You guys said it's rock bottom for this team. Almost agree. If Cal loses its next 4 games, this will still be the worst loss of the season. But if they lose to Stanfurd, it will be worse and even lower. So we can not yet take solace that we've seen the worst.
I still think a Wilcox Cal team can drag anybody down into the muck and come out on top. So I hold out hope for at least 3 more victories this season.
Or did Sonny call out the systemic problems that have festered for over fifty years?
Here were are six years later and no better off.
Oh, but, wait, now, the HC is taking ownership of the faults and we have great defense.
Hmmm...
Honestly, nothing has really changed.
Why do people keep making the prioritizing of football means the end of being a public Ivy. That's a brainwash that has gotten a foothold in our collective thinking and ignores Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, and UCLA, each of which are every bit our academic rival.
Public Ivy and football greatness are not mutually exclusive!
I feel your sentiment here totally. A Power 5 school not prioritizing football is an elitist take that feels downright prejudiced to me. Who the hell are we offending if we dare try to better our athletic program? Is it too capitalist or knuckle-dragging to want to generate excitement about an amateur sports team, and maybe bring in some cash while we're at it?
Nothing against Jack P, but is it worth considering giving the backup QB some significant playing time? At least if Cal is down by 10 or more points. He's more of a runner and presents a different style. I mean, why not try something different? It's not like Jack is A. A. Ron Rodgers. And it's generally a good thing if the backup has some experience...
Not all wins are the same, I get that, and I agree that changes are due. But Wilcox is 22-23 at Cal. This places him 4th in winning % out of the last 9 coaches. I think we are dealing with less of an issue of Wilcox's ability as a coach, and more of an issue with recruiting a high level. Tedford is probably the best coach we've had, and his ability to recruit was uncanny, given being at Cal, but then the graduation rate plummeted and the university was not having it. We will NEVER be able to recruit the stanford 4-5 star athletes with 4.0 gpas. So where does that leave us? What wizard is going to come in and win with years of 2-3 star talent?
"We will NEVER be able to recruit the stanford 4-5 star athletes with 4.0 gpas." Does Stanfurd? Honestly, since Stanfurd maintains grading policies like Yale, once you're in, you're in and are gonna' graduate. Yes, we can't match that, but I have doubts about football 4.0 gpas entering Furd. The preps, especially the private schools that need customers, can be very accommodating to promising athletes. ;)
I guess my point is that Stanford still graduates their kids even when they are top 10 in football, at least according to their published statistics. Then again, there are just flat out no Mickey Mouse courses at Cal. I have kids there right now, and I was looking through the class schedule and there are not a lot of easy A’s.
For sure. A little embarrassed to say, but when I was an undergrad, a buddy of mine got a hold of a star athlete's graded sociology paper. Let's just say this athlete's work was definitely all of their own. And they certainly didn't get any preferential grading treatment from the professor.
They used to have a policy that you could drop any class up until finals. Not sure that policy exists any more, and athletes still have to maintain a certain number of credits and GPA to maintain their standing. I agree with you that we can recruit the same athletes, but I disagree that their athletes necessarily benefit from the same policies that the rest of their undergrads might.
Man those were great days. '91 was my Freshman year. Still haven't seen a better game in person than the UW game (and that includes the comeback against Ore and the 4x+ OT Pat Barnes v AZ). '91 Big Game was the worst, however.
"Cal still has not won a football game outside the Bay Area the last three years. 0-10 since Bill Musgrave took over as OC and Angus McClure became OL coach."
Tarik Glenn played 10 years in the pros and is currently on Cal's staff. Why have Saffell moved up versus Tarik? Tarik can't be worse than Angus and has way more experience than Saffell. Oh and Tarik played tackle in the pros which happens to be the weakest position on Cal's entire team!! How is it that Angus is still here??
That’s on the assumption Tarik wants to coach collegiate football. I’m sure it’s come across for him but I would assume there’s a reason he stays in the admin side of the program.
WILCOX'S FOOTBALL PLAYING EXPERIENCE WAS AS A LINEBACKER WHICH CONDITIONED HIM TO THINK DEFENSE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE GAME, ERGO, HE HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ADJUST HIS THINKING TO SPEND MORE TIME AND EFFORTS HIMSELF CONSIDRING WHAT MUST BE DONE TO CHANGE HIS CONDITIONED DISPOSITION FOR A FOOTBALL GAME TO BE PLAYED BY HIS TEAM.
A FEW MOMENTS WITH A PSYCHOTHERAPIST FOR WILLCOX COULD BE WORTHWHILE, METHINKS. I HOPE THAT MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE A BASIS TO KEEP HIM ON THE JOB,!! GERBEAR
Do you really want to fire Wilcox? It's in the middle of the season and it would cost millions to fire him. However, fire or demote Musgraves and O line coaches.
My hope is in the cascade effect. I argued yesterday that sometimes change for the sake of change is actually needed. I'd rather see Knowlton act in a way that was decisive than not. But my bigger hope is Wilcox would act decisively. I'm fully aware we have no other coaches waiting in the wings to be our next OC. That's also on Wilcox but that's another story. But who could be worse at calling plays? Or coaching the O? Isn't Jeep supposed to be so smart? As interim. I don't give a flying. The players deserve better than rinse and repeat of a proven failure of an offense. The cascade is Christ:Knowlton:Wilcox:Musgrave:Angus. Someone fire someone now, we are at dumpster fire.
At least put Musgraves in the "press" box so he can see the whole field. I was a head High School football coach and a Div II LB coach for a total of 43 years and spent a lot of my college coaching time upstairs. On the sideline you really can't see much of the total field of play.
"I can't see how it is feasible to bring someone new into the program to call the plays."
If Cal fires Musgrave right now, we won't be bringing in a new OC in the middle of season. Like you said, someone within would be interim OC. Could be Thompson, or it could be Geep. Geep has been OC in the NFL but that was almost 20 years ago. I don't question AT's coaching abilities but I don't know if he's capable of handling OC duties. It's a different skill set from coaching one position.
That's exactly what I said! We won't be bringing in a new OC in the middle of season and some existing coach would have to do it, which I believe would be AT or Geep.
You guys said it's rock bottom for this team. Almost agree. If Cal loses its next 4 games, this will still be the worst loss of the season. But if they lose to Stanfurd, it will be worse and even lower. So we can not yet take solace that we've seen the worst.
I still think a Wilcox Cal team can drag anybody down into the muck and come out on top. So I hold out hope for at least 3 more victories this season.
Or did Sonny call out the systemic problems that have festered for over fifty years?
Here were are six years later and no better off.
Oh, but, wait, now, the HC is taking ownership of the faults and we have great defense.
Hmmm...
Honestly, nothing has really changed.
Why do people keep making the prioritizing of football means the end of being a public Ivy. That's a brainwash that has gotten a foothold in our collective thinking and ignores Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, and UCLA, each of which are every bit our academic rival.
Public Ivy and football greatness are not mutually exclusive!
I feel your sentiment here totally. A Power 5 school not prioritizing football is an elitist take that feels downright prejudiced to me. Who the hell are we offending if we dare try to better our athletic program? Is it too capitalist or knuckle-dragging to want to generate excitement about an amateur sports team, and maybe bring in some cash while we're at it?
Subscribers only to comment on the Greatwood post?
Nothing against Jack P, but is it worth considering giving the backup QB some significant playing time? At least if Cal is down by 10 or more points. He's more of a runner and presents a different style. I mean, why not try something different? It's not like Jack is A. A. Ron Rodgers. And it's generally a good thing if the backup has some experience...
Say his name, Aaron Rodgers. ;)
I'm happy to; unlike all the haters, I love Aaron Rodgers.
Not all wins are the same, I get that, and I agree that changes are due. But Wilcox is 22-23 at Cal. This places him 4th in winning % out of the last 9 coaches. I think we are dealing with less of an issue of Wilcox's ability as a coach, and more of an issue with recruiting a high level. Tedford is probably the best coach we've had, and his ability to recruit was uncanny, given being at Cal, but then the graduation rate plummeted and the university was not having it. We will NEVER be able to recruit the stanford 4-5 star athletes with 4.0 gpas. So where does that leave us? What wizard is going to come in and win with years of 2-3 star talent?
"We will NEVER be able to recruit the stanford 4-5 star athletes with 4.0 gpas." Does Stanfurd? Honestly, since Stanfurd maintains grading policies like Yale, once you're in, you're in and are gonna' graduate. Yes, we can't match that, but I have doubts about football 4.0 gpas entering Furd. The preps, especially the private schools that need customers, can be very accommodating to promising athletes. ;)
I guess my point is that Stanford still graduates their kids even when they are top 10 in football, at least according to their published statistics. Then again, there are just flat out no Mickey Mouse courses at Cal. I have kids there right now, and I was looking through the class schedule and there are not a lot of easy A’s.
For sure. A little embarrassed to say, but when I was an undergrad, a buddy of mine got a hold of a star athlete's graded sociology paper. Let's just say this athlete's work was definitely all of their own. And they certainly didn't get any preferential grading treatment from the professor.
Yep, precious few "Mickey Mouse" courses. Tedford's work around was JC and other transfers. It would still work.
They used to have a policy that you could drop any class up until finals. Not sure that policy exists any more, and athletes still have to maintain a certain number of credits and GPA to maintain their standing. I agree with you that we can recruit the same athletes, but I disagree that their athletes necessarily benefit from the same policies that the rest of their undergrads might.
Welp, it used to be the lowest grade one could get in ANY course was a "B," if you just showed up, once.
USC football has a LOT of "Communications Majors."
Bruce Snyder may have something to say about that.
Man those were great days. '91 was my Freshman year. Still haven't seen a better game in person than the UW game (and that includes the comeback against Ore and the 4x+ OT Pat Barnes v AZ). '91 Big Game was the worst, however.
Musgraves had great success with the VIkings.
He also had talent. He doesn't seem to be willing to adapt his plays based on what he has to work with.
Perhaps bitterness for ending up back in the minor leagues compels him to be unyielding and inflexible.
How about if the fired coaches get another job? Does the payout stop, like with divorce alimony?
I must disagree about Sonny.
Despite his likely spite in saying what he said.
But the statement that Cal must prioritize football in order to win is dead on right.
I would not dismiss the truth of this statement simply because he might be bitter.
Yes, we need to shit or get off the pot.
Oops, I spoke to soon. I wrote this as I was listening.
You've missed a "t" in Stitcher at https://linktr.ee/goldenbearcast. Go Bears!
Avinash Kunnath@avinashkunnath
"Cal still has not won a football game outside the Bay Area the last three years. 0-10 since Bill Musgrave took over as OC and Angus McClure became OL coach."
Tarik Glenn played 10 years in the pros and is currently on Cal's staff. Why have Saffell moved up versus Tarik? Tarik can't be worse than Angus and has way more experience than Saffell. Oh and Tarik played tackle in the pros which happens to be the weakest position on Cal's entire team!! How is it that Angus is still here??
That’s on the assumption Tarik wants to coach collegiate football. I’m sure it’s come across for him but I would assume there’s a reason he stays in the admin side of the program.
WILCOX'S FOOTBALL PLAYING EXPERIENCE WAS AS A LINEBACKER WHICH CONDITIONED HIM TO THINK DEFENSE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE GAME, ERGO, HE HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ADJUST HIS THINKING TO SPEND MORE TIME AND EFFORTS HIMSELF CONSIDRING WHAT MUST BE DONE TO CHANGE HIS CONDITIONED DISPOSITION FOR A FOOTBALL GAME TO BE PLAYED BY HIS TEAM.
A FEW MOMENTS WITH A PSYCHOTHERAPIST FOR WILLCOX COULD BE WORTHWHILE, METHINKS. I HOPE THAT MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE A BASIS TO KEEP HIM ON THE JOB,!! GERBEAR
I APPRECIATE A GREAT PSYCHOTHERAPIST SESSION AS WELL! GERBEAR
In case you do not know, we are lucky to have Gerald, here. He was yell leader when Cal last went to the Rose Bowl. I like his CAPs Lock voice.
"We should win"
DOOM!
I said it.
So, this loss is on YOU!
;)
Has Musgrave been fired yet?
Has Musgrave been fired yet?
It's 4pm here in the Pacific and no news from the AD or Wilcox...well, status quo team is strong at Cal Athletics!
Do you really want to fire Wilcox? It's in the middle of the season and it would cost millions to fire him. However, fire or demote Musgraves and O line coaches.
My hope is in the cascade effect. I argued yesterday that sometimes change for the sake of change is actually needed. I'd rather see Knowlton act in a way that was decisive than not. But my bigger hope is Wilcox would act decisively. I'm fully aware we have no other coaches waiting in the wings to be our next OC. That's also on Wilcox but that's another story. But who could be worse at calling plays? Or coaching the O? Isn't Jeep supposed to be so smart? As interim. I don't give a flying. The players deserve better than rinse and repeat of a proven failure of an offense. The cascade is Christ:Knowlton:Wilcox:Musgrave:Angus. Someone fire someone now, we are at dumpster fire.
At least put Musgraves in the "press" box so he can see the whole field. I was a head High School football coach and a Div II LB coach for a total of 43 years and spent a lot of my college coaching time upstairs. On the sideline you really can't see much of the total field of play.
Ahh, SLO was old school, ran the veer? Not a program that had a modern passing attack, motion, wildcat, etc.
"I can't see how it is feasible to bring someone new into the program to call the plays."
If Cal fires Musgrave right now, we won't be bringing in a new OC in the middle of season. Like you said, someone within would be interim OC. Could be Thompson, or it could be Geep. Geep has been OC in the NFL but that was almost 20 years ago. I don't question AT's coaching abilities but I don't know if he's capable of handling OC duties. It's a different skill set from coaching one position.
That's exactly what I said! We won't be bringing in a new OC in the middle of season and some existing coach would have to do it, which I believe would be AT or Geep.
Knowlton is hiding under his desk in his office.