UCLA and Kentucky are the surprise teams of the top two conferences.

Five and a half wins.

That was the average betting line for both Kentucky and UCLA’s win totals before the 2026 season kicked off. Through Week 9, the Wildcats have seven wins, and the Bruins have eight. What happened?

Many point to the recent parity in college football and attribute it to teams simply buying rosters. That’s true for the biggest recent surprise in the sport: Indiana. The Hoosiers went from being the first program in FBS history to reach 700 losses to going 35-3 under coach Curt Cignetti and winning a national title. The numbers prove it: Indiana has spent an estimated $39.5 million on this year’s roster, which ranks 13th nationally.

Here’s the catch. Kentucky has spent an estimated $25 million on this year’s roster, ranking 15th out of 16 SEC teams. UCLA has spent an estimated $29.5 million, which is right around the Big Ten average. So, again, why are these teams winning games?

Kentucky: Elite Portal Recruiting and Avoiding the Big Dogs

Will Stein and Co. performed well in the transfer portal last offseason. Kentucky’s three highest-ranked portal additions were offensive linemen, including former five-star tackle Lance Heard. Pair that with former four-star quarterback Kenny Minchey, who nearly beat out CJ Carr for the starting role at Notre Dame last year, and you round out an already solid offense.

Now, no SEC schedule is easy. But Kentucky landed one of the more favorable ones. The Wildcats avoid Texas, Ole Miss and Georgia this year. A 7-1 record is no easy feat, but Kentucky’s biggest wins this year came against then-No. 9 Texas A&M, whose season has fallen off a cliff, and No. 10 LSU at home in overtime. Impressive nationally? Yes. Impressive in the SEC? Sorta not really.

Still, Kentucky leads the country with an 8.90 BiteScore, powered by a (still) solid strength of schedule and a six-game win streak.

UCLA: Beating Up on the Bottom-Feeders and Another Former JMU Coach

Purdue, Maryland, Oregon, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Those five Big Ten teams have a combined record of 17-23. Those are also the Big Ten teams UCLA has faced through Week 9. An 8-0 record is an 8-0 record, but my point is made.

On the other hand, Bob Chesney has been awesome. It’s never a bad idea to hire a former JMU head coach. The defensive-minded Chesney has led UCLA to allow only 13.4 points per game while recording 20 interceptions through eight games. There’s no doubt Chesney and his defense have led the Bruins to an undefeated record despite fairly poor quarterback play.

UCLA’s 20.1-point average scoring differential and eight-game win streak contribute to an 8.13 BiteScore, which ranks sixth in the country.

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