UCLA is going to the College Football Playoff.
asserted
UCLA → go → Playoff
It’s a heady notion, this program moored in mediocrity since the turn of the century suddenly appearing on college football’s biggest stage.
asserted
program → ’ → stage
But holy Bob Chesney, it’s happening.
asserted
it → happen → ?
We’re calling it with more than a week to go in October.
asserted
We → call → October
The Bruins can maul you with physicality.
asserted
Bruins → maul → physicality
They can run you over.
asserted
They → run → you
They keep getting better as the game goes on.
asserted
game → get → ?
Starting quarterback goes down?
asserted
quarterback → start → ?
Then there’s the coach who is quickly showing himself to be among the best in the business.
asserted
himself → ’ → business
He took James Madison to the CFP a year ago and now is on the verge of doing it at a place better known for inventing the internet than appearing on the ESPN college football home page.
asserted
He → take → page
Not settling for wins on Saturday, Chesney holds Sunday scrimmages to develop players who need more reps before getting their own opportunities.
asserted
who → settle → opportunities
This is why Chesney refuses to put limits on what his team can accomplish – because there are none.
asserted
team → refuse → what
UCLA’s standing among the big boys will be revealed soon enough in the initial CFP rankings.
asserted
standing → reveal → rankings
Let’s dispense with any notion of suspense.
asserted
’s → let → suspense
The Bruins will be among the top 12 teams on Nov. 3, when the first rankings are released.
asserted
rankings → release → Nov.
They will be in every week that follows.
asserted
that → follow → week
They will be in for the first round of games beginning Dec. 18.
asserted
They → begin → Dec.
After UCLA’s most scintillating 6-0 start in decades, it isn’t a matter of if the Bruins will make the CFP but where they will play and when.
asserted
they → make → CFP
The schedule sets up favorably.
asserted
schedule → set → ?
At this rate, the Bruins might compete for a first-round home game that could conceivably lead to a quarterfinal appearance back in Pasadena in the Rose Bowl game on Jan. 1, 2027.
uncertain
that → compete → Jan.
How’s that for a happy New Year?
asserted
that → ’ → Year
Right about now, some of you reading this are skeptical.
asserted
some → read → this
It’s OK.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
You kidding me?
asserted
You → kid → me
Who’s going to stop this team now?
asserted
Who → go → team
The only undefeated team left in the Big Ten or the SEC controls its own destiny like Leonardo DiCaprio walking into a room full of single 23-year-olds.
asserted
DiCaprio → leave → olds
Consider this: UCLA has only one more ranked team left on its schedule.
asserted
UCLA → consider → schedule
The next two games are against Michigan State, which is winless in the Big Ten, and Nevada, which has losses to Montana State, Middle Tennessee and North Dakota State.
asserted
which → have → State
So, in other words, the Bruins will be 8-0 heading to face Minnesota on Nov. 7.
asserted
Bruins → head → Nov.
The Golden Gophers are a plucky bunch under coach P.J. Fleck, who was in the mix for the UCLA job when it went to DeShaun Foster in 2024.
asserted
it → go → 2024
But in the battle between one coach who tells his team to row boats and another who tells his team to burn them, Chesney will prevail.
asserted
Chesney → tell → them
That brings us to a Friday night game against abysmal Illinois at the Rose Bowl.
asserted
That → bring → Bowl
At 10-0, the Bruins will have breathing room for their final two regular-season games.
asserted
Bruins → have → games
It’s possible they might need it given that Michigan is tough to beat at home – with or without the benefit of an additional second on the clock – and No. 16 USC has an elite offense that often masks its deficiencies.
uncertain
that → ’ → deficiencies
Here’s predicting that the Bruins will be painting the Victory Bell blue Thanksgiving week.
asserted
Bruins → predict → Bell
One potential dilemma would be if UCLA finishes 10-2, reaches the Big Ten title game and loses.
asserted
UCLA → finish → game
That would force it to go the 2025 Alabama route and hope for a CFP invite after being dealt its third loss in a conference championship game.
asserted
That → force → game
The way things are going, the Bruins shouldn’t face that worry.
asserted
Bruins → go → worry
The truth is that no one has looked unbeatable in the Big Ten one year after Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon were clearly in a class of their own.
asserted
Indiana → look → own
The Hoosiers appear vulnerable and the Buckeyes and Ducks are playing backup quarterbacks.
asserted
Buckeyes → appear → quarterbacks
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
