UCLA moves to no. 9 in AP Poll after defeating Wisconsin

LOS ANGELES – The meteoric rise of the UCLA Bruins under head coach Bob Chesney has reached a new height. 

Per the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll, the Bruins have been elevated to No. 9 in the nation after taking down Big Ten rival Wisconsin 17-7 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, led by new starting quarterback senior Ty Dieffenbach. It’s the first time that UCLA has been ranked in the top 10 since 2022 and now they move toward the goal of finishing the season ranked within the Top 10 for the first time since 2014.

UCLA’s rapid rise within the rankings was helped by the pandemonium that was college football on Saturday, where five of the top eight ranked teams from last week’s poll were defeated in upsets, and even a team like now-No. 1 Miami barely beat their own opponent, Florida State, in overtime. 

This new ascension for the Bruins is but another step toward re-legitimizing the program since Chesney took the UCLA job ahead of this season. UCLA is now 6-0 and even if their overall schedule has been decried as easier than most, they’ve now defeated two tough Big Ten teams in Oregon and Wisconsin in back-to-back games. 

Looking ahead at the rest of the schedule, the Bruins face relatively few threats, save for rival USC at the end of the season. 

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Bob Chesney of the UCLA Bruins during the game against Wisconsin Badgers at Rose Bowl Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Pasadena, California.

Bob Chesney of the UCLA Bruins during the game against Wisconsin Badgers at Rose Bowl Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Pasadena, California.

After UCLA’s 3-9 finish last season that was marked by the firing of head coach DeShaun Foster and both offensive and defensive coordinators, UCLA’s status as a program was in severe jeopardy.

Then came Chesney, and a whole host of talented players in the transfer portal after him, including many players from Chesney’s former program James Madison University like standout senior running back Wayne Knight. That surge of new and returning players have helped transform UCLA on both sides of the ball and as a culture as a whole.

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UCLA Bruins offense and Cal Golden Bears defense at the line of scrimmage before an extra point attempt during the game at California Memorial Stadium on September 5, 2026 in Berkeley, California.

UCLA Bruins offense and Cal Golden Bears defense at the line of scrimmage before an extra point attempt during the game at California Memorial Stadium on September 5, 2026 in Berkeley, California.

The team is connected. They’re talented. They’re ride-or-dies for their head coach. Now, they’re a Top 10 team and the darlings of the college football world. 

Even with this newfound endorsement of their talent, there’s still more work to do. These Bruins have been adamant that they don’t concern themselves with rankings, numbers and outside noise, be it positive or negative. 

They have loftier goals ahead of them, starting with winning a Big Ten championship that looks remarkably within reach. 

UCLA is a Top 10 team, yes, but the job’s not finished.