EASON THE NO. 1 REASON
QB will help Huskies gain revenge vs. Oregon
It’s likely three quarterbacks will be called in the first 10 picks of the next NFL Draft. Two of those prospects — Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Washington’s Jacob Eason — will duel Saturday in Seattle. The Pac-12 Conference is irrelevant in the College Football Playoff debate, but NFL scouts will be bird-dogging this showdown.
Herbert fits the profile of a No. 1 pick. He has completed 69.1 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and has thrown only one interception in 194 pass attempts.
The Ducks’ defensive numbers are just as impressive. Oregon has held its past five opponents to a total of 25 points. Still, none of the offenses from Nevada, Montana, Stanford, California and Colorado were led by a quarterback as talented as Eason, who helped the Huskies to a 51-27 win at Arizona last week.
Washington is 16-1 straight up at home since the beginning of the 2017 season and is a home underdog under coach Chris Petersen for the first time since 2015, a span of 28 games. This is a revenge game for Petersen, who made a rare tactical mistake near the end of a 30-27 loss at Oregon last year.
Herbert and the Ducks got some bad news after their 45-3 victory over Colorado last week. Tight end Jacob Breeland, the team leader in receptions (26), yards (405) and receiving touchdowns (six), suffered a seasonending left leg injury.
The Huskies, the Pac-12 preseason favorites, can play the spoiler role and crush Oregon’s slim playoff hopes. Go with the superior coach getting points on one of the nation’s strongest home fields.
The pick: Washington, +3. Kansas-TEXAS (Over 62):
The Jayhawks covered the teams’ past three meetings while losing by seven, 15 and three points. This could be a flat spot for the Longhorns, who lost two more defensive starters in the defeat vs. Oklahoma. The Texas defense ranks No. 126 in passing yards allowed (310 per game) and No. 74 in scoring (27.8 points per game).
Kansas coach Les Miles recently made an offensive coordinator switch to Brent Dearmon, who’s unveiling a new hurry-up offense. The Jayhawks, threetouchdown ’dogs off a bye, want to play fast. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger will put up points, so bet on a high-scoring shootout.
Tulane (+31/2) over MEMPHIS: Little-known coach Willie Fritz has the Green Wave at 5-1 and on the brink of the Top 25. Tulane was a 14-point ’ dog in a 40-24 victory over the Tigers last year. Tulane, led by dual-threat quarterback Justin McMillan, has a strong rushing offense and the Memphis defense is allowing 181.5 rushing yards per game. LAST WEEK: 2-1. SEASON: 8-11-2.