What is UCLA's Path to a Bowl Game?

UCLA's first season in the Big Ten Conference as much a success as it was a failure.

Finishing DeShaun Foster's first season with the Bruins with a 5-7 overall record, UCLA showed promise for the better part of the second half of the season after a pretty slow first half.

Foster not only has a full offseason to build a foundation and consistency with his program, he has a new cornerstone player under center, Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava.

Not to mention, UCLA's 2024 schedule was among the toughest in college football and its 2025 schedule projects to be relatively easier than last seasons.

So, how do the Bruins improve in their second year in the Big Ten? Well, the first goal is to make a bowl game. Considering that, let's take a look at UCLA's schedule and how it can make a bowl game this season.

The Should-Wins

The Bruins pretty much have two games on their schedule that they should win -- week three against New Mexico and week five against Northwestern.

UCLA should be going into each of those games as favorites and the sign that any team is not only going to make a bowl game, but should be taken seriously as a competitor is winning the games they are supposed to win.

Their matchups at home against the Lobos and away against the Wildcats are a good early indicator of whether or not the Bruins will be a more serious program than last season. And, most importantly, get them four wins away from a bowl game.

The Toss-Ups

Next comes the games that UCLA won't necessarily be favored in, but should have a chance at winning off sheer talent ceiling. These games include Aug. 30 against Utah, Sep. 6 against UNLV, Oct. 11 against Michigan State, Oct. 18 against Maryland, Oct. 25 against Indiana and Nov. 22 against Washington

While conference games will reign supreme, their non-conference games against the Utes and Rebels will be supremely important. If the Bruins are able to upset Utah (Utes are favored by 3.5 points going in) and handle business against UNLV, coupling those results with the likely wins against New Mexico and Northwestern would mean UCLA starts 4-0.

That should be the goal.

The Bruins would then be just two wins away from a bowl game bid ahead of conference play. Of the other four opponents listed in this toss-up section, UCLA is projected to be better than two of them, according to ESPN's FPI ranking ahead of the season -- Maryland and Michigan State.

ESPN's FPI rankings also arguably underrated UCLA's potential as a squad, ranking them 13th in the conference. Washington and Indiana are ranked seventh and eighth. Wins against those two teams may even boost the Bruins into another realm of contention.

If you were to give UCLA wins against the teams listed in the "Should-Wins" sections and said they probably lost one of the toss-ups and the other four games on their schedule (vs Penn State, vs Nebraska, at Ohio State and at USC), the Bruins would finish the season with a 7-5 record.

That result would be a massive upgrade to last season considering the strength of the Big Ten overall.

Can Foster and Iamaleava turn UCLA's program around even the slightest next season? We'll soon see.