Joel Klatt Names Struggling Big Ten Program That Will Overachieve in 2026

The UCLA Bruins were an interesting story in college football last season.

UCLA"s Late-Season Surge Created a Misleading Snap Shot of Progress

On a broad scale, UCLA went 3-9 and was one of the worst teams in college football. However, shortly after firing head coach DeShaun Foster, the Bruins rattled off three straight wins.

One of those was against the then-No. 7-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. That likely played a major part in the Nittany Lions parting ways with James Franklin after 12 seasons.

However, after beating the Michigan State Spartans and Maryland Terrapins, the Bruins came back down to earth and lost 56-6 to the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers. That was the start of a five-game losing streak, four of which were by double digits.

UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) throws the ball during the spring game. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bob Chesney Era is Underway

After the season ended, UCLA hired James Madison head coach Bob Chesney. He went 21-6 in two seasons at James Madison after replacing Curt Cignetti, who left to take the Indiana job. This has brought renewed expectations to the Bruins.

In fact, Fox Sports' Joel Klatt discussed the 6.5 over/under win total on his show, "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast." He said he feels UCLA will be better and surpass that total.

Joel Klatt Sees Value in 6.5 Over/Under Win Total

"They've got their quarterback back," Klatt said. "I think that they are going to have a lot better roster. I think they're going to have more continuity with their staff and head coach, Bob Chesney. I think UCLA is the first one to jump out at me. I saw (6.5), and I immediately, before even looking at the schedule, thought to myself, that seems light. I'm going to take the over there."

This will be a tall task for Chesney. To Klatt's point, they do return a talented quarterback in Nico Iamaleava. He's thrown for 4,858 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while rushing for 934 yards and 10 scores in his career.

But it's a tough task because UCLA has been one of the worst programs in the Big Ten since joining the conference. The Bruins are 8-16 and 6-12 in the Big Ten the last two seasons. It's not easy to turn a program like that around overnight, although Cignetti has done that at Indiana.

Schedule Volatility Will Test UCLA

The schedule is somewhat favorable. They have games against the Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines on the road, before playing the USC Trojans at home.

Outside of that, UCLA faces the Wisconsin Badgers, Illinois Fighting Illini and the Minnesota Golden Gophers on the road.

While it's not a brutal schedule, it's not necessarily easy. They will likely have to win some games they aren't favored to win. If they can win some of those games, then it could be a great first season for Chesney in Los Angeles.

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