11 Comments
Oct 12, 2023·edited Oct 12, 2023

I think we are going to win. But then, when we are down 8 touchdowns, I will deny this completely. Unless we actually do win in which case I will claim I never had any doubts.

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That's the eternal upside of optimism.

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Best aspect of joining the ACC: no more high altitude games.

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I ain’t never thunk o’ that.

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Oct 11, 2023Liked by Rick Chen

Curious to see if Mendoza can continue to play at a PAC 12 level and also whether the D can show up after Saturday's stinker

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Mendoza was complete unknown. Nobody had game video on him. You can bet that Utah has gone over every frame several times. Mendoza will find it tough sledding Saturday. If he has another decent game, then Cal has found a QB. My bet would be that the Utes D backed up by their crowd finds him first.

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If Mendoza plays like he did in the second half, and the defense at least somewhat reverts back to normal, we might stand a chance. The health of Cam Rising and Jackson Sirmon will also be key.

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The altitude gives Utah a slight but real advantage. Plus, they put sedatives in the water for the opposing team. Plus, they use secret mystical mojo to get the spirits of the Wasatch to confuse the opposing players. And the dust off the toxic Salt Lake has a bigger impact on those without immunity. Layered on top of Wittingham being the best coach in the league, and these nefarious advantages make it very hard to win there. I predict the Cal Bears will win the game! Go mighty Bears!

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Any advantage they have with a high altitude game is at least slightly negated by the fact that there should be less KO return attempts

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To me that spread looks like they aren't sure whether Rising is healthy or not. If he's healthy, it's probably too low. If he isn't, it's probably too high.

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I expect this to be like the Utah UCLA game but worse.

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