Is next year the year?
by C98 on Nov 28, 2009 6:25 AM PST
60 comments
It seems like every year, toward the end of the year when it didn't quite work out the way we'd hoped, again, it starts feeling like there is something special coming next year. Or is that just the homer in me?
As always, there are some huge losses... this year it's Syd, Alualu and most likely Jahvid.
But we have a lot coming back too:
Offense:
Riley as a more consistent senior. I think with him everything else is there. A little more consistency and he's a superstar. At RB, we have the next stud(s) chomping at the bit. On the line we lose Tepper but the rest are back. At receiver, Ross and Jones are back, and there's plenty of other young talent. Anthony Miller is back.
Defense:
We're very deep at Corner and okay at safety. Up front, Jordan stays, Hill stays, Payne grows another year and I'm especially excited to see what Owusu might do with a full-time gig. 3 of the 4 starting linebackers return.
Is next year the year? Yes, we have to go to USC, but they suck now anyway, right? ...right? Anyway, we get Oregon at home.
I made a really, really stupid drunken bet a few years ago. It was after Tedford's first season. I saw it all coming together and I bet $100 that we'd go to a national championship by 2010. 2011 actually because the bet is by the 2010 season. And the bet is that we have to go, not win. If it wasn't for the %&^@$ idiots in the trees and the delay they caused in construction/recruiting I think it would have happened.
I only have one more year.
It's not the $100. This is my golf buddy (read: mortal enemy). He's a bandwagon USC fan who makes up for his shortcomings on the golf course by grandstanding about the success of "his" football team. He's going to torture me with that hundred dollars all year. He started already. Damn it, can somebody please tell me that next year might be the year?
The opinions expressed in a FanPost are, in every way, reflective of the opinions of every California Golden Blogs Marshawnthusiast. Moreover, they are reflective of every employee of SBNation, including Tyler "Blez" Bleszinski.
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To all Jahvidticians and Marshawnthusiasts:
Meet the first Vareenophile. I think he’s going to be better next year than Jahvid was this year.
You don’t count, because you can’t spell his name right. God dammit people.
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
by rollonubears on Nov 28, 2009 10:59 AM PST up reply actions
Arrgh! I was so careful to look up names like
Alualu and Owusu to make sure I got the spelling right, aware as I am of the sanctimonious pedantry that runs rampant on threads like this. I didn’t even think to check Vereen. Oh well, all apologies. Here:
E
by C98 on Nov 28, 2009 6:39 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I will accept your E on behalf of rollonubears whose sanctimonious pedantry is remarkable.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I refuse to look that up, jerk.
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
by rollonubears on Nov 29, 2009 12:04 PM PST up reply actions
remarkable
Means “worthy of comment”.
by atomsareenough on Dec 1, 2009 7:38 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm a Sofeletite
Cal Football: It could happen!
by CalBandGreat on Nov 29, 2009 9:21 AM PST up reply actions
Forsett Fan!
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
by rollonubears on Nov 29, 2009 12:05 PM PST up reply actions
I’m now lowering my expectations for 8-9 wins per year until the facilities are built. Anything else will be a pleasant surprise.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
I wonder if Wazzu fans think 8-9 wins is lowering expectations.
by CaliforniaCMB on Dec 1, 2009 12:25 AM PST up reply actions
I know carp’s view on cal football is consistently ridiculous.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Hey whatever happened to my PC picture? :D
I spent a whole 45 minutes on that thing.
by CaliforniaCMB on Dec 1, 2009 11:59 PM PST up reply actions
If only you had waited like 3 hours, you wouldnt have had to ask this question.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Just saw it up, so proud. Working on the next one.
by CaliforniaCMB on Dec 2, 2009 2:26 PM PST up reply actions
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, next year is always THE year for Cal football fans.
At this point, I’m too busy enjoying the rest of this year to think about next. What looked like a disaster after the SC loss (and again after the Jahvid scare) has turned into a pretty solid season with extremely satisfying wins over UCLA and Stanfurd. If we show well against UW, we can expect to go to a decent bowl and a pretty good recruiting class.
GOLD OUT MOZAMBIQUE!
by OskiMonsta on Nov 28, 2009 8:49 AM PST reply actions 4 recs
During the pre-season predictions for Pac-10 standings, it seems like the team who is predicted to finish not first or not second gets first or second. In other words, it seems like the magical year might be a year when we’re predicted to finish 4th or something, rather than predicted to finish first or second. USC has obviously been a rare exception to this observation of mine (which may not even be correct), but this year, nobody was really thinking Oregon or Oregon State would be the team to go to the Rose Bowl. Yet now they’re both fighting for it.
I doubt that Cal will be predicted to be the Pac-10 champion next season. Our offense while returning a lot of starters, isn’t extremely talented overall. Our defense will probably regress a bit without Alualu and Thompson. So Cal will probably get picked to finish 3rd or 4th, maybe even 5th. Thus… we might have a chance.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
I don't know
IIRC all the talk at the beginning of the year was that THIS was the season someone was most likely to take down U$C and the two leading candidates were Cal and Oregon. People thought it was more likely to be Cal, but Oregon was absolutely in the conversation.
Oregon will probably be favored next year as they return damn near everybody. USC will probably be ranked second because they are USC. As for everyone else? I don’t know what they are losing, therefore can’t speculate. Maybe, Arizona is ranked highly. Oregon State will be starting a new qb. Stanford loses Toby. UW, ASU, and UCLA are still in rebuilding mode.
Its all on our passing game, if they have another great off season, and Kevin gets in Sync with Jones, Ross, Lagemann, and Calvin, then we’ll see. But if they stumble like this year in big games, expect another 9 win season and a year of what could have beens.
In communist Russia, Sanchez declares YOU!
I would take another 9 win season in one half of a second.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Here's the seniors we lose to graduation this year:
According to ESPN
Syd’Quan Thompson
Eddie Young
Devin Bishop
Brett Johnson
Marcus Ezeff
Tyson Alualu
Kevin Bemoll
Chet Teofilo
Mike Tepper
Skylar Curran
Verran Tucker
Nyan Boateng
Bryan Holley
Tad Smith (unless he gets a medical redshirt for this year?)
Jahvid Best
In terms of Cal’s prospects for being better next year than we were this year, I’m dubious but there’s a possibility. Losing five true starters and a backup who started at the beginning of the year on defense is no joke, so I would bet against Cal having a dominant defense. Offense should be solid though not very flashy at all—losing our big play running back and one of two big play receivers, but then again a lot of y’all seem to think that long touchdown passes and runs are the work of the devil, anyway.
I think the Rose Bowl is out of our hands, but not out of reach. We won’t have the talent next year to just roll to an 8-1 or 9-0 record, but if things break our way, well, the Pac-10 can get pretty crazy.
Also: next year Tedford takes the all-time record for most wins at Cal! (Barring disaster. Andy Smith’s record is 74, Tedford’s sitting pretty at 67. 7 wins over the next 15 or so seems within Tedford’s capabilities to deliver.)
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
Jahvid's a junior.
"Today's weather, excessively violent with a chance of dismemberment. Tune in later for our 5-day forecast!"
~ Three Dog - Fallout 3
You so sure about that?
He has not made a decision for next year yet.
"Today's weather, excessively violent with a chance of dismemberment. Tune in later for our 5-day forecast!"
~ Three Dog - Fallout 3
We’re going to be arguing about this until he announces his intentions. Personally, I think he’s gone and godspeed to him. But I don’t care to go back and forth about it.
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
I am terrified of what our defense would have been this year without Tyson. My choice for team MVP.
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
by rollonubears on Nov 28, 2009 4:26 PM PST up reply actions
Given the way things are playing out… we would’ve been right in the hunt for BCS if we had beat Oregon State. Alas… anyway, we should be solid next year with some big upside on offense if Riles is consistent. I would not expect anything less than 8 wins, but above that, it’s murky… i feel we could win between 8 and 11 games out of 13
Physical.
Why do Cal fans always look at the end rather than the beginning. In the Pac-10 it all comes down to matchups. Let’s start by focusing our attention on UC Davis.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
I think I speak for everyone when I say I’d rather have an 0-3 record heading into PAC 10 play and end up in the rose bowl then any other senario where we lose in PAC 10 play.
In communist Russia, Sanchez declares YOU!
by HOUSE66 on Nov 28, 2009 7:35 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Son, let me tell you something—we go 0-3 against UC Davis, Colorado and Nevada, the only place we’re going bowling is the Albany Bowl.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Nov 28, 2009 8:48 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
There’s an Albany bowl??
Sign me up :)
In communist Russia, Sanchez declares YOU!
by HOUSE66 on Nov 28, 2009 9:31 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
the Albany bowl is the single most crowded bowling alley I’ve ever been too. Every time I come in they tell me it’s a 90 minute wait. Thus, I never even bother anymore.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
This is all crazy early, of course. But if you asked me what the key to the next season is, it would be the secondary. It looks like the Pac-10 may be returning to the pass-happy reputation of the late 90s/early 2000s. Check out the returning QBs:
Riley
Luck
Foles
Prince
Barkley
Masoli
Maybe Locker
That’s 6 or 7 pretty darn good QBs, plus whoever is back at WSU and ASU and all of them should presumably be better from experience. We need our secondary to step up big time to replace Johnson, Ezeff, and especially Syd.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Flagged for upsetting the juju gods!!
TOO SOON!!
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Nov 29, 2009 12:01 AM PST reply actions 3 recs
Yeah. In case you guys forgot, we do have two more games left to play for this season.
Flagged for pissing in juju’s pool.
"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 Nov 29, 2009 12:58 AM PST up reply actions
I'll fix things
Dear Juju gods,
Please accept my prediction of Cal going 3-9 next year and Tedford being fired and the athletic center and stadium renovations being canceled to counter the optimism expressed in this fanpost.
Cal Football: It could happen!
by CalBandGreat on Nov 29, 2009 9:33 AM PST up reply actions
Dear Ju Ju gods,
I, for one, welcome our new Coach Dumpster Muffin and her Bend, But Don’t Bathe Defensive philosophy.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 29, 2009 9:53 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
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