No. 10 Georgia | No. 12 Notre Dame | Top 25
No. 11: UCLA
Last Season: 10-3(6-3 Pac-12)
Will fresh face be UCLA's QB answer?
Brett Hundley is gone. The dynamic quarterback is now a Green Bay Packer, despite cries by many that he should have stayed in Westwood for one more year. Had he chosen to stick around, Jim Mora, the coach who arrived in 2012, just in time for Hundley's first year of action, would have spent his offseason fielding questions about UCLA's conference title since 1998. Instead, he finds himself in the middle of one of college football's most intriguing quarterback controversies, one with a foot in the program's past and another in the Bruins' future. The legacy pick would be Jerry Neuheisel, a junior and son of Rick Neuheisel, the former UCLA QB and head coach-turned TV analyst. His football smarts came built-in and he also has appeared in 10 games subbing for Hundley. The prodigy pick would be Josh Rosen, the much ballyhooed freshman who looks and talks much older than his 18 years. No matter who gets the nod, he'll also need to watch his back, lest he end up on it. Neither is the dual-threat that Hundley was. And we'll likely find out quick if they are as tough. He was sacked 41 times in 2014. Come to think of it, maybe that's why he left. -- Ryan McGee
Good news for the folks in Westwood: Jim Mora has methodically built UCLA into a perennial contender-and this could be his best squad yet. The Bruins lead the Pac-12 with 18 returning starters in '15, six of whom earn nods on my all-conference first team, most in the league. UCLA also rates top-four in eight of my nine Pac-12 unit rankings, including the No. 2 set of RBs (Paul Perkins, 6.3 ypc) and receivers (Jordan Payton, seven TDs). The lone exception is at QB. Three-year starter Brett Hundley is off to the NFL, and true frosh Josh Rosen looks poised to win the starting job. At least the newbie will have time to work out the kinks: I project the Bruins as 'dogs at Stanford (+6) and at USC (also +6), but those road trips aren't until Week 7 and 13, respectively.
IN IF...
Play in the trenches improves. The O-line paved the way for Perkins (121.2 ypg, tops in the Pac-12 last year) but left its quarterback out to dry (41 sacks allowed, fourth most in the Power 5).
OUT IF...
UCLA can't protect its house. The Bruins won 10 games last year, but all three L's came in the Rose Bowl. That won't cut it with their tougher '15 road slate (at Arizona, Stanford, Utah and USC).
UCLA's chances to win each game
09.05 vs. Virginia: 92.2%
09.12 @ UNLV: 98.9%
09.19 vs. BYU: 85.4%
09.26 @ Arizona: 62.9%
10.03 vs. Arizona State: 69.8%
10.15 @ Stanford: 49.1%
10.22 vs California: 79.6%
10.31 vs. Colorado: 92.4%
11.07 @ Oregon State: 89.1%
11.14 vs. Washington State: 90.7%
11.21 @ Utah: 67.6%
11.28 @ USC: 42.6%*
*BROCK HUARD, ESPN analyst: USC will wish it drew UCLA earlier in '15 -- well before OC Noel Mazzone gets a season's worth of work with his new QB. This feels closer to a toss-up, and as winners of three straight (by 16.3 ppg), UCLA gets the psychological leg up.
SHARON KATZ, ESPN Stats & Info: UCLA and USC are evenly matched rivals, with nearly identical FPI ratings. But seasoned QB COdy Kessler and a "road" game for UCLA give the Trojans the edge.
The Bruins benefit from missing Oregon this year, but they'll still have to navigate the brutal Pac-12 South. They are stacked at almost every position except the most important one: quarterback. Should freshman Josh Rosen win the job, he'll have a mediocre nonconference schedule to prepare for league play. With what should be the best top-to-bottom defense in the league, I don't think 11-1 is unrealistic. -- Kevin Gemmell
Inexperience at QB will force the Bruins to rely on their defense this season while running back Paul Perkins puts the brunt of the offense on his shoulders. UCLA's 9-3 record will give fans something to be hopeful about for the future. -- Chantel Jennings
Yes, UCLA returns a stockpile of talent on both sides of the ball. But they are expected to start a true freshman (Josh Rosen) at quarterback, and there are inevitable growing pains associated with that endeavor. The Pac-12 South is no forgiving landscape, and it isn't difficult to see four losses on the schedule, so 8-4 is the best bet here. -- David Lombardi
UCLA's only big question is at quarterback, where touted true freshman Josh Rosen is expected to emerge as the starter. The Bruins are rugged at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, which bodes well for the brutal South Division grind. They could emerge fairly unscathed at 10-2. -- Ted Miller
No. 10 Georgia | No. 12 Notre Dame | Top 25
