The wait is finally almost over. By this time next week, the UCLA football team will have already played its season opener against Bowling Green.

So now would be a good time to project whether the Bruins can build on their eight-win campaign last season, as we break down the schedule.

To say UCLA’s nonconference slate is soft is an understatement.

However, head coach Chip Kelly had to scramble to find a game after Michigan backed out of a home-and-home series set to begin this season. Hey, soon they will be Big Ten acquaintances!

So, the Bruins will open the season with home games against Bowling Green, Alabama State and South Alabama. The only questions surrounding those contests will be how much running back Zach Charbonnet will pad his early case for national awards and how early Ethan Garbers will relieve quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

If the revamped defense doesn’t look anything short of significantly improved, then it may be worth some worry.

The start to Pac-12 Conference play should make thoughts of a 5-0 start to the season a realistic expectation with a road game at Colorado, picked to finish last in the league, and a match-up with rebuilding Washington.

It’s just hard to see how an Oct. 8 clash with Utah ends in anything but a loss. The Utes were picked to win the conference again for a reason.

That doesn’t mean UCLA can’t make things interesting. The game will be at the Rose Bowl and the number of experienced transfers Kelly brought in provides optimism. There’s something to be said about a hungry group, many of which will be in their final year of eligibility.

Still, few would expect the Bruins to open the year with six consecutive victories.

Then, the toss-ups begin.

Fresh off helping Georgia win a national championship, first-time head coach Dan Lanning will be waiting at Oregon on Oct. 22.

By that time, the Bruins will have had an additional week of rest to prepare for the Ducks, who were projected to finish second in the conference.

This will be among the handful of games that will help determine whether UCLA stagnates or takes a leap from last season.

A little less than a month later, rival USC will head to Pasadena for the first time under new head coach Lincoln Riley.

Much has been written about highly-touted transfers, quarterback Caleb Williams, receiver Jordan Addison and running back Travis Dye, making Riley’s first offseason a splash.

The Bruins blasted the Trojans, 62-33, at the Coliseum last season, and seeing a different look in Year 1 of the Riley era may play into UCLA’s favor as USC looks to return to national relevance. It wouldn’t be the first time a Trojans team with buzz and high expectations in the last 20 years comes up short. If nothing else, the crosstown rivalry game should be a closer affair and highly entertaining this season.

UCLA would open some eyes winning both games, but let’s call it a split.

This is where that focus and leadership Kelly has praised at the end of fall camp will truly show.

It’s one thing to get up for the big games, it’s another to handle and not overlook the rest.

Kelly’s additions to the coaching staff have been praised throughout the offseason for a business-like approach that players have said is a welcomed change.

Treating the likes of Stanford, Arizona State, Arizona and California with a level of respect will test that.

The Cardinal will visit the Rose Bowl on Homecoming (Oct. 29) so that may add some juice. ASU finds itself in turmoil as the NCAA investigates the program for recruiting violations and may be the most sure lock for a victory. The Wildcats had a strong recruiting haul, particularly from Southern California, highlighted by five-star receiver Tetairoa McMillan and could make for a dangerous, young and carefree opponent. If the Bruins take care of the Trojans, Cal may be all that stands in the way of a trip to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 championship game.

How UCLA avoids any and all traps could be the difference between a memorable season and one remembered for what-ifs.

At first glance, let’s call it a 10-win season.