Weekend preview: The key for Stanford is … (and thoughts on SJSU and Cal)
Can we all agree that Stanford has zero chance to win? I mean, it’s possible, in the same way hitting the Lottery is possible.
But in the real world, we’re talking 45-3, 55-6 … something along those lines.
That said, the key for Stanford this week is to only get beat once by USC.
In other words: The Cardinal cannot afford to get beaten so badly (emotionally but especially physically) that its chances of winning future games are affected.
The Cardinal has enough trouble staying competitive when healthy. Right now, it’s not healthy: quarterback T.C. Ostrander, tailback Toby Gerhart and left tackle Allen Smith — three critical players — are all out.
Imagine how bad things would get if, for example, another lineman and one of the receivers were to go down against the Trojans.
Believe it or not, the Cardinal still has a chance to make this a not-awful season.
It could win a couple more games: Arizona, Oregon State, Washington State, TCU, Notre Dame … it wouldn’t surprise me if Stanford beat any of those teams, and a 3-9 season wouldn’t be too bad, considering where Stanford was a year ago.
But it has to be healthy to have a chance. The effects of a beat down Saturday afternoon could linger for weeks, even months.
That means Coach Jim Harbaugh has to be smart about playing time. If it’s 45-3 late in the third quarter, there’s no reason for Alex Fletcher or Clinton Snyder to be in the game.
Then again, there was no reason for Ostrander to be playing late in the ASU game, but he was.
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I’ll be curious to see where San Jose State tailback Yonus Davis is Saturday, a few minutes after 1.
Will he be on the field, on the sideline in uniform, on the sideline in street clothes, in the stands, at home?
Davis sprained his ankle on the first play of the season and hasn’t played since. And if he doesn’t play Saturday against Idaho, my guess is that he won’t play the rest of the season.
He’ll shut it down for 2007 and try to get a medical redshirt, enabling him to play next fall.
That would be a big blow to SJSU’s chances this season but a potential boon in ‘08.
If Davis gets the medical, and if he’s academically eligible, he’d make the Spartans an even more formidable team than they could be in the WAC.
Other than quarterback, they should be pretty well stocked next season, especially if Davis returns.
(And quarterback might work out if Cal transfer Kyle Reed plays effectively.)
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Cal might have a bye, but there’s an important game for the Bears on Saturday:
Georgia at Tennessee.
Every game the Vols play is big for Cal, because UT is the Bears’ highest-profile non-conference victim, their “statement” game..
Right now, Tennessee looks like the fifth-best team in the SEC East. If that’s how it turns out, then the Sept. 1 win in Berkeley isn’t much of a statement.
Cal needs Tennessee to win every game it plays to elevate the quality of that victory.
What are the rules for redshirts? Are they not supposed to be on the sidelines during the season they want to redshirt for? If there aren’t any restrictions, why do you think Yonus kept off the sidelines?
Redshirts can practice and can be on the sidelines, but cannot be active to play in games. They usually just wear jeans and their team jersey on the sideline.
Jon - if Cal were ranked in the lower top ten this week, then the Tennessee game would matter much more. But as the “visitors” to your ranking posts have proven, your system of factoring in “quality of win” is not how the majority of voters work.
Will a Tennessee loss hurt Cal? Sure, but with a #3 ranking in October, the Bears are now in the small group of teams that are in the driver’s seat (much like WVA/Louisville last year) on the road to the BCS. Of course we know what happened to WVU and Louisville last year, but at this point, if they keep winning, “quality” of wins will not affect their standing in the AP poll…(granted, I won’t be surprised/upset to see you drop the Bears, but will understand your consistency.)
i dont see how yonus davis can think he can get a redshirt all he has to do is look at what happened with sean flynn attempt to get one.
Well it looks like Stanford showing some mighty gonads right about now. USC 16 Stanford 14 at the beginning of the 4th.
OH MY GAWD!!!!!
Ok, Jon - How about that “worst defence in Pac 10 history”?
Nice of Petey not to run it up on the guys. /Lefty
I hope Jim Harbaugh bought that lottery ticket.
We bow to no man.
Ok, Jon do you like your words lightly sauted with a cream sauce or baked until over done, covered with Tobasco and red pepper and followed with a Jack Daniels chaser?
You’ll have lots of company at the table, including the Chron writer who’s article yesterday was headlined as “Lay the 40.5″. For me, I’ll take my words raw, bloody and uncooked as I’ll have to join you folks at the table. Yup, I didn’t see this one coming either.
I hope (and believe) that most college sports fans, including the local sportswriters, enjoyed the afternoon’s game. The irony of this is the Cal fans probably enjoyed this victory as much as the Cardinal fans since Stanford just gave their Pac 10 title hopes a big shot in the arm.
So can we hear three cheers for the Cardinal, Cal?
How would you like your crow served? Roasted? Sauteed? Can’t wait to read more of your predictions. That’s why I’m a contrarian because of articles like yours.