How important is the Oregon game?
In my opinion the whole flavor of Cal football changed after the thrilling defeat of #3 USC in 2003. From that point on, we expected to win every game, even if we were underdogs in the betting line.
That feeling of optimism lasted until the 4th quarter of the Oregon State game in 2007...though at the time it wasn't clear that would be the high water mark for Cal.
(I know some will point out that we were ranked as high as #6 in 2009 before Oregon and USC in successive weeks dismantled us, which, then resulted in 8 largely miserable years. With the power of hindsight, it felt like we never really recovered from the OSU lost, despite the chimera of success over the next two years...more of a dying flame that was finally extinguished)
We beat USC in 2003. But finished the regular season 7-6 before another amazing game against VaTech in the Insight Bowl. So even though we beat the #3 team, we still didn't have a stellar record. But it just felt different. Really different. The next year we were 10-2...and we were rolling.
USC 2003 showed the fans, the rest of the country, and the players that we were a serious, significant program. When I wore my Cal hat or shirt around LA people after that people gave me a different kind of look.
For some reason I feel like if we beat Oregon next week, it will signal something. We will still lose other games this year. But it will start to feel like we should win. I don't know if the players will feel the same way, but that sense of irrational optimism that curses every true Cal fan will be reignited. After a long slumber.
Oregon 2018 isn't quite the dominant program of USC 2003, but it still feels like it could be the start of something special. Though I'm probably getting a bit ahead of ourselves...but at least I finally have some optimism again. And that irrational optimism is what makes being a Cal fan so special. And why I keep buying seadon tickets even though I live in LA (though in the last few years, I thought about canceling them...)
And if not...maybe it will be like beating #12 Washington in 2002...which was just a peak behind the curtain of what would become some awesome Jeff Tedford teams. And that would be good enough too.
Go Bears!
In my opinion the whole flavor of Cal football changed after the thrilling defeat of #3 USC in 2003. From that point on, we expected to win every game, even if we were underdogs in the betting line.
That feeling of optimism lasted until the 4th quarter of the Oregon State game in 2007...though at the time it wasn't clear that would be the high water mark for Cal.
(I know some will point out that we were ranked as high as #6 in 2009 before Oregon and USC in successive weeks dismantled us, which, then resulted in 8 largely miserable years. With the power of hindsight, it felt like we never really recovered from the OSU lost, despite the chimera of success over the next two years...more of a dying flame that was finally extinguished)
We beat USC in 2003. But finished the regular season 7-6 before another amazing game against VaTech in the Insight Bowl. So even though we beat the #3 team, we still didn't have a stellar record. But it just felt different. Really different. The next year we were 10-2...and we were rolling.
USC 2003 showed the fans, the rest of the country, and the players that we were a serious, significant program. When I wore my Cal hat or shirt around LA people after that people gave me a different kind of look.
For some reason I feel like if we beat Oregon next week, it will signal something. We will still lose other games this year. But it will start to feel like we should win. I don't know if the players will feel the same way, but that sense of irrational optimism that curses every true Cal fan will be reignited. After a long slumber.
Oregon 2018 isn't quite the dominant program of USC 2003, but it still feels like it could be the start of something special. Though I'm probably getting a bit ahead of ourselves...but at least I finally have some optimism again. And that irrational optimism is what makes being a Cal fan so special. And why I keep buying seadon tickets even though I live in LA (though in the last few years, I thought about canceling them...)
And if not...maybe it will be like beating #12 Washington in 2002...which was just a peak behind the curtain of what would become some awesome Jeff Tedford teams. And that would be good enough too.
Go Bears!
