Initial CFP Rankings Underscore Just How Tough UCLA’s Schedule Is

The odds may have just been stacked against the UCLA Bruins all along.

Going into the season, the goal in Westwood was to make a bowl game at minimum, which meant a one game improvement on last season’s 5-7 record. After a 0-4 start, that goal seemed impossible, but interim coach Tim Skipper notched three-straight wins and the Bruins are just two losses away from losing bowl eligibility with four games remaining.

It’s certainly not impossible, but if the initial College Football Playoff rankings are any indication, UCLA was doomed from the start. The committee released its first round of rankings on Tuesday and if the CFP started today, the Bruins will have played five Top 25 opponents this season.

Let’s go through the rankings and see where UCLA’s past and future 2025 opponents sit in the first CFP Top 25 rankings.

The Buckeyes took the title of the best team in the nation after beating the initially top-ranked Texas Longhorns to open the season and haven’t looked back. An undefeated season is expected out of Ohio State with four games remaining.

Just two weeks after a thrashing 56-6 loss to No. 2 Indiana, UCLA plays its best opponent of the season on the road again. ESPN Analytics gives the Bruins a 1.6% chance to win the game. A Loss against Nebraska this week means a likely loss against Ohio State puts the Bruins out of bowl game contention.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) celebrates during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 1, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers are one of the biggest stories of the college football season, rising all the way to No. 2 in the nation and cementing Cignetti’s name as one of the best program builders in the sport.

The Hoosiers thrashed UCLA, 56-6, last week and gave Skipper, Jerry Neuheisel and the Cinderella Bruins a reminder of their spot in the pecking order. Indiana is well on its way to completing a rebuild and securing a No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Indiana’s Dominique Ratcliff (91) pressures UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava (9) during the Indiana versus UCLA football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kyle Whittingham and his Utes started the season unranked but have been a mainstay since dominating the Bruins 43-10 to open the season. Utah’s offense exposed much of UCLA’s glaring defensive issues to start the season and immediately gave DeShaun Foster a reality check.

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Utah Utes safety Tao Johnson (5) moves in against UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) during the first half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Trojans are yet another conference opponent ranked within the Top 20 of the CFP rankings. The Bruins end the season against their crosstown rivals and there is a very bleak scenario in which USC is competing for a Big Ten title bid and UCLA is one win away from bowl eligibility.

Although the storylines would be epic, the scenario is very unlikely.

Nov 1, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) looks to pass against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Washington has been a slow-rising monster on UCLA’s schedule despite coming into the season projected by many to be worse than the Bruins. Following a dominant win over No. 23 Illinois in Week 9 and a bye in Week 10, the Huskies are into the Top 25.

The Bruins host Washington on Saturday, Nov. 22, a week after going on the road against the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes. Depending on how UCLA’s next two games go against Nebraska and Ohio State, the Bruins may not be playing for much more than pride in Week 13 in the Rose Bowl.

Oct 18, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) passes in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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