Oregon to run into bearish UCLA defense
Posted: Friday October 16, 1998 12:11 AM
For the second week in a row, UCLA will have the chance to toss aside another contender for the Pac-10 title -- last week it was Arizona.
This week it's a surprising Oregon team that's averaging over 50 points a game. The key for Oregon is running back Reuben Droughns, who's rushed for over 200 yards three times this year despite facing nine-man fronts. But the Ducks haven't seen a defense as athletic as UCLA's. Look for the Bruins to keep on rolling despite the average play of Heisman candidate Cade McNown.
Everything but the kitchen sink
Virginia travels to Georgia Tech to take on a Yellow Jackets team that has finally cracked the Top 25. Tech's offensive coordinator, Ralph Friedgen, has a variety of "mini-packages" -- and he told me that he can run everything from a wishbone to a three-receiver set all with the same personnel. The game plan is pretty simple -- Tech will roll out each package until the vaunted Virginia defense shows it can shut the formation down. With quarterback Joey Hamilton playing extremely well, I like Georgia Tech over the Cavaliers.
The Rodney Dangerfield of the Big 12
Colorado hosts a Texas Tech team looking for some respect to go along with its 6-0 record. The Red Raiders were picked by many to finish last in the Big 12 South, but the coaching staff has done a great job keeping the players focused on the old cliche of one game at a time. Offensive coordinator Rick Dykes told me 90 percent of the team wouldn't even know that they have the Big 12's best record. But even with 1,000-yard rusher Ricky Williams, I expect Tech to suffer its first loss of the season.
Purdue's game plan: pass, pass, pass
Purdue brings its "basketball on grass" offense to Penn State this week. Purdue Head Coach Joe Tiller told me he's shameless. He'll do whatever it takes to win -- like throwing 83 times if he has to. Quarterback Drew Brees did that last week against Wisconsin, and he may have to again. Purdue's offensive line is the lightest in the Big 10, so running the ball with smash-mouth football is really not an option.
As usual, Penn State has a physical defense that can find the weak link and shut down a one-dimensional offense -- that's a big reason Joe Paterno has chalked up more than 300 wins and will add another this Saturday.
Trev Alberts, the 1993 winner of the Butkus Award, is a college football analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated, the 24-hour sports news network from CNN and Sports Illustrated. He appears on CNN's College Football Preview, which airs Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. His column appears every Thursday on CNNSI.com.
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