UCLA Included in Week 1 College Football 'Bottom 10'

The Bruins were listed among some of the worst Week 1 teams in college football by ESPN.

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) runs the ball as offensive lineman Sam Yoon (64) provides coverage against Utah Utes linebacker Lander Barton (8) during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

A tradition unlike any other, ESPN's weekly college football "Bottom 10" highlights the programs that are in the worst positions in the sport. Alas, UCLA made its grand entrance after Week 1.

Following a brutal 43-10 loss to Utah to open the season after an offseason overcome with hype and momentum, the Bruins' trajectory for the season is looking grim, which is why ESPN Senior Writer Ryan McGee placed them at No. 4 in his bottom 10 after Week 1, labeling them as the "UCLA Boo'ins."

What McGee said:

"The bad news? UCLA and its new former Vols QB lost to former Pac-12 foes Utah 43-10. The good news? Their TV ratings in Tennessee were the highest for a SoCal team since Lane Kiffin's first game at USC. Sources tell Bottom 10 JortsCenter that Knoxville Walmarts sold out of Windex because of, quote, 'All of the nacho cheese and Jack Daniel's thrown at TVs when UCLA had the ball.'"

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster watches game action against the Utah Utes during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Bruins were in company of historically bad Power Four programs, such as UMass, Kent State and Sam Houston, to name a few. Luckily, UCLA was joined on the list by some more notable programs like Alabama and North Carolina.

Needless to say, the Bruins need to change their trajectory fast. And what better way than by handling business in the next three games before taking on Penn State in Week 6?

Can UCLA Recoup With 3-Straight Wins?

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) following the loss against the Utah Utes during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Perhaps optimists were overrating UCLA. Maybe DeShaun Foster and his coaching staff pulled off one of the best marketing summers in college football. Or Utah is just that good a team. Whatever you want to rest your laurels on, it's evident that these Bruins didn't meet the levels of hype they created in the offseason.

“We just played a good team. That was it," Foster said after the game. "We played a good team that came out and played their style of play. I won’t take anything away from them. They were able to execute and do what they wanted to do out there on the field. We’ve just got to come back in, regroup and really just grade yourself and be hard on yourself. This isn’t going to be easy. You can’t just go in there and point the finger at other people. You’ve got to see ‘What did I do to help this team?’”

If there's one thing we learned from Foster and his Bruins last season, it's that they won't just give up when things go south. In his first season last year, Foster led UCLA to a Week 1 win, and then wound up losing his next five games. Did they just give up? No. In fact, he never lost the locker room, and the Bruins finished the season winning four of their last six games.

UCLA's next three games presents the best opportunity to do just that -- bounce back. The Bruins enter as favorites in Week 2 against UNLV (2-0), despite the shellacking they endured on Saturday.

Following the matchup with Dan Mullen's Rebels, you have a favorable clash against New Mexico at home. Now, the Lobos did put up a fight against the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines, meaning this Week 3 matchup might not be as easy as we thought going into the season. Nonetheless, UCLA has the edge.

Oct 5, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Jalen Berger (0) runs with the ball before being blocked by Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tyler Elsdon (43) during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

And then, before taking on Penn State in Week 6, the Bruins open Big Ten conference play against Northwestern, a team they were projected to be better than entering the season.

This next three-game stretch is integral to how the season will unfold. Should UCLA win all three, this Week 1 blunder maybe be easier to look back on.

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