Idiots Write About Sports

This has got to be the least impressive 4-0 team I have ever seen.

That said, you’ve got to look at this Cal victory for what it was: the defense might have allowed more than 300 total yards, but they also allowed a total of six points. (The Aggies’ only touchdown was on a kickoff return.) And Cal managed almost 600 yards of total offense.

Still, when you’re the number 13 team in the country and you’re playing a team that’s 0-3, you expect to look good, and Cal looked sloppy. When you try to convert the poor teams that Cal has played into stronger Pac-10 opponents (sorry, Washington), you’ve got to wonder if Cal’s team is for real, or if they’re just a mirage that’s feasting on weak opponents.

I’m actually sure they’re pretty decent, but they’re playing so sloppily that you have to figure that sooner or later, they’re going to make way too many mistakes and a Pac-10 team is going to wipe them out. It might be Arizona next week, or UCLA, but it seems likely to happen.

Not that it’s the fault of the players or coaches, necessarily — a lot of Cal’s weird start has to be laid at the foot of all the injuries the team has suffered as well as all the positions they have had to fill after last year’s starters graduated.

As for the New Mexico State Aggies? Not a good team. And yet, they showed a lot of heart. If they hadn’t stupidly dropped some passes, they might’ve given Cal more of a challenge.

However, in contrast to the team, I’ve got to say that new Aggies coach Hal Mumme didn’t impress me. At the end of the first half, trailing 27-10, he called three consecutive time outs before a field-goal attempt by Cal. Yes, Schneider missed the kick — it was a long one, so I wasn’t too surprised — and then ESPN’s cameras cut over to show Mumme doing a little dance on the sideline. (I seem to remember dancing a similar dance last Sunday when I read the sports section.) He was just so thrilled with himself for spending three time outs to stop Cal from scoring three points. Whatever, dude. You’re 0-4 now.

Anyway, Cal is 4-0, and yet I’m carping. I guess that means that Cal’s football team has really turned the corner, if I’ve found myself unsatisfied with every single win so far this year. I really wanted to see Cal dominate one team for the entire game — and despite wins of 38, 39, 15, and 28 points, I haven’t felt that this year.

Maybe I’m simply unable to sit back and enjoy Cal victories. It could be the long-time Cal fan in me — I’m so convinced that the old Cal is going to come back that I’m paranoid, waiting for it to happen.

It probably won’t, but when I look at the schedule ahead, I’m starting to suspect that we’re far more likely to see 8-3 than 10-1 this year. Which, given the amount of rebuilding this team had to do this year, wouldn’t be the end of the world. And then they could fly back to El Paso, Texas, for that exciting Sun Bowl. Woo-hoo!

Probably a good thing they don't play ASU this year. If they did, that would probably be one more loss and down to the Insight.com bowl...

"It could be the long-time Cal fan in me — I’m so convinced that the old Cal is going to come back that I’m paranoid, waiting for it to happen."

Jason, you sound like a Cubs fan ;-)

Dan, being a Cal fan is a whole lot like being a Cubs fan.

James, you may be right -- it's unclear yet how good Cal really is, but not playing ASU certainly removes another tough game for the schedule.

James et al., ASU is the last of our worries. We've beat them every year under Tedford's reign and very handily. Don't you guys remember that "offensive shootout" last year that turned into a shutout? Right now, we've got ASU's number and I don't think that would change if we had them on our schedule this year.

That said, 8-3 is a pretty good guess for this season, although I think we've got a good shot at 9-2. Here's my quick analysis:

Teams we could lose to (in order of likelihood):

1. USC
2. Oregon (particularly since we're on the road where the Ducks will do anything (including turn off the lights) to win)
3. UCLA
4. Washington St. (who for one reason or another always seems to have our number no matter how bad they are)

A loss to any of Arizona, OSU and Stanford would really surprise me. In any case, I suspect we'll win 2 of the 4 games I listed as possible losses. Whether that is Oregon and USC or USC and Washington St., I'm not sure, but it leaves us at 9-2 and likely 3rd in the Pac-10.

That is my prediction anyway.

As for why we're all on pins and needles despite being 4-0, I think a big part of it is because we don't want to waste this great opportunity. All us lifetime fans (I sat through all of the Holmoe years, including the 1-10 year, listened to Starkey belittle Gilbertson game after game before that and cried like a little boy (OK I was a little boy) when Bruce Snyder left) know this has been a long time coming and anyone who thinks Tedford is here forever is fooling themselves. We all know that we've had an easy schedule to date and know that it is only uphill from here. All of us who remember Mariucci's one year, remember what it is like to think we've got it in the bag only to fall flat on our faces. We don't want that to happen this year and are hyper-sensitive to any sign of weakness.

At least that's why I'm on pins and needles.

"How the beat a team name 'Aggies'" Nice jab at Stanford. Remember this time last year the Aggies of Davis was Division II.

One of my goals in doing the Cal Football section of Idiots Write About Sports is to fill the need for an actual Cal Football weblog. There are none that I can find, and it boggles my mind. In this region, with all the smart and opinionated people at Berkeley, at the program's 50-year height, we STILL can't find anyone so insane about Cal Football that they'll blog about them day and night?

Well, I'm 35 and have two little kids, so I can't blog day and night. But at least I can pitch in a tad. It's better than nothing.

Jason,

I try too. Unfortunately, Cal games usually equate to heavy alcohol consumption (I'm writing this from the Bear's Lair right now) which means, I can't remember much to blog effectively.

Wow, Kenny. You're already drinking for Saturday's game? That's commitment -- 72 straight hours of drinking! Talk about your March to Victory!

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