Chip Kelly's seat is due for its annual temperature check. In three seasons as UCLA's head coach, he's led the team to 12 wins in 32 games, causing fans to wonder whether the program is actually trending in the right direction.
But concerns about the Bruins' rebuilding process should be brushed aside, according to Pac-12 Network analyst Yogi Roth. He believes that Kelly has a roster capable of earning a bowl berth this winter.
"I'm bullish on this team... I think they're going to be really good," Roth told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "They've got a brutal schedule, probably the most challenging out of any of the other three top teams in the [Pac-12] South -- USC, Utah, and Arizona State. But the team that wins is a team that usually commits the least amount of unforced errors. I think that's UCLA...
"I'm bullish on them. I think they'll have a chance to get to eight, nine, maybe 10 wins this season. I don't think they'll go perfect all year long -- I think the conference is too challenging. I think they've built a little too slow for most Bruins fans and most fans in general. But yeah, I think Chip is going to be in Westwood for a little while."
UCLA won its regular season opener in convincing fashion this past weekend, scoring 24 first-quarter points en route to a 44-10 drubbing of Hawaii. Bruins running back Zach Charbonnet rushed for 106 yards with three touchdowns, and the offense scored on its first five possessions. The win also snapped UCLA's eight-game losing skid to nonconference teams, dating back to 2017.
The Bruins will host No. 16 LSU in a marquee Week 2 matchup this Saturday in Pasadena. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, UCLA currently has the sixth-best odds (+1200) to win the Pac-12 title.
The entire Pac-12 conversation between Roth and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.