You've done it. You've scanned the Week 3 college football schedule, scrolled past "Oklahoma at UCLA," and thought, "That's gonna be ugly." You're right; it will be ugly. But how ugly?
Oklahoma whooped UCLA, 49-21, in last year's meeting in Norman, the first of a home-and-home bloodbath that shifts to the Rose Bowl this year. As of Wednesday, four days after UCLA dropped to 0-2 with a loss to San Diego State, Oklahoma is favored by only 23 points. The Sooners will have to blow well past the 23-point line to hand the Bruins their biggest blowout in program history.
On Sept. 28, 1929, 26 days before the stock market crash launched the country in the Great Depression, UCLA opened their football season with a loss to USC. A loss of staggering proportions: USC 76, UCLA 0. Ninety years later, it remains the biggest blowout loss in program history and one of the biggest Power Five vs. Power Five blowouts in FBS history.
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Oklahoma ranked first nationally in scoring offense last year (48.4 points per game) and second in 2017 (45.1). They've scored 60 points four times under Lincoln Riley, including 70 in a Week 2 win over South Dakota, who might be as good as UCLA right now. The Bruins' defense, meanwhile, has given up a respectable 47 points in two games this season, both against good Group of Five teams. So while Oklahoma may have the firepower to score 60 or more points against most bad FBS teams, it probably won't happen in their Week 3 blowout win in Pasadena.
It will be ugly, but — congrats UCLA fans — it won't be the biggest loss in UCLA football history.
