The Day After Tedford: Reactions

(Photo: Joe Parks)

Yesterday was obviously an emotional day for everyone involved. You had current players having to cope with the loss of their coach and the prospect of having someone brand new on the sidelines next season. There was an outpouring of support from both current former players in appreciation for what Tedford has done for both the university and themselves.

On top of that, you have the press conference with Sandy Barbour and a statement from Tedford himself.

There's also a contingent of former players and alumni who were none too pleased with the decision, with Cal great Aaron Rodgers calling it disrespectful.

Let's try and navigate through some of the talk.

Current Players
The Bear Insider has a writeup with comments from current OL Jordan Rigsbee and LB Nick Forbes with a video of their interview that you can watch below.


Tedford's comments to his team were reportedly very heartfelt with the primary points being his encouragement to the players to rise to occasion both on the field and in the classroom.

"He told us he cared about us," said Forbes. "He told us that despite everything, he knows the kind of talent we have and that there will always be a part of us with him. He told us to finish strong academically because that was one of his main points in recruiting -that Cal's an academic institution and he wants us all to be successful in life."

It's not much of a surprise that Tedford stayed classy through the very end, and his message to his players remained consistent with the type of coach he's been to his players through his 11 years at Cal. For all the knocks on Tedford, no one has been able to deny the genuine care he's shown for his players and the effect that he's had on all of them.

Former Players
Speaking of that effect, the outpouring from former players, many of which who are currently in the NFL, was pretty vocal in support for Tedford. Most tweets yesterday cited their gratitude and appreciation for Coach Tedford.

California Golden Blogs has a pretty good collection of the thoughts here.

One of the most famous former Cal players, and close friend to Jeff Tedford took it one step further however. Aaron Rodgers called the decision and "terrible," and frankly "disrespectful."

"It's a shame, because when you promise a guy the stuff that you promised him and he fulfills everything you asked him to do on the field, regardless of the injuries they had this year, to always continue to prepare those guys like I know he did--to not give him a chance to recruit to those facilities is a shame."

You can listen to the entire clip below courtesy "Okaydo."


I tweeted this yesterday, but I don't blame Rodgers for feeling the way he does in the slightest. I can completely see it the way he does, and a part of me sees that perspective as completely valid and frankly, truthful. I'd be shocked if he didn't feel this way.

With that said, I do think his emotional attachment to Tedford limits him from seeing the larger picture as to the state of Cal football. Both where it is currently, and the overall trajectory of where the program really has been for the last 5 years or so. The decision to move on from Tedford is in many people's opinions what is ultimately best for the university, its football program, including the financial scope of what's at stake here.

Rodgers is right in that it is a "shame," and that most people wanted Tedford to continue to be successful here and few wanted a successful Tedford out. But the reality is that the program hasn't been up to par with where its needed to be for the past few years and showed little sign it was getting better. If anything, it showed it was only getting worse. So really, it is unfortunate, but it doesn't make the move any less necessary.

The Media
The media reaction to Tedford's dismissal followed suit with a general sense of sadness but recognition of Tedford's great influence on the Cal program. Yahoo! Sports Write Mike Silver might have said it best in his tweet:

Jeff Tedford has given Cal 11 years of excitement. Helped take our program out of the abyss & upgrade it immensely. He will always be a Bear.

Long time Bay Area sports writer Glenn Dickey called Tedford's firing the "Wrong Move for Cal Football" however.

In reading his comments, I can't help but disagree with his most salient point that it is largely difficult to build a "consistent football power" at Cal because of its academic standards, an out of touch city government and a lackadaisical school administration. And for these reasons, the school will struggle to attract top coaches.

While I would certainly affirm those hurdles, I think if anything, Dickey is essentially refuting his own assertion that we can do no better than what Tedford has produced in the past few years. Tedford has shown that winning football is indeed possible in Berkeley, and has made the head coaching position that much more desirable. Cal fans aren't dissatisfied with Cal football because we're simply not winning, we're dissatisfied because we know we can do much better than where the program is right now. Why? Because Tedford proved it's possible to better.

Much like the "victim of his own success" notion, Tedford has elevated expectations, and we're simply not buying the, "Woe is me, it's hard to win at Cal" argument anymore. That's one of the biggest reasons we're so indebted to what Tedford has done in Berkeley. And I think I speak for a majority of Cal fans that said we would have loved to have had Tedford continue that success here. The problem? He hasn't. And more importantly, he hasn't shown that he has the answers to turn it around anytime soon. And because of these expectations (and financial obligations), we're in no position to let him continue to try and make adjustments or tinkerings. We simply couldn't afford it.

So all in all, it's been an emotional process and I completely understand and to a lesser extent agree with some of the backlash against the firing. But let's be clear here: it was an unfortunate but necessary move. I'll reiterate my thoughts in that I really do wish things had turned out differently and if I could have had any say in how things worked out, I would have preferred no one else other than Tedford to lead the Bears back into national prominence. He had done too much for the program to have me think otherwise.

I simply didn't think it was possible anymore.

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Goodbye Jeff Tedford

The Athletic Department has announced that Jeff Tedford will not return as the coach of the California Golden Bears next year. You can read the official press conference here.

I've had a lot of different thoughts this impending move, and have refrained from throwing them out on this blog until I knew for certain whether Tedford would be here next year.

Now that it's certain that Cal will be moving on without Coach Tedford, I must say that it's a combination of both sadness and relief.

First and foremost, I feel it necessary to say thank you to Coach Tedford for everything that he's done for this program. I became a diehard Cal football fan largely because of what Tedford did to rebuild this program from the mess it was when he got there. And yes, I was around for the Holmoe years as well. I mean, Tedford made Cal football relevant, he made it exciting, and he made me a fan.

On top of all that, he did it with class and he did things the right way. You talk to anyone who's been in the business and they have nothing but good things to say about Tedford as a person and as a coach. And in this day and age, that's still fairly rare to see. It goes quietly unnoticed, but I've always appreciated that Tedford ran a program that generally didn't embarrass itself off the field.

It also has to be a bitter pill for Tedford that he doesn't get to fully enjoy the facilities that he helped build. He's endured a whole lot of patience in dealing with the extensive process and number of roadbumps in getting this new stadium done along with the SAHPC, and for him to have to leave after one year is rough.

So it's not with a whole lot of joy that I say "Goodbye" to Coach Tedford. He's been inextricably linked with this program's identity for more than a decade now and I attribute so much of my love of Cal football to his efforts. And though the last few years haven't panned out the way anyone wanted, he had been wildly successful here. I might be in the minority, but I really wanted to see him take the Bears to the Rose Bowl, and it really wasn't even until just a few years ago that there was ever any doubt in my mind that he would.

But I also knew in my mind that Cal was ready to begin moving forward when my wife asked me earlier this season, "Do you want Tedford to stay?"

I waited a second before I responded, "I want Cal to win."

And for whatever reason (and there are a lot), the Bears have fallen back into obscurity under Tedford and didn't seem to show any answers about how to get back out of it.

It would be unfair to this university, its fanbase and its players if any allegiance to Jeff Tedford inhibited it from seeing that the program has stalled and seemingly run out of moves under the current regime.

Since that fateful night in which Cal lost to Oregon State in 2007, the Bears are 34-36. They haven't finished a season ranked in the AP Polls in over five years. They haven't won a postseason bowl since 2008. And they haven't been close to competing for a conference title since 2006.

On top of that, graduation rates have dropped to a conference worst 40%, and the APR numbers are actually worse.

And I don't buy for a second the notion that Tedford was phoning it in or had somehow lost passion for his job. I think he continues to work as hard as he did when he first got here. I just think it's simply not working right now, and hasn't been for a while, and no level of adjustments, or tinkering, or replacing of individual parts will cut it anymore. There comes a point where you simply need to replace the engine.

All signs clearly point to a program that isn't anywhere near where it needs to be, especially with the heightened financial pressures of the new facilities. In short, it became absolutely necessary to go in a new direction.

So I must say that for as sad as I am that Coach Tedford will be leaving, I am as excited about the future as I have ever been. I think the resources and foundation is there for a very strong football program. All it takes is the right person to guide the ship, and for the first in a while we have options to consider. With Tedford's departure I suddenly a great level of hope that Cal football can again be relevant to even greater heights than they were under Tedford.

Regardless of how we're feeling now, I know for sure that we're saying goodbye to a good coach and really, a good guy. I hope everyone has a level of appreciation for what he's done, and I personally have little doubt that he'll continue to succeed in whatever else he does should he decide he wants to continue coaching.

So thank you Jeff for everything you've done and thanks for the memories. I wish you the very best in what you do moving forward.

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Oregon State Recap

This was seriously the best moment of the game. Seriously.

In Cal's season finale, the Bears were completely throttled by the Beavers 62-14. Gawd, what a freaking embarrassment of a game. It was a fitting end to this debacle of a season and a likely sobering end to Jeff Tedford's tenure at Cal. At this point, even the most diehard Tedford supporters are left with little to say to the notion of continuing the Tedford era with the Bears.

I'll extrapolate more with this point if and when it gets there, but for now let's try and run through some of the main points of the game, as tough as it may be. I mean, it's the last game of the season and all.

Tough end for the Seniors
If there's a group I feel the worst for, it has to be the seniors on this team. These guys have put in so much time and effort for this team and program, and for them to go out and get drubbed in the rain like this was pretty heartwrenching.

I'm certain there's no one feeling too good about themselves in the locker room right now, but at least the underclassmen get to go back to work in the offseason and focus on turning things around for next season. These seniors won't get that. They're stuck with finishing their careers on the worst Cal team in over 10 years, and that sucks.

Thank you seniors. We all wish things had turned out better, but we appreciate what you've done.

Turnovers and Penalties Submarine the Bears
The Bears were likely to lose this game, if for nothing else than because the Beavers are simply a better team right now.

But the Bears seemed hellbent on just handing the game over with a maddening combination of penalties and turnovers in the game. The Bears committed three turnovers in the first half alone after a Bridgford interception and two fumbles. They would finish with four interceptions after a Brendan Bigelow. And I like Bigelow a lot, but I think he's averaging 1 fumble for every 10 carries right now. Not good.

And the penalties, good Lord. The Bears were flagged 15 times for 172 yards. That's unbelievable. That's more yards given up than Bridgford had passing. It's so freaking painful to watch the lack of discipline on this team. Holding, false starts, and oh yeah, the bloody "hands to the face" penalties. I have never seen so many "hands to the face" penalties. That's a result of bad technique which then forces the refs to be on the lookout for mistakes, some of which are often simply incidental contact.

Defensive Line Disappoints
Cal's defensive line was supposed to be the strength of this defense, but has been a supreme disappointment this year. Granted, this unit might have been hit hardest by injuries this season, but they've really struggled this season in plugging gaps and helping to generate pressure on the opposing quarterback.

It showed with Sean Mannion seemingly having hours to sit back and shred the Bears for 325 yards and 4 TDs. Cal didn't record a sack until late in the third quarter, when Deandre Coleman notched just his third sack of the season. That sentence alone seems to encapsulate the season in a nutshell for the Bears' defensive line: the player who was supposed to be the breakout star on the defense becomes a non-factor with just three sacks on the season.

The run defense wasn't much better with the Beavers rolling up 200 yards and 4 TDs on the ground. Granted, this was more of a reflection of the defense as a whole, but the d-line really struggled in shedding blocks and plugging gaps. It's just perplexing for a unit that was widely perceived to have so much talent.

Issues in the Secondary
In this past week's press conference, Steve Williams made the statement that a lot of the issues in the secondary this season have been due to the inexperience from some of the underclassmen and their lack of understanding of the defense. It could be conceived as throwing his teammates under the bus, but you can't disagree with what he's saying.

However, this week, it seemed each player took turns making mistakes. Michael Lowe completely losing Marcus Wheaton on a long 47 yard pass. Josh Hill letting an freebie interception bounce off his chest pads. Marc Anthony slipping on a TD reception. Miscommunication in zone assignments, allowing receivers to run free both in short and deep zones.

In the last two games, the Bears have been torched for 725 yards and 11 touchdowns. They've completely fallen off and are mere shell of the tough, athletic defense of years past. Injuries account for a lot of it for sure, but this defense was struggling even when they were healthy.

Cal's Rushing Offense: Lone Bright Spot
As has been the case for most of the season, Cal's rushing offense was the lone bright spot of the night. Seniors Isi Sofele both seemed hell bent on doing all they could and again ran with about as much heart and determination as I've seen all season.

The two combined for 165 yards in their swan song with the Bears and were the main reason the Bears' offense got much going at all. Credit Cal's offensive line which again got some really good push off the line, when they weren't committing penalties. Their pass blocking as a whole has also been pretty solid for the past two weeks. I'm not duping myself into think it'll translate into a transformed offensive line next season, but it is worth noting.

It's also worth noting that true freshman Freddie Taglaloa handled himself pretty well in filling in at right tackle. He was particularly impressive in his run blocking, and dominated his man pretty well. The future is bright with that one.

Bridgford: Not Terrible but Not the Answer
I really wanted to wait another week before making any judgments on Allan Bridgford. The last two weeks have been some pretty tough assignments in facing off against two solid pass defenses. But Bridgford was barely serviceable again on Saturday, going 18 for 31 for just 132 yards and an interception.

I think Bridgford has done a nice job in managing the game. Handling the snap count, knowing the offense, directing his players, he's done all that pretty well and hasn't looked too wide-eyed in the process. He clearly has a pretty good grasp of the offense.

But it's become pretty clear that Bridgford isn't going to be the answer for the Bears at QB. We've seen far too many passes with too much air, allowing defenders time to catch up and make a play on the ball. And this last point may be unfair, but he hasn't shown himself to be a playmaker. He doesn't create plays. He hasn't made much happen. He's not a complete disaster by any means, but he doesn't really instill confidence that he can put the team on his back and lead this offense long term.

Moving Forward
The game was painful to watch, but in the end, at least it's over. Look, I love my Bears, you know I'm going to spend the next 9 months eagerly anticipating the start of a new season. But with this current version of Cal football becoming utterly unwatchable, I feel like someone whose painfully limping horse has finally been put out of its misery. You're sad, but know you couldn't have stood to watch one more moment of it.

As for the more pressing question of Jeff Tedford's future with the Bears, I'm not going to lay out my thoughts until we get some official word. There's been a whole lot of speculation, and I'm inclined to trust the word of certain parties more so than others, but there's no point in fleshing everything out until we know for certain.

I wish I could say that 2012 was a season to remember. It was supposed to be with the unveiling of the new Memorial Stadium and all. But in the end, it'll be one that everyone will hope to forget. And quickly.

Have heart Cal fans. If you've followed this program long enough, you know that patience is key. Don't let yourself settle for anything other than excellence, but remember we're still Bears and we don't quit, and we don't die. We support our team through thick and thin.

Thanks for reading (for those of you who have managed to stick around) and stay tuned. Things will get better. They will. And as always, Go Bears."

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Pac-12 Week 12 Predictions

I feel like the only reason I'm keeping this feature going is because I keep predicting more games than I'm getting wrong. After going 5-1 last week I'm at 51-26 on the season. Given all the unexpectedness with some of these teams this year, that ain't too shabby.

Here's a quick look since Pac-12 games kick off real shortly.

No. 25 Washington (6-4, 4-3) at Colorado (1-9, 1-6)
If there's one thing you have to credit Jon Embree for, is that he still has his team competing week in and week out. That and he managed to not completely snap. At least not publicly. Colorado simply doesn't have the athletes to be competitive in the conference right now, but they're still out there competing. It won't mean much as they take on Washington this week who will move on to 7 wins. Ugh.
Prediction: Washington 38 Colorado 21

Washington State (2-8, 0-7) at Arizona State (5-5, 3-4)
After WSU's first game, most people expected it to be bad in Pullman this year, but I don't think anyone thought it'd be this bad. The team is losing, players are quitting and accusing coaches of abuse...THEIR PET'S HEADS ARE FALLING OFF! I understand Mike Leach is trying to instill a culture of no-nonsense and discipline, but he seems to be doing it with a "get on, or get out" mentality, which might be tough given this team's already fragile psyche. This looks to be a longer project than anticipated.

The Sun Devils are absolutely struggling after dropping four in a row. I think ASU fans are realizing how soft the front of their schedule was, and how they're still a ways away from being considered one of the top tier teams in the conference. At the very least, they'll lock up bowl eligibility and give themselves a pretty good shot at improving upon last season's win total.
Prediction: ASU 38 WSU 27

No. 18 USC (7-3, 5-3) at No. 17 UCLA (8-2, 5-2)
Oooh, what's this? A USC/UCLA game with two ranked teams? Can't remember the last time we had this. 2005 maybe? Anyway, the Bruins are clearly the best team LA has seen in years, and I think we're in for a good one. With that said, despite USC's struggles, I do think they have the edge in playmakers. The Trojans should pull this one out, keeping their Holiday Bowl hopes alive.
Prediction: USC 31 UCLA 24

No. 13 Stanford (8-2, 6-1) at No. 2 Oregon (10-0, 7-0)
The Stanford are feeling pretty good about themselves, and you have to give them credit: they've managed to keep their Pac-12 North hopes alive. It all comes to an end against the Ducks in Autzen Stadium however. In the Pac-12 there are simply bad matchups. The Trojans struggle against Stanford, and Stanford struggles against the Ducks. I think Stanford's tough front seven should do a good job keeping Oregon's running game from going wild, but the Ducks are too balanced on offense, and have too many ways of breaking down opposing defenses. Ducks win.
Prediction: Oregon 38 Stanford 24

Arizona (6-4, 3-4) at Utah (4-6, 2-5)
It's just about make or break time for the Utes. They lose this game and they're out of the postseason. A part of me thinks that the Utes are in the middle of the their uual second half roll, but then again, I think the Wildcats simply have the edge on offense. It's hard for me to see the Utes keeping up. Going on a bit of a limb here.
Prediction: Arizona 24 Utah 20 Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Keys to the Game: Oregon State

(Hip, Hip, Hurray!)

At the beginning of the season, I absolutely terrified of this game. And this was before we found out that Oregon State was actually going to be good this year. Think about it: the Bears were facing a Beavers squad has had Cal's number for the past six years, on the road, to finish the season (when the Beavers are firing on all cylinders).

Fortunately, I'm at a point where it doesn't hurt that much anymore. Naturally, I care and am rooting for this team, but I'll be frank, these losses don't leave me curled up in fetal position. I'm just a bit numb to everything at this point.

Here are a few quick keys to the game.

Stop the Run, Stop the Offense
For a while, it looked like QB Sean Mannion could do no wrong during OSU's winning streak. Sure, he could be pressured into mistakes, but was playing with a new level of confidence and poise, and the Bears rolled to a 5-0 record. Mannion was averaging 339.5 yards per game, and had an average QB rating of 141.3. Just solid stuff.

Then after a knee injury put him out of action, Cody Vaz came in and the Beavers showed little to no drop-off on offense, with Vaz completing over 60% of his passes with 3 TDs and no interceptions, leading the Beavers to 7-0 on the season.

When Mannion was presumed healthy enough to play again, things got messy. Mannion threw four interceptions in his return, and was pulled in favor of Cody Vaz. Vaz lead the Beavers on a game-tying TD drive, but the Beavers still fell to the Huskies.

Vaz got the start the following week in a win against the Sun Devils, but then was injured late in a game in a loss against Stanford the week after.

So it will be Sean Mannion who gets the nod at the Bears, seeing his first significant game action since his debacle of a performance against the Huskies. The question will be whether that was temporary blip, or whether he was just coming off a fast start.

When you look at his numbers against both Washington and WSU, I'm beginning to feel that it was more of the latter. I would rank Mannion in the upper tier of conference quarterbacks, but he can certainly be pressured into being a turnover prone QB.

It all starts with stopping the run game. OSU's passing offense is at its best when it's established the run in their power run game and on their signature fly sweeps. Once opposing defenses begin honing in on the run, the Beavers are able to hit their tight ends and fullbacks on quick outs and dig routes. Subsequently, once the secondary begins playing shallow to guard the flats, it begins to open up deeper passing zones, leaving Oregon States' quality receivers to begin ripping off huge catch after catch.

It sounds simple, but this becomes an incredibly difficult offense to stop because OSU's offense has been able to execute it pretty well. Their line has matured and is playing physical in the trenches and has been able to oppose their will on opposing defenses. The biggest reason the Bears beat the Beavers last season was because OSU had no run game to speak of. This year? Pretty decent rushing attack which creates a troublesome offense.

Cal's run defense was fantastic against Oregon last week, but it came at a huge cost. The Bears loaded up on the run, leaving their shaky secondary in some perilous positions, allowing them to get torched for 7 TDs. The Bears can't afford to load up the box, and will have to rely on simply winning individual battles, and not losing gap integrity with their front seven. Given how beat up this group is, it'll be a tough task.

Chip Away on Offense
Oregon State's defense is the biggest reason this team wins more games than it loses. They're not as flashy as some teams, but they play really disciplined ball. They keep plays in front of them. On the season, they've given up just 121 plays of 10+ yards (27th in the nation). They put themselves in defensible 3rd downs, and allow opponents to convert just 27.42% of their third downs on the season (5th in the nation).

The Bears are just going to have to be near-perfect on offense. Seriously. It's not that Oregon State's defense is that good, it's that they're that disciplined. The Beavers don't beat themselves on defense too much, but they've shown they can certainly be had with good play in the trenches, and mistake-free ball.

Raise your hand if you think that describes this team right now. Yeah...

Outlook
It was hard for me to predict a win for this one at the beginning of the season, and it's even harder knowing the Bears are 3-8, and the Beavers are ranked and 7-2. The Bears show some fight, but can't keep up as the Beavers roll.

Prediction: Cal 24 Oregon State 31

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Oregon Recap

Forgive me for the late post, but I wasn't exactly running home to post after the game. I also celebrated a birthday Saturday night, so the second half of the game really is a bit of a blur. I just remember looking up and the score had gone from 24-17 to 59-17 in what seemed like a heartbeat.

The Bears were never close to being in command of the game, but they certainly were competitive for a good two and half quarters. Ultimately, the penalties and turnovers again caused the Bears to unravel, and gave way to letting Oregon do what it does best: capitalize on opponent's mistakes and score points. Lots and lots of points.

I said before, we are far past the point of moral victories. There are few to be had in a 3-8 season. And few from the worst Cal loss in 11 years. However, there are a few points worth mentioning and a few items to be encouraged by.

Cal's Defense Holds...For Awhile It's no secret that Cal's defense is a far cry from where it's been since Clancy Pendergast took over as defensive coordinator. And people who simply checked the box score on Sunday morning aren't likely to give the Bears their due credit. For the first the first two and half quarters of the game, the Cal's defense gave Oregon all sorts of fits.

And that run defense? It wasn't just good, it was great. Really, probably the best run defense the Bears have shown all year. They filled their gaps, showed all sorts of disruption in the trenches, and exhibited some of their best tackling of the year. You just didn't see any of the back bust out for big yards. On the day, they limited Kenjon Barner to 65 yards on 20 carries (3.3 ypc) and DeAnthony Thomas to just 13 yards on 5 carries (2.6 ypc). That's fantastic given what those two had done all year and especially against USC the week before.

But when you load up on the run, you leave yourself quite susceptible to the pass, and the Bears were torched for 395 passing yards and 7 TDs on the day. It could be more of a testament to Oregon's offensive balance this year, as they can find multiple ways to beat you. But the Bears did themselves no favors with some pretty poor coverage in giving up some huge passing plays. Safety Michael Lowe had a rough outing, being late in getting to his zone and some times being flat out beaten in man coverage. But Cal's secondary as a whole found themselves on the losing end of a number of big throws for scores.

Interested to see what this defense can do with a competent offense
Like, really interested. Despite giving up the big plays, Cal's defense had done what it needed to do to put the Bears in a position to make this a far more competitive game in the early going. And when Cal's offense did its job, the defense seemed to hold steady. But the game turned after Allan Bridgford's first interception, and Oregon promptly scored quickly on the subsequent drive. That whole sequence seemed to encapsulate the game in a nutshell. When the Bears' shot themselves in the foot with turnovers, penalties (and ultimately stalled drives), their defense simply ran out of gas.

And it's been this way all year. It's no coincidence that some of Cal's defensive struggles are due to the Bears' inability to score or even sustain drives. Consider these stats:

Time of Possession: 27:41 a game (108th nationally)
3rd down conversions: 34% (105th nationally)
Red Zone TD Conversions: 44.4 % (118th nationally)
Turnovers Lost: 26 (115th nationally)

Those stats have all the makings of a Cal offense that not only struggles to sustain drives consistently, but finds way to beat itself in scoring situations due to penalties and turnovers.

We've seen flashes of a very good defense this year. The statistics might tell us otherwise, but there's a lot of promise there. But they're far from being complete, and they're not good enough (yet) to overcome Cal's offensive inefficiencies.

Bridgford was OK, for a bit
I mentioned last week that I was really curious to see what Bridgford could do with a week's worth of starting reps. We all knew he had a very tough task going against Oregon's underrated defense, but I wanted to see what type of poise, ability, and command of offense he'd show.

Overall, I though Bridgford handled himself ok. He never really appeared wide-eyed or flustered, though I suppose I'd be far more concerned if he did exhibit those qualities as a player in his 4th year in the program.

He clearly had a better first half, when he went 7 for 12 for 87 yards and a TD. It was refreshing to see him go through his reads, and he actually showed pretty good pocket presence and did his line some favors by stepping up into the pocket instead of bouncing it outside into the arms of awaiting defenders.

The second half was a different story however, and Bridgford would manage to go just 2 for 9 passing for 26 yards and 2 interceptions. It appeared to be more of an issue of a quarterback trying to do too much and force passes that weren't there. It happens to a lot of quarterbacks making their first real start, especially when they're playing down. It was just troubling to see such a stark contrast in halves.

I'm not ready to dismiss Bridgford yet. I've seen nothing to indicate that he's the long term answer for the Bears, but I've seen enough to think that he might be a capable quarterback with more reps and less of a mentalitity, "I've got to make it happen right now." I have a feeling that ultimately, his long release, and lack of zip on his passes will keep him from being the starter next season and a starting collegiate QB (there were some passes that should have been completed had it not been for his passes that took a second longer to get to their intended receivers). But again, I kind of want to see how next week goes before making that final assessment.

Offensive Line plays its best and worst game of the season
There was a bit to like from Cal's offensive line. They manhandled Oregon's injury-plagued defensive line and paved the way for 236 yards on the ground. That's a pretty respectable 5.9 ypc.

They also allowed just 1 sack which is monumentally better than what we've seen all year.

That was good. What wasn't good was the absolute lack of discipline. The Bears were flagged 7 times for 89 yards, and the majority of those were on the offensive line. Illegal hands to the face, holding, and a really weird tripping call. My friend even pointed out that Jordan Rigsbee should have been called for an ineligible receiver penalty on the screen play to CJ Anderson, as he broke off downfield well before Bridgfird tucked it to run.

It's just a flat out lack of discipline, and it's so bizarre to see game after game under Coach M. I hate to say it, but for as much as we pile on the playcalling and quarterback play, our offensive line has not played well as a whole this year.

Special Teams
Is it just me or is our special teams starting to become the nightmare we thought it might become? I mean I know punting has obviously taken a step down, but I thought D'Amato has done well since the debacle of the OSU performance.

But man, our coverage teams continue to play pretty poorly.

We currently are ranked 100th in the nation in opponent punt returns, 122nd in opponent kickoff returns, and 85th in punting. We're not much better in the other special teams categories.

The Bears again surrendered a 60 yard kickoff return, putting the Ducks in prime field position. It was lost in the multitude of points the Ducks scored, but coverage has gotten increasingly worse.

Moving Forward
I freaking love college football. I'm pretty sure I'm obsessed with Cal football.

But it's about time this brutal season comes to an end.

Like I said last week, here's hoping the Bears keep building to the future, because Cal fans, there are some nuggets of gold lost in the murk of this season. There's reason to think we can be a whole lot better.

Let's hope some of them appear in the season finale.

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Things I Want to See on Saturday Against Oregon

So the Bears are a 28 point underdog heading into their matchup against the 2nd ranked Oregon Ducks. This Oregon team is for real. They're easily the best team the Bears will have faced all season and in my opinion, up there as one of the best teams in the nation. I've watched nearly all their games this season, and they're that good. If all things go as pundits expect, the game should be over by halftime.

Now naturally, I've always been a proponent of the statement, "Well, that's why you play the game." Nothing's decided until the game actually starts. It's what's gotten me through this season, and it's what's stopped Colorado fans from jumping in front of Ralphie before the beginning of each game. That and a whole lot of alcohol.

So more than anything, I'd love to see the Bears come out and compete. They have effectively nothing to compete for other than pride and what they owe to themselves. Even if the season hasn't shaken out like anyone expected, they still owe it to themselves to go out there and put on their best effort in their last home game of the season.

For the seniors, it'll be the last chance to run out of the tunnel in Memorial Stadium. They've got nothing to lose at this point. We're past the point of moral victories, but you can certainly play for pride and see what happens.

In addition to the Bears showing some heart this Saturday, I've got a few other things I'd love to see.

Allan Bridgford with a week of starting reps
All signs point to Zach Maynard's time as the starter for the Bears being effectively over. Maynard's still hobbling on a sprained knee, and though Tedford stated he might be available in a backup capacity, that would make little sense for anyone involved. With the Bears playing solely for pride at this point, it would only make sense that we use this time to take an honest look at Allan Bridgford and even Austin Hinder.

While the coaches will likely say that spring ball will be competitive, it'd be foolish not to use this time to get a sense of what your quarterbacks can do in real live game situations. Think back to 2010, when fans clamored for anyone except Kevin Riley. Then we got a sense of what Brock Mansion could do in four games as a starter, and it became pretty clear to everyone that he wasn't going to be the answer at quarterback the following season.

The jury is still out on Allan Bridgford. In his 4 year Cal career, the junior has only completed 17 of his 48 pass attempts 216 yards in mop-up duty. He hasn't shown to be particularly turnover prone, and hasn't appeared completely wide-eyed in his appearances. However, his release is a still elongated, and he's still completing just 35% of his passes in his collegiate career against mostly defenses with 8 men back in coverage.

But here's the key part, he's never had an opportunity to take reps with ones, even when he announced as the starter in the season opener (what a debacle that was). So he's never really been given a fair shake, and I'm really curious to see what he can do after he's had an entire week to prepare as the starter. Every backup quarterback will tell you that they prepare each week as if they're the starter, but deep inside, each of those guys know there's a huge boost of confidence and adrenaline when you know you're going to be "the guy" come Saturday.

Of course, Oregon presents a significant challenge, so it might not be fair to evaluate Bridgford based on one game. But it sure as heck is a start.

Austin Hinder Gets a Look
This probably isn't the game to try this out, but I'd love to get a look at Austin Hinder in an actual game. I've been high on Hinder since we recruited him, but knew very early on that the kid was going to be a project. He was slender of frame, and had throwing mechanics that needed to be refined at the collegiate level. But he's a stud of an athlete, and might possess the best combination of throwing ability and mobility of the current quarterbacks.

Apparently, the light turned on some time during the offseason, and Hinder has finally put on significant weight and impressed quite a bit during camp. It was his inexperience at the position (having not gotten any game snaps ever) that really held him back for pushing for the backup role, but the coaches are high on Hinder.

Much like the reasoning for evaluating Bridgford, I'd love to see what Hinder can do. Given the offensive line's current pass protection problems, Hinder may actually be a better option. If the game gets out of hand early on, I'd like to see Hinder get the entire 4th quarter, and just see what his composure and management of the offense looks like. Again, it could be so much more valuable for the coaches in the long run, then trying to simply make the final score not as bad it really was.

Continued look at Cal's young playmakers on offense
Last week's offensive production was marred by abolutely brutal turnovers. But again, the Bears outgained their opposition in total yardage even in defeat. The Bears could move the ball decently well, and a lot of it had to do with the great play of Cal's wide receivers.

The future looks really bright there, and these are critical reps that Chris Harper, Bryce Treggs, Maurice Harris, and Darius Powe are getting. All four are freshmen (Harris having redshirted), and with Keenan Allen likely off for the NFL after this season, it would have been a nightmare if all four came in with little experience next year.

Fortunately, Harper as emerged as a star, and Treggs, Harris and Powe will have gained significant experience. Like I said last week, I'm liking a lot of their play. Harris is showing some tremendous blocking ability and he and Powe are developing as some solid possession receivers.

I want to continue to see three or four of them spread wide along with Richard Rodgers and Brendan Bigelow and continue to get a sense of how they fare against some pretty solid corners for the Ducks.

Bigelow?
I can't let it go guys, I just can't. I know Bigelow somehow has managed not to learn the playbook, but let him run the same three plays over and over (toss, stretch, and screen) and just get him into space.

Or, just watch what Oregon does with DeAnthony Thomas, and just have him do the same exact thing the next time the Bears get the ball.

Please?

"Dude...just go for it"
I actually roll my eyes most of the time the fans boo when the field goal team jogs onto the field. When it's 4th and 1 from the 32, I can understand the frustration. But when it's 4th and 8 from your own 46, you usually live for another day.

Not on Saturday though. I'm not saying throw every inch of football logic out the window, but I'm hoping for a bit more aggressiveness when it comes to playcalling and some cajones when it comes to extending drives.

Field goals aren't going to cut it against the Ducks under Chip Kelly (other than 2010, wait what?), so seriously, why bother?

Unless our defense holds their offense to 10 points against, then yeh, like kick field goals and stuff.

Outlook
As sad as it is, I'm not going into Saturday's game expecting a win. Sorry, I'm just not. Make no mistake, I'm actually going to the game, and you know I'll be rooting for the Bears to pull off the upset of all upsets, but I wouldn't even bet you a snickers bar on it.

So I'm hoping for effort. I'm looking for execution. I'm looking for some balls from the players and coaches. I'm hoping for a fun time, and something under the lights of Memorial Stadium that won't be deemed "excruciatingly painful" by the time I leave.

Prediction: Oregon 49 Cal 20

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Pac-12 Week 11 Predictions

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I didn't catch any of the games last weekend, so I didn't bother doing a Pac-12 Recap this weekend. Did have a 4-2 week last week with me falling on my face thinking that the Cougars would upset the Utes or that Arizona's hot streak would push them past the Bruins. I'm about 46-25 on the season, which isn't terrible, but I'm a little bummed I'm not past the 50 number mark after week 10.

Colorado (1-5, 1-8) at Arizona (5-4, 2-4)
This has all the makings of a bounce back game, as the Wildcats look to get bowl eligible in Year 1 under Rich Rod. Given their roller coaster of a season, you have to see this as a huge win for Wildcat fans. As for Colorado, all you can really think about at this point is basketball season.
Prediction: Arizona 42 Colorado 13

Arizona State (5-4, 3-3) at No. 19 USC (6-3, 4-3)
ASU fans are likely feeling a bit down after such a strong start to the season has stalled with three straight losses. But they still have to be encouraged by fact that they can easily finish with 7 or possibly 8 wins this season if they can knock off the Trojans.

USC fans are likely all feeling deflated after their national title hopes went out the door, really after their loss to Stanford. But have hope Trojan fans, you can still fight for that Holiday Bowl bid!
Prediction: USC 31 Arizona State 23

No. 11 Oregon State (7-1, 5-1) at No. 14 Stanford (7-2, 5-1)
Now we're talking: a solid showdown between two Pac-12 North teams. I expect a defensive battle, though the question might be how Stanford's redshirt freshman Kevin Hogan will do in his first career start. The Cardinal are desperately looking for answers on offense, though they have to be encouraged by the fact that they've played much better on the road. Then again, Oregon State has been pretty unflappable on the road. Taking the Beavers in a close battle.
Prediction: Oregon State 21 Stanford 17

Utah (4-5, 2-4) at Washington (5-4, 3-3)
Two weeks ago, both teams looked dead in the water. The turning point? 2 game winning streaks including wins over your Golden Bears. Sad trombone sound. This should be a fairly even matchup with two inconsistent offenses. Though I give the edge on defense to Utah, the Huskies have been a completely different team at home this season. The Huskies earn bowl eligibility, putting Utah at the brink.
Prediction: Utah 21 Washington 27

No. 18 UCLA (7-2, 4-2) at Washington State (2-7, 0-6)
Boy, talk about the Bruins. UCLA controls its own destiny in the Pac-12 South, while the Cougars control pretty much nothing at this point. Mike Leach continues to rip into the team, calling the effort of the water boys lethargic and embrassing.

Prediction: UCLA 38 WSU: 17
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Washington Recap

So this was one of those weekends where as soon as the game was over, I shut the TV off, and took a break from all of college football. Seriously, didn't watch any games on Saturday, and read up on some box scores on Sunday evening while check my fantasy football scores.

Why? The game was that depressing, the weather this weekend was that amazing, and my friends and family are too important and fun to not hang out with.

Still, for the sake of tradition and because a few things can be gleaned from Friday night's loss to Washington 21-13, I'll post a few quick thoughts.

Quick Recap
The Bears led 13-7 before two late scores gave the Huskies the lead for good. It was a sloppy, mess of a game from both sides, with neither team showing they seemed to want the win with a combined 8 turnovers from both squads. Ultimately, it was Washington's ability to capitalize on their red zone visits that made the difference in the game.

Cal's Red Zone Woes
The Bears continued to struggle inside the red zone, as they have all season now. Of Cal's 5 trips inside Washington's 25 (I know, not quite red zone, but close enough), the Bears managed 1 TD, 1 fumbles, 2 FGs, 1 missed FG. You just can't win games like that. On the season, Cal has scored TDs on just 42.4% of their trips to the redzone, which puts them 121st out of 124 teams in all of FBS college football. That's awful. That's not a blip. That's a reflection of questionable playcalling and poor execution in the redzone.

I'm not sure what's more frustrating. Watching an offense that struggles to move the ball, or watching this Cal team move the ball week in and week out and find ways not to convert inside the red zone. Still thinking about it.

Cal's Run Defense Continues to Struggle
I've harped on this quite a bit this season, so I won't go into that much more, but Cal's defense continued to struggle in their run game. Washington's Bishop Sankey carried the ball 18 times for 124 yards in the first half. The Bears tightened it up a bit until Washington's last two drives, allowing Sankey to finish the game 189 yards and 2 scores on 29 carries.

It's the 3rd consecutive game that the Bears have given up 100 yards to a rusher, and the seventh time out of 10 games the Bears have allowed such a feat. It's never easy to watch an opposing ball carrier run with ease, but it's all the more maddening when you continue to watch defenders try to knock out the ball carrier instead of wrapping up.

Questionable Matchup
Anyone who's followed this blog knows I have a bit of mancrush on Steve Williams. The guy's arguably the best cover corner the Bears have had in years and I'm sure he'll be playing on Sundays.

With that said, I'm a bit curious as to the logic behind placing him on 6'6 Austin Sefarian-Jenkins. Again, I understand that Williams is your best corner, but that just has matchup problems written all over it. And it showed in two of ASF's catches, one going for a score when he simply outjumped Williams. And it was real close, but that's a battle a 5'10 corner simply isn't going to win a lot.

Other than Kasen Williams, Washington has no other proven playmakers at receiver, so I'm confused as to why they thought Williams was the best answer. I'd think they'd be better off putting either Brennan Scarlett or Chris McCain on ASF, and floating a safety to help with coverage on top. Again, curious.

Nick Forbes Has Breakout Game
I've been real impressed with ILB Nick Forbes all season, but he had the game of his career against the Huskies. Not only did he lead the team with 11 tackles, but he also had two fumble recoveries and an amazing play in which he tipped a pass to himself for an interception. Just a stud on Friday night.

On the season, Forbes is tied for fourth in the conference with 74 tackles, which is all the more impressive when you consider that he didn't get his first start until the 3rd or 4th game of the season. He's still out of his position at times in pass coverage, and I'd like to see him shed blockers a bit more quickly, but he's a smart player who's continually around the ball. It's the best type of quality you want to see in a linebacker, and the reason why players like Mychal Kendricks and Desmond Bishop are playing on Sundays. Forbes is just a sophomore, but he's got a really bright future based on what we've seen of him in his first year as a starter.

Injuries Pile Up
It's amazing to watch a team as battered as this Bears team is. And some will point to the lack of a bye week, and though that may have something to do with it, the number of injuries sustatined by this squad is simply stunning. You look up and down the roster and you just kind of shake your head.

On defense, the Bears were without their starting cornerback, inside linebacker, and nose tackle. They were also missing a backup linebacker, and two backup defensive linemen. On offense, Cal was missing both their starting WRs, and saw their starting QB and right tackle go down in the middle of the game.

And the players who were on the field were far from 100% health, with McCain limping around, CJA only available in spot duty, and Scarlett playing with a drumstick taped to his hand.

For all the wrong this team has done, you have to admit the number of injuries on this team have been absolutely brutal, especially when you consider the number of players who were out for the season even before the season began.

Maynard Goes Down This particular injury is worth noting particularly because of it's implications for the future. Maynard was injured on a questionable "gator-roll" tackle and had to be carted off the field.

Tests have fortunately come back positive, and it looks like a sprained knee. It's doubtful that Maynard plays on Saturday against Oregon, so it very much looks like both Allan Bridgford and Austin Hinder get a look over the next two weeks.

Clearly, some things can change, but there's a real possibility that the Zach Maynard era at Cal is over. I'm hoping people refrain from snarky comments and have some level of appreciation for Maynard's efforts at Cal. We all know his limitations as a quarterback, but I did feel for him as he had to be carried off the field. He's played for the team, and for that I thank him.

Future is Bright at Receiver
With Keenan Allen likely out for the season and done playing for the Golden Bears, fans got a fantasic preview of the talent at the wide receiver position.

Chris Harper led the Bears with 7 catches for 101 yards including some spectacular "Top 10" type grabs. He also added a 14 yard rush on an end around for a score. If you had told me last spring that Chris Harper would been the breakout receiver out of Cal's vaunted freshman WR class, I would have been more than skeptical. But he's stepped up big time, and has shown more athleticism than I could have predicted to go along with his nice route-running.

Darius Powe also had 3 catches for 32 yards, Maurice Harris finally got in the mix with 2 catches for 13 yards, and showed some tremendous blocking downfield. Richard Rodgers also had a 23 yard reception. Keep in mind that Bryce Treggs wasn't a 100% either.

None of these guys are close to replicating the type of polish or production of Keenan Allen, but I saw something from all of them on Friday that made me nod with approval.

Moving Forward
Well, this season is officially a bust, but we knew that long before Friday happened. With the Bears slumped at 3-7, I can just hope that we continue to play for the future and see if we can ignite some, some excitement into this fanbase.

If you dig through all the mess, there's a lot to be intrigued by. Cal's young linebackers are getting some much needed playing time to go with their playmaking abilities, Avery Sebastian provides some much needed aggression in the secondary, and Cal has some young playmakers at the offensive skill positions that have the chance to do some nice things next season.

At this point, let's try not to depress ourselves anymore. It's been a tough, ok, brutal season. Let's support the team, enjoy the rest of the nice fall weather, and see if we can appreciate any few good moments left in this season. In other words, let's see if we can have some...fun with what's left?

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Washington Preview

(I dunno, I just had to use this pic.)

This is a game about so much more than just Xs and Os.

Clearly one of the biggest storylines heading into tonight's game against the Huskies is Cal's faceoff against former defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi and to a lesser extent, former offensive coordinator Eric Keisau. I'm not going to sit here and rehash what's been beaten to death literally thousands of times, but you can read my recap of the events here, and my thoughts on what I thought it meant for Cal's future.

Long story short: the Cal community felt royally F'd over by Lupoi, and felt Friday's game would be their long-awaited opportunity to get theirs. Two conference squads battling it out in a Friday night contest. Under the lights. New Memorial Stadium. ESPN. Bad blood. It had all the makings of an absolutely electric game.

Well, it hasn't really worked out the ways anyone had expected. Both the Bears and Huskies have struggled this season, but the Bears' woes are far more pronounced with a disappointing Cal's 3-6 season that's likely to cost Jeff Tedford his job. Compounding the frustration was the Bears'complete faceplant last weekend against Utah.

One of the sources of hope for the Bears is that they don't need to be perfect to beat the Huskies. While the Huskies have notched two big upsets this season, beating a ranked Stanford team and ending Oregon State's unbeaten record last Saturday, they've struggled on the road and their offense hasn't come close to matching last season's production.

Still, it doesn't matter what the other team does or doesn't do. If there's anything the team has shown us this season, its that so many of their issues are self-inflicted. The Huskies are ridiculously beatable. Whether that happens depends wholly on which Cal team shows up.

Enigmatic Huskies
The Huskies are 4-4 on the season, and you still get the sense that no one can be really sure what exactly to make of the Huskies. They've shown they're not quite ready to be considered upper-tier, having been blown out in their losses to LSU, USC, Oregon and Arizona, teams that were clearly better squads. Yet, they've beaten quality teams like Stanford and Oregon State, so they can clearly do some good things when all the cards fall right. They've been a bit difficult to figure out.

Similarly, given their opening schedule which has been absolutely brutal, it's hard to read into their stats which might indicate they're flat out atrocious in some categories. Check out some of their offensive numbers: ranked nationally 108th in total offense (322 ypg), 105th in scoring offense (20.6 ppg), 97th in rush offense (126 ypg), 106th in 3rd down converstions (34%), and 104th in sacks allowed (23).

Washington's defense, while much improved from last season's train wreck of a squad, has seen its share of issues in the trenches and ranks 90th nationally in run defense (185 ypg) and is ranked 101st in the nation in sacks recorded (just 11).

But again, consider their competition, and the mixed results, and it's hard to get a real sense of what those numbers really say.

Here's what we do know
The Huskies have struggled on the road, and that's not just this season, but in all of Coach Sark's tenure up in Seattle.

For all of Washington's offensive playmakers (Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Kasen Williams, Keith Price), they've failed to put it together due to the battery of issues at the offensive line. Even when Price has had time, he's been uncharacteristically flustered and erratic in his accuracy, which is a stark contrast to his spectacular play last season.

The Huskies have definitely been hurt by the lack of depth at the tailback position. Bishop Sankey has filled in well with 666 yards and 9 TDs this season, but he isn't nearly the workhorse that Chris Polk was last year and opposing defenses haven't had to give him nearly enough attention.

And again, for all of Washington's improvements, they haven't held an opponent to under 41 points this season on the road. Granted, their road opponents have been LSU, Oregon and Arizona, but their propensity to be blown out has to be troubling.

Cal Wins If...
I guess the larger point here is that for all of the mysterious surrounding Washington, the team can certainly be had. As I said before, none of this matters if the Bears continue to shoot themselves in the foot. With word now that Keenan Allen may be out for the season, this has all the makings of a disastrous game for the Bears.

First and foremost, the Bears need to establish the run, and thankfully Washington's inexperience at defensive line gives us some opportunities. The Huskies shut down Stanford's Stepfan Taylor earlier in the year, but they're not nearly as stout up front as Cal's previous two opponents in Stanford and Utah. This is a game where a healthy CJ Anderson should make a world of difference in grinding out tough yards and setting up the Bears for manageable third downs.

While Allen is out, this may end up being a blessing in forcing Maynard to be that much more conscientious about going through his reads. It's not as if he'll have a lack of playmakers, with Richard Rodgers, Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs (who should be healed from his sprained ankle) have all shown solid ability this season. Their's the more likely scenario that Maynard gets frozen after realizing there's no #21 as his safety valve, but there is the hope that the coaches have developed a gameplan designed to spread the ball out to his playmakers, and keep Washington's defense from locking down on one player.

And notice I didn't even mention the utilization of Brendan Bigelow. Remember, I gave up trying to figure that one out. Defensively, the key is to the same thing that opposing defenses have done to the Huskies all year. Send the house against Washington's makeshift offensive line, hone in on big Sefarian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams and pressure Keith Price. Price has fantastic ability on the run, but the Bears need to knock him over and over again. Get Price flustered, and this Washington offense stalls time and time again. The Huskies haven't scored more than 21 against a non-FCS team. Just chew on that.

Outlook
The Huskies can be beaten, but the question has always been whether the Bears are up to the task of being that team. So let's not get it twisted: this isn't the case of the Bears going up against a vastly superior squad. The Bears match up well against the Huskies other than the matchup problem that Austin Sefarian-Jenkins poses.

With that said, Cal's performance against Utah last weekend that it doesn't matter who's on the other side if the Bears lose sight of their defensive assignments, make special team gaffes and get manhandled in the trenches.

And you can't think that it won't be for a lack of motivation. While the coaches are likely not saying anything publicly, you have to think players haven't forgotten. Players like Aaron Tipoti or Kendrick Payne can't have forgotten their position coach literally leaving in the middle of the night without a phone call or a goodbye.

Maybe it's all a pipe dream, but here's hoping the Bears turn up for this one, because it might be their last chance at a consolation prize all season.

Prediction: Washington 31 Cal 20

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Pac-12 Week 10 Predictions

(Hold the rope, Jon)

42-23 on the season, and after a tough 2-4 week, my mindset's more of: "Why the hell not?"

No. 14 Stanford (6-2, 4-1) at Colorado (1-7, 1-4)
Talk about a tough stretch of games for the Buffalos. After getting drubbed by USC and Oregon, they take on the ranked Cardinal. The only silver lining for the Colorado is that they have the chance to keep their opponent to under 50 points for the first time in over a month. Stanford's going to own the line of scrimmage though, and I'd be surprised if the Buffaloes finish with an offensive touchdown.
Prediction: Stanford 42 Colorado 6

Washington State (2-6, 0-5) at Utah (3-5, 1-4)
Utah looks to get their second conference win of the season after dismantling the Bears last weekend. Washington State is looking for something. With Jeff Tuel back at QB, I actually think the Cougars are pretty close to getting things back together. They've got the decided offensive edge, and their defense has been holding the team from complete collapse all seson. Call me crazy, but I'm picking the Cougars with the upset.
Prediction: WSU 24 Utah 20

No. 4 Oregon (8-0, 5-0) at No. 17 USC (6-2, 4-2)
This was supposed to be the matchup of the season, but USC let a little bit of the air out of this one by dropping two conference games already. It could still very well be a preview of the conference title game, but the Ducks still have the decided advantage. The Ducks have won 20 of their last 21 games. The last team to beat the Ducks? USC last season on a last-second field goal.

Still, the Trojans aren't playing nearly as well as they were during their closing stretch last season, and the Ducks are playing about as well as any team in the country. Home field advantage, schmome field advantage, the Ducks pull off a close, but not really type of game.
Prediction: Oregon 41 USC 27

No. 22 Arizona (5-3, 2-3) at UCLA (6-2, 3-2)
Should be an interesting one between two teams brimming with confidence after notching upsets last weekend. Both teams are riding the stellar play of their quarterbacks, though both teams' defenses have given up major yardage and points last weekend. It has all the makings of a shootout, and I'm actually split 50/50 on this one. If Matt Scott is healthy and good to go, I'm giving the edge to the Wildcats.
Prediction: Arizona 41 UCLA 38

Arizona State (5-3, 3-2) at No. 11 Oregon State
Another tough one. Both teams suffered hugely disappointing losses last weekend. ASU couldn't hold on to a lead with a minute to go, and lost by 1 point to the Bruins while the Beavers fell apart on the road to the Huskies. This OSU squad is different though, and should rebound, especially being at home. Todd Graham's team will get their yards, but points will be hard to come by against OSU's defense. Regardless of who gets the nod at QB for the Beavers, don't expect a repeat of Sean Mannion's 4 INT performance last weekend.
Prediction: Oregon State 27 Arizona State 20

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