Among the teams that transitioned from the Pac 12 to the Big Ten, Oregon has clearly had the best results. Dan Lanning and his staff have led the Ducks to a 26-3 record with an incredible 17-1 record in league play while winning the Big Ten Championship in 2024-25, and making two runs to the College Football Playoff. USC and Washington have had mixed results, while UCLA has been a disaster.
Heading into 2026, Lincoln Riley has hopes of making the Playoff, Jedd Fisch will likely have a solid season, but there's a newcomer in the group with UCLA hiring Bob Chesney from James Madison.
UCLA's recent recruiting surge could give Dan Lanning some resistance
Part of the reason for Oregon's success has been the Ducks' ability to dip into states like California, Nevada, and Washington, among other West Coast states, and nab the best players. Lincoln Riley and his staff like to puff their chests about keeping recruits in-state, but that should be the expectation at USC rather than something to brag about.
This offseason, UCLA is starting to show that they could be a major threat on the West Coast that Dan Lanning and Co. might start battling for top recruits. As things currently stand, UCLA holds a top 10 recruiting class in the Country which is rare to see.
Over the last 3 days, UCLA has landed commitments from 5 4-star recruits, which is more 4-stars than they signed all of last year's cycle. Most of the Bruins commits are from California, along with players from the states everyone battles over, with Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico.
If Bob Chesney and his staff have a successful year in their first season on the job, it'll only make their pitch easier to sell. Winning in this league is easier said than done, but if Indiana can become a powerhouse overnight anything is possible.
The good news for Oregon is that when Dan Lanning and his staff really want a recruit, they should still outduel UCLA. The Ducks have more resources, a better recent track record of development, and better results to pitch than the Bruins. UCLA won't stop Dan Lanning from signing yearly top 5 classes, but the Bruins will likely start providing some resistance.
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