lead their squads to success in the Pac-12 and this year could be the season they do it, especially since UCLA was picked to win the South Division. Go Bruins!