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UCLA Football: Athlon picks the Bruins to finish high in the South Division

By Mike Regalado

BERKELEY, CA - OCTOBER 13: Dorian Thompson-Robinson #7 congratulates Joshua Kelley #27 of the UCLA Bruins after he ran in for a touchdown against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
BERKELEY, CA - OCTOBER 13: Dorian Thompson-Robinson #7 congratulates Joshua Kelley #27 of the UCLA Bruins after he ran in for a touchdown against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Athlon, the college sports magazine, has come out with their off-season Pac-12 predictions and give the UCLA football team a favorable shot in the South.

No one knows exactly what the UCLA football team will do in Year 2 of the Chip Kelly era, but it is fun to predict the outcome. That is the trouble college football analysts are having this offseason as they try to project what the Bruins will do in 2019.

RELATED: Go Joe Bruin Predicts the Pac-12 Standings

Granted, a 3-9 record does not give the casual observer much to go on, but for those that have taken a deeper dive into the inner workings of this Bruins program know that improvements have been made.

That is what Athlon is predicting as they have UCLA finishing second in the Pac-12 South Division.

Athlon’s 2019 South Division Predictions and Records

  1. Utah: 10-3, 7-2
  2. UCLA: 7-6, 6-3
  3. USC: 6-6, 4-5
  4. Arizona State: 6-6, 4-5
  5. Arizona: 6-6, 3-6
  6. Colorado: 4-8, 2-7

A four-game improvement and second in the South Division definitely signals a change for the positive for the Bruins. Author Steven Lassen states that there is not a lot that separates UCLA, USC, ASU, and Arizona, but sites the improvements that were made in the second half of 2018 and the players they return will contribute to their rise.

"Coach Chip Kelly’s team should get some improvement from a defense that returns nine starters, and the offense can lean on running back Joshua Kelley until quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson settles into the full-time job."

The defense got worse over the course of 2018 (ever so slightly), but that should change in 2019 as the Bruins will have several players returning from injury and the roster will be replenished with the addition of true freshmen and transfers.

The offense got better over the course of the season and should continue to bloom as they have a year under their belt (so they know what to expect from Kelley), the O-line will improve, and both DTR and Joshua Kelley will march this team down the field throughout the season. Add in improvements from special teams (fingers crossed) and this will be a much more stout football program.

Additionally, Ahtlon has predicted that the Bruins will have the 5th best running back unit in the conference and the 6th best defensive back group.

Next. UCLA Football: 2019 Post-Spring Game Projected Depth Chart. dark

As far as the North Division, Athlon’s predicted order of finish is as follows: 1. Washington, 2. Oregon, 3. Washington State, 4. Stanford, 5. Cal, 6. Oregon State. They also predict UW taking the Pac-12 title over Utah.