No. 21 UCLA football (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) is coming out of a bye week and will enter a match ranked for the first time since 2023 when it faces No. 13 Oregon (3-1, 1-0) on Saturday at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks will be the Bruins’ first top-25 opponent of the season, and the game will be a rematch of two former Pac-12 rivals. Here are the game predictions from Sports editor Jacob Nguyen and Sports senior staffer Kai Dizon, as well as a guest prediction from Slot editor Barnett Salle-Widelock.

Jacob Nguyen
Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 33, Oregon 27

It’s about time the Bruins were tested by a true national contender.

Because, in the words of a generic motivational saying, “This is where champions are made.”

Oregon coach Dan Lanning went so far as to compare UCLA to 2025 national champion Indiana, and the similarities go beyond the fact that each squad’s head honcho coached for James Madison before moving to the Big Ten. Sure, some could condescendingly argue Lanning made those comments to butter up the Bruins, flatter them and make them lower their guard heading into Eugene.

I probably don’t agree with that, but if that were to succeed against any team, it probably wouldn’t be a Westwood bunch headlined by a plethora of former JMU coaches and players fresh off the memory of losing to Oregon in their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

The PR answers will tell you that the past has no bearing on the Bruins’ feelings coming out of a bye week, but it’s not like memories fade in less than a year – and the Bruins have flashed a fiercely competitive demeanor all season that gives me the confidence they fly up north to play with a level of intensity even they’ve yet to unlock for themselves.

Of course, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s absence helps, but it’s not like their offense falls off a cliff. How many teams say they can look to their five-star backup who’s thrown at over an 80% clip in his small sample size?

But whether it’s the fact that the Ducks play their first full game with Dylan Raiola under center, that the offensive line has been inconsistent to start the year and may not be used to Raiola’s tendencies just yet or that wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan has been out since Oregon’s Week 2 performance, the time is nearly perfect to say that Oregon isn’t at 100%.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been confident in my predictions. Is it because I’m superstitious and hate jinxing things? Probably.

However, what I can say is that no matter who wins, it won’t be easy – both squads have the personnel to put points on the board fast and are capable of challenging each other’s defenses in different ways.

So no matter how the midday affair plays out, the Bruins have no better opportunity to strike.

Kai Dizon
Sports senior staffer
Prediction: Oregon 37, UCLA 35

It’s still a major letdown that former Bruin Moore won’t get the start Saturday.

I had my fingers crossed Moore would finally get a chance to embarrass, or get embarrassed by, the team he wasted his freshman year with.

But backup Raiola still has a score to settle, too – even if it’s not a year’s worth.

Raiola lost to UCLA 27-20 his freshman season two years ago, completing just 14 of 27 passes for 177 yards while throwing an interception and getting sacked three times.

The No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class missed his chance at revenge last season due to injury.

Better late than never.

Raiola completed 19 of his 25 passes against USC on Saturday for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and now he’s had a full week to prepare himself for a game that’s his to lose.

As for UCLA, people by and large seem to think the program’s storybook year will be an undefeated season following its 3-9 and 5-7 campaigns in 2025 and 2024, respectively.

But every good story has its setback – and the true litmus test will be whether or not the 2026 team can take a punch to the mouth and get back up.

In each of the past two seasons, UCLA boasted three-game win streaks. In the eight combined games the team played following said streak, the Bruins won just one.

Barnett Salle-Widelock
Slot editor
Prediction: UCLA 35, Oregon 31

For UCLA football this week, it’s the Big O – and the Big One.

And I have no choice but to believe the Bruins will emerge victorious.

While Oregon – UCLA’s first truly fearsome opponent this year – has a lot going for it, including a battering of then-No. 12 USC two weeks ago, coach Bob Chesney’s squad gives me three hopes to hang my hat on as a Bruin fan.

First, the Ducks have already shown weakness. Oregon dropped an embarrassing game to a then-unranked Oklahoma State in Week 2, an affair which proved the powerhouse is vulnerable.

In that game, the Cowboys trampled the Ducks on the ground, running for nearly 240 yards in a performance that has helped them remain a top-25 team in yards per rush. You know who leads the country in that category?

The Bruins’ second advantage is their run game, which will be crucial to besting the Ducks. It’s hard to see senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava matching Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker and his 317 passing yards against Oregon, so the pressure will remain on the running backs to put up enough points to surpass a team that dropped 84 earlier this season.

And I don’t think any running back room in the country could shoulder that burden better than one boasting fifth-years Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods alongside senior Jaivian Thomas.

The third factor favoring the Bruins is the loss of Moore. The Oregon quarterback and former Bruin was knocked out cold against USC and, although he’s returned to practice, will miss the Saturday matchup.

The nod now goes to backup Raiola. While the Nebraska transfer is almost certainly the strongest No. 2 in the nation – which he showed by taking the Ducks to victory after Moore’s exit – his presence would give the Bruins an opportunity to exploit an offense ever so slightly less comfortable with their signal caller than they’d normally be.

All things considered – with a dash of simple Bruin pride thrown in – I think UCLA has a strong shot of pulling off an upset against its former Pac-12 foe.