Last year, no one knew how much of a disaster year two of the DeShaun Foster era was going to be. Expectations were too high for the UCLA Bruins in 2025 and could the same mistake be being made in 2026 with a new head coach in place?Bob Chesney has earned his sterling reputation but it’s fair to question if the Big Ten Conference will come with a learning curve. While many projections have UCLA returning to above .500 for the first time in the Big Ten, one model projects a third-straight losing season for the Bruins.
College Football Zone has UCLA going just 4-8 in Chesney’s first season, improving just one game from last year’s shameful season. College Football Zone has UCLA defeating San Diego State, Purdue, Michigan State and Nevada.
UCLA season prediction from College Football Zone: 4-8
— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) August 14, 2026
Comment your record prediction for the Bruins! pic.twitter.com/0cFjvgH3T6
Winning fewer Big Ten games in 2026 than the team did in 2025 would be quite the surprise. Interim head coach Tim Skipper rattled off three wins in a row against Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland before losing five-straight to end the season.
College Football Zone has UCLA losing to Cal, Maryland, Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and USC. Even with an easier schedule in 2026, the projection has the Bruins enduring another losing season.
UCLA’s 2027 recruiting class will help build depth within the program but the Bruins brought in over 40 new transfers this offseason to begin to turn things around in 2026, meaning a 4-8 season would be a bitter pill to swallow for the program.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: One projection has Bob Chesney's first season in UCLA going poorly