Comedown Award Is Swept Away by Bruins

THE COLLEGES

You don’t often find all the major college teams in the Los Angeles area winless. But such is the case this week after UCLA’s shocking 6-24 setback to Tennessee. The Bruins, in fact, earned comedown-of-the-week honors, since they were favored by 15 points and lost by 18.

Fortunately for the school’s sports program, UCLA managed a split for the weekend when the Bruin women’s volleyball team trounced Colorado State.

Meanwhile, across town, Bottom Ten co-leader USC (0-1) demonstrated its concern over a recent loss to Illinois by putting three offensive linemen on waivers this week and calling up a trio of prospects from the school’s junior college farm system.

THE RANKINGS

Team, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1.(Tie) USC (0-1) Regrouping Utah St. 1. UCLA (0-1) 6-24, Tennessee S.D. St. 3. Fla. St. (0-2) 23-34, Clemson LSU 4. LSU (0-1) Idle Fla St. 5. (Tie) SMU (0-1) Idle Conn. 5. Penn St (0-1) 6-14, Virginia Temple 7. Texas (0-1) Healing Healing 8. Ohio St (0-0) Idle Okla. St. 9. Houston (1-0)* Idle Idle 10. Maryland (0-2) 10-14, W. Va. W. Mich

11. Nebraska (was tied, 17-17, with Northern Illinois at halftime); 12.-13. The Miamis (Fla., Ohio) (1-1); 14. Syracuse (flubbed a conversion kick, ending its NCAA record streak of 262); 15. Rutgers (for indecisiveness) (0-0-2); 17. Texas A$M (1-1); 18. BYU (1-1); 19. Idle; 20. Oklahoma (out-passed by a margin of a shocking 150 yards to zero by Baylor).

*Dropped one notch in the AP poll after a 66-0 victory over Nevada Las Vegas.

ROUT OF THE WEEK: San Diego State (0-1) over UCLA (0-1) (Bruin Coach Terry Donahue said it’s possible “this is as poor a team as I’ve had up here.”)

CRUMMY GAME OF THE WEEK: Florida State (0-2) vs. LSU (0-1).

THE PROS

Pittsburgh’s slogan this year is “Yes we can!” an obvious answer to those who claim that the Steelers are incapable of losing more games than they did last year (11).

Well, defiant Pitt went right out in its opener and suffered the worst setback in its 57-year history, a 0-51 squeaker to Cleveland. One fan celebrated by heaving a garbage can from the second level onto the field.

It was one of the few accurate throws by Pitt partisans. Quarterback Bubby Brister, who recently signed a deal to market T-shirts bearing his photo, threw three interceptions. Another of Brister’s passes was knocked back into his arms by the Browns’ Bubba Baker--that’s a Bubby-to-Bubba-to-Bubby pass completion, if you’re keeping score.

THE RANKINGS

AMERICA’S DIVISION

Team, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Dallas (0-1)* 0-28, New Orleans Atlanta

* Missed 24 tackles.

BAY DIVISION

Team, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Green (0-1) 21-23, Tampa New Orleans 2. San Diego (0-1) 14-40, Raiders Houston

AFC CENTRAL

Team, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Pitt (0-1) 0-51, Cleveland Cincy 2. Houston (0-1) 7-38, Minnesota San Diego 3. Cincy (0-1) 14-17, Chicago Pitt

TRUMP DIVISION

Team, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. N.J. Jets (0-1) 24-27, New England Cleveland

CRUMMY GAME OF THE WEEK: Houston (0-1) at San Diego (0-1).

PLUMBING THE DEPTHS: Procter & Gamble makes its debut this Sunday as official restroom suppliers of Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City when the facility’s fixtures as well as 66 attendants begin modeling P & G logos.