Is college football in Southern California on the up-and-up?
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As we enter into the 2026 college football season, things are looking pretty exciting in Southern California. The UCLA Bruins are hoping that new head coach Bob Chesney will put the program back on track for the years to come.
Beyond UCLA, the USC Trojans enter the year with legitimate expectations of appearing in their first-ever College Football Playoffs and even San Diego State heads into the season with a chance to compete for a conference title in the new-look Pac-12 Conference.
While the Big Ten Conference and the new Pac-12 aren’t necessarily an even comparison, there’s a good chance that all three programs have winning seasons in 2026. While USC is a near lock for a winning campaign with Jayden Maiava at quarterback, can UCLA join them? Trojans Wire writer Matt Zemek believes so.
“Yes, both USC and UCLA will have winning records in 2026. I see UCLA beating San Diego State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Maryland, Michigan State and Nevada for sure. That's six wins. The Bruins just need one win in their other six games to reach 7-5. Cal is a possibility. So is Minnesota on the road. So is Illinois at home. USC isn't likely but wouldn't be out of the question by any means. It's not a rough schedule. UCLA doesn't play Indiana, Ohio State, or Penn State,” Zemek said. “It's a very manageable schedule in Year 1 of the Bob Chesney era. The Bruins will probably find a seventh win somewhere, I'm just not sure which game will put the Bruins over the top. USC should have a winning season. If the Trojans don't, Lincoln Riley will be an offensive coordinator next year. I doubt he would accept a Group of Five head coaching job.”
The real winner is the college football fans in SoCal, who will have the chance to watch some high-level football this fall.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Is college football in Southern California on the up-and-up?
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