Predicting the UCLA Football Team's 2024 Win-Loss Record

John Robinson | Aug 24, 2024

Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The University of California Los Angeles, like most Power Five schools, will have to adjust to the newly structured college football landscape. DeShaun Foster was named head football coach after Chip Kelly made the decision to join the Ohio State program as an offensive coordinator.

UCLA is set to start its first season in the Big Ten Conference after spending nearly 100 years as a representative of the recently dismantled Pac-12. The Bruins join Oregon, USC, and Washington as the newest members of what most consider the second-toughest conference in all of college sports behind the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

"I'm going to put all of my passion into this. I'm here for these boys."

Watch new @UCLAFootball coach DeShaun Foster's emotional opening statement. 👇 pic.twitter.com/VuH7KhYr4p

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 13, 2024

The schedule makers for college football were not easy on the Bruins as they have one of the toughest schedules in the country. UCLA's welcome to the Big Ten will be a baptism by fire leaving Coach Foster with a lot of work ahead of him this fall.

The UCLA Bruins open up the season on the road against the Rainbow Warriors of the University of Hawaii where they should start the season 1-0. This matchup will be UCLA's easiest test and should be a good build-up before they get into the meat and potatoes of their season.

UCLA's next three games are extremely difficult, as they have to play against Indiana at home, LSU on the road, and an Oregon Ducks program that looks to be a lock to capture one of the 12 College Football Playoff spots. Indiana would be considered the Bruins' best chance at a win over this three-game span, however, the Hoosiers have made a lot of noise during the offseason with recruiting and look primed to have a seven or eight-win season.

After an expected 1-3 start to the season, UCLA will have to go cross country to play in a hostile Penn State environment. They follow up this game with Minnesota at home and another country-length road trip to Rutgers. The Bruins will have a great opportunity to knock off Minnesota at home but the Scarlets Knights in New Jersey are not going to let the Bruins off the hook.

Seven weeks into the season, UCLA will be 2-5 with five games left. In the last month of the regular season, the Bruins will play Nebraska, Iowa, Washington, USC, and Fresno State. It is likely UCLA will lose four of their last five with the only win being against Fresno State.

Coach Foster and the Bruins are likely to struggle in their first year in the Big Ten with a record of 3-8. In his second season as head coach, Foster will have to be brilliant in his recruiting efforts to make this program competitive in the future.

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