For yet another season, our offensive line is subpar.

In another 2025 game, we dropped the ball at key moments.

Harsin is decent but he is no offensive genius.

chazzed said:

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Harsin is decent for but he is no offensive genius.

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He is doing what he can with a rookie QB, no excuses for the defense to be this awful though

O-line has been hot garbage. A good OC needs to be able to scheme around that if it's a talent issue.

pingpong2 said:

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O-line has been hot garbage. A good OC needs to be able to scheme around that if it's a talent issue.

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The problem is that most of our receivers suck too.

It's fairly simple here - duke was far more talented roster wise, and we are asking a very talented true freshmen qb to do it all himself without any help. We can't run the ball, and he made nfl throw after nfl throw in the first half into tiny windows to score 21. Once duke figured out they could rush 4 even 3 at certain points, and drop 7 into coverage, with our receiver talent you've got no chance. Mensah and their receivers were very good. They can get a pass rush with real edge players, we couldn't. So hard to beat good teams when you can't run the ball. Duke was fun to watch they have some dudes.

Haleiwabear said:

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It's fairly simple here - duke was far more talented roster wise, and we are asking a very talented true freshmen qb to do it all himself without any help. We can't run the ball, and he made nfl throw after nfl throw in the first half into tiny windows to score 21. Once duke figured out they could rush 4 even 3 at certain points, and drop 7 into coverage, with our receiver talent you've got no chance. Mensah and their receivers were very good. They can get a pass rush with real edge players, we couldn't. So hard to beat good teams when you can't run the ball. Duke was fun to watch they have some dudes.

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They must be SERIOUSLY more talented. They lost their 3rd string LB and got BETTER.

Remember how our defense would make opposing QBs look like Heisman candidates? Seems like our offense is now making opposing defences look like they're filled with Bednarik contenders.

their two d ends were killing our tackles in obvious passing downs which was most of the game. they have an all American corner and manny Diaz is a good defensive coach. they had some sick pressures where they stunted inside to force JKS left and then trapped him with a spy. Our nose tackle being out the majority of the first half did not help our cause either

Haleiwabear said:

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their two d ends were killing our tackles in obvious passing downs which was most of the game. they have an all American corner and manny Diaz is a good defensive coach. they had some sick pressures where they stunted inside to force JKS left and then trapped him with a spy. Our nose tackle being out the majority of the first half did not help our cause either

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Yes they killed us with the tackles, but i am not sure why it was obvious passing downs. We were down 10 for like 2 quarters, could have ran the ball. But when we ran we couldn't even open up any holes. Not sure what our excuse there is?

Even the announcer called it out. 55 is 6'8 330 lbs, and yet he couldn't get push on a guy that is 50 lbs lighter

We couldn't run the ball against San Diego state. We need better players. Idk - how much draw does JKS give you when it comes to recruiting if you keep him ? Or is it just pure paycheck that draws.

Haleiwabear said:

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their two d ends were killing our tackles in obvious passing downs which was most of the game. they have an all American corner and manny Diaz is a good defensive coach. they had some sick pressures where they stunted inside to force JKS left and then trapped him with a spy. Our nose tackle being out the majority of the first half did not help our cause either

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And they were able to run a spy because they can ignore the RB coming out the backfield.

San Diego state did the same thing against us.

Watching the game on tv was even easier to see our o line just fell apart after the last time we scored. Complete whiffs on both sides over and over. They literally got pressure rushing 2 on one play. Crazy how badly they got worked

It's real simple: This team is simply not talented! We have one supremely talented player and that's it-JKS! Every other unit/ player is just average at best and many are below average. These kids are playing as hard as they can but they aren't to the level of competing ata D1 level.

The only remaining question is does the University of California care enough to fix it , the blueprint is there, other schools have lauded it out, sadly I don't think the powers that be care enough. We are big time when it's comes to academics ( that's a good thing) but the decision makers simply are willing to put forth the resources necessary to compete in the revenue sports.

I Bear said:

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It's real simple: This team is simply not talented! We have one supremely talented player and that's it-JKS! Every other unit/ player is just average at best and many are below average. These kids are playing as hard as they can but they aren't to the level of competing ata D1 level.

The only remaining question is does the University of California care enough to fix it , the blueprint is there, other schools have lauded it out, sadly I don't think the powers that be care enough. We are big time when it's comes to academics ( that's a good thing) but the decision makers simply are willing to put forth the resources necessary to compete in the revenue sports.

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These players are professionals, paid handsomely to be here. There are not enough "above average" players available to field 30 decent teams, let alone 60.

No reason we can't field a talented team. We're the flagship university in the most populous state in the country. We are located in a beautiful, warm, and economically-vibrant area with a gorgeous campus. We have a huge reservoir of wealthy alums, provide a great educational experience, play in a major sports conference, and graduate players to the NFL.

If Duke can field a talented team, so can we. If Indiana can field a talented team, so can we. If Iowa State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah, Missouri, and Georgia Tech can field talented teams, so can we.

We've chosen to be inept. Despite all these advantages, we've somehow convinced ourselves we're just not cut out to play high-caliber college football. It's really sad. Other programs would long-ago have demanded better, but our donors, students, alums and supporters (those that are left) seem okay with the perpetual Groundhog Day of unwarranted hope, disappointment, resignation, apathy every season.

The most disappointing aspect is the offensive line, at least to me. It seems that I bought into the off-season hype. Again.

socaltownie said:

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DaveT said:

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No reason we can't field a talented team. We're the flagship university in the most populous state in the country. We are located in a beautiful, warm, and economically-vibrant area with a gorgeous campus. We have a huge reservoir of wealthy alums, provide a great educational experience, play in a major sports conference, and graduate players to the NFL.

If Duke can field a talented team, so can we. If Indiana can field a talented team, so can we. If Iowa State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah, Missouri, and Georgia Tech can field talented teams, so can we.

We've chosen to be inept. Despite all these advantages, we've somehow convinced ourselves we're just not cut out to play high-caliber college football. It's really sad. Other programs would long-ago have demanded better, but our donors, students, alums and supporters (those that are left) seem okay with the perpetual Groundhog Day of unwarranted hope, disappointment, resignation, apathy every season.

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This is a bad take because it equate population, ignores demographics, and fails to analyze the consistent problem for the last decade OL (and DL) play. It is a very narrow part of the population that is 6.4 and capable fo putting 330 pounds on the frame. As a general rule this is not guys with Hispanic and Asian ethnicities. Until we figure out how to recruit in the Midwest and in the Sunbelt we are a 7 win program.

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Under Wilcox, we average fewer than 6 wins per season.

socaltownie said:

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DaveT said:

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No reason we can't field a talented team. We're the flagship university in the most populous state in the country. We are located in a beautiful, warm, and economically-vibrant area with a gorgeous campus. We have a huge reservoir of wealthy alums, provide a great educational experience, play in a major sports conference, and graduate players to the NFL.

If Duke can field a talented team, so can we. If Indiana can field a talented team, so can we. If Iowa State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah, Missouri, and Georgia Tech can field talented teams, so can we.

We've chosen to be inept. Despite all these advantages, we've somehow convinced ourselves we're just not cut out to play high-caliber college football. It's really sad. Other programs would long-ago have demanded better, but our donors, students, alums and supporters (those that are left) seem okay with the perpetual Groundhog Day of unwarranted hope, disappointment, resignation, apathy every season.

---

This is a bad take because it equate population, ignores demographics, and fails to analyze the consistent problem for the last decade OL (and DL) play. It is a very narrow part of the population that is 6.4 and capable fo putting 330 pounds on the frame. As a general rule this is not guys with Hispanic and Asian ethnicities. Until we figure out how to recruit in the Midwest and in the Sunbelt we are a 7 win program.

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Odd response in the age of ChatGPT, just go look it up. Of the top 250 high school recruits in the class of 2024, California, Texas, and combined western states accounted for over half of them.
____________________________________________________________
Percentage Breakdown (Top 250)

• California: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Texas: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Western States (Excluding California): Around 15-18% of the Top 250.

Key Takeaways

• California and Texas dominate the Top 250 rankings, together accounting for about 40-45% of the nation's best recruits.
• Western states (including Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Colorado) continue to show their strength, contributing around 15-18% of the talent pool.

_____________________________________________________________

Over the past decade Wilcox has been the coach and we've sucked in most areas, including OL/DL, Don't think that has much to do with Hispanic and Asian demographics.

We have loads of competitive advantages in recruiting. We should be a better football program than we are.

Few wealthy alums care to get involved. Few players with NFL aspirations care to attend a "sink or swim" university. Few older folks care to attend 7:30pm games which often approach 4 hours in length. Few actual UC Berkeley students have ever been football fans.

The big fallacy is that having a good Professional Minor League Football team matters to school rankings. Stanford, UCLA and UCB do ok with garbage teams wearing their laundry. Getting more applicants who don't qualify anyway don't mean sheet.

DaveT said:

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socaltownie said:

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DaveT said:

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No reason we can't field a talented team. We're the flagship university in the most populous state in the country. We are located in a beautiful, warm, and economically-vibrant area with a gorgeous campus. We have a huge reservoir of wealthy alums, provide a great educational experience, play in a major sports conference, and graduate players to the NFL.

If Duke can field a talented team, so can we. If Indiana can field a talented team, so can we. If Iowa State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah, Missouri, and Georgia Tech can field talented teams, so can we.

We've chosen to be inept. Despite all these advantages, we've somehow convinced ourselves we're just not cut out to play high-caliber college football. It's really sad. Other programs would long-ago have demanded better, but our donors, students, alums and supporters (those that are left) seem okay with the perpetual Groundhog Day of unwarranted hope, disappointment, resignation, apathy every season.

---

This is a bad take because it equate population, ignores demographics, and fails to analyze the consistent problem for the last decade OL (and DL) play. It is a very narrow part of the population that is 6.4 and capable fo putting 330 pounds on the frame. As a general rule this is not guys with Hispanic and Asian ethnicities. Until we figure out how to recruit in the Midwest and in the Sunbelt we are a 7 win program.

---

Odd response in the age of ChatGPT, just go look it up. Of the top 250 high school recruits in the class of 2024, California, Texas, and combined western states accounted for over half of them.
____________________________________________________________
Percentage Breakdown (Top 250)

• California: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Texas: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Western States (Excluding California): Around 15-18% of the Top 250.

Key Takeaways

• California and Texas dominate the Top 250 rankings, together accounting for about 40-45% of the nation's best recruits.
• Western states (including Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Colorado) continue to show their strength, contributing around 15-18% of the talent pool.

_____________________________________________________________

Over the past decade Wilcox has been the coach and we've sucked in most areas, including OL/DL, Don't think that has much to do with Hispanic and Asian demographics.

We have loads of competitive advantages in recruiting. We should be a better football program than we are.

---

We've been able to recruit skill positions. Look at the DBs, QBs, WRs, RBs that have become CFB names around the country the past few years. The lines have consistently been our deficiency.

DaveT said:

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socaltownie said:

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DaveT said:

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No reason we can't field a talented team. We're the flagship university in the most populous state in the country. We are located in a beautiful, warm, and economically-vibrant area with a gorgeous campus. We have a huge reservoir of wealthy alums, provide a great educational experience, play in a major sports conference, and graduate players to the NFL.

If Duke can field a talented team, so can we. If Indiana can field a talented team, so can we. If Iowa State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah, Missouri, and Georgia Tech can field talented teams, so can we.

We've chosen to be inept. Despite all these advantages, we've somehow convinced ourselves we're just not cut out to play high-caliber college football. It's really sad. Other programs would long-ago have demanded better, but our donors, students, alums and supporters (those that are left) seem okay with the perpetual Groundhog Day of unwarranted hope, disappointment, resignation, apathy every season.

---

This is a bad take because it equate population, ignores demographics, and fails to analyze the consistent problem for the last decade OL (and DL) play. It is a very narrow part of the population that is 6.4 and capable fo putting 330 pounds on the frame. As a general rule this is not guys with Hispanic and Asian ethnicities. Until we figure out how to recruit in the Midwest and in the Sunbelt we are a 7 win program.

---

Odd response in the age of ChatGPT, just go look it up. Of the top 250 high school recruits in the class of 2024, California, Texas, and combined western states accounted for over half of them.
____________________________________________________________
Percentage Breakdown (Top 250)

• California: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Texas: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Western States (Excluding California): Around 15-18% of the Top 250.

Key Takeaways

• California and Texas dominate the Top 250 rankings, together accounting for about 40-45% of the nation's best recruits.
• Western states (including Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Colorado) continue to show their strength, contributing around 15-18% of the talent pool.

_____________________________________________________________

Over the past decade Wilcox has been the coach and we've sucked in most areas, including OL/DL, Don't think that has much to do with Hispanic and Asian demographics.

We have loads of competitive advantages in recruiting. We should be a better football program than we are.

---

Wilcox has simply never been a good recruiter. It's why our donor collective has had to work hard to supplement his teams with portal classes.

OL is one place where it's VERY hard to reload through the portal. You need to develop those guys over time. Telling that it's where Wilcox teams are consistently weak.

Bobodeluxe said:

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Few wealthy alums care to get involved. Few players with NFL aspirations care to attend a "sink or swim" university. Few older folks care to attend 7:30pm games which often approach 4 hours in length. Few actual UC Berkeley students have ever been football fans.

The big fallacy is that having a good Professional Minor League Football team matters to school rankings. Stanford, UCLA and UCB do ok with garbage teams wearing their laundry. Getting more applicants who don't qualify anyway don't mean sheet.

---

This sums up the issue.

Cal's community does not care about football the way other schools do. There is a difference between willing to go to games on the rare occasions that Cal stumbles ass backwards into a good team and it is a hot ticket and caring to do what other schools students and alums will do when we suck. Fact is, when it is event, people are there. When it isn't, people just say "next". Other schools alums border on physical and psychological pain when their football team sucks and will spend whatever to make the pain stop. Ours just stop watching football.

Frankly, it is part of why our alums are rich. If you are an innovator you can put your money into what hundreds of people are already doing or you can put your money into something no one has ever done before and make a lot more money in the process.

Or you are just like me who would love to have a good football team but whose price point is much lower than everyone else's. The mistake people make here is that yes, we have enough people who care about football to support a team very well, but not enough of those people are willing to put outlandish sums of cash on the line to do that when you compare it to other schools.

chazzed said:

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The most disappointing aspect is the offensive line, at least to me. It seems that I bought into the off-season hype. Again.

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This is what I was seeing over and over on the boards this off season, also in line with TedfordtheGreat's post above.

"Did you see our new OL recruits? They are big! We've finally cracked it"

They are big. Big doesn't mean good any more than tall means good in basketball. There was very little reason to believe they were good. The argument over and over was they are big. Nothing about their past performance.

This fantasy every offseason has got to stop. Cal is not a program that can lose its entire offense and just recruit a new one and suddenly be contenders. The thing is with recruits is they are new and have not proven to be meh yet, so you can dream that they are all the next big thing and that when no one else thinks they are the next big thing, they are just wrong. In the old days, you had 5 years with recruits to see their development process and know where they stand. Now, we recruit all new every year so everyone can believe the hype that is put out and it is a whole new team. The attitude seems to be "I'm going to believe Cal is a national championship contender this year until proven otherwise because you don't know that they aren't". Experts don't know anything because they just look at how bad we were last year, look at the talent that we lost, look at the ratings of the recruits that we brought in and surmise we aren't going to be any good. (no shyte). They haven't seen the awesomeness that our mediocre rated recruiting class is on the practice field.

Lucy will put that football down again this offseason. How many of you are going to try and kick it for the 50th time in your lives?

Fire Shockey

eastbayyoungbear said:

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DaveT said:

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socaltownie said:

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DaveT said:

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No reason we can't field a talented team. We're the flagship university in the most populous state in the country. We are located in a beautiful, warm, and economically-vibrant area with a gorgeous campus. We have a huge reservoir of wealthy alums, provide a great educational experience, play in a major sports conference, and graduate players to the NFL.

If Duke can field a talented team, so can we. If Indiana can field a talented team, so can we. If Iowa State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah, Missouri, and Georgia Tech can field talented teams, so can we.

We've chosen to be inept. Despite all these advantages, we've somehow convinced ourselves we're just not cut out to play high-caliber college football. It's really sad. Other programs would long-ago have demanded better, but our donors, students, alums and supporters (those that are left) seem okay with the perpetual Groundhog Day of unwarranted hope, disappointment, resignation, apathy every season.

---

This is a bad take because it equate population, ignores demographics, and fails to analyze the consistent problem for the last decade OL (and DL) play. It is a very narrow part of the population that is 6.4 and capable fo putting 330 pounds on the frame. As a general rule this is not guys with Hispanic and Asian ethnicities. Until we figure out how to recruit in the Midwest and in the Sunbelt we are a 7 win program.

---

Odd response in the age of ChatGPT, just go look it up. Of the top 250 high school recruits in the class of 2024, California, Texas, and combined western states accounted for over half of them.
____________________________________________________________
Percentage Breakdown (Top 250)

• California: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Texas: Around 20-22% of the Top 250.
• Western States (Excluding California): Around 15-18% of the Top 250.

Key Takeaways

• California and Texas dominate the Top 250 rankings, together accounting for about 40-45% of the nation's best recruits.
• Western states (including Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Colorado) continue to show their strength, contributing around 15-18% of the talent pool.

_____________________________________________________________

Over the past decade Wilcox has been the coach and we've sucked in most areas, including OL/DL, Don't think that has much to do with Hispanic and Asian demographics.

We have loads of competitive advantages in recruiting. We should be a better football program than we are.

---

We've been able to recruit skill positions. Look at the DBs, QBs, WRs, RBs that have become CFB names around the country the past few years. The lines have consistently been our deficiency.

---

Agree OL/DL have been poor. I believe that has more to do with our coaching, development, and overall lack of accountability and program apathy than to a systemic issue we can't control. If Arizona State can field competitive teams, so can we.