UCLA football isn’t going anywhere, remaining one of the three NCAA Division I FBS college football teams left.

The Miami Hurricanes and the Utah Utes are the other two undefeated teams.

The 8-0 start for the Bruins is their best since the 2005 season. 

Coach Bob Chesney and the Bruins' success have led to a continued climb up the US LBM Coaches Poll. UCLA was ranked No. 5 when the latest rankings were released Sunday, Nov. 1.

It is the highest ranking for the Bruins since the 2014 preseason poll, not including the progress made this season.

UCLA earned an improved 8-0 this season after a 27-0 non-conference victory over Nevada at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 31.

It has been a significant turnaround for the Bruins, who have drawn comparisons to the 2024 Indiana Hoosiers, who finished 11-2 and made the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers won the national title the following season after a 16-0 season.

There have been 229 FBS teams to start a season with eight straight wins since 1981, but only two of them had three or fewer wins the prior season (with a minimum of 10 games), according to OptaStats.

Those two teams are UCLA and Indiana. The Bruins had three wins in 2025 and the Hoosiers had three wins in 2023.

When will UCLA be ranked in College Football Playoff?

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The CFP rankings make up the official standings for the College Football Playoff. It started in 2014.

The Bruins were ranked as high as eighth during the inaugural season. The university also was ranked during the 2015, 2022 and 2023 seasons, but never returned to the top 10.