How High UCLA Can Climb After Week 1 Under Chesney

I’m not trying to get ahead of myself, but after the Bruins’ impressive Week One performance against Cal, I am starting to think my expectations for this team this season may have been too low.

Cal was a tough opponent to play on the road to open the season, and UCLA looked every bit up for the challenge. This UCLA rushing attack can be one of the best in the Big Ten and take the Bruins to places they never expected this offseason.

Looking at the Bruins' Future Schedule

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not only did the Bruins look better than I originally expected in Week 1, but other teams on UCLA’s schedule looked much more beatable than I originally thought.

For instance, Michigan escaped Western Michigan at home with a Hail Mary win in the final second of the game. Whichever way you decide to lean on the legitimacy of the win, the point is that they proved they are a beatable team.

UCL — Michigan wide receiver JJ Buchanan (6) catches a 47-yard touchdown on a Hail Mary against Western Michigan to win, 13-12, as time expires in the fourth quarter at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Another team on UCLA’s schedule is Oregon, which also escaped with a win at home. Boise State could be a real threat to make the College Football Playoff, but the Ducks didn’t look like the dominant team many originally thought.

Tough To Measure Legitimacy of Other Teams

Right now, it’s hard to judge how beatable these teams are because we don’t know how good or bad teams such as Boise State or Western Michigan are. When you revisit UCLA’s schedule, however, many of the teams on the list start looking much more winnable than we may have originally thought.

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s also tough to determine just how good UCLA is, though. The win over Cal was impressive, but with such a tiny sample size, we don’t even know how good Cal will be when this season is all said and done.

It’s still far too early in the season to start looking too far down the road, but I like the path that the Bruins have. While I won’t predict a win yet against the tougher teams on the schedule, Week One showed that a win may be a little more plausible than we had initially predicted.

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney (left) yells to running back Wayne Knight (3) before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bruins will need to just continue one game at a time, without getting too caught up in games down the line. The future is bright for the Bruins, and this season could end up being much better than we originally may have anticipated.

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