UCLA Football win projections in the Big Ten in their first season

College Football News predictions for UCLA

They predict that UCLA will defeat Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Rutgers, Nebraska, Iowa, and Fresno State. CFN predicts that the Bruins will lose to LSU, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, and USC.

CBS Sports predictions for UCLA

CBS Sports predicts that the Bruins will be victorious over Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, and Fresno State. They also predict that UCLA will be defeated by LSU, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Washington, and USC.

247 predictions for UCLA

They predict that UCLA will defeat Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, and Fresno State. 247 Sports predicts that the Bruins will lose to LSU, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Iowa, Washington, and USC.

Some publications also have where UCLA football is projected to finish in the Big Ten standings.

Predicting the exact number of wins for UCLA in the 2024 season is difficult and here's why.

• New Conference: This is UCLA's first year in the Big Ten, so there's no past performance data against most of the teams in the Big Ten for example. Also, how traveling far distances for away games affect UCLA this season is anyone's guess.
• New Coaching Staff: Head Coach DeShaun Foster and his offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy are new, so their impact on the team's performance is uncertain with the departure of Chip Kelly and most of his staff.
• Player Development: Injuries, player development, and overall team chemistry can all significantly impact wins.

• Strength of Schedule: UCLA faces a challenging schedule, including road games at LSU, Penn State, and Washington. These are all traditionally strong programs and winning on the road this season will be difficult for the Bruins.
• Returning Players: The experience level of returning players is crucial. If UCLA had a strong core returnig especially on defese, they might have been picked to surprise many in the Big Ten this season.
• Coaching Experience: While the coaching staff is new to UCLA, their individual experience can make a difference, espcially with Bieniemy bring a ton of experience leading offenses in the NFL.

Overall, analysts are cautiously optimistic about UCLA. Early preseason polls predicted on average winning season, but somewhere between 6-8 wins seems like a reasonable prediction for the upcoming season.