Mediocre Cal

[NT93]

I’ve read in several threads about Cal being a mediocre team.  1.  How do we know that after 1 game? (Dumb question I know since some of you can already tell that we hired the wrong coach).  2.  They had a bad record last year, but they lost by 7 points to Notre Dame, Washington, USC, and UCLA.  They also had a couple of head scratchers, but they obviously went toe to toe with some very good teams.  That tells me that when they play well, they’re pretty good.  

Edited September 4, 2023 by NT93

[emmitt01]

Just now, NT93 said:

I’ve read in several thread about Cal being a mediocre team.  1.  How do we know that after 1 game? (Dumb question I know since some of you can already tell that we hired the wrong coach).  2.  They had a bad record last year, but they lost by 7 points to Notre Dame, Washington, USC, and UCLA.  They also had a couple of head scratchers, but they obviously went toe to toe with some very good teams.  That tells me that when they play well, they’re pretty good.  

We honestly don’t know anything about Cal, other than the fact they beat us badly.   With the transfer portal, very few teams can be judged by who they were a year ago 

[NT93]

18 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

We honestly don’t know anything about Cal, other than the fact they beat us badly.   With the transfer portal, very few teams can be judged by who they were a year ago 

Exactly!

[Udomann]

22 minutes ago, NT93 said:

  1.  How do we know that after 1 game? 

Because we watched them play? I watched top tier teams play and the talent/skill is obvious. Theirs was not. And they lost their starter QB. 

Im no coach, but I have eyes.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

22 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

We honestly don’t know anything about Cal, other than the fact they beat us badly.   With the transfer portal, very few teams can be judged by who they were a year ago 

We don't exactly know, for sure. I think we have a good idea. Take our team off the field and replace us with competency and Cals offense will find itself on the struggle bus. They are not glowing with NFL talent, by any means. 

[Mean Green 93-98]

2 minutes ago, Udomann said:

Because we watched them play? I watched top tier teams play and the talent/skill is obvious. Theirs was not. And they lost their starter QB. 

Im no coach, but I have eyes.

If you saw a drop off from their QB1 to QB2, you have better eyes than I do.

[Udomann]

Just now, Mean Green 93-98 said:

If you saw a drop off from their QB1 to QB2, you have better eyes than I do.

Actually, true. I saw zero difference. Just the run game continue to mow us over

[keith]

25 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

If you saw a drop off from their QB1 to QB2, you have better eyes than I do.

It was against the same defense, so there’s that.  

[Green Crazy]

One of the worst things that happened is their QB getting hurt.  The 2nd string QB was better that the starter. 

[GMG_Dallas]

1 hour ago, Green Crazy said:

One of the worst things that happened is their QB getting hurt.  The 2nd string QB was better that the starter. 

I don't think QB play had anything to do with the result. Once they realized we couldn't stop the run, it was over. Could have had Josh Greer back there wearing a Cal jersey and the result would have been the same.

[GrandGreen]

3 hours ago, NT93 said:

I’ve read in several threads about Cal being a mediocre team.  1.  How do we know that after 1 game? (Dumb question I know since some of you can already tell that we hired the wrong coach).  2.  They had a bad record last year, but they lost by 7 points to Notre Dame, Washington, USC, and UCLA.  They also had a couple of head scratchers, but they obviously went toe to toe with some very good teams.  That tells me that when they play well, they’re pretty good.  

Well, we could let the season end before we dare state an opinion.

As an NT fan, I hope Cal is the national champion, but I will stay with my already stated observation.   Cal is a mediocre D1 team and a poor P1 team. 

Using the actual definition of mediocre which is average, not sub-par as many define it.  

[Greenrex]

This is the first time every Pac-12 team won its season opener since 1932... and last time.

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, GMG_Dallas said:

I don't think QB play had anything to do with the result. Once they realized we couldn't stop the run, it was over. Could have had Josh Greer back there wearing a Cal jersey and the result would have been the same.

I don't think they had to "realize" anything.  They only ran a handful of running plays/variations.  We were not stopping it from the beginning.

[GMG_Dallas]

11 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I don't think they had to "realize" anything.  They only ran a handful of running plays/variations.  We were not stopping it from the beginning.

No but they certainly changed what they viewed as a manageable 4th down. Their 2nd punt came early in the second quarter, the drive when the 2nd QB came in. It was their last punt of the game. Every Cal drive after that resulted in either a TD, a turnover, or a FG attempt. They were 3/3 on 4th down during 3 different drives, each of which ended with a touchdown. No matter who the QB was, they were going for it on 4th and short after that disastrous 4th and 2nd TD.

What's really funny is they might not have gone for it on 4th and 2 from the 26 had they not missed a 32 yard FG earlier in the game.

[NT93]

14 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

What's really funny is they might not have gone for it on 4th and 2 from the 26 had they not missed a 32 yard FG earlier in the game.

No doubt.  That missed field goal may have been the worst thing to happen to us all afternoon….although the list is long.

[DentonTD]

7 hours ago, NT93 said:

I’ve read in several threads about Cal being a mediocre team.  1.  How do we know that after 1 game? (Dumb question I know since some of you can already tell that we hired the wrong coach).  2.  They had a bad record last year, but they lost by 7 points to Notre Dame, Washington, USC, and UCLA.  They also had a couple of head scratchers, but they obviously went toe to toe with some very good teams.  That tells me that when they play well, they’re pretty good.  

Ok, if California is mediocre, what does that make UNT after the blowout? Truly to be expected moving up a 
conference, I guess. But, why was Stone Earle removed for 2nd half?? 

[GrayEagle]

The best Cal performance was by their running back Ott.  I hope that we don't see a better runner this year or until we get the defense sorted out.  They were all over him several times but he just kept churning.

[TreeFiddy]

18 hours ago, DentonTD said:

Ok, if California is mediocre, what does that make UNT after the blowout? Truly to be expected moving up a 
conference, I guess. But, why was Stone Earle removed for 2nd half?? 

Exactly what you think it means when you can't hang with the other team.  

Regarding QB, once the writing was on the wall that we were getting blown out, the coach mentioned in press conference that he just wanted to get Chandler some reps to see if it generated a spark.  Unfortunately, it did not as Chandler was ineffective.