The UCLA Bruins are ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
It is the highest CFP ranking in the program’s history.
The Bruins improved to 9-0 Saturday with a 34-20 victory over Minnesota on the road.
Ty Dieffenbach earned Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for a career-high 303 yards and three touchdowns against the Golden Gophers. He led three consecutive drives that concluded with passing touchdowns, including back-to-back 75-yard touchdowns to wide receiver Aidan Mizell.
The Bruins were ranked eighth in the initial CFP rankings released last week. They're off to their best start since 2005, their undefeated record including six straight wins against Big Ten opponents.
“Winning this game, just win this game. No thoughts. We don’t watch,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney told reporters when asked about the CFP rankings after the victory over Minnesota last week. “I told our guys, don't worry about watching this four-week drama series. … That's not what we're here for.
“We're here to focus on getting the work and being the best that we possibly can be.”
Chesney’s Bruins are one of two undefeated FBS teams remaining this season. The Utah Utes are the only other undefeated team, after the Miami Hurricanes suffered their first loss last week.
"I don't think it was an admission of them being ranked too low," CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek said about the Bruins' jump in the rankings this week. "I think what we're seeing with the parity around college football is that we now have only two remaining unbeaten teams, and UCLA is one of those, and I think they continue to improve as a team.
"... That's a Minnesota team that went to Indiana and took Indiana to overtime the week prior. That's a Minnesota team that had beaten Iowa on that same field, and UCLA went in there and looked like the number four-ranked team in the country, winning that game by two scores."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA football rises to fourth in latest CFP rankings
