Following the win over Oregon on Saturday for the UCLA Bruins and UCLA slotting in at No. 12 in this week’s polls, it’s safe to say that this has been the dream start for Bob Chesney’s tenure with the Bruins.
While it’s a dream for UCLA, not everyone feels that way. Trojans Wire writer Matt Zemek explained why Chesney’s success is actually a nightmare for USC football. USC just watched UCLA beat an Oregon team that they lost to, leading to the Bruins leaping over USC in the rankings.
“USC football is trying to do something it has not yet done: Make the College Football Playoff. Guess what? The UCLA Bruins might get to the playoff before USC does. It’s awful and horrible, but it’s true: UCLA is unbeaten after beating Oregon and Dan Lanning in Autzen Stadium. First-year UCLA coach Bob Chesney has the Bruins on track to make the playoff before Lincoln Riley and USC do,” Zemek wrote. “USC will need to win two of three from Ohio State, Indiana, and Chesney’s UCLA to make the playoff (in addition to beating Wisconsin and Maryland). How confident are you that the Trojans can pull that off?”
UCLA’s schedule down the stretch is tenable, with the most challenging games remaining being USC, Minnesota and Michigan. 10-2 is certainly a possibility for the Bruins and it’d likely be good enough to get UCLA into the playoffs.
If UCLA can make the dance, it’d be the second-straight year in the playoffs for Chesney, who’d be doing it with two different teams. It’d be quite the feat for the 49-year old Chesney, who’s quickly proving to be one of the top coaches in the country.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Will UCLA football make the CFP before the USC Trojans?