Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Sooners’ 2018 schedule loaded with 10 bowl teams

By Chip Rouse

NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 16: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before the game against the Tulane Green Wave at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Tulane 56-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 16: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before the game against the Tulane Green Wave at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Tulane 56-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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The Oklahoma football schedule for next season doesn’t include a marquee Power Five nonconference game, but that doesn’t mean the Sooners won’t have their hands full in 2018.

UCLA is the biggest name in the nonconference portion of OU’s schedule next season, but also the nonconference foe with the worst 2017 record of the three non-league teams the Sooners will face next fall. The Bruins are a pedestrian 6-6 this season and headed to the Cactus Bowl to play Kansas State on Dec. 6, but they will have a new head coach next season in Chip Kelly, who is replacing Jim Mora Jr.

Florida Atlantic, coached by Lane Kiffen, and Army are the other two nonconference games for the Sooners. Those two teams are a combined 19-6 entering the 2017 postseason.

According to the OU athletic department, the Sooners are the only team in college football whose 2018 schedule includes games with 10 teams participating in bowls this postseason.

All three nonconference games are in Norman next season. Oklahoma will play seven games at home in 2018, including home dates with Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma opens the 2018 season on Sept. 1 hosting Florida Atlantic. That will be the first meeting ever between those two teams. UCLA comes to Norman the following weekend. The Sooners and Bruins have faced each other just four times previously. OU owns a 3-1 advantage in the short series, with all three wins coming in Norman.

The Sooners take a one-week break from the nonconference slate to open their Big 12 season on the road at Iowa State on Sept. 15. OU will be looking next season to avenge its only regular-season defeat in 2017 to the Cyclones. The loss at home to Iowa State this season was only the sixth defeat by Oklahoma in 82 games all-time with Iowa State.

OU returns home on Sept. 22 to host Army in the final nonconference game on the 2018 schedule.

After the annual Red River Showdown game with Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 6, the Sooners will have a week off before going to Ft. Worth on Oct. 20 to take on TCU.

Oklahoma closes out the regular season on Nov. 23 at West Virginia.

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