It’s make-it-or-break-it time for Joe Biden’s presidential bid, and he hasn’t even formally entered the race.

“Uncle Joe,” as the 76-year-old former vice president is called, finds himself accused of physical contact with women who didn’t welcome it.

Hugging. Back rubbing. Kisses on the cheek and back of the head. And in at least one instance, nose rubbing.

Biden released an “I get it” video that was promptly hijacked by President Trump (or, more likely, someone in his orbit with tech skills) to show a Creepy Joe nuzzling the back of Uncle Joe’s head. On Friday, Biden sort of apologized for his past behavior, saying, “I’m sorry I didn’t understand more. I’m not sorry for any of my intentions. I’m not sorry for anything that I have ever done.”

Cleared that right up.

Don’t look for any of the other 20 or Democratic presidential contenders to come to Biden’s defense. This is about politics, and the other candidates see Biden as a threat.

My bet is as the drip-drip of anecdotes from women who felt violated continues, Biden won’t be nimble enough to get rid of the issue, and he won’t jump into the race after all.

There was a time when the question for candidates was whether they had what it takes to make it past Super Tuesday.

For Biden, the question is whether he survives “Saturday Night Live.”

Gator nation: I was at the bar at Sam’s the other night, watching TV, when KPIX-TV sportscaster Dennis O’Donnell appeared on the screen from the annual San Francisco State awards fundraiser at the Masonic Auditorium.

“I just hope Willie Brown gets here on time, because you know he is always late,” O’Donnell said.

With that, I was out the door and up the hill to join my fellow alumni.

The goal of the night was to raise $150 million. They took in $136 million, including two $25 million donations.

One of the mega-donations came from George and Judy Marcus for liberal arts studies.

The second $25 million was for the business school and came from cryptocurrency king Chris Larsen, who promised it was real money.

When it was my turn to speak, I pledged to personally make up the $14 million shortfall.

“And if you believe that, then you should turn your degrees back in,” I said.

Joking aside, San Francisco State was the school that gave me an education — and I do mean gave me. It was tuition-free at the time, and there was no test to get in. All it did was encourage me to be the best I could be.

John Burton and I graduated in the same class. While neither of us will be considered scholars, we did OK for ourselves and society. And that is what this school produces.

Navigating the storm: Mayor London Breed got an earful from angry residents the other night over her plan to build a Navigation Center along the Embarcadero.

Part of the job of being mayor is facing challenges head on. And that’s just what Breed did when she made an unannounced entrance to a town hall meeting about the proposed Nav Center.

Of course, she was promptly shouted down. That comes with the turf as well.

But she stood her ground, and I have no doubt the center will be going in as planned. I’d also bet the opening date will be pushed back a bit, at the very least until after her re-election race in November.

In the meantime, I have a suggestion.

Rather than opening 200-bed Navigation Centers that freak out the neighbors, focus on 20- to 30-bed centers wherever there’s a vacant lot or empty building.

The mayor’s office says smaller shelters would cost too much. But considering what we’re getting for the $300 million a year we’re spending on homeless programs now, cost should not be a problem.

Pack it in: Backpacks are the uniform of everyone working these days.

On Mission between Main and Beale the other day, I watched 30 people go by and counted backpacks on 25 of them.

It’s the same on the bus, where too many clueless riders turn this way and that, slamming backpacks into their fellow Muni patrons.

Even men in suits are wearing backpacks. So Louis Vuitton is offering a backpack to wear with your suit for $3,900.

For that kind of money, you ought to get the suit as well.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com