This post was updated Aug. 25 at 9:21 p.m.

Buzz around UCLA football is arguably at an all-time high. Following an overhaul in almost all departments, the squad is gearing up for its first game as a Big Ten member against Hawai’i on Aug. 31 in Honolulu. Here are the opening week predictions from Sports editor Ira Gorawara and assistant Sports editors Una O’Farrell and Sabrina Messiha – along with a guest prediction from senior staff writer Shiv Patel.

Ira Gorawara
Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 28, Hawai’i 13

Clarence T.C. Ching Complex could pass for a high school field.

And its tenants are as tough to find on the map of relevance.

There was once a time when June Jones had Hawai’i racking up 10-plus win seasons and making bowl games a regular affair.

Gone is that era for the Rainbow Warriors.

Don’t get me wrong, coach Timmy Chang has the tools to steer the team out of the Mountain West’s cellar, but a return to significance is a few seasons out.

UCLA, meanwhile, is on the brink of affirming its place in college football.

And, yes, that sparks the argument that the Bruins are deep in a period of transition, with nothing on paper to validate the much-discussed mettle of coach DeShaun Foster and associate head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

But with unprecedented energy within and around UCLA football and a completely overhauled team culture, hopes remain high in Westwood.

Granted, Hawai’i has the edge in experience and returning firepower, but that’s not enough to rattle a Bruin squad hungry to make a mark.

And considering the grueling nature of the team’s 2024 slate, a season opener in Honolulu shouldn’t be a bad way to kick things off.

But that’s all contingent on avoiding a shocking defeat come Aug. 31.

Una O’Farrell
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 24, Hawai’i 7

As much as I love UCLA, I’ve always hated the quarter system.

It has meant anxiously absorbing a semester’s worth of content in 10 weeks and overlapping my summer with my friends’ for hardly two months.

And while it may sometimes infuriate me, UCLA’s later start in the fall may be what tips the scale in the team’s favor against Hawai’i.

The Bruins are going the distance this year, both figuratively and literally. Having its first three matchups of the season before the academic year begins – a luxury all of its opponents lack – could be the edge the team will need.

And with a packed lineup of Big Ten titans such as Oregon and Penn State awaiting it later in the season, UCLA will need to monopolize on duels against relatively unintimidating teams like Hawai’i, which sat at the bottom half of Mountain West rankings in 2023.

It’ll be a year of adjustments for UCLA. A new season, new coach and new conference provide a blank slate for the Bruins to pen a novel of their own.

But while its inaugural year in the Big Ten offers an opportunity for success, there’s just as much of a chance for UCLA to falter.

Despite the unease I feel around UCLA entering such a cutthroat conference, my gut does tell me the Bruins will prevail over the Rainbow Warriors on Aug. 31.

Sabrina Messiha
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 17, Hawai’i 7

Every great team needs a leader.

The Avengers have Iron Man, the Justice League has Batman – and now UCLA has redshirt senior Ethan Garbers.

While last year’s quarterback room was all but unstable – with four faces earning starting nods throughout the season – 2024 is set to bring both familiarity and consistency to the offensive line.

Garbers will assume starting duties under center for the Bruins. He appeared in 11 games with six starts last season, including one against crosstown rival USC.

And with the season’s opening game being against Hawai’i – which is riding on a losing season – UCLA has the opportunity to kick off its Big Ten debut with a win.

Coaches and players have said Garbers has come out of his shell and proved himself a leader among not only the front line but the entire lineup.

With reliability at the top – coupled with an NFL-style playbook – the Bruins’ potential for a more harmonious attacking line this season only soars.

Shiv Patel
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: UCLA 30, Hawai’i 13

I’ve admittedly never been the most avid football fan. In fact, I went to just one UCLA football game last season.

However, having grown up in northern Illinois, I have long been somewhat of a Chicago Bears fan. With arguably the best defense in the Pac-12 but an offense that often failed to impress, last year’s Bruins rang a familiar bell for this Bears fan.

But I can’t help but feel that this season might be different.

With Foster now at the team’s helm and newfound stability at the quarterback position with Garbers, the Bruins can be optimistic about their prospects in the backfield. Despite a bit of a shake-up at the defensive coordinator position, I don’t see any reason why that confidence shouldn’t extend to the Bruins’ defense.

It’s a different year and a different organization, but I’m certainly feeling the same vibes as the Bears’ 2018 season.

The Bruins are also not facing the most formidable of opponents. Hawai’i is coming off a losing season, going 3-5 in the Mountain West – a conference whose reigning champions, Boise State, were soundly defeated by UCLA in the LA Bowl in 2023.

Maybe this is wishful thinking. Maybe I’ve been home too long and caught the false optimism that overcomes Chicago before every NFL season.

But maybe this will be the Bruins’ year. If not, at least this Saturday should easily be the Bruins’ game.