Just dont you worry about yourcollegiate Bay Area football contingents. San Jose State and City College of San Francisco are going to be justfine.<p><a href="http:stats.csnbayarea.comcfbteamstats.asp?team=0063&report=teamh... and <a href="http:stats.csnbayarea.comcfbteamstats.asp?yr=2012&report=teamhom... on the otherhandIm not quite as certain. Heres a brief scenario throughone mans wizened eyes. <br><p><p>Stanford hadfinally started to get a few people to stroll across the street and attend a<p><div><div style="z-index: 777; float: right; clear: right; margin: 0; padding: 8px 0 8px 8px;"><img style="width: 180px; height: 259px;" src="http:www.csnbayarea.comcommonmedialib223873629.jpg" alt="NUNES_JOSH_STANFORD_VERTICAL_LARGE.jpg" alignment="right" border="0" hspace="" vspace=""><div><div>football game along about the time that Andrew Luck was thinking as much aboutthe NFL Combine and what suit he might choose to wear at the Heisman Trophypresentation. Things move a tad slowerdown that a way. <p><p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">REWIND: <a href="http:www.csnbayarea.comncaanewsStanfords-defense-lifts-Cardinal-past-Sp?... defense lifts Cardinal past Spartans 20-17<a><span><br><p><p>So, now that the<a href="http:stats.csnbayarea.comcfbteamstats.asp?team=0063&report=teamh... <a>has been discovered, and the expectations of the same ol steamrollerare firmly imbedded in the Stanford loyalists, its hopeful that they wontnotice that the quarterback, who made this team what it was,<a href="http:www.csnbayarea.comshowschronicle-live"> now resides inIndiana<a>. And that, while all themechanical parts of this souped-up engine are bopping along relatively in tune,the guy behind the wheel is just getting his learners permit.<p><p>Stanford escaped on Saturday witha three-point victory over a <a href="http:stats.csnbayarea.comcfbteamstats.asp?team=0044&report=teamh... Jose State<a> team that was determined to drivethe folks in Palo Alto off to hang themselves on the chain that holds their PhiBeta Kappa key. The bottom line is thatSan Jose is a lot better than people gave them any credit for and Stanford isstill very much a work in progress.<p><p> I feel pretty certain that bothteams will get better from here. <br><p><p>The<a href="http:stats.csnbayarea.comcfbteamstats.asp?team=0044&report=teamh... will be near the top of the WAC in this last year before their move tothe Mountain West, and the Cardinal will have one more week with the trainingwheels on before they get into a demolition derby with the USC Trojans who comecalling on September 15. USC played mediocre football and still beat Hawaii 49 to 10 in their opener. <p><p>So dont hang your heads ye fansof Stanford football. But try and wrapyourselves around the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl instead of anything with a flowerin the title.<p><p><p><div><div style="z-index: 777; float: left; clear: left; margin: 0; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0;"><img style="width: 186px; height: 277px;" src="http:www.csnbayarea.comcommonmedialib223873621.jpg" alt="tedford_jeff_large_vertical.jpg" alignment="left" border="0" hspace="" vspace=""><div><div>As to their rival cousins on theother side of the bay, they christened their new playground on Saturday and thenproceeded to throw up on the seesaw.<p><p><p>Ive been trying to put theCal-<a href="http:stats.csnbayarea.comcfbteamstats.asp?team=0039&report=teamh... game in perspective since Saturday and Im still in the thinkingout loud stage. Here are a couple ofgivens: <br><p><p> I dont think the Bears werelooking past Nevada toward their game against Southern Utah this week, and Idont believe they lost on purpose so that other teams in the Pac 12 would tendto take them lightly. Having eliminatedthose two scenarios, Im left with a couple of thoughts. <p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http:www.csnbayarea.comncaanewsNevada-upset-ruins-Memorial-Stadium-open?... Nevada upset ruins Cal's Memorial Stadium opener<a><span><br><p><p>One is that its not easy to rebuild anoffensive line (see Stanford), and two, if youre going to open theseason against a team that runs a different kind of offense, it's best you dontselect a team whose coach invented the damn thing. <br><p><p>And an that scored about amillion points against you the last time you tried to defend it, offense by the way. <p><p>Playing against Chris Aultspistol offense is like playing Madden Football against Madden. <br><p><p>I dont think Jeff Tedford overlooked howgood Nevada might be, but I think most of the Ol Blues did. Like their neighbors on the farm, theyvegot a week to get it right before the guys in the big boy pants start liningup on the other side.<p><p>My thought about the Bears thisyear was that they had to win the games the are supposed to win, and try andsnatch at least one game that theyre <span style="font-style: italic;">not<span> supposed to win.<p><p>I think in view of the newfacility, a sellout crowd, and the expectations of a new era, this was one theywere supposed to win.<p><p>Now, can they get two thattheyre not supposed to win? Im not sosure.<p><p> <p>
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