2017 UCLA Predictions

It's time once again for my annual predictions on UCLA's football season. After a terrible year for them in 2016, including QB Josh Rosen going down, finishing 4-8 and coach Jim Mora being on the hot seat headed into this year, I'm expecting better things for the Bruins as long as Rosen stays upright all year long. Away we go...

Texas A&M - The Bruins lost a heart breaker in an entertaining overtime game last year at College Station. Coach Mora needs this one. Coach Kevin Sumlin needs it as well as the Aggies Athletic Department has already made it clear that an 8-5 year will not be acceptable. Expect another high-scoring shootout, with a healthy Josh Rosen and a better defense from the Bruins squeezing by Texas A&M. 1-0

Hawaii - The poor Rainbow Warriors started the season by flying all the way to Massachusetts, then flying home to play Western Carolina and then fly back to Southern California. That's a lot of miles in 15 days. Bruins should win easily. 2-0

at Memphis - UCLA had problems last year when they went to a BBQ heaven in Texas A&M and now they go to another one in Memphis. The Tigers aren't as good as the Aggies were last year, but this one does have a 9am west coast kickoff. Bruins will be a little sluggish to start the game but will pull away and win again before starting conference play. 3-0

at Stanford -  And this is where the schedule starts to turn and why that 3-0 start is so important. Until the Bruins prove me wrong, I will continue to pick the Cardinal to wear UCLA out. Stanford might just win the Pac 12 and go to the playoff if their quarterback stays healthy. 3-1

Colorado - The Buffaloes might be better than they were last year. The Bruins should be better than they were last year. Colorado beat UCLA in a close game in Boulder. I think they get another one in Pasadena. 3-2

at Arizona - The Wildcats are a mess and their coach Rich Rodriguez is on the hot seat as well. UCLA ends the two-game losing streak and gets their first conference win. 4-2

Oregon - New coach for the Ducks, same result for the Bruins. Again, like Stanford, until UCLA beats Oregon, I'm sticking with the team with the best looking cheerleaders in college football. 4-3

at Washington - The Huskies went to the playoff last year and played fairly well against Alabama, at least defensively. That defense might not be as good as it was last year, but it will be too tough for the Bruins at Husky Stadium. 4-4

at Utah - UCLA gets weird when they go to Utah. There have been the embarrassing blowouts to BYU and closer than they should be games against Utah. Bruins have to win one of these last few games and I'm picking this one. 5-4

Arizona State - Another Arizona team with a coach in danger of losing his job. Bruins win and a little heat comes off Mora. 6-4

at USC - Rivalry game. Throw out the records, blah, blah, blah. Trojans are more talented, might be playing for the Pac 12 South title and possible playoff berth. They will not have had a bye week all year, so may be a little fatigued and if Bruins get up a couple scores early USC might not recover. I don't think that happens and the heat turns back up on coach Mora. 6-5

Cal - The Bears are supposed to be somewhere between not very good and pretty bad, yet they went cross-country in the opening weekend and took out North Carolina. I still think they are going to be bad and the Bruins need this one. 7-5

Not a great year for the Bruins, but after 4-8 last year, it's an improvement. They'll go to a bowl game and if they can win that, 8-5 won't look so bad, especially after being 4-4 during the season. Winning 4 of their last 5 will have people thinking Rose Bowl in 2018 though they will need to find another quarterback.

Week 5 Picks - The MAC

Staying completely in the MAC this week after going 2-2 in week 1.

at Ball State -4 Northern Illinois - The Cardinals have been playing well and the Huskies have been horrible this year. Ball State should be able to control the game and win comfortably.

Eastern Michigan +2.5 at Bowling Green - The Eagles have a chance to go to a bowl game for the first time in a long time. The Falcons have been a mess on defense, giving up 77 to both Ohio State and Memphis this year. I like Eastern Michigan to cover and have a good chance to win.

Ohio -3 at Miami,OH - The Bobcats are only 2-2 but played Tennessee tough. The Redhawks are 0-4 but played Cincinnati close. The MAC East is not very good, and Miami is the worst of the bunch, so it's the Bobcats.

Akron -7 at Kent State - The Zips have been scoring against everyone, except Wisconsin, though lots of teams have had that problem this year, right LSU and Michigan State? The Golden Flashes are not scoring. Akron wins by double-digits.

Western Michigan at Central Michigan Over 58.5 - This should be a fun game with lots of points. Chippewas will keep it close and may even take the Broncos down, but there will be a lot of points

2016 UCLA Predictions

It's time again for my annual predictions regarding the UCLA Bruins football season. Yes, it's a week late getting up, and yes, I took the Bruins to beat Texas A&M, so starting off poorly. Last year I went 9-3 predicting their wins and losses, starting off 9-0 before being wrong on the last three. The Bruins were humming along until those last four regular season games and then the bowl game disaster against Nebraska. But quarterback Josh Rosen exceeded expectations, on the field and off.

Last year, a number of experts thought the Bruins were a playoff contender, but the combination of a freshman quarterback and the cannibalistic Pac-12 was too much to overcome. This year, with a year of experience, can Rosen lead the Bruins back to the glory of the Bob Toledo days and whispers of a National Championship? The crystal ball says...


at Texas A&M - UCLA is somehow the underdog in this game, probably because the Aggies are in the SEC, or maybe the oddsmakers figure the Bruins will be too tired from eating all that Texas BBQ. The Bruins are usually pretty good in these season-opening road games against a real opponent. UCLA starts the season off on the right foot, 1-0. (Apparently the Bruins "were too tired" from eating all that BBQ.)
   
UNLV - The Rebels should be out of this game by halftime and UCLA will be able to start resting the starters by the middle of the third quarter. Was probably a lot more fun when it was in Las Vegas last year and imagine what Rosen could do a hotel room in Vegas now. 2-0
   
at BYU - Another road test for UCLA and in a state where they seem to struggle a bit. They beat Utah last year in Utah and I'm picking them to beat the Cougars this year in Provo. 3-0
   
Stanford - The Cardinal have beaten the Bruins like a red-headed stepchild for so many years in a row now that it's bordering on abuse. But, until UCLA actually shows up for a game against Stanford, I'm going to keep picking the tree to open a boot store in the Bruins' ass. 3-1
   
Arizona -  Bruins lit Arizona up last year in Tuscon and think they'll do it again in Pasadena. Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez is going to be feeling some heat if the Bruins beat him by 25+ again this year, which they might. 4-1
   
at Arizona St.- What happened to the Sun Devils? They are only a couple years removed from looking like they were going to be competing for the Pac-12 South regularly. Bruins take advantage and get a close win in the desert. 5-1
   
at Washington St. - The Cougars upset the Bruins at the Rose Bowl last year, sending them into a tailspin where they lost 3 of their last 4 games. This year it's in Pullman, Washington State still has Luke Faulk at quarterback and the Cougars win again. 5-2
   
Utah -  The Utes lost an ugly game at home last year, 17-9. They'll have a shot here to put themselves in great position to win the Pac-12 South. I'll take the revenge factor and the Utes. 6-2
   
at Colorado - The first of two in a row against the cupcakes of the Pac 12. Colorado is getting better but they still are going to have a losing record. They might stay close into the fourth quarter but the game will never be in doubt. 7-2
   
Oregon St.-  The Beavers are bad. Really, really bad. UCLA beat them 41-0 last year in Corvallis. Expect a similar pounding this year in the Rose Bowl. 8-2
   
USC  - The Clay Helton era. Meh. Still, they have some of the same speed they did last year when they beat UCLA pretty soundly. Will take the Trojans to get the victory and secure the Pac-12 South for Utah. 8-3 
   
at California - This one is tough. If the Bruins lose to USC the week before like I expect, and are moping about, they may come out a little sluggish and the Bears have the offense to make UCLA work. But if UCLA is pissed from the loss and decide they want a shot at a 10-win season with a bowl victory, they will get up early on Cal and never let up, sending the seniors out with a win. 9-3 


Picks for Week 2:

at Miami -24.5 Florida Atlantic - The hiring of Mark Richt as the Miami coach was a good thing for the Hurricanes. They actually looked cohesive and well-coached in last week's 70-3 win over Florida A&M. Miami may surprise this year in the ACC and I like them to get to 10 wins with a bowl win.

at Oregon -23.5 Virginia - Virgiinia didn't just lose to Div-IAA Richmond opening weekend, they got routed. Now they fly almost 3,000 miles to one of the loudest environments in college football, against one of the highest flying offenses. This could be really ugly.

Eastern Michigan +24 at Missouri - Missouri should win this game, but they haven't had an offense for the past two years and shouldn't be expected to beat anyone by more than 10 points. The Eagles aren't good, but the Tigers won't cover.


The Battle at Bristol - Tennessee -11 Virgina Tech - A football game in the middle of a NASCAR racetrack with an insane big-screen scoreboard hanging over the whole thing on a Saturday night? Count me in. Tennessee has to be better than they showed against Appalachian State in the opening weekend. Lots of drunks in orange overalls singing "Rocky Top" all night long. 
   

2015 UCLA Predictions

Once again, it's my predictions for the UCLA Bruins for my lifelong friend and Bruins fan. I'll say I'm cautiously optimistic about the Bruins chances this year. Starting a true freshman quarterback, Josh Rosen, is always a risky proposition, but the rest of the team is loaded and may help him get through those first few games as he gets used to the speed of the college game. Still, I think he is going to have a couple games where his inexperience is going to cost them and UCLA may have to wait one more year for that Rose Bowl or Playoff spot. On with the picks...

Virginia - The Cavaliers showed more fight than expected in last year's game against the Bruins. That can probably be attributed to the fact that it was essentially a 9am game for UCLA playing in Charlottesville. Virginia may make this year's contest a game of it for a half or so, but the Bruins should be able to turn turnovers into points and will pull away for a victory in Josh Rosen's first game as QB. 1-0

at UNLV - As long as the Bruins stay out of the casinos, strip clubs and all you can eat buffets, this should be an easy Vegas road trip and another confidence builder for Rosen. 2-0.

BYU - The Cougars have a knack for showing up early on the Bruin schedule and derailing their season before it even really gets going. Those usually happen in Provo. This one is at the Rose Bowl and UCLA will find a way to win. This is the first game where I think Rosen could cost the Bruins with his decision making, but the defense and playing at home will make up for it. 3-0

at Arizona - Playing on the road against the Wildcats may be where the young QB let's the atmosphere get to him. I think he's shaky but the Bruin defense is solid enough to keep Arizona in check and UCLA goes to 4-0...

Arizona State - ...before the Sun Devils come to town and end the undefeated season, make Rosen look like a true freshman and announce themselves as the front-runner for the Pac-12 South title. 4-1

at Stanford - The first of back-to-back Thursday night games, this one on the road. The Cardinal have owned the Bruins the last several years, wearing them down and then punching them out. Until UCLA shows me they can beat Stanford, especially at Stanford, I'm sticking with the Cardinal. 4-2

California - The second Thursday night game against a Cal team that at least can put up some points even if they don't stop anyone. The Bears used to be a tricky team for the Bruins; when Cal was bad, they seemed to give the Bruins fits and when they were good, they were terrible against UCLA. They're currently a little better than bad and maybe improving, so I'll take UCLA to win. 5-2

Colorado - There is no reason UCLA shouldn't hang at least 45 on Colorado. The Buffaloes have been awful since they joined the Pac-12 and that isn't changing this year. 6-2

at Oregon State - New coach, only two returning starters on defense and not a very good team last year, the Beavers should be no match for the Bruins. Strange things sometimes happen in Corvallis, but not this year. 7-2

Washington State - Similar to Cal, the Cougars are getting better but they still aren't great. They'll play the Bruins close but lose and UCLA will be back in the Pac-12 South title discussion as the conference cannibalizes itself. 8-2

at Utah - This is a tough one. It's at Utah. As mentioned earlier, UCLA struggles when they go to Utah. Maybe it's the fact that it's hard to get beer there, maybe it's all the scenic national parks, maybe it's the altitude. This is another game where I think the inexperience of the quarterback may cost them and they lose a tough one. 8-3

at USC - Three in a row for the team from Westwood. The Trojans are off there sanctions but still don't have the depth they need. Coach Sarkisian may be coaching for his job after his pre-season drunken show. UCLA wins a close one. If they blow out the Trojans, look for Sark to be fired shortly after. 9-3

Week 9 Picks

A week off last week, 3-2-1, the week before, moving the season record to 12-10-2. This weekend should knock a few more teams out of the running for one of the playoff spots. On to the picks.

Clemson at Boston College Over 45 - The Tigers can score a few points. The Eagles can score a few as well. Neither team has been awe-inspiring on defense. Combined, they should be able to score/give up three touchdowns each and someone will have to get one more.

Marshall -22 at Florida International - Marshall is still rolling and moved up to #25 this past week and knows they have to keep it going if they want to be the representative from the Other 5 conference in the New Year's games. The Thundering Herd has been deadly in the first half and should get up big on the Golden Panthers. Marshall moves to 7-0, and if you can get them in the first half at -14 or less, jump on it as well.

UCLA -7 at Cal - The Bruins have not looked good the last two weeks, losing to Utah and Oregon at home. Now they go on the road to a place they haven't won at since 1998 and the last five games in Berkeley have been double-digit losses. UCLA has to be ornery after the last couple games and the sideline spat between their head coach and defensive coordinator last weekend. While the Bears are 4-2 right now, they haven't beaten anyone with a winning record. The Bruins take out the frustrations of the last couple weeks on Cal and have this one locked up by the third quarter.

at Northern Illinois -13.5 Miami (OH) - Another team coming off a rough weekend, losing to Central Michigan at home and ending a number of winning streaks that they had going on (home field, MAC, etc.). Expect the Huskies to be locked in and to rip the 1-6 Redhawks apart.

Missouri +5.5 at Florida - The Gators are a mess and are looking at a two quarterback system this Saturday. The Tigers were awful last week, getting shutout by Georgia 34-0 at home and Maty Mauk being a turnover machine. He can't be that bad two weeks in a row and Florida will be pushed to win this game by more than a touchdown. Missouri covers and might even sprinkle a little on the money line for the Tigers to win outright.

Western Kentucky -4.5 at Florida Atlantic - The Hilltoppers have been putting points on everyone this season...unfortunately for them, they've been giving up even more. Meanwhile, the Owls have only gotten past 21 points once this season. Western Kentucky should be able to lay it on FAU and still think about making a bowl game.

Michigan State -16.5 at Indiana - The Spartans allowed a late cover two weeks ago against Nebraska and were less than impressive against Purdue last week. The door has been opened for them to get back into the playoffs and smoking the Hoosiers this weekend will help keep them in the Playoff Committee's minds (though they should still be ranked lower than Oregon...when you lose head-to-head, you should be lower). Sparty rolls.

Week 6 Picks

Went 3-2-1 last week (thanks Bowling Green for giving up a late TD to UMass and turning a win to a tie). Season record moved above .500, 9-8-1. Just quick ones today.

at Tennessee -2.5 Florida - Tennessee has looked fairly good. Florida QB Jeff Driskel still seems terrible. Vols at home.

Alabama -4.5 at Mississippi - Gameday will be fun for Ole Miss but then then they have to go play a game against the team that's been the best in college football over the last five years. Tide rolls.

Baylor -15 at Texas - Texas players shouldn't be running their mouths when they're not very good. Bears stomp them again.

at Auburn -7.5 LSU - These games tend to be close but Auburn seems to be too much for LSU's young defense. Auburn wins it going away.

Pitt +5 at Virginia - The Panthers can't be as bad as they looked against Akron last week. Virginia can play defense but the offense is still suspect. Pitt covers and probably wins the game.

at Oklahoma State -16.5 Iowa State - The Cowboys have only lost to Florida State in the opener and have scored on everybody. The Cyclones have only beaten Iowa (and the Big Ten is not very good this year) and give up points to good teams. Cowboys will get to at least 40 today and win easily.

Week 5 Picks

Random musings from the past week...

Why don't teams line up under center when they have less than a yard to go? You don't have to take every snap from the shotgun and it just seems like you put yourself at a disadvantage starting 4 to 7 yards deep to gain that one yard. Clemson, you were a shining example of how not to gain less than a yard multiple times last week against Florida State, including a snap over your head at the goal line that probably cost you a victory. But Clemson wasn't the only one, as multiple teams have failed to convert short distance by starting in the shotgun.

If UCLA plays like they did in the 2nd and 3rd quarters last night against Arizona State, no one is going to beat them this year. Down 17-6 and then outscore the Sun Devils 42-3 over the next 22 minutes. Offense, defense and special teams. Best performance on all sides of the ball by a team I've seen this year for a sustained period.

Current Final Four (in alphabetical order): Alabama (defense not up to Nick Saban standards yet, but the Lane Kiffin offense is humming), Oklahoma (offense and defense are hammering opponents), Oregon (the seven sacks allowed last week against Washington State are a concern, but as long as Marcus Mariota is healthy, the Ducks will roll) and UCLA (as long as they continue to do what they did to Arizona State).

Outside looking in: Texas A&M (who have they beaten? South Carolina's defense isn't very good.), Florida State (not nearly as dominant as last year), Baylor (the Bears will get their chance to move in when they get into Big 12 play) and Nebraska (someone from the Big Ten has to be in the discussion. Michigan State, you'll get in the discussion if you don't lose again.)

Dumpster Fire Four: SMU (lone offensive touchdown on a Hail Mary at the end of a game they lost 43-6 to North Texas), Connecticut (offense is anemic and lone win is 19-16 over Stony Brook), Massachusetts (you know you're horrible when the MAC has asked you to leave), Vanderbilt (their only win was holding off Massachusetts...see above) and UNLV (only win a 13-12 victory over Northern Colorado).


3-2 last week on the picks, taking the season record to 6-6. Time to get above .500.

TCU -32 at SMU - The Mustangs can't score, averaging 4 points per game. The Horned Frogs have the defense to potentially pitch the shutout and the offense will get their work in and get their points. TCU wins by at least 37.

Maryland +4 at Indiana - The Hoosiers had a big upset win last week against Missouri. The Terps blasted Syracuse. Here's thinking Indiana is still suffering from a hangover win, the Terps keep it close and might even win this straight up.

at Penn State -11 vs Northwestern - Northwestern has been a mess since the middle of last year. Penn State is unbeaten and unbelievably could be the Big Ten champion if they keep winning. The dream will stay alive this week as the Nittany Lions go to 5-0.

Bowling Green -5 at Massachusetts - The Minutemen are terrible. Bowling Green isn't great, but they should be able to beat UMass by more than five.

Iowa -9 at Purdue - This one's tough. Iowa has been way, way overrated for a number of years. Purdue is really, really bad. The Hawkeyes might still be reveling in the fact that they beat another Power 5 conference team last week and come out flat, but the Boilermakers defense is nearly non-existent and the offense isn't much better. Iowa gets it done...barely.

Baylor -21.5 at Iowa State - Baylor has picked up right where they left off last regular season, destroying opponents in the first 30 minutes and coasting to victory. The offense takes a little dip when they go on the road, but three touchdowns shouldn't be a problem. The Bears by 30 plus.