Posted on Fri, 02/22/2008 - 22:58 — by n8bear
I was going to label this "Big Games" but thought that uncouth.
I noticed there hadn't been many posts and I know we're all just fiending to speak of 'ball so thought I'd toss this into the mix.
What are the tough games next year?
I'm thinking Maryland only because of the travel. The first game out of the gate at home will be madness for Michigan State--fa'getaboutit. They're going down! The Palouse is hard, but not in September for cryin out loud! So I figure a long trip back east to an underrated turtles team could be a pot hole.
Next will be at Arizona on the 18th of October. It's a bit early in the year for Stoops to be winning I think (and I've been thinking this for four years) but he'll have things rolling this year. And Cason's back and a good back can do a lot to tilt a game--don't we know! Can anyone say Rose Bowl '06? Doh!
UCLA and Oregon could be good matches but I think we have their numbers at home.
USC in LA. A Shtty place to play for sure and you can bet the Prophylatics will be good. I'm thinking Riley will muster a great game, catapulting Cal into a new era, making every pundit say, "Maybe we should have ranked them higher."
Lastly is Washington who has played us hard at home and away. Hopefully Willingham will have them up to snuf so they don't sneak up on us as we look ahead to the Roses.
Now give me your thoughts and I don't want to hear feces about how it's too early. You all know Riley and Boatang are starting, someone's going to impress at back and the D is maturing. So what do you think?
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 58
To start out with look out for Milo, cuz he doesn't like talking about future games! Also, Cason was a Senior last year, as a Yahoo! article clearly stated he was glad that he came back to win that best 2ndary player award. So, we won't have to worry about him, anymore.
In my humble opinion, it ultimately depends on if a combo of 2 WRs and 1 RB establish themselves during practice before the season. Do you remember that dropped pass by a wide-open opposing receiver two years ago, who would have won the game? I think it was Wassu, but I'm blanking. Boatang hasn't played with Riley before and he has been on his own for practice for more than a year, so he isn't a guarantee at the starting gate when the Bears will need it. There are a lot of talented receivers, Calvin, Ross, Sparks and Tucker to mention a few, but they're all unproven at this level. So, there's a lot to be determined before anything can be discerned about this team. Then, we didn't see much from Monty to tell if he has it in him to be an every down back. Forsett proved himself in several games before last year that he could cover for Lynch. I know there's a lot of potential, but that doesn't always translate to production.
Even more importantly, going on 3 years, someone needs to establish themselves as a dominate threat at DE. Maybe, the 3-4 will be the Salvation, but if we don't see some pressure from the end, Ezeff and whoever else is in the Secondary will be getting burned. A footnote of interest is Peele left the team before the Armed Forces game. So, the underclassmen will have a chance to show their stuff in the Secondary. I like Yancy's chances of getting some serious time, but I just like him, because he is a blue collar worker who fits into the tradition of Tedford football.
To answer your question, U$C is the obvious choice for me, since they'll be tops in the national polls. With the hype comes the confidance in most situations. I still don't get why it didn't work for our Bears, but let's not dwell on the past. If our Bears beat $C, that will make this fan sleep well that night.
GO YOU BEARS!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 24
Tedford coaches next year like he did last year and the whole SEASON is going to be tough.
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 115
But still the same insipid comments... $C wannabe
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 24
No $C wannabe here ... just wishing that Tedford would've taken advantage of the talent that he had in 06 and/or 07 & dreading 08, when most of that talent is in the NFL. If we couldn't beat Furd with JF, DJ, and LH then what's going to happen NEXT year? Especially if Tedford makes the wrong choice at QB (and when he's had a QB decision in the last 3 years, he HAS made the wrong choice). Tedford is (evidently) Cal's guy for the foreseeable future, so I wish him well BUT I don't think ANYONE should be comforted about the future, given recent history.
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 63
Yo J Oski, there's a difference between talking about an upcoming matchup and predicting scores that fuels the curse. Perhaps you're well versed in the annals of Cal football but any goofy broken superstition can easily drop Cal into a tail spin of death...like the 2007 season. Call it fate, call it karma call it whatever you like but Cal has a jinx on it until it can un-bury itself...why add to its voodoo mojo? Until Cal gets to the Rose Bowl, leave nothing to chance. ---- I have no problem saying Mich State and Maryland will both be tough games. Not as tough as Tennessee but tough none the less. Mich State is a lot like UCLA, always has good talent, can go off on anyone big time and yet they more then often shoot themselves in the foot. I don't think Maryland is as dangerous but it will be a home game that the Bears have to travel 3,000 miles for. --- Frankly I don't have a problem tossing out scores either but once you start losing it seems best to lay off the predictions of wins...or did you forget how last season unfolded? --- Also, Jan, I always wondered where you got "Go YOU Bears"? I've never heard that phrasing, the YOU part in between Go Bears. I've heard it at Brown and at other schools or with the Chicago Bears (da Bears) but I've never heard it at Cal before. Nothing wrong with it but I've always found the YOU part odd.
Oh well... GO BEARS!