UCLA Football Early 2018 Schedule Preview: Oklahoma Sooners

PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners calls a play from the sidelines in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Go Joe Bruin continues its early 2018 previews with a look at UCLA’s match up against the Oklahoma Sooners in week 2…

After securing what should-be a season-opening win against the Cincinnati Bearcats on September 1, the UCLA Football team will leave the friendly confines of the Rose Bowl and take on the Oklahoma Sooners on September 8 in Norman, Oklahoma.

The early-season showdown against the Sooners will be one of UCLA’s toughest (if not, it will be the most challenging) contests on its already infamously-hard 2018 slate. Despite the fact that Chip Kelly is now at the reigns of UCLA’s football program, many faithful Bruin fans are already chalking this game up as a loss and looking ahead to bounce back in the following week’s game against Fresno State University at the Rose Bowl.

Oklahoma Sooners:

Head Coach: Lincoln Riley (2nd year, 12-2)

2017 Record: 12-2, 8-1 Big 12 (First-place)

2017-18 Bowl Game: Rose Bowl (L/OT, #2 Georgia: 54, #3 Oklahoma: 48)

Final 2017-18 National Ranking: No. 3

What: UCLA Bruins at Oklahoma Sooners

Where: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK

When: Saturday, Sept. 8

But, should UCLA fans really be marking this non-conference tilt as an automatic loss? In short…yes. And here’s why.

The Bruins are still going to have a lot of unanswered questions in their young season when they head east for Oklahoma. Chief of them will be determining who will be their signal-caller.

Elsewhere, the Bruins will be looking to establish their identity on the offensive line as well as live up to the violent reputation of their new-look defense.

Oklahoma’s Five-Year Win Trend

2017: ★★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆ 12-2
2016: ★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆ 11-2
2015: ★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆ 11-2
2014: ★★★★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 8-5
2013: ★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆ 11-2

The Sooners, on the other hand, are pretty set in all facets of the game despite the fact that Oklahoma has departed with five starters on both defense and offense.