Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper looks up at the video board in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Elephant in UCLA's Room Isn't What You'd Expect

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Ever since Tim Skipper took over interim head coaching duties and brought the UCLA Bruins from a 0-4 start to 3-5 and 3-2 in Big Ten play, there's been a looming question hanging over the heads of everyone in the locker room.

Can the Bruins complete a turnaround and make a bowl game?

The odds are slim, but Skipper has had his back against the wall all season. After UCLA's abysmal 17-14 loss to Northwestern in Week 5, the prospect of a 0-12 season was growing more likely by the day. How did they respond? By upsetting No. 7 Penn State the very next week.

It's hard to count Skipper and UCLA out just yet, but the road ahead may be too tough for even the biggest of Cinderella stories to overcome. The Bruins have a daunting remaining schedule. After Nebraska at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, UCLA plays at No. 1 Ohio State, vs. No. 23 Washington and at No. 19 USC.

Skipper Addresses 'Elephant in the Room'

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It's easy to get caught up on the prospect of the future, but Skipper let it be known once again that he's only focused on the "now" during his weekly appearance on the Bruin Insider Show.

"I mean, it's kind of the elephant in the room," Skipper said of making a bowl game. "The big picture for me is always-- everybody knows the big picture. The small, 'What do we need to do now?' is what we need to always harp on. I'm that guy. I'm into the little things, I'm into the details, I'm into the fundamentals...

"I'm more in that world. Every single person on the team; coach, whatever, support staff, knows the big picture. So, it's out there. It's there, but if we don't take care of today, we'll never get to tomorrow."

UCLA's Road Ahead

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The Bruins have a unique challenge ahead of them at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. A hobbled Nebraska team is coming in without star quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is out for the remainder of the season with a broken fibula.

True freshman signal-caller TJ Lateef is making his first career start. And while people may be licking their chops at the thought of a raw quarterback making his first start, Skipper feels it's a pretty unknown challenge.

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Mix that with the fact that the Bruins are playing against the best running back they've played all season -- thousand-yard rusher Emmett Johnson -- and Saturday's Rose Bowl clash is just another important game on the schedule.

The Bruins are just two losses away from losing bowl eligibility, which means they can't afford to lose a toss-up game against the Huskers.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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