UCLA Football: Bruins Land in Surprising Spot in Power Rankings After Big Week 1 Win

James Brizuela | Sep 11, 2024

Aug 31, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (1) reacts with defensive back Clint Stephens (14) after Flores Jr. made a touchdown against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against the UCLA Bruins at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images / Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins entered the 2024 season with a brand new coaching staff and a brand new conference. With the dissolution of the Pac-12 conference, the Bruins joined the Big Ten.

There is far stiffer competition in the Big Ten like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and now Oregon and USC.

Based on the competition and the Bruins having to completely revamp the team under new head coach DeShaun Foster, many believed that it would be an uphill battle for L.A. When the first Big Ten preseason power rankings came out, UCLA was placed in dead last. However, their luck has since changed.

A new power rankings list was released, and the Bruins have now climbed the list after a big win against Hawaii.

The Bruins began the season around the No. 15 mark out of 18 teams. Now, they have officially leaped up to No. 11 via On3's latest power rankings.

What makes this leap more impressive is the Bruins are currently ahead of Purdue (No. 13), who are 1-0, Indiana (No. 15), who are 2-0, and Rutgers (No. 16), who are also 2-0.

Despite many pundits counting out the Bruins, they are nearing the top 10 teams in the Big Ten conference. That has to account for something. Granted, Hawaii might not be on the highest list of most competitive programs in the nation, but UCLA still came away with an impressive 16-13 win.

Next on the schedule for the Bruins is Indiana, which they will take on Saturday, Sep. 14. After this, the Bruins will face three teams that are ranked in the top 25. No. 16 ranked LSU, No. 9 ranked Oregon, and No. 8 ranked Penn State are next.

If the Bruins can come away with a positive split against all these teams, they will surely be counted higher on the power rankings for the Big Ten and might also be able to crack into the top 25 ranked teams should they impress and take down all their next four opponents.

Despite Coach Foster being a bit more reserved in his interviews, he commands deep respect and has instilled grit and toughness in this new-look Bruins team. Plus, UCLA has Ethan Garbers to lead the team, and he has proven that he has the right mindset to ensure the team is highly competitive in 2024.