On Tues, Nov 10, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its second rankings of the 2026 season and there were some major shifts after a high amount of ranked opponent games in Week 10 of the college football season. Some of the big changes included the Georgia Bulldogs rising up to be the number one team in the country after the Miami Hurricanes(now #7) were defeated by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish(now #5), the Utah Utes moving up to the second-ranked team in the nation following a 28-20 victory over the BYU Cougars(ranked at 10 in spite of two losses), and the Alabama Crimson Tide stomping up to the third spot after a huge 31-13 win over the LSU Tigers on the road. With all the ranked opponent chaos, the UCLA Bruins moved up to fourth in the rankings following a thrilling 34-20 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sat, Nov 7. The Bruins doubled up their position as they remain one of two undefeated teams in the country and they are firmly in first place in the Big Ten standings with a 6-0 conference record. UCLA basically switched places with the Indiana Hoosiers, who fell down to ninth in the rankings following an off date in Week 10, and the Hoosiers sit one game behind the Bruins in the conference standings. The other teams that would be in the CFP if these rankings were the final one are the Texas Longhorns(#6), Tennessee Volunteers(#8), Kentucky Wildcats(#11), and the Boise State Broncos(the highest ranked Group of 6 team that automatically gets awarded a spot in the playoff).
The game against Minnesota was a real grinder for UCLA, which got off to a quick start with ten first quarter points, but the Golden Gophers responded with a touchdown drive at the beginning of the second quarter. Ty Dieffenbach made a couple of big mistakes, including throwing a pass that was intercepted near the end of the first half that led to a game-tying field goal by Luke Drzewiecki(who missed two long kicks in the game) and a strip-sack fumble following a holding penalty that negated a touchdown run from Jaivian Thomas. But Dieffenbach had amazing moments as well such as throwing two straight 75-yard TD passes to Aidan Mizell, who had a career day at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Bruins defense was also clutch when it needed to be and a fourth quarter interception by Scooter Jackson off Drake Lindsey sealed the game. Now at 9-0 for the first time since 1998, UCLA has a real chance at going undefeated in the regular season and playing in the now-final Big Ten Conference Championship game with the announcement on Mon, Nov 9 that the CFP will expand to 24 teams next season, thus forcing the Power 4 conferences to end their title games that will be rendered obsolete in the new era. A conference title win would mean an automatic playoff bid for the Bruins, who now have more of a cushion if they are to lose any of their remaining games.
The AP Top 25 poll for Week 10 also had UCLA ranked at number four as they prepare for a short turnaround in playing a Friday Night Football game at the Rose Bowl Stadium against the Illinois Fighting Illini, who, in spite of their unranked status, have a solid football team this season. As one of six teams in the Big Ten who hold a 4-2 record in conference games, Illinois only sits two games back of the Bruins, as do the Iowa Hawkeyes(#15), Oregon Ducks(#16), USC Trojans(#18) and Ohio State Buckeyes(#20). The Ducks got a big win over Ohio State in Week 10 and they still have a path to the Big Ten title game, but USC will face Indiana in a high-stakes Week 11 game that could massively determine both teams’ playoff chances. If the Trojans beat the Hoosiers, they will have a chance to be in striking range of the Bruins, who will host them at the Rose Bowl on Sat, Nov 28. The stakes of the next three weeks are high for a lot of teams looking to get into the playoff, but especially for the Big Ten, which currently only has two teams ranked in the top 12 of the rankings. That might change depending on the results of other huge games in other conferences like the SEC, Big 12 and ACC, but for a conference whose commissioner pushed the 24-team playoff format into existence, it is a high referendum on their reputation in having three of its members win a national championship over the past three years.
Under head coach Bob Chesney, UCLA is currently projected to earn a first-round bye and compete in a Quarterfinal Bowl Game and that bowl game could very well be a Rose Bowl Game for the Bruins, who haven’t competed in a Grandaddy of Them All since Jan 1, 1999 against Wisconsin. But having a first-round bye in the 12-team era of the CFP isn’t very beneficial as every team ranked in the top four spots in the playoff has lost in the Quarterfinals except for the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers, who won the national championship after winning the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl en route to defeating Miami on its home soil. The projected matchup in the 12-5 column that the Bruins would face in the four spot is currently Boise State at Notre Dame. With a strong defense and an improving offense, the UCLA Bruins have a chance to make some impressive history in making it to their first College Football Playoff in team history and despite the lack of impressive wins on their resumé, the boys in blue and gold are a powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with in 2026.
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