These Two Games Will Tell Everything About UCLA Football Next Season

UCLA football begins a new era with Bob Chesney as head coach.

After taking James Madison to the program's first college football playoff berth, Chesney took the job in Westwood and looks to rebuild a program that has not achieved the success it once hoped for in recent seasons.

The first thing that Chesney needed to do, and did, was bring in players that fit his system. Chesney brought in 42 players through the transfer portal while losing only 26. His work in the transfer portal has the Bruins ranked ninth in the Rivals rankings.

Chesney has also decided to stick with Nico Iamaleava as the starting quarterback, rather than go to the portal to find someone else. Chesney keeping Iamaleava at UCLA shows that he believes Iamaleava can be a great quarterback for the Bruins next season and potentially the year after.

Now, next year will be a tough season for Bob Chesney's first season as the head coach. With a new head coach and a new system, it's worth looking at the two toughest teams that the Bruins will play next year, as they look to try to make it to a bowl game next season.

Week Six : At Oregon

The Bruins' first true road test will be against the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks are considered one of the top teams in the country next year as they return key players such as quarterback Dante Moore, who decided to return to school rather than enter the NFL draft, and edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, who could be a first-round draft pick in the 2027 NFL draft.

Last year, the Bruins didn't play the Ducks, and they are currently on a five-game losing streak against them, having not beaten them since 2017. With Oregon looked at as one of the best teams not only in the Big Ten, but in the country as they look to compete for the national championship game, a competitive match against them should do wonders for this team's confidence for the remainder of the season.

Week Twelve : At Michigan

Just like UCLA, Michigan let its head coach go this offseason. However, instead of hiring a younger coach, the Wolverines hired Kyle Whittingham from Utah, who had a 21-year successful career as the head coach of Utah football.

Michigan underachieved last year, and with Whittingham in the headset, he looks to take a talented team in Ann Arbor back to the College Football Playoff and compete for the national championship. Bryce Underwood was the top prospect in the 2025 high school class and is looking for a great sophomore jump, and has the talent to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

Michigan also has a great defense that will be able to get after the quarterback, one of the biggest challenges that UCLA couldn't fix last year. While it's going to be very difficult to win a road game against Michigan in December, if the Bruins can limit Underwood and keep him in the pocket, while also keeping Iamaleava upright, they can keep this game competitive and potentially win before heading into their final game of the season against USC.

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