Many outlets had UCLA picked to finish dead last in the Big Ten in their first year in the conference. The Bruins were in a major transition following the departure of Chip Kelly and plenty of roster overhaul. They did manage to exceed expectations though with a 5-7 season, and three victories in Big Ten play.
The season did get off to a rough start, as a narrow victory over Hawaii in week one was followed by a six-game losing streak. Despite the losses piling up, it was easy to see that the Bruins were a hard-nosed team that played with maximum effort.