Cal is a wildcard type team. Lots of questions, no known answers. Questions about virtually every unit on the team. The Defense looks good on paper, but despite last seasons overall ranking they had 4 very poor games.
I am hopeful about the offense. There are some players on that side of the ball. OL play and QB will be critical. I believe there is depth at RB and talent though unproven. The Bears have a guy in Keenan Allen that can be a star. If he becomes one this year it will be a big help to the teams fortunes. I believe the OL will be better. Maynard has some talent, but inexperience often results in mistakes and turnovers. Cal will be playing an inexperienced QB this season regardless, so I like his combo of passing skills and athletic ability. He could really surprise, if he does the Bears will be a tough opponent.
The conference is a little overrated IMO. I get how UO and Furd are strongly rated but both regress a little this season IMO. By seasons end a year those 2 were in the top 4 and Stanford was the conferences best by Jan. Both should be good, but both have a couple of questions.
ASU is getting way more love than they deserve IMO. Yes there are some good players in Tempe but they have been an underachieving group and I will need to see improvement before I put them into the conference title game. UW, OSU and Cal could all end 3rd through 5th. If UW gets good QB play from Price they could end up 3rd, but he is as much a questionmark as Maynard IMO. OSU lost Quizz and that will hurt a team that underperfomed a season ago. They have played Cal great over the years, but played poorly down the stretch last season.
IMO the conference is a questionmark. Every team, even the stronger ones have some questions. Cal has enough athletes to surprise, but enough inexperience at key spots to lose a game their talent suggests they should win. A strong start is essential IMO. They need to beat both FSU and Colorado. Those are games where they have a talent edge and need to win as the team gels. Presbeterian is a gimme so the Bears could be 3-0 going to UW. These games hold the key to a winning season IMO. FSU, Colorado, UW, Utah, OSU, UCLA and ASU. I am counting Presbeterian and WSU as wins so the Bears need a 4-3 record vs those other teams to get to 6-6. It is doable, but the team really needs to start fast. They open with winnable games.
6-6 is what I see, but a couple of games better or worse is certainly possible.
I am hopeful about the offense. There are some players on that side of the ball. OL play and QB will be critical. I believe there is depth at RB and talent though unproven. The Bears have a guy in Keenan Allen that can be a star. If he becomes one this year it will be a big help to the teams fortunes. I believe the OL will be better. Maynard has some talent, but inexperience often results in mistakes and turnovers. Cal will be playing an inexperienced QB this season regardless, so I like his combo of passing skills and athletic ability. He could really surprise, if he does the Bears will be a tough opponent.
The conference is a little overrated IMO. I get how UO and Furd are strongly rated but both regress a little this season IMO. By seasons end a year those 2 were in the top 4 and Stanford was the conferences best by Jan. Both should be good, but both have a couple of questions.
ASU is getting way more love than they deserve IMO. Yes there are some good players in Tempe but they have been an underachieving group and I will need to see improvement before I put them into the conference title game. UW, OSU and Cal could all end 3rd through 5th. If UW gets good QB play from Price they could end up 3rd, but he is as much a questionmark as Maynard IMO. OSU lost Quizz and that will hurt a team that underperfomed a season ago. They have played Cal great over the years, but played poorly down the stretch last season.
IMO the conference is a questionmark. Every team, even the stronger ones have some questions. Cal has enough athletes to surprise, but enough inexperience at key spots to lose a game their talent suggests they should win. A strong start is essential IMO. They need to beat both FSU and Colorado. Those are games where they have a talent edge and need to win as the team gels. Presbeterian is a gimme so the Bears could be 3-0 going to UW. These games hold the key to a winning season IMO. FSU, Colorado, UW, Utah, OSU, UCLA and ASU. I am counting Presbeterian and WSU as wins so the Bears need a 4-3 record vs those other teams to get to 6-6. It is doable, but the team really needs to start fast. They open with winnable games.
6-6 is what I see, but a couple of games better or worse is certainly possible.