UCLA’s rise into the Top Ten came with a little help from around the country, but the Bruins earned their place by taking care of Wisconsin, 17-7, last night.
That win, paired with a chaotic day across the top of the rankings, pushed UCLA to ninth in the AP Poll and tenth in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bruins took advantage as five teams in the Top Ten - Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Texas and Alabama - all lost yesterday, triggering a major shuffle near the top of both polls.
Miami is now sitting at No. 1 in the AP Poll, with BYU and Ohio State right behind the Hurricanes. In the Coaches Poll, Ohio State narrowly moved ahead of BYU. Notre Dame landed at fourth in the AP Poll, with Georgia fifth, while the Coaches Poll has Georgia fourth and undefeated Texas Tech fifth.
Indiana slipped to sixth in both polls, and Ole Miss climbed to seventh. Texas Tech came in eighth in the AP Poll, even while picking up one first-place vote, while Notre Dame fell to eighth in the Coaches Poll.
For UCLA, the jump was enough to land the Bruins in the AP Poll’s ninth spot, just ahead of Utah at No. 10. The Coaches Poll had that order flipped, with the Utes edging UCLA for ninth and the Bruins checking in at tenth.
The rest of the Big Ten also saw movement. Iowa moved up two spots in both polls, landing at 15th in the AP Poll and 14th in the Coaches Poll.
In that Coaches ranking, the Hawkeyes moved past Southern Cal, which stayed at No. 15.
The Trojans climbed three spots to 16th in the AP Poll despite being idle last week.
Northwestern also made progress, rising to 24th in the AP Poll and entering the Coaches Poll at No. 23. Oregon remains in the Coaches Poll at No. 25, though it did not get enough votes to crack the AP rankings.
Nebraska, Michigan and Wisconsin each received votes in the Coaches Poll, but none of them appeared in the AP Poll.
UCLA’s next chance to build on this surge comes Saturday, October 24, at the Rose Bowl against Michigan State. Kickoff is set for 12:30 pm PT, and the game will be shown on CBS.
In Other News...
UCLA Keeps Winning But Bruins Fans Can See One Growing Problem
Even with penalties piling up and a backup quarterback making the start, UCLA found a way to keep its perfect season rolling Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins controlled third downs, converted 13 of 20, and leaned on steady work from Ty Dieffenbach, Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods to beat Wisconsin and give first-year coach Bob Chesney another reason to keep his team pointed upward.
The win came in the kind of uneven fashion that can leave a fan base both encouraged and uneasy. UCLA moved the ball well enough to win, but the offense was still stretching drives longer than it should have had to, and Wisconsins Colton Joseph showed how one mobile quarterback can keep a game uncomfortable even when the passing numbers are quiet. For a Bruins team that keeps collecting victories, the bigger question is whether the margin for error can stay this thin and still hold up deeper into the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Just Proved It Can Win With A Very Different Formula
UCLAs latest win over Wisconsin offered a very different kind of proof for Bob Chesneys 6-0 start: this time, the Bruins did it through the air. With starter Nico Iamaleava sidelined by injury, backup Ty Dieffenbach stepped in and kept the offense moving, guiding a night in which the ground game never really got going and the usual script never quite materialized.
The Bruins were held to only 23 rushing yards and still found a way to leave with the victory, even after several drives stalled before reaching the end zone. For a team trying to show it can survive more than one version of a game, that mattered almost as much as the final score, and it raised a different kind of question about just how many ways UCLA can win while its offense keeps adjusting on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Fans Are Suddenly Dreaming Bigger After This QB Performance
UCLA kept its unbeaten run alive at 6-0 with a defensive win over Wisconsin, but the bigger takeaway for Bruins fans was the steady hand Ty Dieffenbach showed at quarterback. In a game that demanded patience and control, he managed the offense well, kept the ball moving and gave the Bruins enough balance to keep their perfect start intact.
Semaj Morgan was one of the most dependable options in the passing game, helping Dieffenbach settle in and sustain drives when the offense needed them most. For a UCLA team that keeps stacking wins, the question now is whether this kind of performance is a one-off boost or the start of something even more interesting down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]