A skeptical nation still wants more.
There's no East Coast media bias when it comes to college football, but there's an ignorance. After all, is anyone outside of the Pacific time zone able to get Pac 10 games on TV? How many writers and fans are going to stay up for the late night games after a full day of other big college football battles?
The fact of the matter is that outside of USC, it's hard for most to have any clue what the Pac 10 is doing, but there continues to be this Cal football program that makes a lot of noise and is very interesting. But no one ever gets to see it play.
There was some national respect a few years ago for being the last team before Texas to beat USC, and then ESPN cranked things up another notch by going on and on about how good Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Bears were after a loss to the Trojans. Once again, though, no one actually watched Cal football until the Holiday Bowl loss to Texas Tech, and by then the SEC, Big Ten parts of the world felt like they were right all along to not respect the rumor that was the Bears.
Heck, J.J. Arrington ran for 2,000 yards and barely got more than a "hey, that's neat" from the Heisman voters. Last year, Cal exited the national consciousness with an early loss to UCLA on the way to a respectable 8-4 record, but 2005 was a mere transition season to this year when all the parts should come together when the program finally shows the world how good it is.
There are few teams with more speed among the starters with an array of talents that would litter the All-America lists if it played in one of the other BCS conferences. DT Brandon Mebane, CB Daymeion Hughes and LB Desmond Bishop will be among the best in the nation at their respective positions, and RB Marshawn Lynch deserves Heisman consideration from day one.
The quarterback situation will sort itself out with Nate Longshore ready to steady the four-man race, Lynch and Justin Forsett combine to form one of the nation's top tailback duos, and the receivers are among the fastest in the country.
The defense will be a sack machine with too many good ends for one team, Mebane an all-star in the middle, and one of the best linebacking corps in the nation. The slight concerns are on the offensive line and at safety, but those won't turn out to be any big deal as the season goes on.
So now it's up to the college football world to pay attention. The opening day game at Tennessee will be a make-or-break game for national respect, but even a loss shouldn't mean anyone should dismiss this potential Pac 10 champion. Head coach Jeff Tedford has assembled a potential monster going into his fifth season and it'll be one of the nation's most fun teams week in and week out.
Hopefully, everyone will finally be watching.
The Schedule: The opener at Tennessee to start the season will be the high-profile battle everyone will focus on, but the following week's game against Minnesota should be just as entertaining. The Pac 10 slate starts off nasty playing Arizona State in what might be an elimination game in the title race followed up by at Oregon State, Oregon, and at an improved Washington State. However, if Cal really is as good as expected, being unbeaten going into the late season road trip to USC should be a distinct possibility.
What you need to know on offense ... This should be one of the nation's most explosive attacks if the quarterback situation stabilizes in a hurry and if the offensive line can make up for some big losses. Tackle Ryan O'Callaghan and center Marvin Philip were two of the best linemen in the nation and won't be easily replaced. That's about the only concern with Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett forming one of the nation's best 1-2 rushing punches and DeSean Jackson, Robert Jordan and LaVelle Hawkins combining for one of the nation's fastest and most explosive receiving corps. The question now becomes whether or not QB Nate Longshore can come back 100% after breaking his ankle. Steve Levy, Kyle Reed and Joe Ayoob will all get their shots at the starting job, but Longshore is the one who'll make sure the passing game doesn't finish last in the Pac 10 again. Look for the Bears to run a little bit of spread attack throughout the year to mix things up.
Best Offensive Player: Junior RB Marshawn Lynch. He won't have the same great line he enjoyed last year, but he should still be a threat to flirt with the 2,000-yard mark. If he can stay healthy, watch his draft stock soar with his combination of size, quickness and production.
What you need to know on defense ... Eight starters return to a defense that should just now be hitting its stride with speed, athleticism and lots and lots of talent. The front seven should be a rock if all the top prospects come through as expected. The ends are deep, talented, and should have few problems getting into the backfield all season long, while Brandon Mebane is one of the nation's best tackles. The linebacking corps is one of the best in the nation with last year's recruiting class about to become tremendous. Cornerback is set with Daymeion Hughes and Tim Mixon sure to earn all-star honors, but the safeties are a big concern with no developed depth and two new starters.
Best Defensive Player: Senior DT Brandon Mebane. The 306-pound senior is one of the best interior pass rushers in America and will be the rock of the defensive front seven. He has a chance of taking over where Oregon's Haloti Ngata left off as the nation's best tackle.
Key player to a successful season: Sophomore OT Mike Tepper. The line should be fine, but only two starters return with the loss of C Marvin Philip and T Ryan O'Callaghan particularly hurting. Tepper is 6-6, 334-pound talent who should make a big splash this season if he can stay healthy. He needs to be a rock in pass protection to keep Nate Longshore, or whoever is playing quarterback, healthy.
The season will be a success if ... Cal wins the Pac 10 title. It's time to take that next step up. It might be asking a lot to win the championship with a game at USC to worry about, but the Bears are good enough to dream big.
Key game: September 2nd. at Tennessee. The Vols might still be reeling from last year's disaster, but if Cal can go into Knoxville and come up with a win, that would set the tone for the entire season and might finally get the rest of the nation to start going out of its way to watch what should be one of the nation's best teams. A loss to Tennessee and fans will dismiss the Pac 10 as that conference that plays past their bedtimes.
2005 Fun Stats:
- Fourth quarter scoring: California 115 - Opponents 56
- Penalties: Opponents 82 for 670 yards - California 69 for 620 yards
- Interception return average: California 26.1 yards on 15 picks - Opponents 3.4 yards on 17 picks
The Last Time Cal …
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Las Vegas Bowl vs. BYU)
…missed a bowl game…2002
…pitched a shutout…2005 (Arizona)
…was shutout…1999 (Nebraska)
…scored 50 points…2005 (Washington)
…went undefeated…1937
…won a conference title…1975 (Pac 8)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1996 (Pat Barnes)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Marshawn Lynch)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2003 (Geoff McArthur)
…had a first-round draft choice…2005 (QB Aaron Rodgers)
