UCLA Football: 3 Hardest Games On Bruins 2024 Schedule

The Bruins have some tough opponents ahead.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA football is getting set for its first season in the Big Ten conference following its departure from the Pac-12. Joining the Big Ten is set to be a challenge for UCLA, but they do manage to avoid playing Michigan and Ohio State, the conference's top two teams, during their first year in the conference. Either Michigan or Ohio State has won the conference championship in each of the last seven years.

The good news for UCLA is, like the Bruins, several of their opponents are in a transition year. Four of the top five programs UCLA will face all lost their quarterback to the 2024 NFL Draft. Oregon's Bo Nix, Washington's Michael Penix Jr., USC's Caleb Williams, and LSU's Jayden Daniels were all top-12 picks in this year's draft. Even if these teams have strong backup options waiting in the wings, it will be hard to match how good those four quarterbacks were.

Here are the top three opponents on UCLA's schedule in 2024.

LSU

UCLA is heading to LSU in Week 2 of the season, going up against one of the best programs in the country. UCLA did upset LSU 38-27 at the Rose Bowl two seasons ago in 2021, but that was when Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet led the offense. LSU will be without their two top weapons from last year in Daniels and wide receiver Malik Nabers, but still look for them to pose a tough matchup for UCLA, especially on the road.

Penn State

Outside of the Wolverines and Buckeyes, the Nittany Lions are one of the toughest teams in the Big Ten. They featured the third-best scoring defense among all FBS teams in 2023, allowing an average of just 13.46 points per game. They also have retained many of their players this season, including quarterback Drew Allar and running back Kaytron Allen, who are each looking to make another jump during their junior seasons.

Oregon

While Oregon lost Nix to the draft, they still maintained a lot of their other pieces which should make them a difficult foe for UCLA. They have head coach Dan Lanning, as well as a defense that finished ninth in scoring defense last season. The Ducks also brought in transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who led the Oklahoma Sooners to a 10-2 record while throwing for 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2023.

Honorable Mentions:

Iowa

The Hawkeyes went 10-4 a season ago, with the fourth-best scoring defense in the FBS. Iowa is known for its defense, but its offense holds several question marks. Tim Lester has replaced Brian Ferentz as the team's offensive coordinator, which hopefully will improve an offense that averaged 15.4 points per game in 2023, second-last in the FBS.

Washington

The Huskies went 14-1 last year and advanced to the College Football Playoff national championship game last season, where they lost to Alabama. Washington was one of the best teams in the league, but there are plenty of question marks surrounding the team including the head coach and quarterback position.

Previous head coach Kalen DeBoer departed for Alabama, while Penix and top wide receiver Rome Odunze left for the draft. They did bring in Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers at quarterback, but overall it's unclear what this Washington squad will fully look like in 2024.

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