Instant Analysis: Oregon-California

Now the rest of America can stop talking about that darn Tennessee game.

Jeff Tedford's Golden Bears--understandably questioned by the national press heading into Saturday night's game against an Oregon team coached by Tedford's mentor, Mike Bellotti--earned the right to stop hearing about their season-opening loss. Much more importantly, Cal affirmed itself as the main challenger to USC for Pac-10 supremacy. It all came about because the powerful Bears were able to play the game at a slower tempo and neutralize the Ducks' impressive speed.

In the first quarter, the seeds of California dominance were planted. Both teams penetrated the other team's five-yard line, but only the Bears hit paydirt, as the Berkeley boys--better able to operate in short-yardage situations--outclassed an Oregon team with a more finesse-based rushing attack. Cal was able to get--as coaches will say--"a hat on a hat" in the red zone better than the Ducks. This gave the Bears an added shot of confidence while sending a subtle but important message to an Oregon team that needed to win this game with speed, not raw physicality.

As the second quarter unfolded, one could clearly begin to tell how big the first quarter really was. Oregon ballcarriers became tentative, and Duck receivers flinched when crossing the middle, wary of getting bit hits from the Bear secondary. This nervous brand of mistake-prone ball from the Ducks--who were similarly bludgeoned, broken down, and intimidated in the second half of that infamous Oklahoma game a few weeks ago--enabled Cal to storm to a 28-3 lead. Oregon would get one touchdown before halftime, but only because of a fake field goal. Whenever the Ducks' offense tried to beat Cal's defense straight-up in the Bears' end of the field, all the answers were forcefully provided by the home team. Cal might have been wearing loud yellow shirts--reminiscent of the same yellow shirts Oregon used to wear (does Tedford admire Bellotti so much that he mimicks jersey and fashion alterations?)--but the Bears played with the chip on the shoulder belonging to a bunch of black-leather bikers. There was a lot of substance underneath the jerseys that Berkeley children of a different generation--1960's, anyone?--might have worn in protest of Ronald Reagan's policies as governor of the Golden State.

Cal has swiftly acquired the attitude of a swaggering, swinging, jab-landing powerhouse. With continued physicality, the Bears will give USC a run for its money. To win the BCS conference on the West Coast, you have to Pac a punch, and on Saturday night, Jeff Tedford's team found the fighter within. If Cal can keep connecting on these body blows, it will power its way to bigger and better things as the 2006 season continues.