My Beaver Blog

First, let me admit that I am a homer. I think the Beavers can and will win every week and get physically ill when they don't. I am also a big believer in the Pac-10 and think the brand of football played "out here" rivals any collegiate football in the country. Some even used data to say the Pac-10 was the toughest conference in the country. That said, how does the 2nd best team in our conference, and possibly the country, get snubbed from getting one of the eight births in the BCS bowls? BTW, this snub cost the conference about $4.5M. That money is instead bound for Texass and the rest of the Mediocre 12.

How good is the Mediocre 12? You needn't look further than their "Championship" game to decide. But I will. Oklahoma is good, yes, but Colorado mustered 46 total yards, IN THE ENTIRE GAME! What exhilarating football that must have been. If that is the best you can do in a championship game in your conference then you have issues. Meanwhile the Pac-10's championship game, not formally of course, was USC vs. Cal on October 9th. It ended with Cal's final drive stalling at the USC 20 and the score 23-17. Cal outgained SC 437-209 and never punted. Their downfall was 3 lost fumbles. Now if you believe SC is the best team in the country, which I do, how can Cal be far behind? How can they be 6 or 7 teams behind as some coaches voted this last week? So they eeked one out at S. Miss, who by the way is 6-5 and bowl bound. USM was jacked up to be on national TV and have a chance to play a nationally ranked team and they came out and played like it. Cal took their best shot and still won by 10, 17 if you ignore that ridiculous clipping call that negated JJ Arrington's TD scamper in the final two minutes. Did Tedford do the right thing by kneeling at the end of the game? Yes. The game was over and one more TD would do nothing to change the outcome or their season. Not impressive enough you say? What about Texas' impressive 22-20 win over Arkansas in September? Arkansas finished 5-6, no bowl. Too early in the season you say, OK, how about that 27-23 thumping of basketball power Kansas on November 13? BTW Texas trailed 23-13 with 7 minutes to go in this game and had to rally to win, certainly a less than impressive victory.

The fact is that it worked out this way because of where Cal plays. Mack Brown was all over the TV begging for votes and got them, most likely from the Big 12 and SEC. Even better is the news that we'll never know which coaches made the following questionable final votes, keep in mind that no one had Cal ranked lower than 6th the prior week.

• 4 voters slid Cal to 7th
• 2 voters slid Cal to 8th
• 1 voter put Texas #2, likely ahead of SC and Auburn
• 3 voters put Texas #3, ahead of SC or Auburn

Does this all sound fair to you? Pac-10 commish Tom Hansen has called for the votes to be made public, but the chances of that are slim. Oh how I would love to get that list and get those teams on Cal's schedule in the near future. So for the time being the best we can do as a conference is to schedule every OOC game against the Big-12. Anytime, anywhere we'll show them on the field who the best is. Don't be afraid to schedule their patsies either, after all those are the same teams that the shorthorns plays every week in conference. If that doesn't work I say we just take our Rose Bowl and go home.

Until then, root for SC to lay the wood to Oklahoma, pack the rose bowl in blue and gold (Cal colors anyway) to cheer on the Wolverines and unleash all the bay area anguish on TT in the Holiday bowl. Oh yea, and how about a repeat of the 2001 Fiesta bowl in Phoenix as the Beavs trounce ND again!!!