October 12, 2006
Vegas Line : Oregon -8.5 ~ -9.0
For the first time this year the money is on us to lose this Saturday at Oregon. Oddsmakers don’t have us even making this game close. Considering the beating Oregon took last Saturday at Cal, that exposed their defensive and offensive weaknesses, we would have thought the line would be tighter. Nevertheless, this is a winnable game and a big game for KD and for this team’s season. We expect UCLA to play a tight game, even with Cowan starting at QB, as the team and coaching staff do not expect a decline in peformance at QB and Oregon is limping on defense.
The season up to this point has been nothing but speculation. Now we will get to measure the quality of our team. Now is the time for our vaunted defense to step up against a great offense. All the happy talk about how great our defense is, #2 in the nation, will be wiped away with an ugly loss at Autzen. A win, with defense leading the way, and every chest-thumping proclamation of dominance will be validated. But more than that, this team needs to earn respect. They need to earn it against a worthy opponent. And they need to earn it on the road. A 4-1 Bruin team should NEVER be left out of the top 25. This team is.
In part, KD’s legacy is on the line Saturday. He has never won the big game, never beat a winning team on the road. He has a chance to wipe out two glaring negative marks on his coaching resume. Without a win Saturday, it will be hard to imagine this team taking it to Notre Dame and Cal on the road later on. KD has got to get it done Saturday. The money is not on him, let’s hope he proves ‘em wrong. Go Bruins!!
