Bruins' Tough Conference Schedule Bodes Well For Final Stretch

The UCLA Bruins have played a majority of the top teams in the Big Ten. Their early season adversity will bode well down the stretch in hopes of reaching a bowl game.

Oct 12, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster during the second quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (3-5) have played one of the hardest Big Ten schedules in their first year in the conference. The adversity that they have faced in the first half of the season will bode well in their final four games in hopes of making a third-straight bowl game.

In the Bruins' first five games, they played and lost to four teams that currently rank inside the top 25 nationally; No. 8 Indiana, No. 14 LSU, No. 1 Oregon, and No. 6 Penn State. For a majority of the country, those are extremely tough games to win as the Bruins are in a rebuild.

A five-game losing streak would ensue with a loss to Minnesota following their gauntlet schedule to start the year. After a 1-5 start and playing many of the nation's best teams, the Bruins took what they learned from the losses and turned it into a pair of back-to-back Big Ten wins in the past two weeks.

A pair of upset wins over Rutgers and Nebraska has given this program new life and the confidence level has risen exponentially. Their recent success can easily be attributed to the grind that these players went through in the early months of the season.

There has been a significant learning curve for first-year Bruins coach DeShaun Foster, but the team is beginning to hit its stride at the most ideal time of the year.

With four games left to play in the regular season, the Bruins will have a great chance to earn six wins and be eligible for a bowl game. The Bruins would need to go on a 5-1 stretch to end the year to achieve that feat.

With what they learned early on, this team can handle anything that could possibly be thrown at them and will give each of their final four teams a run for their money.

The Bruins' next opponent will be another one of the Big Ten's best. The Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3) are also riding a bit of a win streak, posting 40+ points in back-to-back wins. One team's hot hand will end on Friday night, favoring the Bruins as they are no stranger to playing tough teams this year.

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