HydroTech: Alright, I know it’s been a tough October and November, and we’re all a little down and emotionally drained, but let’s do the last one of the season…

BIG GAME is a BIG GAME.  It’s for a bowl game.  Pretty much.  Right Rags? 

BIG GAME will be competitive, although it really shouldn’t be.  If the team ever needed a reason to get up for Big Game other than the fact that it’s Big Game, it’s because I predict this game to be very close.  Much closer than any of us would like.  I liken Stanfurd’s year, to ours in 2002.  Tedford’s ‘02 team played balls to the wall.  I expect Harbaugh’s team to play the same way.  Balls to the wall.  No lookin’ back.  No regrets.  Playin’ like there is no tomorrow.  Playin’ to win.  They’ll take gambles.  They’ll play with heart.  They’ll put up a fight.  And they just very well might steal the ax back from us. 

Tedford said that he will push the starters hard during the BYE week instead of resting the starters and giving reps to the blue-shirts (Cal equivalent of a red-shirt) and the freshmen.  I like this.  It’s clear the starters don’t need rest so much as they need reps to remember the basics.  On defense that means gap assignments, block shedding, and tackling.  On offense we need to see concentration on the snap counts, looking the ball into your hands, dropback footwork, and stepping up into the pocket. 

Has there been any year since Tedford has been here, post 2002, when the possibility of losing the ax seemed extremely real?  Maybe 2003?  2006 was a close game but I don’t think most of us thought it was very possible we would get beat. 

I hope we’re mad.  I hope we have a passion, direction, purpose, and drive when we take the field.  I want to destroy Stanfurd and that Harbaugh dude.  Like, 2004 kind of destroyed them.  41-6 kind of destroyed them.  We’re capable of it.  So let’s get our act together and do it.

Ragnarok:  Thanks for the pep talk, Hydro.  When Lou Holtz finally becomes completely incomprehensible (what?  that happened 5 years ago!), ESPN should totally hire you to replace him.

YellowFever: Lou Holtz somehow manages to always sound like he’s eating a bowl of oatmeal as he talks.  I’m not sure how he pulls it off.  Can it really be just because he’s old?  Who knows.

I just hope that no one calls for Tedford’s firing if we lose the Axe.  It’d be a shame, but it would be a sign of the times.  In 2002, we were happy just to have made it to 7-5 in Boller’s last year.  Now 7-5 or 6-6 is grounds for dismissal?  Give the man a mulligan.  Hasn’t he earned at least that much goodwill?

This isn’t to say I won’t be inconsolable if we do lose the Axe.  (Triple negative, yes!)  But let’s keep some perspective here.

HydroTech: I agree, YellowFever.  Even if we lose Big Game, I don’t think Tedford needs to go.  All good coaches have a few bad games and even a few bad seasons sprinkled in here in and there.  Just look at Bobby Bowden and Joe Pa. 

What Tedford has done for Cal is amazing.  He may not be the best college football head coach, but he’s certainly very good.  But most importantly he’s the right man for the job.  He has the right mentality that is so rare in college football head coaches: dedication.  I think it’s quite obvious that Tedford isn’t going to leave Cal for a more prestigious job unless there is a big falling out and the new facilities aren’t built.  Tedford has a rare dedication to the program, and especially the players.  He’s a guy that does things right.  When I worked for the team, things were done right.  No cheating, no shortcuts.  Just hard work and honesty.  I like that.  As you know there are many college football head coaches who aren’t as ethical and are very willing to do whatever it takes (legal and illegal) to win.  Maybe I don’t have a killer instinct, but I’d rather do things right and have it be harder and take longer than cheating. 

Anyways, for Big Game, I want to see us ram the ball down the Furd’s throat.  They’re giving up a whopping 450 yards per game on defense.  There is no reason why we shouldn’t e able to rack up just as much yardage on them through land and by air. 

• I’m sure no one else saw this last night either, but for one brief shining moment, Dallas was Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood.  It looks like Rodgers could get more burn for at least another week, given how Favre’s injuries sound.
• Marshawn!  With a blog!  And he’s been watching a lot of Ron Simmons.  Should we replace Longshore’s blog on our sidebar with Marshawn’s?  Do I even need to ask the question?
• In this time of coaching turmoil, here’s a look at our Lord and Savior’s contract.  Apparently this isn’t the most recent version, as you can see from the December 2001 date on the contract, but it’s fun to read.  And you can see Tedford’s signature!
• A fun look back at The Play on it’s 25th anniversary, though it’s not like there aren’t recaps of The Play every year anyway.
• Feldman picks!  28-10.  He also notes that Tedford is 5-0 against Stanford, covering the spread in four of those five games.  Can anyone remember off the top of their head the one game where the Bears didn’t cover?  I’d look it up, but…you know.
• Some Cal and Stanford alum gets his panties in a bunch over a "new low" that really isn’t new.  Way to pay attention.  I commented on the article at the bottom, too.
• Patrick Cowan is scheduled to start against the Trojans this Saturday.  Yeah, that’s thet ticket.  Does anything sum up Dorrell more than the fact that the Bruins are basically either going to the Rose Bowl, or no bowl at all?
• Todd McShay has Alex Mack as the center on his "dream team offense."  Note the absence of THA1.
• USC is talking about possibly moving to the Rose Bowl.  I don’t know about you, but that would seem pretty lame.
• Hey, Bill Doba got fired?  I hadn’t noticed.  But now there’s news that both Cal coordinators are on the list of potential replacements.  And would you even miss either, given how the season has gone?
• From last week, Stewart Mandel lays into our Bears pretty good here (with more on the next page).  I wouldn’t go so far as to say the team has quit on its coach, because it’s hard to say that when the defense wasn’t spectacular to begin with and the team was close in the final stages of more than a few games.
• Your basketball notes: Ryan Anderson had a pretty good game this week and now leads the conference in scoring.  Meanwhile, some team down south is ranked #1 in the country.  Also, Lute Olson’s back.
• Thomas DeCoud and Justin Forsett have been invited to the East-West Shrine Game after this year, and man, our Bears are last in the conference in sacks.  It sounds like there’s still some uncertainty over who will be starting this Saturday’s game at QB for the Furd.
• Mike Gibson has also been invited to the East-West Shrine Game, and Lavelle Hawkins has been invited to the Senior Bowl.
• For the last time this year, get your picks in.