43 Comments

If Cal loses to WSU, any bets Wilcox will step down before the Stanfurd game? HT, Cal leads by 7.

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I found an update on Jaivian. Sounds like he's walking, talking, and coming back to the Bay Area today.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/11/05/good-news-on-injured-cal-running-back-jaivian-thomas/

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BASED UPON THE STATS OVER THE YEARS CALS PASS DEFENCE HAS BEEN IT WORST DEFENCE PRODUCT. NUFF SAID. GRBEARS

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What makes some believe that the level of coaching and recruiting in the ACC is a plus for Cal? I think the travel is going to be an issue for many kids as well as there are damn good coaches within our new conference. Any one really believe the music is going to change without some significant moves within the football program or the Athletic Department overall?

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One could make the argument that we had one of the toughest schedules year-to-year, due to being in the P12 North and the permanent rivalries with the CA schools. Most teams with our out-of-conference record would probably have a few more bowl games and maybe even a title run under their belts.

The ACC only plays 8 conference games, and has generally been a top heavy conference, meaning we would expect the average ACC opponent to be a bit weaker than the average P12 North opponent. So on average, our schedule should be easier and we control the scheduling for one extra game. Additionally, outside of Stanford and SMU, we get a random rotation of conference opponents. So we should also get a lucky draw every now and then.

With that said, I do think our recruiting will take a hit. And I also wouldn't be surprised to see more ACC schools step up their investment in football after seeing all this realignment chaos. Considering our meager revenue share, there is a very real chance that we take a step back as a program, and/or the rest of the ACC takes a step forward, so by no means should we expect to be more competitive in the next few years. Finger crossed though that we make it work.

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I would love it if Cal could somehow fire Wilfox and somehow hire the HC from Tulane or James Madison.

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Probably the only silver lining of this weekend is that we are past the gauntlet and the last three teams look to be our best bet for some wins this season. WSU is down this year, UCLA had two QBs go down at Arizona, and Stanford is Stanford. With a better coach, I would expect to win all three of these, but I would not be surprised to see Wilcox go 0-3. But I would bet we have at least a 50/50 chance at each of them, so at least we have a reason to tune in as bowl elegibiity is still theoretically possible.

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I'd give us about 55% to beat Wazzu, 60% at Furd, 25% at UCLA.

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Nov 5, 2023·edited Nov 5, 2023

FYI, Wazzu opened as a 13.5 point favorite against Cal, which feels right to me.

I’d be shocked if Cal won.

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author

I think you are mistaken. Cal is currently -1.5 point favorites over Wazzu. Wazzu started the season off strong, but they've been farting around these past few weeks and just lost to Stanford, who is also terrible.

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Bear Insider has an article that talks about the Beas ineptitude in pass defense with coverage that give receivers 5 to 10 yards of space. That's not defense, that's a clusterfuck.

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Program is in The Death Zone. What recruit would sign up for this? What Cal fan would fork over $$ for this? And given the precarious status of the AD, what head coaching candidate would sign up for this?

We’re going to need a bigger boat.

Remember when the Ducks sought the services of Wilcox? I bet Coach does as well.

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Fortunately, Cal is getting an ACC lifeboat.

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aside from the thomas injury FIRE wilcox pleeeeeeeeeze. or else cancel the football program save face!

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I want to say "if not for the turnovers we could have been competitive" but then I remember that we are Cal and the poor play and turnovers are a feature and not a flaw. Sigh.

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Nov 5, 2023Liked by Rick Chen

One thing I am REALLY getting sick of this year, however, is this team's propensity to do REALLY STUPID things that would appear to derail them at the very start of games. It feels like it's been a common pattern this year.

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Nov 5, 2023Liked by Rick Chen

Honestly not upset about this specific game. Toughest opponent Cal will face all year. UO is a championship caliber team. We know who Cal was before this game and we know who Oregon was. We can certainly be upset about and lament the state of the team in the 7th year of Wilcox (and there is plenty to be displeased about), but the outcome of this game was expected.

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Wilfox will turn Cal around or get us relegated to the MWC trying!!

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Nov 5, 2023Liked by Rick Chen

Sigh.

Prayers for Jaivian Thomas.

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Based on some of these comments, this sounds like a competitive game. I must have tuned in too something. The game I saw, we got our asses kicked.

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I only saw the first half. Then I took a nap for 15 minutes and couldn't wake up and I'm glad I didn't.

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author

Funny, Cal did the same thing.

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I swear only Cal fans could turn losing by six touchdowns into a competitive game.

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Demonstrates what many years of practice can accomplish.

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Having extensive experience doing it evidently helps.

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Honestly, we were a few plays away from being in this game. Take away our turnovers and a few other swing plays and it is basically 56-49 in the 4th.

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A few less warriors lead by Sitting Bull, a few more troopers led by Custer, and Little Big Horn could've been a great 7th Cav victory!

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I'm worried that Wilcox is losing the team. Sure looks like Sirmon has lost the defense.

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He sure has lost the fans.

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Better scouting and preparation would have helped immensely.

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I think Cal and everyone else knew pretty much what Oregon has, and was going to do.

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LOL. I was responding to poor old, Custer's fate.

And you, too, are right.

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Nov 5, 2023Liked by Rick Chen

Wait, what?

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Beargoggles! I like the optimism though.

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But, wait, there's more.

Buy your Beargoggles and receive a magic wand so that one can pretend that firing Wilcox will solve the systemic and cultural barriers hobbling Cal football for over not 10, no, not 20, no, not 30, no, not 40, no, not 50, but, yes, over 60 years.

ACT NOW!

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Cal has been set back over all these years by the consistent protests, sit-ins, tree-sitting that plague us. You're a top notch HS football player, watching kickoff delayed at Cal this year by protesters sitting-in on the 50 yard line. Would you even consider going to Cal when so many other schools want you whose football teams do not have to endure this bizarre nonsense?

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Nov 5, 2023Liked by Rick Chen

Oregon outgained us by more than 300 yards. A bunch of swing plays went our way too: the pick 6, the missed FG, etc. We hurt our own cause by not taking better care of the ball, but this really wasn't a coulda-shoulda-woulda game like SC and Auburn were. We just got worked by a better team.

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Yes but if we score a TD rather than fumble the ball, Oregon doesn’t get a 99 yard TD drive so that was basically 100 of the yards they out gained us by so we would have only been out gained by 200 yards.

Wilcox just needs a new defensive staff, I think if he fires his current defensive staff and with the move to the ACC we could be 6-6 next season and Wilfox will have us going in the right direction again.

Don’t give up on Wilfox, he just needs a little more time.

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Is this a serious comment?!?!

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Serious, I am not.

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