Ted Miller picks USC as our most important game for next season and lays out a pretty compelling argument for doing so (having as much to do with SC being our last home game and one of our more winnable games against a long time foe). I wouldn't have agreed with this if someone just asked me "what's your most important game this year" (default answer always being Stanford) but he makes a good argument.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/56156/most-important-game-california-2

Not sure what he means by most important. All the games are important. Perhaps he means the most likely game we could win where we won't be favored? I don't care if Stanford is a top 5 team or not, we always have a chance to beat them no matter what the disparity might be in the polls. You just can't account for the emotion that comes with playing the Furd. Many of the games have been won by less than a touchdown and the teams are not always that evenly matched based on their records, poll standing or other factors.

...a good second choice would be the Northwestern game.

Consider that we have a 10-year jinx of losing to USC, and beating them late in the season will give us a tremendous boost for achieving a bowl game (I'm guessing we will likely lose to Ohio State, Stanford and Oregon).

The reason why Northwestern would be so crucial is that its is the first game in the Sonny Dykes era, and beating them might have the same effect as Tedford's opening game back in 2002.

Well you are right that there are a lot of ways of defining this:

Game I'll be most emotionally invested in seeing us win: Stanford

Game it would be most painful to lose: Portland State

Game where a win would do the most for our national perception: Ohio State

Game giving us the best in conference bragging rights: Oregon

Game to get a monkey off our back: USC

Sebastabear;842118025 said:

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Well you are right that there are a lot of ways of defining this:

Game I'll be most emotionally invested in seeing us win: Stanford

Game it would be most painful to lose: Portland State

Game where a win would do the most for our national perception: Ohio State

Game giving us the best in conference bragging rights: Oregon

Game to get a monkey off our back: USC

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Have to agree with almost your entire list, although I look at it a bit differently. Let me assume for the moment, and it is a big assumption, that we beat Northwestern. Then, were we to beat tOSU at home I think Cal fans would bronze SD in statuary immediately. That would be big. It is unexpected, almost a given that it is an uphill battle, so to get the Sonny era off to a spectacular start, I would pick tOSU as our most important game. Puts us on the national landscape immediately. Northwestern would be considered a mild surprise and step in the right direction; tOSU would be big, big, big. Yes, my glass tends to be half full.

OdontoBear66;842118026 said:

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Have to agree with almost your entire list, although I look at it a bit differently. Let me assume for the moment, and it is a big assumption, that we beat Northwestern. Then, were we to beat tOSU at home I think Cal fans would bronze SD in statuary immediately. That would be big. It is unexpected, almost a given that it is an uphill battle, so to get the Sonny era off to a spectacular start, I would pick tOSU as our most important game. Puts us on the national landscape immediately. Northwestern would be considered a mild surprise and step in the right direction; tOSU would be big, big, big. Yes, my glass tends to be half full.

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You and Chalcid make a good point on NW. A win there would be huge.

One can make the argument that every game is important but at the end of the season conference rivalry wins and losses are more important than OOC ones. Beating Stanford again is huge and- considering Tedford's record-beating USC would be a minor miracle.

Sebastabear;842118025 said:

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Well you are right that there are a lot of ways of defining this:

Game I'll be most emotionally invested in seeing us win: Stanford

Game it would be most painful to lose: Portland State

Game where a win would do the most for our national perception: Ohio State

Game giving us the best in conference bragging rights: Oregon

Game to get a monkey off our back: USC

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Yeah but Northwestern as a barometer of our season may loom as the most important. But can't argue with the points you make otherwise

I'm going to add

Game where a win would be great since it would help to wipe that insufferable smug look off the face of a former coach: Washngton

We will beat U$C this year. And it will not come down to the wire. Yup, you heard me right.

August 31st is the most important game.

Sebastabear;842118066 said:

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I'm going to add

Game where a win would be great since it would help to wipe that insufferable smug look off the face of a former coach: Washngton

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^ this x 10000

moonpod;842118038 said:

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Yeah but Northwestern as a barometer of our season may loom as the most important. But can't argue with the points you make otherwise

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A win in our first game against a ranked opponent might also sway players who haven't bought in yet and could produce powerful early momentum while setting the tone for the remainder of the season.

OdontoBear66;842118026 said:

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Have to agree with almost your entire list, although I look at it a bit differently. Let me assume for the moment, and it is a big assumption, that we beat Northwestern. Then, were we to beat tOSU at home I think Cal fans would bronze SD in statuary immediately. That would be big. It is unexpected, almost a given that it is an uphill battle, so to get the Sonny era off to a spectacular start, I would pick tOSU as our most important game. Puts us on the national landscape immediately. Northwestern would be considered a mild surprise and step in the right direction; tOSU would be big, big, big. Yes, my glass tends to be half full.

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I had agreed with Miller until I read this. With Pac-12 team, there is always next year. But when are we going to get a chance to beat Ohio St. again? Since we came so close last year, I'm going with Ohio St.

The Big game is every year, and therefore not as important as a team with the national stature of Ohio St. and the likelihood that another 25 years goes by before we play them again.

ducktilldeath;842118154 said:

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I would argue UW or OS is the most important game. NW is honorable mention.

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I think it Oregon State with UW a close second.

One of the end goals is becoming the top team in the division. The first two steps in that process are turning around the recent losing trends to the two division foes who are in range.

Am hoping for the best, but if you assume a slow start, 2-2 or more likely 1-3 , then a win against WSU, loss at UCLA you could be at 2-4 with Oregon State coming to town in a must win situation. Win that one and the next week in Seattle and the season is not only turned around but you have a shot to be streaking headed into furd.

Oregon State is where the season gets turned around.

The mid-point of the season is definitely the most important period-Do or Die time.

Sebastabear;842118001 said:

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Ted Miller picks USC as our most important game for next season and lays out a pretty compelling argument for doing so (having as much to do with SC being our last home game and one of our more winnable games against a long time foe). I wouldn't have agreed with this if someone just asked me "what's your most important game this year" (default answer always being Stanford) but he makes a good argument.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/56156/most-important-game-california-2

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SC is the most iimportant game because of the impression that winning would leave. Granted, a win over UO would leave a big impression, but it's much less likely and even then wouldn't leave as big an impression.

The whole country knows SC; many, except the knowledgable, still regard UO as somewhat unknown. To the rest of the country, Stanford is still the twin brother who inherited all of grandpa's dough because we grew a beard in 1965 and they didn't. No one can figure out the Big Game and, by that time of year, no one cares.

This year the SC game is winnable, it comes late in the year when we've historically weakened, everyone ALWAYS assumes that SC will be strong, just because they're SC. The entire country would sit up and take notice of a Cal win, as would donors, writers, recruits, and students. People would say, oh, this is different.

It would be the foundation for the construction of the next FB "program" by SD.

Perhaps we can look at it like this: by the USC game, the new system should be pretty well understood and run by the team, right? So we should be able to see some realstic results around then....

Maybe the USC game will be a clear view of the future of Dykes' system...

Many of the above opinions make sense as long as we are talking about games that would be big wins. But what about horrible loses?

IMHO-next year is clearly a rebuilding year. Cal under Dykes will be forgiven if we fail to get the big win. But we will become a certain bottom dweller if we can't beat Colorado and WSU.

If I had to choose one of the 2 games, I'd say it's the home game. The Buffs occasionally put an altitude aided battle in Boulder, where we play them next year. But even though Leach should make WSU much improved next year, a loss to WSU will be seen as a major step down in the Pac-12 hierarchy. Colorado will then be inspired by the prospect that they too can elevate themselves by a vulnerable Cal team and will put up a huge battle in Boulder. Such events could precipitate an even worse year than last year.

We need to get everyone to Berkeley for the WSU game so that we make sure to at least win that one.

Portland St. is not even worth worrying about and is an OOC game, so let's not go there, even in jest.

Sebastabear;842118066 said:

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I'm going to add

Game where a win would be great since it would help to wipe that insufferable smug look off the face of a former coach: Washngton

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Udumb has a very tough early season schedule. They could have four or five losses by the time we show up. If we could pull off the upset (as things stand now) that could doom their season and bowl chances and could put the final nail in Sarksleazians coffin.

heartofthebear;842118343 said:

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Many of the above opinions make sense as long as we are talking about games that would be big wins. But what about horrible loses?

IMHO-next year is clearly a rebuilding year. Cal under Dykes will be forgiven if we fail to get the big win. But we will become a certain bottom dweller if we can't beat Colorado and WSU.

If I had to choose one of the 2 games, I'd say it's the home game. The Buffs occasionally put at altitude aided battle in Boulder, where we play them next year. But even though Leach should make WSU much improved next year, a loss to WSU will be seen as a major step down in the Pac-12 hierarchy. Colorado will then be inspired by the prospect that they too can elevate themselves by a vulnerable Cal team and will put up a huge battle in Boulder. Such events could precipitate an even worse year than last year.

We need to get everyone to Berkeley for the WSU game so that we make sure to at least win that one.

Portland St. is not even worth worrying about and is an OOC game, so let's not go there, even in jest.

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Coug OL was really a big weakness for them, don't see signs of much improvement, if our front 7 play as advertized/hoped? I don't see this as a tough game at our domicile, unless our offense really sucks.

Bearclawz;842118345 said:

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Coug OL was really a big weakness for them, don't see signs of much improvement, if our front 7 play as advertized/hoped? I don't see this as a tough game at our domicile, unless our offense really sucks.

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Agree, but that is kinda my point.

The day we start identifying Wazzu as our most important game (even though I totally get Heart's point here) is the day I know we're settling for mediocrity. Sometimes your enemies define you more clearly than your friends, and SC is and always will be the enemy. I want us to be shooting to take down giants, not lawn gnomes.

I voted for NW in that poll. Opening games show a lot. Remember last year's opener with Nevada? That pretty much showed what was to come.

moonpod;842118038 said:

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Yeah but Northwestern as a barometer of our season may loom as the most important. But can't argue with the points you make otherwise

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I would say USC is most important and Northwestern second (barely) - because what we are trying to change is the perception of the program. Realistically, the best we can manage in 2013 is the perception that Dykes is in control and the program is on it's way back.

Northwestern is the 1st game so it really introduces the Dykes era. If there are some laggards in terms of buy in, an opening day win against a ranked opponent might swing some over - and nationally, it will catch some attention. While tOSU would be a huge upset, I think a loss to tOSU would hurt our perception as a program on the way back much less than a win against Northwestern would help.

Same reasoning regarding USC. While beating Oregon or Stanford would be huge upsets - losses to both are expected - and reasonably competitive losses to Oregon and Stanford would hurt our image a lot less than a win against USC would help.

We do compete with most other teams for Southern Califorina talent - and while we have held our own against UCLA, a 10 year losing streak to USC can't be good for those close recruiting battles. If Kiffin struggles in 2013, then a win against USC and hopeful coaching turmoil / uncertainty will help us tremendously.

Sebastabear;842118025 said:

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Well you are right that there are a lot of ways of defining this:

Game I'll be most emotionally invested in seeing us win: Stanford

Game it would be most painful to lose: Portland State

Game where a win would do the most for our national perception: Ohio State

Game giving us the best in conference bragging rights: Oregon

Game to get a monkey off our back: USC

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No monkey off the back for you this year!!!

TheOther1BTF;842118612 said:

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No monkey off the back for you this year!!!

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I think that monkey is getting tired (and kind of mangy). His handler (Lame Kitten) hasn't been doing a good job of taking care of him. This is the year!

davetdds;842118068 said:

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We will beat U$C this year. And it will not come down to the wire. Yup, you heard me right.

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No win for you!!! We have Cal psyched out. Look at the advantage we have over Cal. Our fight song (secret weapon) drives you mad. When the Trojan band starts playing, all Cal fans in Memorial immediately forget about cheering for their team and start singing: "it's the only song you know, it's boring and it's slow".

You have no chance!!!

TheOther1BTF;842118617 said:

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No win for you!!! We have Cal psyched out. Look at the advantage we have over Cal. Our fight song (secret weapon) drives you mad. When the Trojan band starts playing, all Cal fans in Memorial immediately forget about cheering for their team and start singing: "it's the only song you know, it's boring and it's slow".

You have no chance!!!

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The Trojan fight song is the auditory version of waterboarding.

StillNoStanfurdium;842118621 said:

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The Trojan fight song is the auditory version of waterboarding.

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The Trojan band should immediately be sent to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's hospital room. We'll make that mother talk!!!

Sebastabear;842118001 said:

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Ted Miller picks USC as our most important game for next season and lays out a pretty compelling argument for doing so (having as much to do with SC being our last home game and one of our more winnable games against a long time foe). I wouldn't have agreed with this if someone just asked me "what's your most important game this year" (default answer always being Stanford) but he makes a good argument.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/56156/most-important-game-california-2

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1. Stanfurd because I hate no other team with equal passion. Plus it is now a nationally ranked team. Plus it is near the end of the season and would be a good gauge how well SD has done as a coach.

2. UO. Because it has been the cream of the PAC 10-12 for so long. Plus UO is in our division. We need to best them to get to the RB.

3. USC. For the reasons given elsewhere on this thread.

Furd is always #1. Anyone who disagrees is free to disagree but they should reevaluate their morals.

StillNoStanfurdium;842118621 said:

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The Trojan fight song is the auditory version of waterboarding.

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The only thing worse than being a Cal fan and being forced to listen to that monotous funeral dirge that SC calls a fight song once a year is being an SC fan and having to listen to the same thing 12 games a year. Someone should do a study and see if prolonged exposure causes douchiness.

New early top-25 is out (espn) and tOSU jumps bama for the no.1 spot... We might be entertaining the no.1 team in the country when they visit O.O