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UCLA Football: 4 takeaways from the Bruins’ 2018 schedule

By David Rosenthal

17 Nov 1990: An helmet of the UCLA Bruins left on the field during pre game warm ups before the Bruins 45-42 loss to the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Mandatory Credit: Allsport USA/Allsport
17 Nov 1990: An helmet of the UCLA Bruins left on the field during pre game warm ups before the Bruins 45-42 loss to the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Mandatory Credit: Allsport USA/Allsport /
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Go Joe Brown has for quick takes on the 2018 UCLA football schedule.

With the release of the 2018 football schedule, the UCLA Bruins and their fans can already begin to prognosticate how the Bruins will fare next season.

Here are a few of my observations after taking a glance at the Bruins’ schedule.

RELATED: UCLA Football Releases their 2018 schedule

1. The Bruins have a chance to make an early statement at Oklahoma

In the Bruins’ second game of the season, UCLA will travel to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. Even with Baker Mayfield gone to the NFL, playing in Norman is always a difficult task. The Sooners, who have finished the season in top 16 of the AP poll in five out the past six years, will most likely put out another talented team next year.

The Bruins’ lone victory in four attempts against an OU team came in 2005 when a Drew Olson led squad beat the Sooners 41-24.

2. UCLA get their toughest PAC-12 opponents at home

Next year the Bruins will have Washington, Arizona, Utah, USC, and Stanford all visit The Rose Bowl. Except for Oregon, the Bruins will get to play their toughest opponents at home. This is great since this year UCLA has so far been able to go a perfect 5-0 at The Rose Bowl. This strength at home may help them to win a game or two next year that they may have lost if played elsewhere.

Their remaining away games will include Colorado, Cal, Oregon, and Arizona State. This year the Bruins have gone 3-0 against these teams with Cal still on the schedule.

3. The Bruins should enter PAC-12 play with at least a 2-1 record

The Bruins open next season will a home contest against Cincinnati. The Bearcats have struggled this season with just three victories to date. But this may be the exact type of team the Bruins need to open their season with. UCLA will be debuting a new coach and possibly a new quarterback.

Their next game will be at Oklahoma. This will be quite a litmus test to see where both the Bruins’ coaching staff and players are at. Baker Mayfield will be gone but the Sooners are a quality program that will most likely reload, not rebuild.

The Bruins’ final non-conference game will be a Saturday affair with Fresno State. In his first year as the Bulldogs’ head coach, Jeff Tedford has led Fresno State to an 8-3 record, good enough for first place in the Mountain West (West Division).

And this is just one year after Fresno State went 1-11.

Even though Tedford has the Bulldogs moving in the right direction, the Bruins should still be favored due to the fact that the game will be played at The Rose Bowl

4. What will UCLA Football fans be looking forward to more next year: their new quarterback or their new coach?

Last Sunday, Jim Mora was relieved of his coaching duties. Couple this with the likely fact that Josh Rosen is off to the NFL and the Bruins will look quite different next year.

Different names such as Chip Kelly and current UCLA OC Jedd Fisch have been thrown around as the Bruins’ new head coach. Whoever it ends up being, he will inherit a group of players recruited by Mora. It will be interesting to see what a different coach does with the players Mora went 5-6 with.

The Bruins will also bring in Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a four star quarterback from Bishop Gorman Hig School (NV). As the #4 ranked dual threat quarterback in the nation, Thompson-Robinson will bring a look the Bruins have not seen since Brett Hundley. He will battle both Devon Modster and Matt Lynch for the starting quarterback position.

I personally think that if Chip Kelly become the Bruins’ coach, Dorian Thompson-Robinson would be a perfect fit for the offense Kelly runs.

Next: Know Your Opponent: UCLA Football vs. Cal 2017

Sure, the Bruins (and all other PAC-12 teams) will look different next year. They not only lose players at key positions but will be lead by a new head coach. A tough game against Oklahoma early in the season will show where UCLA is at talent-wise. A bye before entering PAC-12 play gives the Bruins an extra week to prepare for one of their four conference away games. Add in the fact that they get most of their tough games at home and a look at next year’s schedule should bring a tiny smile to the Bruins and their fans.