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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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UCLA continued its hot start to the 2026 college football season on Saturday, beating Michigan State 28-10 at the Rose Bowl to improve to 7-0 for the first time since 2005.
The Bruins initially fell behind after an early fumble and Spartans touchdown, but they responded with 28 unanswered points. UCLA finished with 245 rushing yards as a team, and held Michigan State's entire offense to just 156 total yards.
UCLA's win makes them just one of three remaining undefeated teams in the FBS, alongside Miami and Utah, and they're now the only remaining unbeaten team in the Big Ten. But it still hasn't done enough to convince everybody they're legitimate national championship contenders, notably CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden.
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"[UCLA] reminds me of a rapper who raps with no substance in his lyrics," McFadden said. "I'm not saying I'm not impressed. But I'm saying in terms of substance there's some things lacking ... Where have they really been tested? I don't think they're built right now to be extremely competitive in a first-round playoff game."
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UCLA's 7-0 start is impressive, particularly considering the team has kept its winning streak alive without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who's gone with a season-ending knee injury. Its biggest win came on the road at then-No. 13 Oregon, where the Bruins escaped with a 17-15 win. They also beat Wisconsin 17-7 and dominated Maryland 54-3.
That, on paper, has given them a strong College Football Playoff resume. But Oregon also didn't have its starting quarterback Dante Moore that game, and suddenly finds itself 4-3 on the season, while Maryland is 2-5 and hasn't won a game since Week 2 against UConn. They also just fired their head coach Mike Locksley, adding to a disappointing season.
None of that takes away from what the Bruins have done, but it could matter to the playoff committee, especially if UCLA can't continue its winning streak.
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UCLA next hosts Nevada, then they'll go to Minnesota, face Illinois at home, travel to Michigan, and host USC to close out the regular season. Michigan and USC would be key wins for Bob Chesney's Bruins, but Minnesota can't be slept on either after taking out No. 15 Iowa. Illinois also just beat Oregon 21-10.
UCLA has a good chance of making the CFP as things stand. An undefeated Big Ten record would be difficult to ignore, and even an 11-1 finish should keep them in contention. But the easy schedule does hurt their margin for error, and a loss to an unranked opponent could be costly.
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