Saturday, November 12, 2005

Oakland Tribune: Will training center spark Cal?

Is there any chance at all Cal can win against USC today? Absolutely, and it doesn't even have to be a perfect performance. But it will require the complete game in all three phases the Golden Bears haven't even come close to achieving this season. Maybe they'll be inspired by the announcement of the new "high performance" student-athlete training center.
The teams that have come closest to beating the Trojans this year have all done it passing the ball — Arizona State, Oregon, Notre Dame. Unlike those other teams, if Cal can somehow get a lead through the air, it might be able to protect it with the running of Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett.
One thing is certain: Joe Ayoob can turn around every skeptic with a huge effort today. This is the kind of big game the QB and his former coaches have said he was born to play, so we'll see.
What I see: USC 33, Cal 16.
Think Aaron Rodgers, who has thrown precisely one pass for 1-7 Green Bay (he completed it), will be watching the game flooded by second thoughts?
Just one of a few major incentives for the Trojans: If they can win in Berkeley, they're looking at trying to close out another perfect season without leaving Southern California. They host their last two games against Fresno State and UCLA at the L.A. Coliseum, and the national championship game is at the Rose Bowl.

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