It's hard to guess what will happen in college football this far in advance because players might be better or worse than expected, get hurt, or teams might change in ways that aren't expected during preseason camp. However, based on early looks at the 2025 UCLA schedule and the overall strength of the program, here are five teams that UCLA football is most likely to beat, along with the reasons why.
New Mexico (Home): Most people think this is the weakest team UCLA will play this year. New Mexico is usually a Group of Five team that has a hard time against Power Four teams. UCLA has an even bigger edge because they play them at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins should win this game easily, and it will probably be their easiest non-conference game this season.
Northwestern (Away): This is a road game in the Big Ten, but Northwestern is mostly in a rebuilding phase. They've had some bad seasons of late, with few exceptions, but their roster depth and talent level are predicted to be lower than those of most Big Ten teams this season. UCLA should be able to win if they don't turn the ball over and don't start too slowly in a road game that could be a trap game.
Nebraska (Home): The Cornhuskers were competitive at times last season, winning seven, but they struggled to be consistent in the rugged Big Ten these past couple of seasons. UCLA should have an advantage because of their talent and coaching under DeShaun Foster in year two, and having defeated them last year on the road. It can be hard to contain the Cornhuskers' offense, but UCLA might be able to take advantage of Nebraska's problems on defense against tough teams.
Maryland (Home): Maryland can be a tough opponent because they are projected to score points, but they have struggled with consistency on defense, especially against more physical teams. UCLA has an advantage because they are playing at home in the Rose Bowl against a team that has to travel a long way across the country. UCLA can win this game if it plays to its full potential.
UNLV (Away): This is an interesting road game that isn't part of a conference. UNLV has gotten better and can be a tough opponent, especially at home, but UCLA should win because they have more talent overall. The Bruins don't have to travel very far, which makes being on the road less of a problem. UCLA should win the game early in the season, but it could be a test.
Things that were taken into account for these predictions were as follows.
Home-field advantage for UCLA gets a big boost from playing at the Rose Bowl and being on the West Coast, when the vast majority of Big Ten opponents do not reside on the West Coast. Opponents who have to travel a long way, especially early in the season, can be a factor that could help UCLA get some wins this season. Opponents' program stability/outlook plays a factor in looking at how well the other programs have been doing lately in terms of performance, coaching, and recruiting.
It's important to say again that college football is unpredictable, and these are based on what we know right now. Depending on how the off-season and early parts of the 2025 season go, any of these games could get harder or easier.