If you’re not already aboard the Bob Chesney hype train, now is the time to join. Chesney will lead the UCLA Bruins to Autzen Stadium this weekend for a showdown with No. 13 Oregon for a chance to make a splash in the Big Ten Conference.
UCLA has impressed this season, starting 2026 4-0 and making their way into the AP Top-25 rankings. USA TODAY writer Paul Myerburg ranked all 138 NCAA football teams
, giving UCLA a very favorable ranking.Myerburg placed the Bruins at No. 18 heading into Week 6, the third-highest ranked Big Ten team. UCLA remains behind Ohio State (No. 5) and Indiana (No. 8) but the Bruins have moved ahead of both the USC Trojans and the Oregon Ducks.
There’s no doubt that the Ducks will look to prove Myerburg wrong this weekend,
with Oregon sitting at 12.5 point favorites for Saturday’s clash between two former Pac-12 teams. Oregon finds themselves at No. 21 in Myerburg’s rankings with USC down at No. 23.
Even Chesney’s old team, the James Madison Dukes, are above Oregon and USC, with Myerburg placing James Madison at No. 2o in this week’s rankings. Much will change between now and the end of the season but if UCLA can remain as the third-best Big Ten school, then there’s a good chance the Bruins find themselves in the College Football Playoffs in year one under Chesney.
While UCLA continues to climb, the rest of the Big Ten remains strong. The Big Ten has eight teams in Myerburg’s Top-30, with Iowa at No. 22, Nebraska at No. 28 and Minnesota at No. 30.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Where does UCLA sit in USA TODAY's ranking of all 138 NCAA teams?
