M.I.T. and Boston University are favored to become the first victims of the varsity cross country team as it opens its quest for a third consecutive undefeated season this afternoon. The triangular meet will be run on the 4.2 mile Franklin Park course at 4 p.m.

M.I.T. will probably furnish the main opposition for the varsity, as the Terrier squad lacks depth. The Engineers hold an apparent advantage over the Crimson, having had an additional week of practice and one meet already this year. They lost to Brown, but defeated Tufts in a triangular meet last week.

The M.I.T. team runs as a group, in an attempt to bunch its scorers ahead of its more scattered opponents. But Crimson strategy will send two or three runners into an early lead, in an effort to force the Engineers to break up their grouping. Coach Bill McCurdy, taking advantage of his team's great depth, intends to form a solid group with his other runners, thus consolidating the varsity scoring punch.

Probable starters for the varsity will be Captain Dave McLean and seniors Bob Holmes, Dick Wharton, John Read, and Bill Morris; juniors Pete Reider, Dave Norris, and Ralph Perry; and sophomores Jim Schlaeppi, Dyke Benjamin, Mac Brown, and Larry Lavers.

Main interest in the meet will be focussed upon a possible duel for first place between Reider and Ron Hillier, B.U.'s Canadian marathon champion.

The Yardlings will open their season at 3:30 against the M.I.T. and B.U. freshmen. This meet rates a toss-up between the Yardlings and B.U., with M.I.T. a close third. Running for the freshmen will be Ed Martin, Wes Hildreth, Dave Call, Dane Oliver, Gary Brooten, Henry Marcy, Dave Donaldson, and Dave Fill-man. The remaining four starters will be chosen from Steve Clapp, Bob Cabot, Jim Lorenz, Dick Millett, and Larry Hager.