Once again, I didn't "see" the SDSU game, but I listened to it and followed online. I don't want to go overboard here, but I think that game was a lot more meaningful than some might think.
Cal may be a veteran team, but as a program it is still young in terms of knowing what it takes to win. Cal was terrible in the first quarter of that game. In recent history, slow starts would doom the Bears in part because the team just didn't have the confidence to win. See Washington game last year. Yesterday, they overcame a slow start by not panicking, and believing in their systems and teammates. Of course, this happens as a result of actually having some good quality depth for the first year of the Dykes era, combined with good coaching. Even on the radio I could tell Cal's defensive backs were playing with a level of physicality missing for at least the last three seasons. The team is so so much better than the first two years of Dykes that it is obvious it is going to take a major leap forward this season now. Some of us suspected that based on off-season activity, but now the team is performing. It's really showing the hallmarks of a 9+ win team.
When I see Texas 42 Rice 28, I think: Cal has a better offense than Rice, so Cal should score more than that. And Cal has a better D than Rice, so Texas isn't scoring as much as 42. The question is how much better is Cal than Rice? My guess is a lot better. So Cal should probably be favored to beat Texas. Of course the line makers will probably still favor Texas. Another week to make some money betting on Cal for sure, but more importantly, a chance for Cal to make a national statement. They have the national "air" all to themselves for about the first quarter of the Texas game on FOX before Stanford and USC on ABC at 8:15 ET and Miss at Bama on ESPN at 9pm ET.
And I have to say I LOVE the fact this game is in Texas. You know Sonny wants to make a huge statement there, and you also know he and Franklin have been waiting YEARS to put themselves on the map and how much a win at Texas would mean to them. So they are going to put together a fantastic game plan, pull out all the stops, and Cal is going to execute like you've never seen in a big OOC road game. That's what I think anyway.
Cal may be a veteran team, but as a program it is still young in terms of knowing what it takes to win. Cal was terrible in the first quarter of that game. In recent history, slow starts would doom the Bears in part because the team just didn't have the confidence to win. See Washington game last year. Yesterday, they overcame a slow start by not panicking, and believing in their systems and teammates. Of course, this happens as a result of actually having some good quality depth for the first year of the Dykes era, combined with good coaching. Even on the radio I could tell Cal's defensive backs were playing with a level of physicality missing for at least the last three seasons. The team is so so much better than the first two years of Dykes that it is obvious it is going to take a major leap forward this season now. Some of us suspected that based on off-season activity, but now the team is performing. It's really showing the hallmarks of a 9+ win team.
When I see Texas 42 Rice 28, I think: Cal has a better offense than Rice, so Cal should score more than that. And Cal has a better D than Rice, so Texas isn't scoring as much as 42. The question is how much better is Cal than Rice? My guess is a lot better. So Cal should probably be favored to beat Texas. Of course the line makers will probably still favor Texas. Another week to make some money betting on Cal for sure, but more importantly, a chance for Cal to make a national statement. They have the national "air" all to themselves for about the first quarter of the Texas game on FOX before Stanford and USC on ABC at 8:15 ET and Miss at Bama on ESPN at 9pm ET.
And I have to say I LOVE the fact this game is in Texas. You know Sonny wants to make a huge statement there, and you also know he and Franklin have been waiting YEARS to put themselves on the map and how much a win at Texas would mean to them. So they are going to put together a fantastic game plan, pull out all the stops, and Cal is going to execute like you've never seen in a big OOC road game. That's what I think anyway.
