Even though the season won't kick off until early September, I thought it would be fun to take a look around the conference for a quick preview of the other eleven teams -- in no particular order. We'll get more in depth during the week before the Cardinal plays each team, but for now we've got a quick overview of how the team looks at this point as seen through the eyes of a blogger who knows that team best. Enjoy.
California Golden Bears (Pac-12 North)
Head Coach: Jeff Tedford (72-42)
2010: (5-7, 3-6, 8th)
Lost to Stanford, 48-14
These are dark days on the other side of the Bay. Head coach Jeff Tedford has been at the helm for the Golden Bears since 2002, and his teams have almost always finished in the top half of the Pac-10 standings, except for a seventh-place finish in 2007, but things fell apart last season. The schizophrenic Bears looked great in home wins over Colorado, UCLA, and Arizona State (outscoring those teams 137-31) and representing themselves well in a 15-13 loss to Oregon, but they looked awful in road losses at Nevada and Oregon State.
They could've salvaged their season and clinched a bowl bid with a Big Game victory over Stanford, but the Cardinal crushed them. The bad news for these Bad News Bears is that there isn't a lot to be optimistic about for 2011. They'll be playing their home games in San Francisco while Memorial Stadium undergoes renovation, they'll be breaking in a new quarterback, and the best player from the 2010 team will be playing in the NFL.
But of course, maybe I'm biased. The gentlemen at California Golden Blogs were kind enough to answer a slate of questions for me, and they certainly know a lot more about their team than I do. Read on...
GoMightyCard: What are fans excited about for this season?
California Golden Blogs: Too be honest, not much. We're out of Memorial Stadium, our home for the last 90 years. We have massive instability on offense. However, our defense seems like it'll be stout. This is the same defense that held an explosive Oregon offense down, while faking only a handful of injuries. Players like Deandre Coleman and Mychal Kendricks hope to anchor a staunch defense that can put the offense in just enough situations to win games. Hopefully!
GMC: What are the biggest concerns facing the team?
CGB: Definitely the offense. It looks like our starting quarterback will be transfer Zach Maynard. Losing Shane Vereen to the NFL draft means our starter is the explosive Isi Sofele. It is not that these players cannot succeed. Sofele has looked good in the past. Maynard started for Buffalo. They just do not have a lot of experience playing and starting together. There are a lot of question marks there.
GMC: What's the best-case scenario for the team?
CGB: There is so much up and down in the Pac-12, it is really hard to say what a best case is. I think all Cal fans would love to go to the Rose Bowl, but even this year that seems just a tad out of reach. Perhaps 8-9 wins with a solid bowl victory is the best case scenario. I mean, obviously 12-0 with a National Championship is best, best, but even Cal fans are realistic in their daydreams. That's why when I grow up I want to be an actuary!
GMC: What's the worst-case scenario for the team?
CGB: We wrote a bit about this here.
Fresno State: Loss
@Colorado: Loss
Presbyterian: Win
@UW: Loss
@Oregon: Loss
USC: LossUtah: Loss
@UCLA: Loss
Washington State: Loss
Oregon State: Win
@Stanford: Loss
@ASU: Loss
Ouch.
GMC: Realistically, how do you expect the season to pan out?
CGB: Given all the instability everywhere, it looks like it'll be a tough season. 5-7 wins seems likeliest. Not great, but I think most fans are sorta giving the team a pass in a rebuilding season in a random stadium in the first Pac-12 year. We'll see. GO BEARS!
Previously previewed:
