UCLA Football: Few Believe Bruins Can Make Splash in Debut Big Ten Season

Will the Bruins overcome a low preseason ranking?

Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Is UCLA football bound to disappoint in their first season with the Big Ten?

The expectations are certainly low for the Bruins heading into Year 1 as part of the Big Ten conference. In the latest Big Ten media poll, put together by Cleveland.com, UCLA is ranked 15th out of 18 total teams. Only Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue, who all won three or fewer games in 2023, were ranked below UCLA.

Big Ten preseason poll via @clevelanddotcom (B1G doesn’t do one)

1 Ohio St (21 1st place votes)
2 Oregon (6)
3 Penn St
4 Michigan
5 Iowa
6 USC
7 Wisconsin
8 Nebraska
9 Rutgers
10 Washington
11 Maryland
12 Minnesota
13 Illinois
14 Northwestern
15 UCLA
16 Mich St
17 Indiana
18…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 22, 2024

The ranking comes amid a bundle of questions and changes for UCLA's football program this season. Following the 2023 season in which the Bruins 8-5 overall and 4-5 in the Pac-12, former head coach Chip Kelly departed to become the offensive coordinator of Ohio State.

UCLA then hired running backs coach DeShaun Foster to become the team's next head coach. While Foster has brought optimism — especially in recruiting — this offseason, he has no prior head coaching or coordinator experience at either the college or NFL level. He remains unproven at this point.

The low spot on the list also comes after the loss of defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, who went to USC in the offseason. Lynn was critical part of the Bruins' success in 2023, leading UCLA to a defense that ranked 10th in yards allowed per game and 14th in scoring defense.

The Bruins allowed 18.38 points and 301.5 yards per game a season ago, and only two opponents scored 25 points or more against them. Without Lynn, along with Laiatu Latu, Darius Muasau, Grayson Murphy, and Gabriel Murphy all leaving for the NFL, it's unclear if the Bruins will able to rely on their defense.

The Bruins will have a chance to address several of these concerns and their plans for the upcoming season during Big Ten Media Day, which takes place on Wednesday, July 22.

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