Ducks, Buffaloes collide in Pacific Northwest
At one point during last week’s showdown against fourth-ranked Michigan, Colorado held a two-score lead. Will the Buffaloes be able to finish the job vs. Oregon today?
Mike MacIntyre’s troops travel to Eugene for an offensive shootout starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI list the Ducks as 10-point home favorites. The over/under is 69.
Despite ultimately falling to Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines, Colorado asserted itself as a much-improved squad. Unfortunately, the program also absorbed quite a few blows on the injury front. Quarterback Sefo Liufau exited the 45-28 loss with an ankle ailment. Derek McCartney’s ACL tear certainly hinders the pass rush, too.
At the same time, Mark Helfrich faces a lot of the same concerns. Preseason Heisman Trophy hopeful Royce Freeman could miss this afternoon’s contest. Even worse, wide receiver Devon Allen and offensive tackle Tyrell Cosby are down for the season.
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Oregon’s shrinking numbers really began to take a toll in the waning stages of its recent defeat at the hands of Nebraska. Yet the Ducks still have more weapons to deploy than the Buffs, who are continuing to learn on the fly. If Liufau can’t go, this one has the potential to get out of hand. Backup Steven Montez simply doesn’t seem capable of handling the heat at this stage of his career.
SATURDAY NCAA FREE PICK: COLORADO/OREGON OVER 69 POINTS