Take Two: How long will it take Chip Kelly to turn UCLA around?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
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THE STORYLINE
UCLA pulled off arguably the biggest coaching coup this past offseason when the Bruins hired Chip Kelly, who was not successful at two NFL stops but revolutionized offense in college football during his time at Oregon.
Turning things around in Westwood will be a great challenge - especially with USC still dominating across town - but Kelly has a fantastic offensive scheme and a high-profile name that could certainly help with recruiting.
UCLA has never been a regular national powerhouse, though, so Kelly does have a significant rebuilding job ahead if he hopes to return to the heights he enjoyed with the Ducks. To put this into perspective, UCLA has never had an 11-win season. Ever. In nine of the last 10 seasons, Alabama has had 11 wins. The year the Crimson Tide didn’t reach 11 victories, they had 10.
Some preseason magazines have UCLA picked to finish third, fourth and sixth in its own division. There are significant question marks, including at quarterback, to start the new coaching regime. Can Kelly turn the Bruins around quickly and make them a division - and Pac-12 contender - and how long should it take?
FIRST TAKE: RICK KIMBREL, BRUINBLITZ.COM
“This depends on your definition of quickly. I don’t think anyone other than the ultimate optimistic Bruin fan thinks UCLA will be playing in January 2019, but within a season or two, I think UCLA will be playing in major bowl games and will be competing at the highest level. The players during spring ball definitely had a positive vibe and are buying in.
"The players at this juncture feel the Bruins are going to be really good, but from outside looking in, UCLA has a tough schedule. It has Oklahoma on the road, but fortunately for the Bruins (at least on paper in July) their tougher conference games are at home (Washington, Oregon, USC, and Stanford) where they were undefeated in 2017. They were winless on the road and under Kelly, there is a reason to think they will get a couple wins on the road.
The Bruins haven’t played in the Rose Bowl since 1999, where they were soundly beaten by Wisconsin. If UCLA plays in a major January Bowl game within two or three years then it will be considered a quick turnaround. UCLA hired Kelly because his record at Oregon 46-7 and the hope is be brings that magic to Westwood. The over/under win odds in Las Vegas is 5.5 wins. An eight-win season for UCLA, for many, would be an overachieving season.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“I don’t think it will be a long turnaround at all. His uptempo scheme and the things he can do with it will make an immediate difference. Third in the division is fairly respectable for the first year and I’m expecting after Year 2 they will be division contenders.
“He is that good of a coach and the scheme he brings to the table is polished enough, it’s aggressive and effective enough and he’s a good enough coach even without the talent he’s going to build over the next few years. He can scheme his way to third this year and maybe compete for the division after that.”