Game #2: UCLA AT OHIO STATE
Date, Time: Saturday, September 11, 1999 at 8:00 P.M.
Location: Ohio Stadium
T.V.: ABC (Regional)

Hopefully this rare night game at Ohio Stadium under the lights will be enough to pump up the Buckeye players into a big win after struggling against Miami, FLA. in a 23-12 loss on August 29th. Not only do the Buckeyes have problems with losing players to the NFL Draft, academics and general player suspensions, so do the Bruins, as the majority of the players who are missing from the team for this game are 11 players who are serving the second of a two game suspension for their parts in a campus handicap parking scam. Among them are seven starters, five on defense. OSU might not have a hard time against a UCLA defense missing the five starters due to suspension from an already loose unit. But, the question is, can OSU stop a still potent Bruin offense (11 QB Cade McNown, drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Bears). The top returnees on this side of the ball that will be eligible for this game are: WR's Danny Farmer (58 receptions for 1274 yards and nine TD's), and Brian Poli-Dixon (42 - 697 - 10 TD's), and RB's Jermaine Lewis (553 yards rushing and 12 TD's) and DeShaun Foster (10 TD's along with 673 yards on the ground). How well both defenses play and how well both new QB's (Austin Moherman for Ohio State and Drew Bennett for UCLA) adjust to the wild big game, nigh time crowd environment will be the keys to the game, as OSU does not want to go down 0-2 to start the season for the first time since 1986. A win over a school John Cooper use to be an assistant coach at for three years in the mid-1960's, would bring more than a little satisfaction to him and Ohio State. Prediction: Defenses will have some trouble stopping each offense in this game as OSU prevails in juiced-up Ohio Stadium, 30 - 27.

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