I've come to believe we are seeing the ceiling of this staff. As others have noted, we have fallen to the middle of the ability of our coaches to reach. As I see Utah consistently perform better than their recruiting ranking, and now even WSU playing better than their recruiting rankings, it reminds me that we too often use our recruit rankings to justify our mediocrity. Truth is, Wilcox is responsible for both. We have plenty of talent to be a more consistently successful team, and if we were, to recruit better. So I've swallowed the pill that although I surely respect and like Wilcox, we have seen his ceiling and now live in the middle. It's depressing, but reassuring to feel like it's an honest assessment. I so naturally tend toward optimism, and yet now accept that this team under Wilcox will be mediocre or worse, so don't invest. Don't care so much. Don't travel all the way to Berkeley. My season tickets will go unused this year. And so I sit around for the many years it will take for this coaching staff to move along, and I will wish them well. And wait for another transformative coach to do what can be done.
Nice prose....we came up just short as we are wont to do. I don't expect the Colorado game to be much different in terms of coming down to the wire, as the Buffs thrashed Arizona 34-0.
Imo the placekicking issues have nothing to do with length, and we're nearly as likely to make a 44 yarder as a 25er. Longhetto's pretty solid; it's been the long snapper that's created issues.
If anything, it feels like kicking from distance has almost been safer on that front.
I did not think Goode had a good game. Only 1 assisted tackle the whole game. He is in the "glory" position and therefore needs to make plays, which he didn't this game. Of all the super seniors only Scott has played to expectations.
I believe Cindric did all the long snapping for PAT's and FG's.
I've come to believe we are seeing the ceiling of this staff. As others have noted, we have fallen to the middle of the ability of our coaches to reach. As I see Utah consistently perform better than their recruiting ranking, and now even WSU playing better than their recruiting rankings, it reminds me that we too often use our recruit rankings to justify our mediocrity. Truth is, Wilcox is responsible for both. We have plenty of talent to be a more consistently successful team, and if we were, to recruit better. So I've swallowed the pill that although I surely respect and like Wilcox, we have seen his ceiling and now live in the middle. It's depressing, but reassuring to feel like it's an honest assessment. I so naturally tend toward optimism, and yet now accept that this team under Wilcox will be mediocre or worse, so don't invest. Don't care so much. Don't travel all the way to Berkeley. My season tickets will go unused this year. And so I sit around for the many years it will take for this coaching staff to move along, and I will wish them well. And wait for another transformative coach to do what can be done.
Well said and I agree with you.
At this rate I would take living in the middle, as we are currently living at the bottom.
I so look forward to these novels every week during the Fall. I think Nam has invented a new genre, inspired by Cal football, such as it is.
Cal Football. Finding new ways to disappoint since 1959. Holy shit, could we recruit with that motto?
Nice prose....we came up just short as we are wont to do. I don't expect the Colorado game to be much different in terms of coming down to the wire, as the Buffs thrashed Arizona 34-0.
Cal played better than expected and was competitive. Unfortunately, a close loss to Oregon will probably be the “bright” spot of the season.
Imo the placekicking issues have nothing to do with length, and we're nearly as likely to make a 44 yarder as a 25er. Longhetto's pretty solid; it's been the long snapper that's created issues.
If anything, it feels like kicking from distance has almost been safer on that front.
I did not think Goode had a good game. Only 1 assisted tackle the whole game. He is in the "glory" position and therefore needs to make plays, which he didn't this game. Of all the super seniors only Scott has played to expectations.
I believe Cindric did all the long snapping for PAT's and FG's.
Fair to expect him to finish those plays, yeah.
I'd expect the red zone over-parking ticket to arrive in JW's mail sometime this week.