Are we going to pretend that we had a game so awful that we are forced to embrace the cringe of the disaster?
There are those who love the 2018 Cheez-Its Bowl. I am firmly in the camp that never wants to think about that game ever again and feels vaguely bad even seeing a box of Cheez-Its in the grocery store.
So many it seems and this thread confirms it and more to list for sure. Gad, just reading them brings up the past angst. all be it in less intense way.
Every game played against Arizona this past decade. The hail mary in 2014, the crushing overtime loss in 2017. And the 2 pic-six's in 2018. We lost every game to them.
Don't forget missing the field goal in 2010 that would have given us an insurmountable 12-3 lead in the waning minutes, only for them to march down the field and win 10-9. That was agonizing and it really set the tone for the 2010s.
Surprisingly, the Arizona games have all fared reasonably well in our ratings:
2010: 73rd-worst out of 124 (or 51st-best if we flip the rankings around)
2013: 57th
2014: 56th
2017: 79th
2018: 51st
Interestingly, Arizona was the only Pac-12 team we did not defeat in the 2010s.
2018 UCLA I mean my god what a mess that game was from Kelley running down our throats like we didn't have a hint of linebackers and a defensive line to stop him. I'm not sure how often this occurs but us home fans were booing at halftime only being down 10-0, little did they know what was instore with Brandon Mcilwain throwing god knows like 3 picks in the second half to cement our loss in the ugliest was possible to a winless team. I warned my father that all we had to do was defend Kelley and Wilson and we didn't do either of those as I sat by myself in section WW row 3 until the very end where there seemed like only a few thousand left. That was one ugly day.
It was the worst Cal game I have ever witnessed. I left with 2:00 minutes left (which I never do, I will never abandon my Bears) and as I was walking along the road behind the student section there was a sudden cheer. I guess Jaylinn Hawkins had like a 50 yard kick off return, I recall from hearing the PA announcer. I guess that was the highlight of the game and there were some sarcastic comments I could hear from the fans.
That was the game where something broke in me and I started cheering after every Cal turnover and just couldn't stop laughing. The ridiculousness of it was all too much.
That one was #14. Pass offense (16.9) and pass defense (16.7) were terrible, but run offense (33.9) and run defense (25.7) were merely bad. I don't remember why special teams were less awful in that game, but they got a 43.7. Coaching (19.6) and overall (18.3) were pretty terrible too. So overall, it was bad but not quite on par with the worst of the decade.
It was an expected win, and the first game in renovated Memorial. Hopes were so high going in, and then inexplicably Maynard doesn't start, and we look awful and lose. At the end was a pathetic failed trick play on a kickoff return (saved by a penalty), then a game-ending fumble.
For me it was the end of optimism, and the first time I felt sure that Tedford had peaked and was done.
Season-opening losses are the worst - you feel robbed of the entire season because you know "this is not the year". I felt worse after Nevada than after any of the five listed in the post.
That was #18: offense was not great but not terrible. Defense was awful, though.
That game was so much more impactful than the outcome on the field. That was the turning point when I became absolutely convinced that Tedford would never again reach the heights of the mid-2000s (or even the solid success of the late 2000s).
I think this is the most Cal post ever........thanks for nothing.......pain....ouch.......gastric distress......sads.......
Are we going to pretend that we had a game so awful that we are forced to embrace the cringe of the disaster?
There are those who love the 2018 Cheez-Its Bowl. I am firmly in the camp that never wants to think about that game ever again and feels vaguely bad even seeing a box of Cheez-Its in the grocery store.
I watched every open spring practice, and every open fall practice in Sonny’s first year, and I went on the record on several sites: One win, if that.
That team had almost nothing. Tedford had sucked the life out of Cal football, probably forever.
Last year, the Bears beat one team with a winning record, and many predict a championship game.
Please.
You can only beat the teams on the schedule...
So many it seems and this thread confirms it and more to list for sure. Gad, just reading them brings up the past angst. all be it in less intense way.
Haven't read the article yet, but my first reaction nonetheless is...
TOO SOON
Every game played against Arizona this past decade. The hail mary in 2014, the crushing overtime loss in 2017. And the 2 pic-six's in 2018. We lost every game to them.
Don't forget missing the field goal in 2010 that would have given us an insurmountable 12-3 lead in the waning minutes, only for them to march down the field and win 10-9. That was agonizing and it really set the tone for the 2010s.
Surprisingly, the Arizona games have all fared reasonably well in our ratings:
2010: 73rd-worst out of 124 (or 51st-best if we flip the rankings around)
2013: 57th
2014: 56th
2017: 79th
2018: 51st
Interestingly, Arizona was the only Pac-12 team we did not defeat in the 2010s.
so what was the highest-rated loss? And the lowest-rated win?
Great question.
Highest-rated loss: Big Game 2011 (Cal 28, #7 LSJU 31)
Lowest-rated win: vs. Southern Utah 2012 (Cal 50, SU 31--score is somewhat misleading because we only had a 3-point lead going into the 4th)
thanks
A lovely exercise in thinking "it can't get worse than this, right?" and then reading the next entry and remembering how it did indeed get worse.
2018 UCLA I mean my god what a mess that game was from Kelley running down our throats like we didn't have a hint of linebackers and a defensive line to stop him. I'm not sure how often this occurs but us home fans were booing at halftime only being down 10-0, little did they know what was instore with Brandon Mcilwain throwing god knows like 3 picks in the second half to cement our loss in the ugliest was possible to a winless team. I warned my father that all we had to do was defend Kelley and Wilson and we didn't do either of those as I sat by myself in section WW row 3 until the very end where there seemed like only a few thousand left. That was one ugly day.
It was the worst Cal game I have ever witnessed. I left with 2:00 minutes left (which I never do, I will never abandon my Bears) and as I was walking along the road behind the student section there was a sudden cheer. I guess Jaylinn Hawkins had like a 50 yard kick off return, I recall from hearing the PA announcer. I guess that was the highlight of the game and there were some sarcastic comments I could hear from the fans.
That was the game where something broke in me and I started cheering after every Cal turnover and just couldn't stop laughing. The ridiculousness of it was all too much.
I was really surprised that one did not make the list (it was #7). I still think that was the worst Cal football game I have ever seen.
Can you add the year to each of them entry headers? It was hard to orient for some of those.
Good suggestion. I've added them.
"Let's unearth some repressed memories" No.
Seriously....what's next, you guys coming over and kicking my pup?
We would never do that. It would violate the social distancing guidelines!
Ha!! She is a red dog, after all...what kind of self-respecting Cal fan gets a red dog!!!
I used to get those at Top Dog.
2010 Big Game game deserves an honorable mention. That rain. That Andrew Luck stiff-arm. Brock Mansion ...
That one was #14. Pass offense (16.9) and pass defense (16.7) were terrible, but run offense (33.9) and run defense (25.7) were merely bad. I don't remember why special teams were less awful in that game, but they got a 43.7. Coaching (19.6) and overall (18.3) were pretty terrible too. So overall, it was bad but not quite on par with the worst of the decade.
What year did Tedford get crushed at OSU? That should be on this list.
That one just missed the cut at #6.
2012. Tedford’s last game, under a deluge in Corvallis. Coffin finally met nail.
Nevada 2012
It was an expected win, and the first game in renovated Memorial. Hopes were so high going in, and then inexplicably Maynard doesn't start, and we look awful and lose. At the end was a pathetic failed trick play on a kickoff return (saved by a penalty), then a game-ending fumble.
For me it was the end of optimism, and the first time I felt sure that Tedford had peaked and was done.
Season-opening losses are the worst - you feel robbed of the entire season because you know "this is not the year". I felt worse after Nevada than after any of the five listed in the post.
Yes, the Tedford flag was lowered permanently at half mast as far as I was concerned.
That was #18: offense was not great but not terrible. Defense was awful, though.
That game was so much more impactful than the outcome on the field. That was the turning point when I became absolutely convinced that Tedford would never again reach the heights of the mid-2000s (or even the solid success of the late 2000s).
I would add the loss to Colorado in 2017 in Wilcox' first year. Montez carved us up.
That was #23. Other than pass defense, all the other categories were bad but not terrible (mostly in the 25-35 range).
Coach W was seething on the sidelines he was so PO'd