Kickoff: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: Texas A&M -2, Total: N/A

Power conference teams, #24 UCLA and Texas A&M, have a chance for an impressive early season win coming off disappointing endings to 2015.

UCLA fell short of lofty expectations last year, entering the season with a #13 ranking and finishing it unranked at 8-5 (5-4 in the Pac-12). Big road wins at Arizona and Utah were juxtaposed by home losses against Arizona State (as a 13-point favorite) and Washington State (as an 11-point favorite). The season ended with a 37-29 loss as 6.5-point favorites against a sub-.500 Nebraska team in the Foster Farm Bowl. QB Josh Rosen returns from a sensational freshman campaign, but only three other offensive starters are back. The Bruins secondary is stalwart, but the front seven gave up rushing yards in bunches last year and lost significant talent. UCLA has the inside track for a Pac-12 South title, as they don’t play Oregon or Washington, and they get to host fellow division contenders USC and Utah. Head coach Kevin Sumlin has now won 36 games in four years at Texas A&M, but 2015 feels like a missed opportunity as the Aggies went 8-5 (4-4 in the SEC) against as light a schedule as they’re ever going to see. Ole Miss and LSU beat them soundly in two of their three (yes, only three!) away games, Alabama and Auburn blew them out in College Station, and Louisville upset them 27-21 in the Music City Bowl. The post-Manziel QB carousel continues for A&M, as Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight inherits an offense with plenty of talent at WR. Opponents won’t want to throw against the Aggies’ vigorous pass rush and outstanding secondary, though stopping the run was all but impossible for A&M’s defense last season. These teams last met in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day, 1998. UCLA won 29-23, failing to cover the 14-point spread. UCLA is 5-1 ATS (6-0 SU) in September road games during head coach Jim Mora’s tenure. Under Sumlin, A&M is 3-6 ATS & SU when the line is +3 to -3, and 0-3 ATS & SU when hosting such games.

UCLA’s offense ranked 28th nationally in yards per game (466) and 45th in scoring (32.2 PPG). QB Josh Rosen was brilliant as a freshman, throwing for 3,669 yards, 23 TD and 11 INT. His supporting cast is inexperienced, as RB Paul Perkins (1,585 yards from scrimmage, 15 TD) and 1,000-yard WR Jordan Payton are gone. WR Darren Andrews (43 receptions, 443 yards) is the only one of last year’s top-five receivers left, though much-ballyhooed freshman WR Theo Howard is expected to contribute right away. RBs Soso Jamabo and Nate Starks will lead the running game. Both averaged better than six yards per carry in backup roles last year, but will run behind three new offensive line starters in 2016. The defense returns seven starters on a unit that struggled against the run last season (199 rushing yards per game, 98th in the nation) but was strong versus the pass (5.8 yards per pass attempt, 8th in the nation). The front seven lost First Team All-Pac-12 DL Kenny Clark, star LB Myles Jack (limited to 3 games last season) and leading-sacker LB Aaron Wallace. Leading-tackler LB Jaylon Brown is back, while newly-starting LB Isaako Savaiinaea was productive in a backup role last year. DE Eddie Vanderdoes is a playmaker who wrecked his knee in Week 1 last year, and edge-rushers Deon Hollins and Takkarish McKinley showed flashes. The Bruins secondary is one of the nation’s best, with all four starters back. Star CB Fabian Moreau amassed 40 solo tackles and eight pass breakups in 2014, but missed ten games with a foot injury last season. Safeties Jaleel Wadood and Randall Goforth and CB Marcus Rios round out an excellent and experienced unit.

Texas A&M has their fourth starting QB in four years as Trevor Knight transfers in from Oklahoma. He posted 2,300 passing yards, 14 passing TD, 12 INT, 339 rushing yards and six rushing TD in ten games in 2014 before losing his starting job last summer. The Aggies’ top four receivers from last year are back: WRs Christian Kirk (80 receptions, 1,009 yards, 7 TD), Josh Reynolds (51/907/5), Ricky Seals-Jones (45/560/4) and Speedy Noil (21/226/2). RB Keith Ford, also a transfer from Oklahoma, will be counted on to infuse playmaking into an offense that averaged only 20.2 points in SEC play. A&M’s defense was gashed for 214 rushing yards per game (108th in the nation) last season, but held opponents to 6.1 pass yards per attempt (15th) and 166 passing yards per game (4th). DEs Myles Garrett (12.5 sacks, 19.5 TFL) and Daeshon Hall (7 sacks, 14.5 TFL) give the Aggies one of the best pass-rushes in the nation. LB Otaro Alaka was limited to three games last year because of elbow and shoulder problems, but looked dominant late in the 2014 season and should thrive as the starting MLB this year. Donovan Wilson (5 INT, 8.5 TFL) will fill a hybrid SS/LB role in what should again be an outstanding pass defense.