UCLA vs. Colorado gameday predictions

UCLA hosts Colorado Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins are fresh off a 40-24 win over the Cal Golden Bears, returning to the AP Poll at No. 24. The Buffaloes have lost four games in a row to the Bruins, and they sit at the bottom of the Pac-12 South standings.

Here’s what Daily Bruin Sports predicts before Saturday’s noon kickoff.

Claire Fahy, sports editor
UCLA 56, Colorado 28

The Buffs have never posed much threat to the Bruins, and this year is no different. UCLA is 8-2 against Colorado and has won four-straight since 2011. That being said, the Buffs shocked the Bruins last season by forcing double overtime and just barely losing 40-37. If UCLA plays the way it did last week against Cal, however, it should have no issue overcoming the Pac-12 South’s worst team. With the level of consistency the Bruins showcased last week, there should also be no threat of yet another close call. I say UCLA takes this one – easily.

Tanner Walters, assistant sports editor
UCLA 45, Colorado 14

The No. 24 Bruins snuck into last week’s AP Poll, but their game against the Buffs this weekend shouldn’t need to be too sneaky. Since entering the Pac-12 in 2011, Colorado has dropped four games in a row to UCLA, and – besides a rare conference win over Oregon State last week – nothing about the Buffs’ 2015 season seems to signal that Saturday will be a change from that pattern. Pretty much every UCLA fan is predicting a blowout this weekend, and I’m going to stick with the majority. The Bruin offense is red hot. I’m convinced.

Korbin Placet, assistant sports editor
UCLA 45, Colorado 21

It is hard to get a sense of just how good the Pac-12 really is. Should Utah have been ranked No. 3 in the country last week? What about Cal? Were they really a top-20 team? I think it is even hard to say UCLA is a top-25 team. Or maybe the Pac-12 is just so good and there is so much parity in the conference that it should have been expected that no team would go undefeated. If anything is true, it is that the Pac-12 is chaotic. I don’t see the Bruins dropping a game to the Buffs, but also it wouldn’t surprise me given the amount of injuries and inconsistent play from the offense and defense.

Matt Cummings, assistant sports editor
UCLA 49, Colorado 17

I see what you did there, scheduling committee. This is the type of easy matchup designed to generate a win on Homecoming weekend. It should work. The Colorado defense is weak against the run, which is not exactly ideal against UCLA. Colorado wide receiver Nelson Spruce poses a threat but redshirt sophomore cornerback John Johnson and the UCLA secondary have shown improvements recently. The Bruins will delight a crowd full of parents and alumni with a satisfactory stomping of the Buffaloes.