Bob Chesney has UCLA playing like a legitimate national title contender

UCLA’s dream 2026 college football season continued on Saturday.

The Bruins are now 8-0 for the first time since 2005 and one of three unbeaten FBS teams after a 27-0 win over Nevada on Saturday. It was a dominant win in all three phases, and it started with quarterback Ty Dieffenbach.

MORE: ESPN ‘College GameDay’ location announced for Week 10

Dieffenbach had a great game, throwing for 178 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown. On defense, the Bruins didn’t let the Wolf Pack get anything going. They limited them in both the run and pass game.

Along with the 8-0 start, ESPN Insights says the Bruins have a 53% chance of making this year’s College Football Playoff. Their odds were at 1% at the start of the season.

UCLA improves to 8-0 for the first time since 2005 and is now 1 of 3 unbeaten FBS teams remaining along with Utah and Miami 💯
The Bruins now have a 53% chance to make the CFP according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor after opening the season at just 1% ! pic.twitter.com/iIuTsqjNue

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 31, 2026

A favorable schedule down the stretch

Chesney has done a remarkable job with the team this year and has the program set up to make a run going into December and maybe even January.

UCLA’s last four games are against Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, and USC, all teams that are currently unranked. Now, UCLA still has to win those games, but the team is set up to play in the Big Ten title game and the CFP if it takes care of business.

UCLA will play Minnesota on Nov. 7. A kickoff time has yet to be determined.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —