Comments on: Football: Wednesday reading

By: covinared

covinared — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:23:38 +0000

I’m wondering if Tucker and Ross were looking directly into the sun when they made the drops. Tucker came up big during the final drive.

By: Steve W

Steve W — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:12:37 +0000

I am completely over the disappointment of Cal not meeting expectations and going to the Rose Bowl. The next two games at Cal will almost certainly be better than any potential bowl matchups that Cal will have in the Sun, Emerald, Vegas or (God forbid) Poinsetta bowls. I am going to enjoy them and worry about the Pac 10′s crappy bowl obligations later.

The loss of Anthony Miller will hurt. He was becoming Riley’s go-to man over the middle. I am guessing we will also see more of Lagemann now that Verran Tucker is in Tedford’s doghouse for dropping a sure touchdown pass against ASU.

By: covinared

covinared — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:57:20 +0000

MikeD: college football, like life, is but a series of moments, some good and some bad. The happy and content are those those who focus on the good, the unhappy complainers are those who focus on the bad. One’s happiness should not depend too much on how well college students succede during a game on a saturday. I am happy to root for a team that in November still has a realistic opportunity to finish 11-2. Aren’t you?

By: rollonubears

rollonubears — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:32 +0000

i’d rather a 10-2 team this way, than 10-2 after beating usc and then dropping the big game or the washington game. at least they’ll have bounced back. i think anything shy of 10-2 is an extreme disappointment. everybody that loses a big game or two says “it’s a new season. our goal is to go undefeated from here.” a lot of teams do it. all it takes is ba!!s. i want to see the bears show theirs. (not literally. that would be gross).

By: MikeD

MikeD — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:43:49 +0000

@BearItAll and BluenGold

I’d argue that there is merit to “the season is over” talk. This team is a complete disappointment from head to toe. There have been chronic coaching issues, horrible – and I mean fully horrible – o-line play, a confounding lack of production from what was supposed to be one of the top rated secondaries in the nation, and unresolved special teams weaknesses in the kicking game. I’d also argue that the defense is still a question mark given the disproportionate amount of time they spend on the field while the offense lather rinse repeats on 3 and outs.

Despite an almost manic desire to “will” the Bears to better performances by their followers it seems that their lot in life this season is to play well below the level of their ability as the remainder of the season plays out. This team is a gross underachiever. Is the team we saw vs ASU *really* what we’d envisioned seeing prior to the kickoff of the first game of the year? I for one don’t really look forward to “winning ugly” for the rest of the year but it seems that this is where the team is headed – and it seems to be ok with them.

The possibilities for the good things we’d hoped for – to beat a weak USC team, go to the Rose Bowl, continuing to raise the bar on a higher level of play, better recruiting opportunities – are well in the past. That bell has rung and those milestones have been missed.

The “preseason hype” was justified – this was a team that returned many starters, including a strong secondary, and while losing the senior linebackers hurt there was experienced depth returning. USC was soft, Oregon was strong. All the preseason hype surrounded the idea of “if ever there was a time this is it”. But the Bears stunk it up in the games that mattered. There were clues that the stinking was coming on in the Minn and East Wash games.

10-2? Sure, it’s possible. But which team will show up come kickoff at each game? – there are a myriad of options. Will it be the “good” Bears team? Who knows. Their ability to step on their own d!cks at any given time is great. And if they end up at 10-2 can we *really* say that this was the kind of team that you envision when you say the words (or numbers in this case) “10 and 2″?

By: BluenGold

BluenGold — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:42:43 +0000

I agree with BearItAll. All the fans want to see Cal transcend to the next level. Unfortunately, the preseason hype got in the way of reality, and resulted in major disappointment. Hopefully, people have learned not to get too euphoric over success in the early season OOC games and inflated poll rankings. But, as noted above, there is a lot to be excited about for Cal football, and I would rather see the team where it is now than where it was in the dark years before Tedford’s arrival. Notwithstanding the recent stink made by some faculty members, the current administration recognizes the value of a football program that fills, or nearly fills, the stadium for home games and garners regular network television coverage, and is solidly behind the program’s success. There is every reason to believe the future looks good for Cal football.

By: GoldenBear 77

GoldenBear 77 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:10:16 +0000

BearItAll,

Nice post.

By: BearItAll

BearItAll — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:43:38 +0000

1. Take UO to beat the 5 pts, I’m surprised its that low after the shellacking they put down on U$C. Given its at StanfUrd, but its not like that’s an incredibly imposing environment, with all 37 fans showing up for a game…

2. I’m sick of hearing about this the “season is over” nonsense from Cal fans… Sure there’s a 99.9% chance we won’t make the Rose Bowl this year, or possibly even the Holiday Bowl, but how is the season over… We still have 4 GREAT games ahead of us… OSU will be an excellent match up (or should be)… All the remaining games are toss ups, which to me means exciting games to watch (Isn’t that why we are fans in the first place?)… Cal already won IN L.A. (already a positive for the season)… Cal is 3-1 on the road (when’s the last time that happened)… And are positioned to make a run at a notable Bowl game for the Pac-10 (Holiday or Sun)… Please explain how the season is over if we lose to OSU…

Cal isn’t an elite Top 10 team this year… So What!!! The facilities are getting better, the recruiting will improve, and if they can retain some form of coaching consistency, they will improve to that level… If you’ve been a Cal fan for more than 10 years, this season should be another example of a great building block for Cal football…

Go Bears!

By: rollonubears

rollonubears — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:35:15 +0000

solid emotional hedge parlay. oregon should win by 25. take the points and hope the bears win by 7 or fewer on the other side, or just take oregon state and the points. i’d gladly pay $50 to be wrong on that one. if we lose, the season is over, so i can use the $50 to buy a decent bottle of whiskey and pass out in an alley somewhere. go bears!

By: Calduke

Calduke — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:21:12 +0000

For those who follow odds;

Cal is favored by 7-1/2 over Oregon State

Oregon is favored by 5 over Stanford