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Football: Alamo Bowl homing in on Huskies; Bears seem destined for Dec. 28 Holiday Bowl
By Jeff Faraudo
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 2:19 pm in Football, Pac-12 news.
The San Antonio Express-News is reporting that the Alamo Bowl is likely to select Washington, meaning that Cal probably will play in the Holiday Bowl, Dec. 28 in San Diego.
ESPN is projecting the Bears to play either Baylor or Texas.
The Associated Press projects Cal vs. Baylor.
Official bowl pairings will be announced Sunday.
In other Pac-12 football news . . .
— Washington State has hired former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. The Cougars’ bold hire ups the ante at WSU.
— Fired UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel says the Bruins will have to change their approach if they want to compete at the top in the Pac-12.
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November 30th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Why do we always get stuck playing the big 12? It would be so much nicer to play a big 10 team.
November 30th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
California vs. Texas in the Holiday Bowl would be fantastic! That would have to be one of the best, most intriguing non-BCS game match ups!
November 30th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Texas will be fun, but even if it’s Baylor, RGIII will be fun to watch.
November 30th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
TEXAS!!!! F Mack Brown!
November 30th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Either Texas or RGIII will bring buzz and eyeballs. This will be a test for Tedford, because experience shows when more people are watching the Tedford teams lose–favored or not. I’m in the “give Tedford one more year” camp, and I’m sure either Texas or Baylor will be favored. However, it would be nice just once to win a game that people are watching (@Tenn, @Maryland, TTech, Oregon/SC/ASU in 2009, BG This Year, SC in 2004). The closest would be @ Southern Miss, and for that game the pre-game storyline was how much Cal should win by to justify BCS #4 — we know how that turned out. How many people really watched Cal beat Michigan State, V Tech, TA&M, Miami, Air Force, Maryland and Tenn @ home, Oregon before Chip Kelly, USC in 2003, Andrew Luck in 2009, etc.
November 30th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
If we get Holiday Bowl in SD vs Texas or RGIII it will be biggest bowl game Cal could hope to land outside of BCS.
Really happy with the way things appear headed for our Bowl season.
Players have to be pretty pumped!
A lot of eyes will be on that game.
Go Bears
November 30th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
Baylor would be cool because of Griffin, but there would be a nice scoop of justice if we beat the living crap out of Mack Brown in the Holiday Bowl…everyone should bring a sign that says:
“Mack Brown – wearing the BCS kneepads since 2004.”
November 30th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Cal versus Baylor? Go Bears, beat the Bears!
November 30th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
texass and mack “the begger” brown. perfect. IF we win.
November 30th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
I hope Cal gets a matchup with Texas! Texas is still a national program…beating Texas would receive a little bit of attention outside of Austin and Berkeley…and be a huge confidence builder for the program…AND a nice springboard into 2012 (just like Va. Tech was in 2003).
Playing Baylor would not have the same impact…for one…RGIII would probably throw for over 500 yards aagainst us…and even if Cal won the game…beating Baylor would not have the same cache…Baylor just is not a big time program.
November 30th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
@ #1: I don’t think the Pac-12 has any bowl ties-ins with the Big 10 (other than the Grandaddy, of course.) I’ve often wondered why we don’t have more with the Big 10. They seem to tie all their bowls with other conferences.
November 30th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Mack Brown haters,
Wasn’t Mack ultimately right?
Didn’t we end up in the Holiday Bowl that year, making our case by losing to Mike Leach, and Tx.Tech by about 50?
Well guess what? Leach just signed on with Wash. St.
Get used to it!
November 30th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Marinbear,
Cal lost in the Holiday Bowl because their star wideouts, Geoff MacArthur and Chase Lyman, were injured and could not play. That left true freshman Robert Jordan for Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball to. There was also the little matter of the emotional letdown from thinking one moment your in the Rose Bowl and then getting Mack Browned to the Holiday Bowl.
I am amped up for this matchup and want to see if the late season improvements were real or more of a mirage by playing against bad teams.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
My thoughts exactly:
TEXAS!!!! F Mack Brown!
November 30th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
We already hammered Baylor 70-something in 2002, why would you want to see Baylor again? I agree with Big D, F Texas and F Mack Brown!
December 1st, 2011 at 3:49 am
I’d prefer to see us play Texas, too, but I don’t think too many of the players really understand the significance of our getting screwed that year. Perhaps as it relates to our 50+ year rose bowl drought, it puts it into perspective for them. I think either team would give us much needed exposure in texas, and I think the nation is actually more interested in seeing baylor, anyway. Amazing how things have changed since 2002. Also nice is the fact that this is the only big bowl game on december 28th, a day when people don’t have many holiday plans. It’s the best possible scenario for us, unless we lay an egg, of course. And wasn’t that whole 2004 texas tech team mired in a steroid controversy? I was at the game. They looked like an nfl team, and played with the same intensity. Something wasn’t right that day, in addition to the bears being in letdown mode.
December 1st, 2011 at 5:01 am
In the 2004 Holiday Bowl, Rodgers didn’t execute, the DBs looked a step behind all night, and we clearly didn’t have the same intensity as T Tech. I remember that night Rodgers was personally disappointed in his performance, much different from the rest of the year. The team just wasn’t prepared for that game, either a let down or a sign of JT not whipping them up at the right pitch.
December 1st, 2011 at 7:03 am
#13
No your te4am did not lose to Texas Tech because you were down on your WRs. Did you WRs give up 500 yards of passing? Some of those Texas Tech WRs are still running with the ball.
Don’t forget. I called the score of that game perfectly.
December 1st, 2011 at 7:29 am
We lost in 2004 because Tedford decided to try throwing to those inexperienced receivers instead of handing the ball off to Arrington, who eventually gained over 2,000+ yards that season, and who gained 173 yards that game. Had that happened, TT stays off the field and we win, easily. TT could not stop Arrington (Tedford apologized to alumni for that mistake for months after the game (and that is the game I have long pointed to as the start of Tedford’s mediocre to poor coaching).
As for Mack “prostitution is legal in Nevada, right, so why not elsewhere” Brown, he wasn’t right. He was just trying to extract his own form of justice for 2003, when Texas was left out of a BCS bowl (10-2 and ranked 6th in the BCS before the game), went to the 2003 Holiday Bowl, and lost to a much inferior WSU team 28-20.
December 1st, 2011 at 8:04 am
Well Mike Leach is a bold move for WSU. Actually surprised that he accepted. He is not going to get the players Oregon is getting so will be interesting to say the least.
December 1st, 2011 at 8:15 am
Eric at 19, dead on. We were averaging about 8 yards a carry and could have kept the TT offense off the field by running. Add in the loss of the WR’s and one bad, key error by Jordan plus the BCS letdown and there you have it.
Gotta say, the Tech fans were a pretty good bunch though. And Tech’s passing offense was very tough to stop when they were on, which they were.
Amy, what you said is a lie.
December 1st, 2011 at 8:30 am
In the second quarter, Cal was moving the ball on the ground at will. On one series, Arrington got 9 yards on the first 2 downs at mid field. Tedford calls a bomb to Jordon which he drops in the endzone. Tedford then punts! Not only were MCarthur and Lyman out, so was Mckonnen. All our starting receivers. Still the difference in the game was that we could not figure out their offense. The QB was not sacked, and the receivers were always open.
December 1st, 2011 at 8:32 am
I think our loss of the receivers would probably have resulted in a loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl and may have been a reason to vote Texas in. Who knows? Certainly the offense became more one dimensional as the season wore on.
December 1st, 2011 at 8:59 am
Yoda
No I am not lying. I called the score of that game perfectly and many of you who were on this board back then as well as Scout no it.
I also called perfectly the beatdown in Knoxville.
December 1st, 2011 at 9:04 am
Steve W…keep digging in your analysis….When Cal lost to Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl back in ’04…was was actually without 3 of their top 4 WRs due to injuries…but Cal had the nations leading rusher in JJ Arrignton (who had over 2,000 yards rushing for the year).
So as the game started progressed, it became clear that Texas Tech could not stop Cal’s ground game…while Cal was having a difficult time stopping the Red Raiders passing attack. Cal takes an early 14-0 lead.
So, what does Tedford do….he decides to feature Aaron Rogers passing game….despite the lack of experienced WRs on the field. Tedford’s game plan ended with 45 pass attempts vs 39 running plays.
Given Cal’s dominant run game…even the announcers criticized the cal play calling…it was so obvious that since Cal offense was controlling the line of scrimmage that Cal should have kept possesion of the ball by running…this way the Tech offense is off the field…Cal was running the ball at will against Tech. The play balance should have been more like 50 runnning plays to 35 pass plays….This game was Tedford’s worst as a coach in terms of reacting to the dynamics on the field and making adjustments.
December 1st, 2011 at 9:12 am
I missed Eric’s post at #19…PERFECTLY STATED! Tedford’s lack of recognition of how to adjust his offensive game plan was startling! Who knew this was the beggining of a long stretch of poor game day decision making for Tedford.
December 1st, 2011 at 9:29 am
A couple years ago I called out the sanctions usc would get: championships and wins forfeited,post season bans, scholarships docked and tv blackouts. I was 3 for 4.
December 1st, 2011 at 11:12 am
Back to games that will be played this year… I think I’d actually prefer to see Baylor rather than Texas. Two things that we know for sure are that Texas is one of the best travelling fan bases in the nation outside of South Bend, and Cal’s fan base… uhhh…. Let’s just say that we love our team, but we’re no Texas (Hell, judging from one game this year, we’re not even Fresno State).
Anyway, I’d hate for the Holiday Bowl to turn into a home game for the Longhorns. Playing against Baylor would at least make it a neutral field.
December 1st, 2011 at 11:58 am
Amy lies? Is this really new or newsworthy? I think not. My non-expert opinion is that the 2004 holiday bowl was lost mostly by the defense. They simply could not stop the TT offense from moving the ball and gave up what, 45 points? Our O scored about 31, which is hardly an offensive collapse or failure. Unfortunately, the outcome did pretty much validate the lobbying campaign that M.Brown carried on with the BCS voters.
December 1st, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I was also at the 2004 HB game, and it was very obvious to all but Tedford that we could run the ball at will, but our passing game was off. If we kept running, we would have scored more points, controlled the clock, so they would have scored less pts, we would have won. Easy to say in hindsight, but it was a major coaching blunder.
As to the comment about TT fans being okay, I can’t agree with that. Sure they didn’t cause any fights (that I know of), but their chant late in the game of “over-rated” (…clap clap, clap clap clap) still wakes me up at night in a rage. I want to lock them all up in a storage closet!
December 1st, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Well.. noting where I live lol .. Baylor has become big time but yes Texas is still more widely followed. Texas is a huge university and last night my son got elected President of UT Dems. I will catch hell if UT beats us. Be careful what you ask for.
We already have a home and away with Texas. They have a young team and have the potential to beat us by 25 or to completely blow it. In its last game UT came back to beat A&M
December 1st, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Playing UT brings much more recognition to Cal (if they win). Beating Baylor really does not move the needle in terms of enhancing the Cal Bears reputation.
In addition, Tedford has the ability to exact some revenge on Mack Brown for what Brown did in Lobbying to have UT jump over Cal in the rankings…(to this day, I root against UT in every game because of what Mack Brown did back in ’04).
Go Bears!
December 1st, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Kent I once published an editorial in some Texas papers after interviewing two of the three AP writers who changed their vote. Time heals wounds and today’s UT Students know nothing about this and don’t really care.
Its hard to root against UT in Texas because they are the most progressive and best public university in the state (cept for Sam Houston in crim).
In other words the school in Texas most similar to Cal ( except a few billion dollars richer).
December 1st, 2011 at 8:24 pm
I’m not sure how anyone who has been a cal fan even since 2004 could be a fan of a Mack brown Texas team. His getting canned would be the only way to heal that wound. Once he’s gone, I wont hate them as much.
December 1st, 2011 at 9:46 pm
SteveNTEXAS,
You should post your editorial…I’d be interested in reading it…but I will never FORGIVE OR FORGET the manner in which Mack Brown pandered for votes which clearly prompted some voter to allow Texas to leapfrog Cal in the final poll despite a decisive Cal victory over So. Mississippi…personally I thought Mack Brown actions were classless, and I was/am furious that some voters changes their rankings.
Of course current UT or Cal students know little about this history…but most passionate Cal fans root against UT and Mack Brown because of his action nearly a decade ago.
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:59 am
Be careful where you throw stones. ESPN ran the storyline, over and over, “Cal needs to impress at Southern Miss”. Maybe they did it to get eyeballs on the So Miss game, maybe they did it to get eyeballs on a Rose Bowl with UT. Fast forward to 2011. ESPN was telling us the loser of Alabama/LSU could be the #2 team before the game even started, because when it’s the SEC and your only loss is a close loss (particularly on the road) to the #1 team you could really be #2. Anybody catch the Herbstreit soundbite that for Urban Meyer coaching at Ohio State compared to the SEC is like moving from Varsity to JV?
David Shaw has been campaigning for the furd/Pac12 and we’re not complaining. Aside from the color of his shirt, Shaw is eminently more likeable than Mack, and while self serving he has a more legitimate argument.
I’m over rooting against Mack, and we’re taking ESPNs money so we can’t really root against them. Thankfully the media money will raise the Pac12 profile, as seen by the coaching hires this week, and hopefully we will approach an even playing field in the media since they are literally invested in the Pac12 now.
December 2nd, 2011 at 6:07 am
As much as I can’t stand Nuweasel, or his face, the fact that he got his team to the Pac12 championship and they canned him anyway, just before, is pretty sad. I mean, seriously, at least give him a chance to go to the rose bowl for crissakes. They will probably get pummeled, but who knows? I know it’ll cost our program a million bucks if ucla ends up winning as only stanfurd will get a bcs bid, but I kinda hope they somehow pull it off anyway, just to spited the ucla administration. that’s kinda piss poor what they just did down there.
December 2nd, 2011 at 7:17 am
F MACK BROWN!
Still hate Beggar Brown.
Please let it be Texas and please let us drive them into the ground. Then we can call Marshawn to ghost ride their fat cow mascot.
December 2nd, 2011 at 7:59 am
BTW Kudos to Lynch for his great game last night. I know Pete Carroll has been the difference maker because Lynch was a nothing until Pete got him.
Maybe Pete should do the same for MeSean but on second thought, no way. Once a cancer, always a cancer.
December 2nd, 2011 at 8:18 am
No forgiveness for mack brown. Ever. I hope he loses every football game he ever coaches. I hope it rains every time he washes his car. I hope every soda or beer he ever cracks open for the rest if his life spews in his face. I hope a bird poops on his head every time he leaves the house. Every time. Forever.
December 2nd, 2011 at 8:19 am
PS. All of the above curses also apply to the Moron Troll.
December 2nd, 2011 at 10:30 am
Well looking at the way the Philly fans hate DeSean one would think the curses apply to him.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20111201_Eagles_Jackson_sets_himself_apart__but_not_in_a_good_way.html
Read the comments. That boy is a curse and getting cursed.
December 2nd, 2011 at 10:54 am
Moren: Former usc fullback Mike Mooney just got charged with embezzling from the booster club of the team he coached in San Marino. Is it worse to be like Desean, or a thief, or a troll?
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:29 am
Being a troll is by far worse. Worse than being a thief by a long shot. DeSean has succeeded in life by achieving his aspirations. Trolls can never be successful in life because their aspirations would be an embarrassment to anyone who does not have the anonymous internet to hide behind.
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:49 am
The curse against USC is far worse: OJ Simpson – where is he?
Taylor Mays – has he had more than 4 tackles this season?
Lendale White – is he still playing in the NFL?
Losing to ASU (a 6-6 team) in the desert this year.
Losing 4 of the last 5 games to Stanford.
Having NoMoreNCsarecoming as a USC wannabe – the ultimate curse.
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:51 am
BlueNGold Says:
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:29 am
Being a troll is by far worse. Worse than being a thief by a long shot. DeSean has succeeded in life by achieving his aspirations. Trolls can never be successful in life because their aspirations would be an embarrassment to anyone who does not have the anonymous internet to hide behind.
____________________________________________________
Says the great AdvisingBear aka
HairoftheBear
BerkeleyGoldenBear
GoGoBears
JahviatCal
CalBandGreat
NineFifteen
NewYearsAlone
USCCoachXX
BonnieAnderson
PastorRick
BearTalk
USCandAlone
IDidNotCallHertheBWord
And Covinared what about that former Cal state player named Ray Wersching and the most recent one named Reed Diehl.It didn’t sound like they were Cub Scouts. You should be careful of throwing stones.
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:54 am
Boaltblue Says:
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:49 am
The curse against USC is far worse: OJ Simpson – where is he?
__________________________________________________
Where is Robert Rozier and Marriet Ford?
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:57 am
Boaltblue Says:
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:49 am
Losing 4 of the last 5 games to Stanford.
___________________________________________________
Is that the equivalent to USC beating you guys in
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
And enjoy Teddy. You are aware of the remaining Pac 12 coaches including Riley, Shaw, Sarkisian, Kelly and Kiffin he hasn’t done very well.
December 2nd, 2011 at 12:20 pm
I wonder if Matt Barkley will be smart enough to bail on the
University of
Sanctioned
Cheaters
before the scholarship limits start hitting hard next year and they become the
University
Skeleton
Crew
December 2nd, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Mic Check!
Which loser cheater team’s season is over because they’ve been disgraced and banned from post-season play?
USC!
Which dirty, corrupt team had a bunch of their wins and titles vacated?
USC!
Which team is going to run on a skeleton crew of mostly walk-ons for the next 3-4 years as the scholarship limits kick in?
USC!
December 2nd, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Psychotic break:
“Life didn’t make any sense to me before but now I know what I should do. I’m going to pick out a team I don’t like and go to one of their blogs and become an annoying presence there! For years! Years and years!! I can be anonymous, nobody will know my name is Amy, and I can do it all over, on all different blogs! Woohoo! That’s a great way to spend my time – a great cause to devote my life to! I can be annoying on the anonymous blogs of a team I don’t like and where every single other person there wishes I would go away! HAHAHA!!! They are all going to want me to leave, but I’ll show them – I can stay as long as I want and comment as much as I want no matter how much they all hate me! I’ll show them all!”
December 2nd, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Lots of comments here from the troll, because at the SFGate, he’s been Catoussed in the Dessert!
The fool kept posting shite about the ASU game in the first half, and then when Cal started winning he shut up and went into hiding. Figures the fan of a cheating team would have no honor.
December 2nd, 2011 at 1:06 pm
No law school
No friends.
Alone on New Year’s Eve.
Cattoussed in the dessert!
Bahahahahahahah.
December 2nd, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Wow. The travel agency must have laid off the troll again — so many posts. Pity the troll, this is all he has. It’s not like he’s got a law degree or any friends.
BAHAHAHAHAAH. Catoussed in the dessert!
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Sherman Boyson
I guess the Sociual Welfare department must be on a break right now and the football players don’t need your assistance. While you have been so busy following me around to different sites you unfortunately have missed the many times I have cattoused you in the last few days at philly.com, LA Times, ESPN and SacBee to name a few.
Erika Williams rocks.
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:37 pm
when i see the comment count jump from 35 to 55 in a matter of hours, i know the troll is involved. what a waste of time. i seldom read her garbage, but it takes a while to skim through the noise, especially when people feed her. please stop it!
on a cal note, i don’t think we should forget about the fact that cal’s recent success has a LOT to do with maynard finally being allowed to move around. i’m really disappointed that this option was not explored earlier in the year, although we’re heading to arguably the best bowl we could, anyway. still, i want to see more of the same in the next game, and next year, and i want to see our backups get more reps when the games have been decided, not for a few meaningless snaps and handoffs. anyone can do that. this next game is a chance to make a huge statement. it looks like we’ll play the loser of the baylor/UT game, so we’ll be catching whoever it is on a down note. that’s a good thing. worked at asu, anyway.
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Erika has a grad degree?
Guess who cried and broke down in a mental breakdown and had to take a medical leave from his law program?
Guess who has all sorts of time to post now because the travel agency laid him off?
Guess who stays home alone and posts on New Year’s Eve?
No need to guess — everyone knows. EVERYONE KNOWS!
Bhaahahha
Under your sking, Little troll. We do pity you.
Does your daddy realize he’ll never have a grandchild from you since that means you have to have sex with a girl first?
I notice you never respond to these truths we all know. How sad to be a friendless, hate-filled, troll who will die alone? Catoussed in the dessert!
Everyone else — enjoy reading this forum when the troll hid and couldn’t man up to face the fact that he had been cattoused in the dessert:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/comments/view?f=/c/a/2011/11/24/SPRK1M42SK.DTL&plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:391b89e9-36f5-4cdd-b095-346b33a4e55a
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:51 pm
The fat man won’t get me banned again!
Bahahahah.. Remember that on Scout — just before Boyson got ALL your sn’s banned?
Remember when the troll tried to act cool and said DeSean was slangin’ cuz he thought slangin’ meant smoking weed when it doesn’t mean that at all. All he did was prove how stupid and UNCOOL he is.
Remember when he predicted Cal would lose to Utah this year — he doesn’t. He runs from that prediction to.
PITY THE TROLL THIS IS ALL HE HAS.
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:58 pm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/at-cal-berkeley-challenging-sterotypes-of-ncaa-athletes-as-students/2011/11/23/gIQALDEUtN_story_1.html
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:34 pm
The troll can bluff about other commenting sites.
Here is one of fact — see how someone in Sacramento takes down the troll
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/24/4077468/ex-grant-football-star-moala-looks.html#storylink=misearch
December 2nd, 2011 at 4:19 pm
I still don’t like Mack Brown but UT isn’t going to get rid of him. A&M is Rick Perry’s school and Perry has done things far worse than Brown. Mack Brown is classless, Rick Perry deserves much worse for executing an innocent person.
The schools I do like in Texas, UTEP, Sam Houston and North Texas are not big $$$ programs.
In the past I insulted UT Fans over Mack Brown some to this day won’t speak to me, but my son is in UT’s Honors Program and is President of UT Dems and so I tolerate them.
December 3rd, 2011 at 11:09 am
Hope we get a chance to beat up on Texas. They aren’t used to being mediocre and are pouting.
Another note, congratulations to our incoming QB from San Ramon High, Zach Kline. Gatorade California High School Player of the Year! I saw him play this year and he really is the real deal. THrows a perfect ball, can throw rolling or running right or left. Can’t wait to get him up and running for Cal. Go Bears!! Hook Mack Brown and the Longhorns!!
December 4th, 2011 at 8:52 am
Release your ballot, Mack Brown!
December 4th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Go Bears! KIck the salsa out of whiny Mack Brown and Texas! Our momentum is way up, they just got clobbered by Baylor. Wouldn’t this be sweet revenge for 2004!