UCLA Coaches Ignore CFP Ranking Drop
Bob Chesney downplays the committee's placement of the undefeated Bruins at No. 8, citing the team's internal focus ahead of a difficult late-season schedule.
By Allison Rojas ·
UCLA head coach Bob Chesney stated on Tuesday that his team will not let its No. 8 position in the first College Football Playoff rankings dictate its approach for the remainder of the 2026 season. The Bruins enter the week as an undefeated team, a status that places them three spots lower than their standing in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The CFP committee positioned UCLA behind Indiana, Texas, and Alabama despite the Bruins holding a perfect 8-0 record. Indiana, a fellow Big Ten member, owns one loss, while Texas and Alabama are two-loss SEC teams. The committee also placed Utah at No. 3, a team that shares an undefeated record with UCLA but has played a weaker schedule.
Chesney emphasized that arbitrary metrics do not define the program's identity. He noted that the score at halftime and a team's record entering November are the two most meaningless statistics in college sports. He reiterated that the Bruins have operated without concern for external measurements since receiving a ranking after Week 4.
The committee cited strength of schedule as a differentiating factor. ESPN FPI ranks UCLA's schedule 77th, while Indiana's is 31st, Texas' is 9th, and Alabama's is 7th. Hunter Yurachek, the CFP committee chair, explained that Utah was ranked higher because of its balanced offensive output and defensive performance, which the evaluators preferred over UCLA's recent results.
Other programs also saw drops in the initial release. No. 12 Ohio State fell eight spots behind Indiana, and No. 11 Notre Dame dropped seven spots from its AP rank. No. 9 BYU suffered due to an upset loss at UCF, while No. 2 Georgia avoided a major penalty despite a loss at Auburn.
UCLA's defense currently ranks fifth in the FBS in points allowed, conceding 13.4 per game, and leads the nation in turnovers forced with 26. The rushing attack sits 15th in the FBS with 219.5 yards per game. Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach must maintain a consistent passing game to satisfy the committee's evaluation of the quarterback's watchability.
The Bruins face a challenging stretch of games, starting with a Saturday matchup at Minnesota. Their remaining schedule includes Illinois, Michigan, and No. 20 USC. If the season ended today, UCLA would play No. 9 BYU in the first round of the playoff at the Rose Bowl.
Chesney will not address local media until after the Minnesota game. He instructed his players to focus on the factors that led to their undefeated status rather than the opinions of the selection committee. The coach described the current ranking as irrelevant to the team's daily operations.
