OSU vs Cal
It is crazy to think that California is going to have no trouble beating Ohio State. This is not a guaranteed victory for California and they will need to take this game seriously.
California will have to avoid looking past this game and focusing on USC the week after.
I know that Jeff Tedford is 6-0 against Big10 teams since he came to Cal, but that does not mean that this is an automatic W, and California’s players cannot just assume that they will win every game against B1G opponents.
A lot of California fans thought this would be a tougher non-conference test when it was originally scheduled, so it is probably a little disappointing for them that Ohio State is now a mediocre team coming off of a losing season.
And although California has more former players in the NFL, one needs to remember that Ohio State has also produced a lot of pro talent.
Besides, Ohio State might still be looking to avenge their 28-0 loss to California in the 1921 Rose Bowl.
And I hope that California fans do not look down on Ohio State. Yes, California is one of the most highly regarded universities in the world, whereas hardly anyone outside of the U.S. has even heard of Ohio State. But I am sure that the fanbase in Berkeley does not think of this week’s opponent as just another state school from the Midwest. Ohio State is a very good university. I am sure that the California players will respect Ohio State just as much as any other opponent on their schedule.
And this may surprise people, but California’s athletic program was actually ranked just below Ohio State’s, by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2010-11/misc_non_event/finald12011.pdf
(Note that this ranking does not include California’s national titles in men’s crew and men’s rugby)
I do not expect this game to be over before halftime. Ohio State should be able to keep it close early on before eventually wearing down.
And I do not expect California to run up the score because these teams play again next year in Berkeley.