2008 California Golden Bears College Football Predictions
2008 California Golden Bears College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicappers featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!
California Golden Bears (7-6, 3-6 in 2007, 7th in Pac-10)
Cal consistently overachieves relative to their talent level under head coach Jeff Tedford. Last year they experienced a lot of disappointment, but they did have to replace RB Marshawn Lynch. They almost beat Oregon State at home and had a lot of close losses that could have gone either way. This year, Cal will look to return to its 2006 form, a year in which they won 10 games.
Offensive Outlook: Tedford is an offensive genius by most accounts and you should fully expect this team to return to form. They decided to start sophomore sensation QB Kevin Riley over the incumbent Nate Longshore. Expect Riley to make plays and for Longshore to provide valuable experience in the backup role. They feature a great running back in Jahvid Best. He gives Cal an explosive element that most teams in the nation simply cannot match. Defenses must respect and account for best on every play. The offensive line is dominant, producing seven straight years of at least 1,000 yards rushing.
Defensive Outlook: For all the credit that Tedford gets on offense, his defenses have been consistently good as well. The defensive line should be one of the leagues best, while the LB corps is amongst the best in the conference. While not on the level of USC, this is an active, versatile, and disciplined unit, led by Worrell Williams, who was second on the team in tackles last year.
2008 Outlook: Cal scheduled a bunch of fluff in their non-conference games, and probably shouldn’t trip up against the likes of Michigan State, Maryland, and Colorado State. The Pac-10 schedule isn’t ridiculously difficult either. There’s virtually no way that they have the talent to stick with USC in Pasadena, but they host Arizona State and UCLA, which makes both games very winnable.
2008 will be a success if… Riley can step up and manage the offense. Tedford expects no less from his sophomore, who could be amongst the best QBs in the conference when it’s all said and done.
Cal isn’t quite at the stage yet where they’re challenging for the Pac-10 title, but look for them to be in the Holiday Bowl or one of the other fairly good bowl tie-ins for the conference in ’08.
Prediction: 9-3, 2nd place in Pac-10
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