Game thread.

Go Beavs

If the Beavers, like Stanford, zone in on the RB and force Mariotta (rather than Barner) to run I think they can win this game. Just go after Barner/Thomas on every option. Mariotta is a beanpole–he will start to fear the contact.

The formula to win this game is straightforward and the same as past years: time consuming drives, open-field tackling, winning the turnover battle, touchdowns instead of field goals, converting 3rd downs, and getting stops on 3rd (and 4th) downs.

Beavs run defense was bad last week (gave up ~200 yard to Cal). Mannion got away with INTs. I know they scored 62, but if they play the same game vs Oregon they'll lose.

I've liked Oregon all year and feel they should play Alabama for the national title. My eyes tell me those are the two best teams. However, Beavs just have to be better for 3 hours on Saturday. If I'm a Beaver player, I'm confident, focused, loving practice this week, and Saturday couldn't come soon enough. Beavs have senior leadership, feisty underclassmen, and the home crowd. I think this all translates into something good; though, I can never take Riley over Kelly. I'll just say Beavs +10 is a juicy line.

(If Reuben Robinson plays significant minutes and/or rushing downs forget everything I wrote–Beavs will get creamed. Can't get away 11 vs 10 this week).

Two words, and they're not "win cap": Richie Harrington (aka Best QB on the Roster)! Richie was slinging it like back in the old days on YouTube.

Sorry Duckies. I believe in German they call this "schadenfreude". No worries, with Chip & Riley at their respective helms you'll always get the last laugh.

Interesting game in that it could be dubbed the "depression bowl". Overcast/rain forecast, Cal with a lame duck head coach, and the Beavs coming off another kick-in-the-sack, season-crushing loss.

Tedford's inability to recruit a D1 QB since Nate Longshore (2007?) is going to cost him his job. Beavers will put the final nail in that coffin tonight, but it's a Pyrrhic victory in that we Beaver fans like having Tedford at Cal.

Great match up for the Beavs. They're healthier than Cal and have mismatches all over the field. My only concern is that they'll be hung-over from last week and/or possibly looking ahead to the Civil War. Also, who knows which Mannion will show up (24TD/26INT career ratio).

I'm thinking something like 27-10, Beavs.

Oh, that would bring the "win cap" theory into play. I know there are like 10 guys here foaming at the mouth right now. There's a crew that hang out here just to point out when I'm wrong (671 posts and counting, some are going to be wrong!). But yeah, they can have their day in the sun. I probably won't respond to any of those posts since it turns the site into a back and forth shit-storm that clogs the comments, and the readers with a quarter brain know what I was getting at with that theory anyway. However, if the Beavs lose this game, it'll be interesting to see if those mouth breathers show up and acknowledge the cap. Something tells me they won't!