Back in Business

I decided to start posting again, mostly since school is back in and my kids are back at school, so I have a bit of time.

I want to apologize for not explaining my absence, except that I never really left. i just did not find anything compelling enough to comment on during the dog days of summer. I knew, for example, that the decision on Longshore was going to come during the season. Both he and Riley would play, at least the first game or two. Well, it looks like that is sewn up for Kevin. I will have a further post on that later, but suffice it to say that I think Nate Longshore is a good QB, and probably will get a look in the NFL. And I think he will play again for the Bears this year.

I also want to say that the whole tree sitter thing is wearing on me, and I was not about to participate in the breathless anticipation of the law suit finality, and the eventual dragging out of the final stages. We have a long way to go, and we will eventually get there. Unlike most college football fans, I think long term - I remember the Joe Kapp years (and had a hell of a good time at Cal games during those years).

So I just stopped posting until I found a subject that interested me in posting about. Of course, the first game of the season is just that subject, and so, a little late, I want to talk about the Bears, this time in the history of the Cal football team, and the rest of the season.

First, I want to take us back to the Tom Holmoe years. And I want to take us back to the years of hope in the Tom Holmoe years. Yikes!! you say...but it is true. The first two years of TH were years of hope, but slowly diminishing. We had a decent defense, and the offense was OK, and Gilbey was gone. Gilbey was TH, but better, but we didn't know it yet. Our excitement with Marriucci, and with the inevitable collapse a year or three away, the struggle to get to .500 was seen as likely. We were going to be a power!

If you remember, someone back then said that Cal was a sleeping giant in football - maybe Sports Illustrated, or someone with respectable credentials. We all clung to that hope, and TH seemed like the upstanding guy who could get us there... maybe. He had a superbowl ring or two, and the 49ers were the team of the decade.

But year after year it went downhill again. Tom was a good guy, and it is hard to get rid of a good guy, but enough was enough.

Let's remember what we were dying and hoping for...to get to .500. Maybe a winning season.

Come Tedford and we see how petty and small that made us. Cal really was a sleeping giant. We just needed to be woken up.

So as we boo Longshore because we all could have done much better, and we complain about how crappy we looked against a top 40 team when the game was never really in doubt, and it was clear who was the much better team, I think that we should all feel good that our biggest letdown so far is that we played half of last year with an injured QB who for better or worse was unable to lead the team. JT made the right call in the way that he handled the situation this year, and I for one think that this is going to be a great year for Cal football.

First, we have the weapons to win every game we plan. The Pac 10 has gotten tougher, but then again, we have as well. And frankly, I think we have gotten seriously deep. We have fast athletes at almost every position, except for perhaps kicker, and there is no one in the conference, save perhaps USC, who has as deep a program as we have right now. Because, for the past 6 years, we have been the second best recruiter in the Pac 10, and the best talent developer. I do not see that changing.

While we had a significant loss last year in recruiting ranking, actually, it is clear that we signed a bunch of guys who can come in right away and help.

Clearly our biggest weakness is in the wide receiver ranks, where we have no experience at all to speak of. And that showed on Saturday. Also, our kickers need help experience wise. That could be a big issue in a big game. But overall, I believe that we are a truly talented team with tremendous upside this year.

Defensively, our new system is going to work better, even with the bend but don't break issue. That is because when we play BBDB, we have faster guys out there on the edge getting inside to the QB, putting pressure on. So it may not be a 7 drop, but on a 6 drop and 5 rush situation, it is going to be hard for the QB to get a lot of time. And while we may give up a bit more on the initial surge in pure rushing down, we have the players to close quickly and make a stop. Defensively, I think our biggest issue is the other corner - and if Hagan continues to improve as much as he did during the MSU game, we are going to be fine.

Offensively, our wideouts need to catch the ball. It is not an issue of getting open - at least for Boateng. He was open plenty, and dropped the ball. If he learns how to catch, he is going to be a very rich man. He is big, fast and strong, and has the instincts needed to get open. He just needs to catch, and I think that will come with time. We have a good possession receiver in Young, and hopefully another strong threat in Calvin once he is healthy.

The game looked a little like we were a bit unexperienced. And we are. But we are going to be just fine come December. So here is my yearly prediction: End of season, Cal ranked 5th in the country, 11-1, beats USC, and loses to ASU at home. Shares the Pac 10 title with SC (ugh). SC goes to the National Championship game, and we get the Rose Bowl. OK - I may be smoking a little bit, but let's face it - we have a favorable schedule this year, I think we will be favored in every game, except the SC and ASU game. Oregon will have no QB's left by the time we get there, and UCLA is in for a treat at memorial (let me be perfectly clear on this - there is no college coach that should be hated more than Neuheisel, and for UCLA to take that scum is a travesty to clear and good thinking people everywhere). The place should be rocking for that one.

And here is one more thing: these guys are pissed off and want to do something about last year. I know Alex Mack does, and Follett, and Rulon Davis. We are going to be tough this year.

I said it last year after the first game: National Champs. A little pre-mature. And I may be this year as well. But in true Cal tinted glasses, I do think that the Bears have a great shot this year at getting the Pac 10 title and getting into the Rose Bowl...and look out 2010. These quys will all be seniors then. Yikes!!