Blog rounds on the Arizona outcome

This week’s blog rounds show much weeping and gnashing of teeth from the Cal faithful over the painful loss, but hope at the end of the tunnel with eyes fixed on USC and Rose Bowl hopes. Here is a bite out of the Cal blogs:

BearTalk Weblog: “bad day in the desert”

It also was alarming on Saturday that Arizona controlled the Bears’ offensive line in terms of the running. If that was because the Wildcats overmatched them with bodies up front, then the Cal coaching staff should have gone elsewhere. If the Bears simply couldn’t match Arizona’s physical play, then they could be in trouble on Saturday.

The loss at Arizona was deflating for everyone, just when it appeared the Bears would be ranked fourth or fifth in the nation going into the game. But the stakes remain the same. A win on Saturday will send Cal alums into a wild dance never seen on Figuroa.

Rose Bowl Before I Die: “Sadness, Reflection, Recognition”

Cal lost to an inspired Arizona team. Longshore played his worst game as a Bear. Worse than the Tennessee game which featured a lot of drop balls by the receivers. …

It looked like Cal was controlling the game leading up to halftime. DeSean Jackson had an amazing game. Two touchdown and almost another give or take 2 inches. Marshawn had a solid game but Cal gave up on the run too quickly toward the end of the game. …

Pipe dreams of a national championship were always nice. An undefeated Pac 10 record would have been great. A final ranking in the top 5 would have been validation. But, let’s keep all this in perspective. Cal is still in control of its destiny for the Rose Bowl.

Sturdy Golden Blog: “On the Couch (Arizona 24, Cal 20)”

Full credit for Jackson for almost staying in bounds, but he absolutely stepped out. And full credit for the fight to the finish. Look, the Rose Bowl is the goal. Cal-USC is still for all the marbles. But still, how disappointing for Cal’s national image and ranking.

TedfordIsGod: “The Worst Meaningless Loss Ever”

Wild result, wild game … now let us never speak of it again.

USC, Saturday, Pac-10 title on the line.

Nothing has changed. You better believe the Bears have something to prove.

TedfordIsGod: “Pac-10’s Own Personal Upset Saturday”

Now, obviously, this loss, while embarrassing and shameful, is by no means a big deal. Next week’s game is still basically a playoff for the Rose Bowl. (Please, spare me the what-if talk about the Trojans beating Cal, winning out, ending up in the national championship game, leaving the Pac-10’s Rose Bowl spot open. There is no way — no way! — the Rose Bowl would take a three-loss team, even in the impossible event that the Bears would be BCS-eligible in this scenario.) But the fact remains that Cal has a tendency to falter when the expectations are high.

The good news, though, is that with the upset the Bears will probably be heavy underdogs Saturday. Sadly, they seem to be just more comfortable that way.

And, here are some thoughts from non-Cal bloggers. Clearly, the loss is looking bad for Cal’s reputation. However, it is duly noted that this loss was somewhat of an aberration, due more to a lack of a focus than a lack of talent with the USC showdown looming.

Pac-10 Apostle: “The Weekly Rehash (Reversal of the Reversal Edition)”

With three picks, Longshore gave the game to Arizona, including one that was returned for a score by Antoine Cason. That gave the Wildcats their first lead and after Longshore’s third and final pick with 1:32 left, Arizona claimed victory. The Arizona offense was pretty blah, getting outgained by about 100 yards and averaging less than 4 yards a play. But they didn’t turn the ball over once, so the +3 differential was what decided the game. The Bears just kissed their national championship status goodbye.

Every Day Should Be Saturday: “WEEKEND REVIEW, PART ONE: TWO LOSSES IS THE NEW HOTNESS”

USC’s looking just fine at the moment, and an upcoming matchup with Notre Dame shouldn’t frighten anyone since the Irish secondary is still playing fire drill an almost every single snap, something the mindmelded duo of Sarkisian and Kiffin may have noticed when watching film. They should fear Cal, though, since Cal futzed around, ate some Skittles, and paused thoughtfully to look at the sunset while Arizona decided to win a game against them. Pissed and focused is totally the way to go through life, son, and with USC on the horizon that is precisely what they’ll be.

Sunday Morning Quarterback: “The Streets Run Red With Sunday Morning Quarterback”

It was also a day that tuned SMQ’s more sympathetic tendencies to the cruelly incremental nature of a game, indeed, of inches, and also of split seconds: Florida won by the tips of Jarvis Moss’ fingers, as related above, but also by the unusually speedy delay of game flag that took a 55-yard Ryan Succop field goal off the board earlier in the game; California, meanwhile, apparently made its big play to win on a sideline route and make-em-miss upfield burst by DeSean Jackson with two minutes left at Arizona, and had its victory drive upended by, literally, the length of Jackson’s big toe. Yet Florida will rise, alive, while Cal falls into the murky “BCS hopeful” mire. Always remember such razor-thin margins when attempting to estimate “how good” any given team deserves to be measured.