The Pollyanas have some nerve peeking their heads out of their underground bunkers after this one! JP is on the prowl–lock up your children!

Like, everyone in America expected the Beavs would be 6-0 because of the ridiculously easy schedule. This was the hardest game, and they gave up ~50 points and won by 3 due to having three future pros on offense at key skill positions. Ranker (outside of a ballsy flea-flicker call, which would have been a terrible call had it failed) and the defense were a disaster.

The pressure was actually off the Beavs in this game because everyone thought Utah would win, which is why I waffled on gameday and felt the Beavs could pull it off. They are fine when there’s no pressure or expectations. The next few games are very easy, but the Beavs are expected to win them. That alone will make them closer than they should be. I think they beat SDSU and probably Colorado, but slip up vs Washington State. Say they are 4-2–that is an epic fail given this schedule and the top 25 opening ranking. Great teams and coaches seize opportunity.

There are many who will be happy at 4-2. To them I say, you are a born loser, but also enjoy the back end of the schedule and the Civil War!

Ps. I am neither happy nor upset the Beavs won. I don’t think in those terms anymore, but probably more happy since I can brag to friends when they have a good record. I realized NCAA football is all about living vicariously through jocks and having bragging rights with friends. But in general, I am just watching the freak show that is this staff, and mass rationalization that is “Beaver Nation” unfold.

Any game that has Mark Banker against an option offense makes for an interesting and volatile evening. I expect a lot of “told you so” tonight, either from those of us who feel Banker can’t stop this type of offense or those who feel he’s still learning how to stop it and one day everything is going to click (lol).

Beaverblitz is rallying the troops with a “Road Warrior” slogan, mentioning wins last year versus UCLA, Arizona and BYU. Those opponents did incorporate some pistol/read formations so maybe there is hope, but the Beavs won two of those games buy one score and gave up 1400 yards combined. Road Warriors might be a stretch.

The Beavs should lose this game, but I feel like everyone is piling in that bandwagon, and the majority is never right. Still, I expect a loss and to envision the injury excuse being played tonight.

Whittingham on the offense they’re running:

“We’ve gravitated back to a more traditional spread scheme,” says Whittingham, referring to a move away from the multiple offense of the past few seasons. “We’ve added some new elements, done some streamlining and simplified things. We need to improve dramatically on offense from last year and we’ve worked hard in the offseason to get that done.”

Traditional spread = loss. Do I need to write anything more?

Well, he says they’ve added new elements. So, spread with wrinkles in it. Loss. Do I need to write more?

How about this one: Travis Wilson has a 202 QB rating and averages 9.3 per rush. Big day?

Ranker’s hot seat cooled after Hawaii, and being a road game with injuries there isn’t much for him to fear.

I am thinking the Beavs will be able to pass on Utah, so the score won’t get out of hand.

34-24, Utah.

Go Beavs?

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away. -Phillip K Dick

On the quote:
“One day a girl college student in Canada asked me to define reality for her, for a paper she was writing for her philosophy class. She wanted a one-sentence answer. I thought about it and finally said, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” That’s all I could come up with. That was back in 1972. Since then I haven’t been able to define reality any more lucidly.”

The quote relates to the thread below; that there will be more games like Saturday’s.