Football Update
With just under 4 weeks left until the season opener at Tennessee its time for an update on the outlook for the Cal Football program for what could be our best year in quite some time.
- Cal’s officially launched the campaign to make Marshawn Lynch the next Heisman Trophy winner. Marshawn10.com features a highlight reel of some of Marshawn’s amazing feats, as well as some of the standard bio info and a Q&A with the big man himself. Multiple publications including the Chicago Sun Times and ESPN via a recent episode of their “Cold Pizza” have started to take a look at Marshawn, who’s being hailed as one of the top Heisman contenders and the only real prospect coming out of the West Coast.
- A quiet end has been reached with the Steve Levy fiasco. After a plea of no contest he was sentenced to three years probation and a term of community service. He still won’t be allowed to play at the season opener but he has been allowed to start practicing with the team again at the Fall Camp that kicked off earlier today.
- While that problem has been solved for us, Tennessee is now grappling with the loss of four of its players with the arrests of TE Lee Smith and DB Marsalous Johnson, the hospitalization of WR Slick Shelley, and the abrupt transfer of OL Malcom Rawls.
- The USA Today Coaches Poll was released a few days ago, placing Cal in the #12 spot. Our only ranked opponents for the year are USC at at #3 tie with Notre Dame, Oregon at #20, and Tennessee at #23; with ASU just outside the rankings.
- The NCAA has now made some rule changes that could cut games short by 10 to 15 minutes, drawing the ire of Tedford who is definitely not a man to piss off.
- While Longshore definitely seems to be at the head of the pack for the race to start as QB, word is that Ayoob has bulked up, improved his mental game, and has really adapted to the team’s new spread offense. With four guys who all seem like they could take the helm of a top football program, we shouldn’t have to worry about strong leadership from the pocket this season.
They speed up the game by changing the rules, but then add a provision allowing both coaches, in agreement, to lengthen the half time. The changes are silly.
Comment by McMike — August 7, 2006 @ 8:59 pm