Cal @ Oregon State 11.15.08 Pregame and 1st Quarter Open Thread

by ragnarok on Nov 15, 2008 7:02 AM PST in Football

Broadcast TV:
Notre Dame @ Navy, 9:00AM - CBS
#25 South Carolina @ #4 Florida, 12:30PM - CBS
California @ Oregon State, 12:30PM - ABC
Boston College @ #19 Florida State, 5:00PM - ABC

If you're waking up early tomorrow, craving football, but you only have bunny ears on your TV, you're in luck: Notre Dame at Navy on CBS! Since Navy broke their record 43-game losing streak to the Irish last year, I can't think of any compelling reason to watch this year.

Looking for a flip-to channel during the Cal game? Well, CBS has South Carolina at Florida, the week's ONLY matchup of ranked teams. I will be shocked if the final is closer that two touchdowns. Honestly, it looks like a pretty dull slate this weekend, so either we'll see no upsets and collectively yawn, or a lot of major upsets and this will go down as one of those "Shakedown Saturdays" or whatever. Even the 5pm ABC game bores me. I'm glad I'm heading to Haas instead to watch the men's basketball season opener.

Basic Cable:
#11 Ohio State @ Illinois, 9:00AM - ESPN
Northwestern @ Michigan, 9:00AM - ESPN2
#3 Texas @ Kansas, 9:30AM - Comcast Sports Net Bay Area
Minnesota @ Wisconsin, 12:30PM - ESPN
#12 Missouri @ Iowa State, 3:40PM - Comcast Sports Net Bay Area
#6 USC @ Stanford, 4:00PM - Versus
Mississippi State @ #1 Alabama, 4:45PM - ESPN
Vanderbilt @ Kentucky, 5:00PM - ESPN2
UCLA @ Washington, 7:15PM - Comcast Sports Net Bay Area

Ohio State at Illinois has the potential to be a pretty good game, though I think, at the beginning of the season, many of us thought this game would have more Big 10 title implications. The Illini upset the Buckeyes last year at the 'Shoe, nearly costing Ohio State the title game and putting the Illini in the Rose Bowl.

USC at Stanford is another revenge game from a major upset last year. I really can't see the Trojans overlooking the Cardinal for the season straight season, but Jim Harbaugh has gotten Stanford well past "awful" and firmly into "mediocre" territory, and they're just one upset victory from being bowl-eligible.

Premium Cable:
Indiana @ #8 Penn State, 9:03AM - Big Ten
New Mexico @ Colorado State, 11:00AM - The Mtn.
#24 Wake Forest @ North Carolina State, 12:30PM - ESPNU
#17 BYU @ Air Force, 12:30PM - CBS College Sports
#23 Tulsa @ Houston, 5:00PM - CBS College Sports
#7 Utah @ San Diego State, 5:06PM - The Mtn.

Here you go, folks. 6 reasons why you shouldn't bother paying for premium cable. Go to a sports bar if you must, but the best I could say about these games is that I think Air Force has a pretty good shot at knocking off BYU at home.

Pay-Per-View or No TV:
#10 Georgia @ Auburn, 9:30AM
#16 North Carolina @ Maryland, 12:30PM
Arizona @ Oregon, 12:30PM
#9 Boise State @ Idaho, 2:00PM
Washington State @ Arizona State, 2:30PM
#13 Oklahoma State @ Colorado, 5:00PM
Troy @ #20 LSU, 5:00PM

Who would have picked, at the beginning of the season, that Georgia at Auburn would be on at 9:30 in the morning and no one would be watching? Not me. North Carolina @ Maryland is actually on ABC, but gets squeezed out of the schedule on the West Coast because Northwestern at Michigan supposedly has more appeal out here. I guess...

In the Pac-10, Arizona at Oregon is actually an important game with postseason implications. Both are going bowling, but both are trying avoid a 3rd loss and stay within striking range of 2nd or 3rd in the conference. Since Cal has beaten Oregon, and Oregon has been to both the Holiday and Sun bowls recently, I'll be rooting for the Ducks (I think being tied with them them instead of Arizona would give the Bears a better bowl berth). Meanwhile, WSU at ASU is about as interesting as the rest of the games on the uninteresting slate; ASU aims to keep its slim bowl hopes alive for another week, and WSU aims to not give up 60+ points in another Pac-10 game.

Poll

How do you think Cal will do against Oregon State?

Very well

18 votes

Moderately well

31 votes

Moderately poorly

18 votes

Very poorly

10 votes

77 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 250 comments | Add comment

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Comments

FAMU Band's getting major love on Game Day right now

I have no idea why they’re at the Howard-FAMU game! What’s going on?

The Maharg makes me look like an idiot.

by carp on Nov 15, 2008 7:46 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

is that where they are?

i had no idea Howard had a football team!

So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!

by ragnarok on Nov 15, 2008 8:23 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

it' Hampton, not Howard

...nuh nuh nuh gone

by Thoroughbred on Nov 15, 2008 8:24 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Herbstreit picks the Bears to upset OSU!

Corso picks the Beavs (though he picks Arizona to knock off OSU next week), but Herbie’s record at picking games is better.

So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!

by ragnarok on Nov 15, 2008 8:25 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

LET'S DO THIS!!!!!

(I was fired up at 7am… gotta keep it up)

...nuh nuh nuh gone

by Thoroughbred on Nov 15, 2008 8:36 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

IT'S PAY BACK TIME!!!!MF'ERS

by GreekBear39 on Nov 15, 2008 8:48 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Maharg makes me look like an idiot.

by carp on Nov 15, 2008 8:59 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

Anybody else totally dissapointed by the new Bond flick?

What a frickn letdown after Casino Royale…

by danzig on Nov 15, 2008 9:04 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

I didn’t like Casino Royale too much. so maybe I’ll love the new one

...nuh nuh nuh gone

by Thoroughbred on Nov 15, 2008 9:06 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Casino Royale was awesome… it was a bit jarring to see someone new as Bond, but after the initial shock, the action was perfect. It’s what bond films should be.

If you didn’t like CR, me thinks you’ll totally dislike QOS. At the very least, lower your expectations.

by danzig on Nov 15, 2008 9:10 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Hmm… I rescind my first statement. I liked CR, just not as much as GoldenEye, among others. True, the action was great. I just didn’t like all the poker stuff and that everything seemed predictable. But Bond movies are made for the action and babes, so the real let down was that the main chick didn’t do much for me…

...nuh nuh nuh gone

by Thoroughbred on Nov 15, 2008 9:18 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

You’re right… GoldenEye was sick… however, I think Eva Green as the Bond girl in CR was perfect…

You gotta check out a movie called “The Dreamers”
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309987/

It’s a Bertolucci flick and has everything you’d expect in a good Bertolucci flick (except for the cursory anal sex scene)… but, trust me, you’ll love it and Eva Green is smokn in it.

by danzig on Nov 15, 2008 9:30 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

I don’t remember her having tits! … This is a flattering angle though.

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check it out.

...nuh nuh nuh gone

by Thoroughbred on Nov 15, 2008 9:42 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

That’s a MySpace angle.

by CaliforniaCMB on Nov 15, 2008 10:27 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

dude, Thoroughbred, she is VERY gifted…

www.californiagoldenblogs.com

by HydroTech on Nov 15, 2008 12:09 PM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Did you know… that Eva Green didn’t want to be a bond girl? She hates the fact that she’s a “bond girl.”

www.californiagoldenblogs.com

by HydroTech on Nov 15, 2008 12:09 PM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Gotta work today. :-(

But luckily I’ve got outside Internet access here at work, so I can keep up with the game via streaming channels.

by Swamphunter on Nov 15, 2008 9:29 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS!
LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS!
LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS!
LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS!
LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS!
LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS! LET’S GO BEARS!

by CaliforniaCMB on Nov 15, 2008 10:28 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

Here's a little bit of pregame reading material

Riley has moved past the 2007 OSU catastrophe:

Cal quarterback Kevin Riley says he’s had no problem forgetting about the notorious final play of last year’s game against Oregon State. That’s taken some doing, because he keeps getting subjected to reminders of it.

During winter break last year, Riley returned to his hometown of Portland, Ore., only to run into Oregon State linebacker Joey LaRocque, who just happens to be the player who tackled Riley on that fateful play. Then, just this past Wednesday, Riley walked into Jeff Tedford’s office only to find his coach watching film of — you guessed it — that very same play.

“It’s just something that happened. You have to live with it,” said Riley, who will lead the Bears into today’s game at No. 23 Oregon State. “You always wish it didn’t happen. I learned a lot in that game. I have more experience now. I hope to come in ready to play. I know what to do now in that situation.”

Ted Miller is in Oregon and the fans are excited:

It’s an 85-mile drive to Corvallis. Judging by the flow of orange flags zooming past me down HW 5 South, there are a lot of eager Beavers around.

Got lots of gracious invitations to join tailgates before the game. Gosh, I wish I could. Looked like some good setups outside.

But duty calls. And I don’t need the temptation to chuck the laptop, grab a brat and a beer and join the fun.

California coach Jeff Tedford is gathering his guys just outside the inflatable, black Oregon State helmet by the north endzone.

Countdown is on.

I’m wondering if OSU will be too anxious and excited about this game and start off jittery.

(☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞

by Berkelium97 on Nov 15, 2008 10:54 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

I turn on ESPN2, and the UM-NW game is on. It looks frickin COLD, they’re playing in the middle of a snow/sleet/freezing rain storm.

by sec119 on Nov 15, 2008 10:59 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

Looks awesome!

Precipitation dying down a bit it seems.

by BeastMode on Nov 15, 2008 11:14 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Nm, I take back the dying down part.

by BeastMode on Nov 15, 2008 11:16 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

I’m loving this Ohio State/Illinois game. If only because I want to see if Juice Williams does outdo Pryor.

Still happy over the fact that the Nets signed Ryan Anderson. Now if only they can sign Leon Powe after this year...

by yellow fever on Nov 15, 2008 11:22 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

Love the stadium crew dancing, wtf?

by BeastMode on Nov 15, 2008 11:26 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

haha, fo sho fo sho.

by sec119 on Nov 15, 2008 11:26 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Why are there so many dancing security guards at that stadium? That montage was kind of awesome.

by sec119 on Nov 15, 2008 11:26 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Danzig, I assume you’re going to be flipping to The Big Spike in between Cal-Oregon State timeouts?

by BearsNecessity on Nov 15, 2008 11:30 AM PST reply reply 0 recs

For everyone else

(They’re showing Stanford-Cal women’s volleyball on Comcast Sports California)

by BearsNecessity on Nov 15, 2008 11:31 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

At 1 PM PST, not right now

by BearsNecessity on Nov 15, 2008 11:33 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Oh wait, this is yesterday’s game? And we got romped? Okay, never mind. That was a fun monologue.

by BearsNecessity on Nov 15, 2008 11:35 AM PST up reply reply 0 recs

Not to look past this game, but...

The line is 23 for Stanfurd-USC and it was 22 for us. Does that mean we are basically even money with the furd next wek-eek! I believe we are way better, but the guys who make money on this don’t appear to think so.

by YleeXOtee on Nov 15, 2008 11:36 AM PST reply reply 0 recs