Looming Question for UCLA Football in Chesney's First Year

Fall camp is quickly approaching for UCLA football and new head coach Bob Chesney.

Throughout the offseason, new head coach Bob Chesney has completely rebuilt this Bruins roster. Bringing in 42 new players, along with 20 incoming freshmen, there are 62 new faces to the team to try to rebuild the program into a contender in the Big Ten.

Chesney was also able to keep players such as Nico Iamaleava, Eugene Brooks, and Scooter Jackson, as well as others, from last year's team, who were the bright spots from that abysmal season.

With all the new faces and excitement around the program, there is one question that the Bruins must answer this season: How will Bob Chesney adjust to the Big Ten?

Can Bob Chesney Handle the Big Ten?

Bob Chesney just finished up a two-year stint as the head coach of James Madison. In those two years, he did an amazing job, leading the Dukes to a 9-4 record in year one and a 12-2 record in year two with a Sun Belt Championship win and a College Football Playoff berth.

However, the Big Ten is a different animal compared to the Sun Belt Conference. The only other team to finish the year with 10 or more wins was Old Dominion, and because they were in the same division as the Dukes, James Madison faced off against Troy in the championship game, which was 8-6.

As for the Big Ten, the conference has produced three national champions over the last three years: Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana. Meanwhile, other teams—such as Oregon, Washington, Penn State, and even USC—are all talented enough to contend for the Big Ten title and a CFP spot.

Facing this tougher competition in the College Football Playoff, James Madison appeared overmatched against Oregon, falling behind 34-6 by halftime and ultimately losing 51-34.

Why Chesney Can Succeed With UCLA

James Madison does not and will never have the resources that UCLA will have in the Big Ten. UCLA has the NIL funding and alumni support to recruit top-tier talent through the portal or high school recruiting. Both seem evident, as the Bruins just had the 11th-ranked transfer portal class according to Rivals and the 17th-ranked 2027 high school recruiting class.

The Big Ten is also a very physical league, as the running game and trench play are essential to success. Chesney loves both, as he prioritized running back Wayne Knight as the focal point of the offense, as he was seventh in college football in rushing yards with 1,378 to go along with nine touchdowns. Chesney also developed a great offensive line that can both run block and pass block.

The Big Ten is arguably the toughest conference in the country, and there will be growing pains next year. If he can manage them and still produce on the field, there is no reason to think he can't be successful as the head coach.

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