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UCLA Football: 5 reasons why the Bruins will struggle in 2017

By Matthew Bartlett

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 08: Head coach Jim Mora of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the second half of the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Bruins 23-20. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 08: Head coach Jim Mora of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the second half of the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Bruins 23-20. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

4. The 2017 UCLA football schedule is brutal

UCLA opens up the 2017 season against Texas A&M at the Rose Bowl. Home field advantage will be a plus, but the Aggies controlled most of last year’s game. The Bruins will be slight favorites, but it’s a game that could go either way. They get a pair of easier games next in Hawaii and Memphis, then the conference slate starts in late September with a road trip to Stanford.

During conference play the Bruins play three ranked teams in the preseason AP Poll: No. 14 Stanford, No. 8 Washington and No. 4 USC. Also on the docket is a sneaky good Utah team that finished a handful of votes shy of the earning a spot in the ranks and Oregon, who promises to be a contender in Willie Taggart’s first season as the head coach in Eugene.

Arizona and Arizona State both look to be bottom dwellers in the PAC-12 this season, but the Sun Devils beat the Bruins last season. Regardless of the opponent, the Bruins home-road splits from a season ago can’t be ignored. They managed just one win away from Los Angeles last season. That came against a solid BYU team, but the offense only managed to put up 17 points.

ESPN ranks the Bruins’ scheduled as the ninth toughest in the country. They are one of five PAC-12 teams ranked in the top 10 most challenging schedules. Even if the team makes significant improvements, the road might prove to difficult to overcome. Every minor slip up against a schedule this tenuous could result in losses that mount quickly.

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