The UCLA Bruins football program debuting in the Big Ten Conference could be a home run or a disaster in DeShaun Foster’s first year as head coach.
Cody Nagel of 247Sports mentioned the toughest non-conference game for each Big Ten Conference team for the upcoming 2024 season. And, there is no surprise which game UCLA had: It’s against Brian Kelly.
Toughest non-conference game: at LSU, Sept. 21
This could have been the “Kelly Bowl” had Chip Kelly not left UCLA to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Nonetheless, the Bruins face a tough non-conference matchup at LSU in Week 4. It is the second of three road games UCLA has before mid-October this season. The Bruins, led by new head coach DeShaun Foster, take on Brian Kelly and the Tigers between two early Big Ten matchups in September. UCLA won the first of the home-and-home series against LSU, 38-27, back in 2021 at the Rose Bowl.
The Bruins go into LSU in September, which could set the tone for the rest of the year. If they play well — or get an upset– watch out.