UCLA Football: 10 bold predictions for the 2018 season

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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: A general view of the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Georgia Bulldogs at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

9. UCLA will get to a New Year’s Day bowl

Here we go with another huge bold prediction. UCLA will play in a New Year’s Day bowl.

I’ve already predicted that UCLA will win the South Division. This is because by the end of 2018, the Bruins should be running on all cylinders in Chip Kelly’s system. That will help push them towards postseason success.

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Let’s start with the first step in this process. If UCLA wins the division, they take on the North Division winner, which could be Washington or Stanford. Having played the Caridnal and Huskies once already during the 2018 season, Kelly will know what to expect from either them. If he does not beat either, he should put on a very solid showing which will impress the College Football Playoff committee. And because of that UCLA will get the nod for one of the New Year’s Day bowl games.

Preferably, it would be nice for UCLA to get back to the Rose Bowl but the Fiesta Bowl will also do.

Once again, remember these are just predictions, bold ones at that. I would like to say that UCLA could win the national championship, but I’m trying to base these predictions in some sort of reality.

With that being said and keeping in mind Kelly’s track record of improving football teams, from what we’ve seen in spring, the Bruins look to have a very competitive squad next season and as I stated before, unlike the Jim Mora era, there will probably be a few games that the Bruins win which they probably shouldn’t.

That is what Kelly brings to the Bruins.