Columbian: Cal Takes Top Spot for Worst MidSeason Collapse

BY NICK DASCHEL, Columbian staff writer

Can a college football team go from nearly achieving the country's No. 1 ranking one week to missing the bowl season altogether? California is sure trying. On Oct. 13, No. 1 Louisiana State lost in triple overtime to Kentucky, opening the door for No. 2 California to make a rare move into the top spot. Except a few hours later, the Bears lost to Oregon State, 31-28.

Cal hasn't recovered. The Bears lost for the fifth time in six games Saturday, falling at Washington 37-23. Though California is technically bowl eligible at 6-5, there is a chance the Bears could get bypassed when bowl berths are extended Dec. 2. The Pacific-10 Conference has contracts with six bowl games. There is a chance the league will land a seventh bowl game, a BCS at-large berth.

But suppose the Pac-10 doesn't get a second BCS game. And Arizona wins its season finale against Arizona State. And UCLA wins one of its final two games. And California loses its final game to Stanford. Then it's seven bowl-eligible Pac-10 teams going for six bowl berths. California, with a 3-6 league record, figures to be odd team out unless one of the bowls decide to dismiss the guidelines and take the Bears because of the Bay Area's large television market. None of this is sitting well with California coach Jeff Tedford, who blasted his team inside the locker room following the loss to Washington. "It was eye-opening," tailback Justin Forsett told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Everybody's ears were open to him."

Outside the locker room, Tedford blamed himself for California's lackluster performance. "They're not coached very well, and that falls on me," Tedford said. "Right now, we're not good enough. When this many mistakes are being made, it is coaching. ... We've got to find a way to stop making mistakes, and the only way I know how to stop it is to coach it better." Linebacker Zach Follett said the Bears have been going through the motions. "We kind of have fake emotion out there," he said. "We know we need to be rah-rah and go out there and be pumped up, but in reality, we're not playing with the heart and passion it takes to win games."