Oklahoma tailbacks Rodney Anderson and Trey Sermon vs. the UCLA run defense. There’s just one question facing any offensive coordinator who doesn’t opt to run the ball directly into the guts of the Bruins’ defense on almost every play: Why? Despite some overall improvement on defense in the opener, the struggles of UCLA’s injury-depleted inside linebackers were reminiscent of 2017. They can expect plenty of face time with Anderson and Sermon, who combined for 169 yards and three touchdowns last week in only 14 carries.
UCLA (306 ypg/17 ppg): If quarterback Wilton Speight is unable to play because of a back injury suffered in the opener, his absence would likely lead to freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s first career start.