Well it turns out the rumors were right. Nate Longshore gave Joe Ayoob the booya and took the starting job from him. He’ll be starting the game vs. Sac State and although Tedford has promised some starting time to Ayoob, it looks like the job is Longshore’s to lose.

To quote Tedford:

“Nate Longshore is going to start the game for us. He has done an excellent job for us, not only through the spring, but it’s evident that he worked really hard through the summer. He has really done a nice job of understanding what we are doing schematically with our offense, has really been consistent and accurate with throwing the ball, so I feel that he has really performed well. … We hope that both of them (Longshore and Ayoob) will play in the first game and we’ll see what happens from there – how they handle game situations and continue the competition. Right now Nate (Longshore) is the guy.”

OK, I was reading the preview for Saturday’s Bear’s game against Sac State and there were a couple things they said about Sac State that really threw me off:

1. Sac State was 3-8 last year (tied for 6th place out of 8 teams). Yet they had “nine all-conference selections”. How can such a crappy team have 9 players who were the best at their position in the conference? There’s only about 25 positions (22 on offense and defense plus a punter, kicker, and maybe a return specialist or one or two others). I have a hard time believing fully 1/3rd of them came from one of the worst teams in the conference. I mean, was this academic all-conference selections? Or did it include 3rd string all-conference? What ever it is, there’s something wrong or misleading here.

2. Also odd, they were 3-8 last year and they’re returning 17 starters (that’s probably from the 22 on offense and defense), but they’re picked to finish last in the conference this year. What’s so wrong with this team? They didn’t even finish last, last year. What’s the story?

Now that I’ve got my A’s analysis out of the way, on to more important affairs (although not as important as our prayers for New Orleans and Mississippi): The Cal Bears. The first game of the season is Saturday at 2:00 PM. For those of you not lucky enough to have bought season tickets and foolish enough to pay for Comcast cable, the game will be on the Comcast SportsNet channel in Northern California.

The game is against Sac State. We should know the eventual outcome within the first couple of series as I don’t see Sac State putting up much of a fight.

I was reading an article in the SF Chronicle about Marshawn Lynch. (He’s the starting running back for Cal this year for those not in the know.) That guy was amazingly exciting to watch last year. I was usually more excited to see a run play when he was on the field than when JJ Arrington was on the field.

That guy could make a tiny hole look like a wide open field with his ability to accelerate. He could make a solid tackle look like a feeble attempt with his balance. He could make a nimble linebacker look like a stumbling dufus because of his quick cuts and good footwork. He was just amazing. There were a couple plays last year where he’d run into a pack of defenders and the play looked like it was over. I’d even turn away. Then, what seemed like 10 seconds later, the crowd would yell and I’d look back to see 5 defenders holding each other on the ground and Lynch 15 yards down field after having bounced his way out of the pack. Truly amazing stuff.

And if that wasn’t enough to get you excited, he’s added 20 lbs this year to increase the amount of power he has. I can’t wait to see him in action this year. He truly does have “the gift”. I won’t be looking away anymore.

According to Matt Hayes of the Sporting News, Mr. Booya (Joe Ayoob) has lost his starting job to Nate Longshore. Ayoob is the highly touted JC transfer from SF City College. Longshore is the redshirt freshman. It seems (according to this reporter) that Tedford liked Longshore all along but was worried about his lack of mobility in the pocket. Longshore worked tirelessly in the offseason to improve in this regard and has improved to the degree to get the starting nod from Tedford.

Very interesting… if it is true.

Now back to our regularly scheduled Catholic programming.

OK, it’s starting to be college football time again, so this blog is going to mix-it-up a little bit and add some secular discussion to the mix. Some starting thoughts:

1. This is straight from an analysis of UCLA this year: “Defensively, the Bruins could not stop anybody on the ground last year, giving up 210 yards per game. With five of the front seven back, this number should go down dramatically.” Or to paraphrase: Last year these guys stunk but with the same guys on the team this year they should be much better. Only in college football can you get away with that kind of analysis.

2. Stanford can only go up… or stay right where they are. They’re picked last in the Pac-10 by just about everyone and were one of only two Pac-10 teams not to get ESPN poll votes. And that’s even with the new highly touted coach they took from Pittsburg (for us Californian’s that’s a team in the Big East conference, not a mislocation of De La Salle High School in Concord (although as my brother said, we’d all probably have more respect for the De La Salle guy)).

3. We’ve got GREAT seats for the Cal Bears game this year. Middle height? check: rows 44 and 45. Seats close to the exit: check: 38 is the exit row. Isle seats? check: seats 1-3 and 1-2 in those rows respectively. Two rows instead of one long row so that we’re all closer together, have more leg room through cooperation and my boys can kick they’re legs all they want without dirty looks from the grump in front of me (unless you want to call my brother a grump): check. 50 yard line… er… yeah… that’s where section DD is.

4. My brother still owes me $220 for his ticket (look who’s the grump now)!

5. And most importantly, it looks like it is going to be a good year in Berkeley! People are already touting the Cal vs. USC game as the Pac-10 game of the year with $10 general adminision tickets going for $70 a piece on E-Bay and reserved tickets going for $100-$300.

OK, we all know how much of a fan I am of The Play. (See my old posts here, here, here and here if you’ve forgotten or are a new visitor).

Well yesterday was ESPN’s day in California (they’re touring the 50 states one day at a time, highlighting the sports history/trivia of each as they go). What did they show parts of not once (to open the show), not twice (as a teaser), but THREE times (during the actual bit on great plays in California)? You guessed it: The Play!

At least from ESPN’s perspective, California consists of X-Games (tomorrow on ESPN), the Peanut guy at Dodger stadium, Barry Bonds (700th homerun), Joe Montana (The Catch), USC (Matt Lienart throwing an anonymous TD) and of course The Play!

Further proof that it is truly the most exciting finish in the history of college football.