This is the weakest the North has ever been. No Harbaugh, No Kelly, and as a result there's no elite teams. Never has Cal been better positioned. Can Cal and Dykes overcome their flaws and capture the North?
The biggest surprise to me after watching furd vs northwestern is hogan/shaw putting up >40 pts in their 3 p12 games. Their offense has become shockingly explosive. wtf. I see the North shaping up to a 3 team race:
1. Furd has the cleanest shot at winning the North now. They are 3-0 in conference and their remaining schedule is comparatively easy: they have 6 remaining conference games, 4 at home, no Utah and ASU, and their 2 road games are againt colo and wsu.
2. Cal is now sitting in the driver's seats for a top 3 north finish, with tie breakers over wsu and uw and getting a weak ore st at home. I think they can beat furd, but even they do, they're going to need some help to finish ahead of furd. In contrast to furd's relatively easy schedule, Cal's is tough, including a 4 game gauntlet @ utah/ucla/ore and sc at home.
Going 7-2 in conference would be a monumental task for Cal, and even if they do, they're going to need some help to finish ahead of furd. But upsets are common in the p12, so anything is possible. The key for Cal is at least going 2-2 over the next 4 games including beating oregon. Then Cal will be in the driver's seat for now worse than 2nd and have a legit shot at first if they can close the last 3 asu/furd/ore st games.
3. Oregon. What happened to these guys? Hint, helfirch is no chip off the block and mariota is a titan. I see them losing at least 3 conference games (2 more) and finishing behind furd and Cal.
4-6 uw/osu/wsu all suck and will be battling to stay out of the cellar. Hopefully one of the Wash schools steps up and beats furd.
The biggest surprise to me after watching furd vs northwestern is hogan/shaw putting up >40 pts in their 3 p12 games. Their offense has become shockingly explosive. wtf. I see the North shaping up to a 3 team race:
1. Furd has the cleanest shot at winning the North now. They are 3-0 in conference and their remaining schedule is comparatively easy: they have 6 remaining conference games, 4 at home, no Utah and ASU, and their 2 road games are againt colo and wsu.
2. Cal is now sitting in the driver's seats for a top 3 north finish, with tie breakers over wsu and uw and getting a weak ore st at home. I think they can beat furd, but even they do, they're going to need some help to finish ahead of furd. In contrast to furd's relatively easy schedule, Cal's is tough, including a 4 game gauntlet @ utah/ucla/ore and sc at home.
Going 7-2 in conference would be a monumental task for Cal, and even if they do, they're going to need some help to finish ahead of furd. But upsets are common in the p12, so anything is possible. The key for Cal is at least going 2-2 over the next 4 games including beating oregon. Then Cal will be in the driver's seat for now worse than 2nd and have a legit shot at first if they can close the last 3 asu/furd/ore st games.
3. Oregon. What happened to these guys? Hint, helfirch is no chip off the block and mariota is a titan. I see them losing at least 3 conference games (2 more) and finishing behind furd and Cal.
4-6 uw/osu/wsu all suck and will be battling to stay out of the cellar. Hopefully one of the Wash schools steps up and beats furd.
