UCLA Football Bowl Projections: Week 11
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The Bruins have won two games in a row, so as their matchup with the Trojans nears, the blue and gold are staying in the hunt for a high-profile bowl placement.
No. 12 UCLA football (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) is likely going to rise in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings after staving off a late comeback attempt by Arizona State on Saturday night. Without Zach Charbonnet, the Bruins rushed for over 400 yards against the Sun Devils, and they'll have another opportunity to showcase their big-play offense this Saturday against Arizona.
Here is where college football media has UCLA projected to play come bowl season.
ESPN
Rose Bowl, UCLA vs. Ohio State
Pasadena, CA
Jan. 2, 2:00 p.m.
The Rose Bowl matches up the top available teams from the Pac-12 and Big Ten, potentially providing UCLA with an early look at the competition in their future conference.
No. 2 Ohio State is one of four undefeated programs remaining in the country, holding a 9-0 record a few weeks out from their regular season finale against fellow undefeated rival Michigan. If the Buckeyes lose that game to the Wolverines, they won't win their division and thus will likely be held out of the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State most recently defeated Big Ten bottom dwellers Northwestern despite getting dealt a small scare from the Wildcats, just slipping away in Evanston by a score of 21-7.
UCLA and Ohio State have split their all-time head-to-head series 4-4-1, with the Bruins coming away with a victory in their last matchup in 2001. The Bruins hosted the Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl and quarterback Cory Paus’ 262 passing yards was just enough to lift UCLA to a 13-6 win.
Games against Ohio State will soon become all the more regular for UCLA, but the high-octane offenses of both programs could make for a thrilling contest in bowl season.
Former UCLA offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Justin Frye recently left Westwood for Ohio State and is now the associate head coach and offensive line coach for the Buckeyes. The potential duel between Chip Kelly and Frye could be a fascinating battle of offensive minds.
The Bruins have gone to the Rose Bowl 12 times, most recently at the end of the 1998 season. The most recent of their five wins in the game came all the way back in 1986.
Pro Football Network
Alamo Bowl, UCLA vs. Kansas State
San Antonio, TX
Dec. 29, 6:00 p.m.
The Alamo Bowl matches up the second-choice teams from the Pac-12 and the Big 12, or the third-choice if the conference sends teams to the College Football Playoff.
Kansas State is currently ranked No. 13 in the CFP rankings, sitting just one spot below UCLA. The Wildcats fell to Texas in Week 11, however, losing by a touchdown to the Longhorns in a 34-27 final score.
The Bruins and Wildcats have split the four games all-time that they have played against each other. The first two contests were played in 2009 and 2010, respectively, where UCLA and Kansas State split their home and home series.
UCLA has played in the Alamo Bowl once and won, defeating Kansas State 40-35 to wrap up the 2014 season.
The victory was also the Bruins' most recent bowl victory. UCLA's only other game against Kansas State was a loss in the 2017 Cactus Bowl, which was their most recent bowl appearance.
Yahoo
Rose Bowl, UCLA vs. Michigan
Pasadena, CA
Jan. 2, 2:00 p.m.
The Rose Bowl matches up the top available teams from the Pac-12 and Big Ten, potentially providing UCLA with an early look at the competition in their future conference.
At the moment, Michigan owns a 9-0 record while coming in at No. 4 in last week’s College Football Playoff ranking.
Michigan is coming off a 51-17 victory over Rutgers, surging past the Scarlet Knights after trailing at the half. The Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten for the time being, with Ohio State tied with Michigan holding a 6-0 conference record.
The Bruins and Wolverines have played 11 times, with Michigan owning an 8-3 all-time advantage, but UCLA winning the most recent contest in 2000 by a score of 23-20 at the Rose Bowl. Quarterback Ryan McCann led the Bruins to a comeback victory and a 3-0 start that also included a victory over Alabama.
The running back in that contest was current running back coach DeShaun Foster.
UCLA was supposed to play against Michigan at the Big House in the second game of the 2022 season, but in 2019, the Wolverines terminated the previously planned home-and-home between the programs. Running back Zach Charbonnet began his collegiate career at Michigan before transferring to UCLA ahead of the 2021 season, and a Rose Bowl pairing between the future Big Ten foes would be a reverse homecoming of sorts for the former Wolverine.
UCLA has not appeared in the Rose Bowl game since losing to Wisconsin in 1999 and has not won it since beating Iowa in 1986, despite calling the historic stadium home since 1982.
USA Today
Alamo Bowl, UCLA vs. Oklahoma State
San Antonio, TX
Dec. 29, 6:00 p.m.
The Alamo Bowl matches up the second-choice teams from the Pac-12 and the Big 12.
No. 18 Oklahoma State lost for the second straight week, likely ending their stay in the Top 25 when next rankings are revealed Tuesday evening. After getting shutout by Kansas State in Week 9, Kansas beat the Cowboys 37-16 in Week 10, dropping Oklahoma State’s overall record to 6-3.
UCLA and Oklahoma State have a brief history between their football programs, meeting for a home-and-home in 2002 and 2004. The Bruins and Cowboys split the two games, with Cory Paus leading the Bruins to a 38-24 victory in the 2002 matchup while throwing for 277 yards and three touchdowns.
However, the two sides have not faced off since then.
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