Golden Nuggets: Prediction Thursday

by Berkelium97 on Oct 1, 2009 7:30 PM PDT in Golden Nuggets

Phil Steele predicts a 23-20 Cal victory.

Cal has now lost 5 straight to USC including last year’s 17-3 loss in a game where they were only able to collect 165 total yards. In their last visit to rain-soaked Berkeley, USC intercepted a late Cal pass to hold on to the 24-17 win. After averaging 48+ points per game through their first 3, Cal was held to just 3 last week in Eugene as UO ran away with the 39 point win. USC saw the return of frosh phenom QB Barkley (225 yards per game, 60%, 3-1 ratio) last week vs WSU as the Trojans scored 3 TD’s in the first 12 minutes and coasted. Cal cant be as bad as they looked last week can they? I look for the Bears to rebound with a big upset.

MSNBC's John Tamahana predicts a 24-23 USC victory.

Three out of four of CBS's experts predict a Cal victory.

Ted Miller picks Cal to win.

California 24, USC 21: Call me nuts, but I continue to believe the Golden Bears are an elite football team. USC's injury situation also is worrisome. Again, feel free to call me nuts.

Forget the national title, this weekend's game is now about two teams trying to stay afloat in the conference. Wilner goes over the madness in the Pac-10 and nationwide.
Gregory, Mohamed, and company will do their best to rattle Barkley. JO has post-practice quotes that explain how the Bears are preparing for USC.
USC is 114th in third-down conversions and the OC Register breaks down what has gone wrong. 3rd and 4 (or fewer) has been manageable at 63.6%, but the Trojans are converting only 12.5% of their 3rd and 5+ situations. By the way, they've been in 44 3rd and 5+ situations and only 11 3rd and <4 situations.
Wall Street Journal looks at all the times Cal came up just short in booking a return trip to the Rose Bowl.
ATO is offering a three-game reserved ticket pack for $120. You can see the Bears crush Wazzu and seek revenge against Oregon St and Arizona.
Volleyball heads to LA to take on No. 13 USC and No. 16 UCLA. Within the link you can find a link to watch the games online.
No. 6/7 men's soccer hosts No. 17/20 Stanford Friday at 4pm.
No. 10 women's soccer closes nonconference play against Sac State and Santa Clara this weekend.
No. 4 water polo hosts No. 3 USC in a huge match Saturday at noon.
Women's tennis hosts the Cal Nike Invitational this weekend.

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"Experts"

Hey, you guys are supposed to pick Cal to lose.

The Ultimate Opportunist

by Rated-R Superstar on Oct 1, 2009 7:37 PM PDT reply actions

Flagging for promoting bad vibes.

Reason: see last week.

(I’m such a superstitious wimp when it involves football)

"Today's weather, excessively violent with a chance of dismemberment. Tune in later for our 5-day forecast!"
~ Three Dog - Fallout 3

by Swamphunter on Oct 1, 2009 7:39 PM PDT reply actions

Exactly. Any Cal fan who isn’t superstitious hasn’t been a Cal football fan very long…

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 1, 2009 7:53 PM PDT up reply actions

The scary thing about this is that the exact same number of people picked Cal to win last week. In fact, the only difference is that a guy who picked Cal last week switched with the one who picked Oregon last week.

Whose domicile? OUR DOMICILE!

by Berkelium97 on Oct 1, 2009 8:13 PM PDT up reply actions

snort

they are all nuts. when is the vegas bowl?

Go Bears Go

by Rocksanddirt on Oct 1, 2009 7:46 PM PDT reply actions

Well this sucks. Whenever the experts pick us, we lose. Damn the experts to HELL!

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 1, 2009 7:53 PM PDT reply actions

true. obviously the east coast experts don't know jack about cal football.

Go Bears Go

by Rocksanddirt on Oct 1, 2009 8:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, we’ve been pick in all the games so far, and we’re 3-1. Not a horrible success rating.

The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS

by norcalnick on Oct 1, 2009 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions

ooc doesn't count.

Go Bears Go

by Rocksanddirt on Oct 1, 2009 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Fuck the experts, they don’t know shit, except for the fact that WE will win! They will, for once in their sorry lives, be proven right!

GO BEARS!

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 1, 2009 10:01 PM PDT up reply actions

You pump me up like no other. I wish I could get you to excite me every day things.

YEAH ROLLONU!!!! READ THE FUCK OUTTA THAT AP EURO CHAPTER!!!!!!!!! AGE OF EXPLORATION ALL THE WAY!!!!!

All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!

by rollonubears on Oct 1, 2009 10:11 PM PDT up reply actions

This is a damn good week to be alive Bears! ARod and Desmond will attempt to slay the Queens. Ultimately, they will! Favre alas will be vanquished! The Bears will knock off the mighty Trojan. It is all entwined in destiny! ARod has been waiting for this day since Texas Tech. Riley has been waiting for this day from day one. History in the making, and we are all privileged to see it play out. That or I will be totally bummed… )-;

No worries, both scenarios will play out in our favor…

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 2, 2009 12:32 AM PDT up reply actions

do you think....

….Tedford is going to give a rocking speech to the players about the importance of this game to him, the program, the fans, the team etc, or does he give the party line pablum we get in the press to the boys? Is there fire behind the scenes?

by TKE Prytanis 79 on Oct 1, 2009 8:31 PM PDT reply actions

If I were Tedford, I would bring the team in right before game time, have everyone take a seat, and write 34-31 on the white board. I would say “Gentlemen, let’s win this,” then walk out of the locker room while one of the captains brings the team in for a cheer.

by The Hombre on Oct 1, 2009 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions

sounds cool, but wonder if him just laying it out for real would have an impact..he comes across so analytical and detached at times, i just wonder if a come to jesus sermon from him would work…I really don’t know the locker room dynamics, so this is just speculation on my part …better than watching survivor

by TKE Prytanis 79 on Oct 1, 2009 8:40 PM PDT up reply actions

I don’t know the locker room dynamics either. From my experience playing high school football, the most inspiring speeches/moments are the ones you least expect. My JV coach once broke a clipboard and started crying at half time because he believed in us that much. It was amazing. I would follow that guy anywhere.

My varsity coach had a far superior technical knowledge of football, but was a complete asshole.

I think Tedford needs to get emotional. Whether emotional for Tedford is a speech or writing a score on the white board, I don’t care. Just show the players that this game means something to him, the team, the program, the students, and the alumni. Bleed the blue and gold.

by The Hombre on Oct 1, 2009 8:54 PM PDT up reply actions

"the most inspiring speeches/moments are the ones you least expect."

I think you’re on to something here…hope Jeff finds the formula to show how he bleeds…like the rest of us… very well put post Hombre

by TKE Prytanis 79 on Oct 1, 2009 8:59 PM PDT up reply actions

how about the “whose domicile?” chant? i’ve always liked that one.

by chewyd on Oct 2, 2009 8:22 AM PDT up reply actions

Everyone thinks we’re frauds. The voters dropped us almost 20 places. We just played our worst game since the Holmoe era. What better week to play USC? If our guys can’t get fired up for this game, then we’re hopeless.

But I think they will get fired up, I think we’re going to see some hard-hitting football. I think our o-line is going to come together as a unit. For the first time since the 1st quarter of last Saturday’s game, I’m fired up. I’m ready to go. I don’t care if we win this game, but I want to see a fight from this team.

by The Hombre on Oct 1, 2009 8:33 PM PDT reply actions

I'm with you

fired up, ready to go

by TKE Prytanis 79 on Oct 1, 2009 8:34 PM PDT up reply actions

LET'S DO IT

FUCK USC!

In other words, Go Bears!

by royrules22 on Oct 1, 2009 8:40 PM PDT up reply actions

is this a haiku?

by TKE Prytanis 79 on Oct 1, 2009 8:42 PM PDT up reply actions

FUCK USC TO ETERNAL HELL!

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 1, 2009 10:02 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m almost 100 percent positive this is the sane thing the entire golden bears roster is thinking! They are going to come out fired up and kick some usc ass!!! They don’t need a pregame speech! They just need to think how everyone is counting them out after last week! Let’s go redeem our selfs in front of the best damn fans in all the land!! They are due for a big win over usc! It is our time gentlemen!

by bear in the bluff on Oct 1, 2009 10:34 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Forget Oregon.
We are California!
USC will DIE.

dboneisloose

by HolmoePhobe on Oct 2, 2009 12:33 AM PDT up reply actions

For those counting syllables

Line two works if you say “California” as “cal-lee-for-nee-uh” like the line from Fight For California or the Governator’s accent.

"it's like an alarm clock, WOOT WOOT!" -Bubb Rubb

by secret ASian man on Oct 2, 2009 8:47 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Fuck You U S C
You play football better than U C?
On Saturday we’ll see

by YleeXOtee on Oct 1, 2009 8:55 PM PDT reply actions

It’s a haiku, five seven five and all, but I hate the rhyming. Artist’s remorse

by YleeXOtee on Oct 1, 2009 8:59 PM PDT up reply actions

a poet that don’t know it…thanks for the correction…been ages since high school english

by TKE Prytanis 79 on Oct 1, 2009 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions

USC you have won many games by dubious means.
We have won many games by proper means.
Will we win this Saturday?

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 1, 2009 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Genius. You have a bright future.

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 2, 2009 12:42 AM PDT up reply actions

The above was to you, YleeXOtee, I love Haiku…

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 2, 2009 12:44 AM PDT up reply actions

Haiku is too rigid, I had to change things up…

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 1, 2009 10:05 PM PDT reply actions

I am disconfident in the outcome.

I am very confident that many of the mistakes of last week will not be reapeated.

Sort of. If a WR drops a pass on the hands on the first drive, we lose.

I expect that we will not do as much straight zone off-tackle, but hope we go back to the wing-T style sweep action, both for fakes and runs. I expect that we will tackle better, and not be going for the strip all the time. I’d like to see a bit more I-formation power-man running.

Go Bears Go

by Rocksanddirt on Oct 1, 2009 10:42 PM PDT reply actions

Exactly. I am still baffled by the vital drop in the first drive last Saturday. I will refrain from naming the receiver. Having said that, as soon as he dropped it, I pretty much knew we might be doomed. Later my worst nightmares were revealed. Please catch the ball this week receivers. For the love of God (or whoever) everything depends on it!!!!!

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Vince Lombardi

by CaliSeth on Oct 2, 2009 12:16 AM PDT up reply actions

TUCKER!!!

In other words, Go Bears!

by royrules22 on Oct 2, 2009 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions

.. and don’t act stupidly when receive those PI calls, please?

by CaliforniaCMB on Oct 2, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions

“We need to play like Genero played. 150 lbs and he played like a goddamn wild man. Now go rip off their heads and shit down their throats!”

I hate U S C
Paid off players stuck up fans
Destroy the fuckers

*I hope my little girls never find out about this post. But, damn. I hate sc.

by Kodiak on Oct 2, 2009 9:50 AM PDT reply actions

LoL, does she go to SC or what?

by CaliforniaCMB on Oct 2, 2009 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions

Nah, they’re 3yrs and 3months. Da da isn’t supposed to use certain words around them. Like sc.

by Kodiak on Oct 2, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions

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