Could the UCLA Bruins be hosting a College Football Playoff game at the Rose Bowl this December? As far-fetched as that sounds, it’s a legitimate possibility. In USA TODAY’s latest college football bowl projections, writer Erick Smith has UCLA as the No. 7 seed in the College Football Playoffs.
Things got tougher for UCLA this week, with it being reported that quarterback Nico Iamaleava will miss the remainder of the 2026 season due to a leg injury. Iamaleava’s injury didn’t stop Smith from placing UCLA in the CFP, with USA TODAY releasing the projections Tuesday morning.
The projection has UCLA hosting Ole Miss in round one at the Rose Bowl, but falling to the Rebels, who advance to go and face Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinals. There were
just three Big Ten teams in the CFP projections, with Indiana earning the No. 6 seed while Ohio State got a bye after grabbing the No. 3 seed.
While there are no trophies for first round playoff exits, it'd still be a remarkable turnaround for the program, with the built-in excuse of not having their starting quarterback for most of the season.
Without Iamaleava, it’ll be tough for the Bruins to reach the CFP. UCLA will have Ty Dieffenbach and Madden Iamaleava as options at quarterback but will likely only be able to afford two games in the regular season and still reach the CFP.
UCLA has already played the toughest game on their schedule, a road matchup with Oregon, but the Bruins will still face Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and USC.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA is in the CFP in USA TODAY's latest CFB bowl projections
