Start an eight-clap. Sing the “Sons of Westwood.” Put on your Wayne Knight jersey.
UCLA is going to the College Football Playoff.
It’s a heady notion, this program moored in mediocrity since the flip of the century instantly showing on school soccer’s largest stage.
UCLA Bruins have fun after a 4th down stoppage in the second half of an NCAA school soccer recreation against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But holy Bob Chesney, it’s occurring. We’re calling it with more than a week to go in October.
Six wins down, 5 or six to go before the finish of the common season.
Yes, this group is that good.
The Bruins can maul you with physicality. They can run you over. They maintain getting higher as the recreation goes on.
Starting quarterback goes down? No worries. The backup might be even higher.
Then there’s the coach who is shortly exhibiting himself to be among the finest in the enterprise.
He took James Madison to the CFP a yr in the past and now is on the verge of doing it at a place higher recognized for inventing the web than showing on the ESPN school soccer dwelling web page.
UCLA Bruins defensive back Scooter Jackson (1) reacts after a missed area objective by the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half of an NCAA school soccer recreation at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Not settling for wins on Saturday, Chesney holds Sunday scrimmages to develop gamers who want more reps before getting their own alternatives.
This is why Chesney refuses to put limits on what his group can accomplish – because there are none.
UCLA’s standing among the massive boys will be revealed quickly enough in the preliminary CFP rankings.
Let’s dispense with any notion of suspense.
The Bruins will be among the prime 12 groups on Nov. 3, when the first rankings are launched.
They will be in every week that follows.
They will be in for the first spherical of video games starting Dec. 18.
After UCLA’s most scintillating 6-0 begin in a long time, it isn’t a matter of if the Bruins will make the CFP but where they will play and when.
UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney stands on the sidelines in the second half of an NCAA school soccer recreation against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The schedule units up favorably. At this fee, the Bruins might compete for a first-round dwelling recreation that could conceivably lead to a quarterfinal look back in Pasadena in the Rose Bowl recreation on Jan. 1, 2027.
How’s that for a joyful New Year?
Right about now, some of you studying this are skeptical. It’s OK. Go forward, scrunch up your face and ship your finest Jim Mora impression.
“Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?”
Yes, playoffs.
Who’s going to cease this group now?
The only undefeated group left in the Big Ten or the SEC controls its own future like Leonardo DiCaprio strolling into a room full of single 23-year-olds.
Consider this: UCLA has only one more ranked group left on its schedule.
The next two video games are against Michigan State, which is winless in the Big Ten, and Nevada, which has losses to Montana State, Middle Tennessee and North Dakota State.
So, in other phrases, the Bruins will be 8-0 heading to face Minnesota on Nov. 7.
The Golden Gophers are a plucky bunch under coach P.J. Fleck, who was in the combine for the UCLA job when it went to DeShaun Foster in 2024. But in the battle between one coach who tells his group to row boats and another who tells his group to burn them, Chesney will prevail.
That brings us to a Friday night time recreation against abysmal Illinois at the Rose Bowl. Next!
At 10-0, the Bruins will have respiratory room for their remaining two regular-season video games. It’s potential they might want it given that Michigan is robust to beat at dwelling – with or with out the profit of an extra second on the clock – and No. 16 USC has an elite offense that typically masks its deficiencies.
Here’s predicting that the Bruins will be portray the Victory Bell blue Thanksgiving week.
One potential dilemma would be if UCLA finishes 10-2, reaches the Big Ten title recreation and loses. That would drive it to go the 2025 Alabama route and hope for a CFP invite after being dealt its third loss in a convention championship recreation.
An total aerial view exhibits the area membership at the Rose Bowl stadium, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Pasadena, California. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The manner issues are going, the Bruins shouldn’t face that fear.
The fact is that no one has seemed unbeatable in the Big Ten one yr after Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon were clearly in a class of their own.
The Hoosiers seem susceptible and the Buckeyes and Ducks are taking part in backup quarterbacks.
If the Big Ten title recreation were performed this week, it would be the Bruins versus the Buckeyes.
Who could have seen that coming two months in the past?
Maybe Chesney and his gamers, who are adopting the mindset that their finest soccer is yet to come.
If UCLA desires to host a first-round CFP recreation, it’s in all probability going to have to go into the postseason with just one loss. History tells us as much because none of the 4 groups who hosted first-round video games a yr in the past had two losses.
But who’s to say the Bruins can’t put themselves in that place heading into a postseason like any other?
Start an eight-clap. Sing the “Sons of Westwood.” Put on your Wayne Knight jersey.
UCLA is going to the CFP.