SWIL
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I do love it when we're underdogs though!
SEC Game of the Week
California at Tennessee 5:30 pm EST ESPN Saturday, September 2nd
Why to Watch: Florida State vs. Miami is the marquee game and everyone will be watching Notre Dame battle Georgia Tech, but this will likely be the most important battle of week one. If the Pac 10 really wants to be taken seriously by everyone east of the Rocky Mountains, this is a must win for Cal. The Bears are better than the Volunteers. They have more offensive firepower, better running backs, better linebackers, and the all-around talent to be in the hunt for the national title. However, Cal hasn't won a really, really big game since USC half-assed it in the 2003 loss. Jeff Tedford's program could use a splashy victory to get the national respect it's been so close to cementing for the last few years. If you believe everything you read, Tennessee is being considered just a shade better than Temple after an overblown 5-6 season, but it has to come up with the opening day home win to ease the pressure off Phil Fulmer and his staff with the Florida showdown in two weeks. A win by the Vols would show that things are back to normal in Knoxville.
Why California Might Win: It's the better team. Tennessee can be back to being Tennessee and it still might mean the Bears will come away with the win. The jury is still out on Vol QB Erik Ainge and whether or not he can be a consistent enough passer to be a difference maker in a game like this. He'll be under pressure from the start with the Vol offensive line still a work in progress after trying to get tougher and more physical with a stepped up off-season regimen. The improvement might not matter with All-America DT Brandon Mebane and the the Cal line good enough to control the trenches. There's also rebuilding being done on the Vol defensive front seven. That's not a plus with Marshawn Lynch and the Cal running game certain to be solid right off the bat.
Why Tennessee Might Win: Cal's most impressive road win in the Tedford era came against ....um, uh ... there were a few nice victories against average Arizona State teams, and that's about it. The Bears have gone a mediocre 14-8 on the road over the last four years with most of the wins coming against the basement Pac 10 teams. Is the team ready to step up to the big boy table and win in a place like Neyland Stadium? This is still Tennessee at home, and it's still full of pro prospects and enough talent to beat anyone in America.
Who to Watch: Is Ainge really going to be better now that David Cutcliffe is the offensive coordinator? Yeah, but he'll also get help from an improved receiving corps that should struggle a bit after losing starting corner Tim Mixon for the year with a knee injury. There's no plan B this year if Ainge stinks, so if he's not on, the panic sirens will go off. ... Cal's backup situation is far better. Nate Longshore was finally announced as the starter on Tuesday with the broken leg suffered in last year's season opener fully healed. That doesn't mean he'll play the whole game with last year's starter, Joe Ayoob, improved enough to be in the hunt for playing time.
What Will Happen: This should be fantastic. Tennessee will play far better than it did over the second half of last year, but Cal will be too consistent and too strong on both sides of the ball with the ground game taking over late.
CFN Prediction: California 27 ... Tennessee 24 ... Line: Tennessee -2
Must See Rating: (5 skip the birth of your first born - 1 Pants Off, Dance Off) ... 5
SEC Game of the Week
California at Tennessee 5:30 pm EST ESPN Saturday, September 2nd
Why to Watch: Florida State vs. Miami is the marquee game and everyone will be watching Notre Dame battle Georgia Tech, but this will likely be the most important battle of week one. If the Pac 10 really wants to be taken seriously by everyone east of the Rocky Mountains, this is a must win for Cal. The Bears are better than the Volunteers. They have more offensive firepower, better running backs, better linebackers, and the all-around talent to be in the hunt for the national title. However, Cal hasn't won a really, really big game since USC half-assed it in the 2003 loss. Jeff Tedford's program could use a splashy victory to get the national respect it's been so close to cementing for the last few years. If you believe everything you read, Tennessee is being considered just a shade better than Temple after an overblown 5-6 season, but it has to come up with the opening day home win to ease the pressure off Phil Fulmer and his staff with the Florida showdown in two weeks. A win by the Vols would show that things are back to normal in Knoxville.
Why California Might Win: It's the better team. Tennessee can be back to being Tennessee and it still might mean the Bears will come away with the win. The jury is still out on Vol QB Erik Ainge and whether or not he can be a consistent enough passer to be a difference maker in a game like this. He'll be under pressure from the start with the Vol offensive line still a work in progress after trying to get tougher and more physical with a stepped up off-season regimen. The improvement might not matter with All-America DT Brandon Mebane and the the Cal line good enough to control the trenches. There's also rebuilding being done on the Vol defensive front seven. That's not a plus with Marshawn Lynch and the Cal running game certain to be solid right off the bat.
Why Tennessee Might Win: Cal's most impressive road win in the Tedford era came against ....um, uh ... there were a few nice victories against average Arizona State teams, and that's about it. The Bears have gone a mediocre 14-8 on the road over the last four years with most of the wins coming against the basement Pac 10 teams. Is the team ready to step up to the big boy table and win in a place like Neyland Stadium? This is still Tennessee at home, and it's still full of pro prospects and enough talent to beat anyone in America.
Who to Watch: Is Ainge really going to be better now that David Cutcliffe is the offensive coordinator? Yeah, but he'll also get help from an improved receiving corps that should struggle a bit after losing starting corner Tim Mixon for the year with a knee injury. There's no plan B this year if Ainge stinks, so if he's not on, the panic sirens will go off. ... Cal's backup situation is far better. Nate Longshore was finally announced as the starter on Tuesday with the broken leg suffered in last year's season opener fully healed. That doesn't mean he'll play the whole game with last year's starter, Joe Ayoob, improved enough to be in the hunt for playing time.
What Will Happen: This should be fantastic. Tennessee will play far better than it did over the second half of last year, but Cal will be too consistent and too strong on both sides of the ball with the ground game taking over late.
CFN Prediction: California 27 ... Tennessee 24 ... Line: Tennessee -2
Must See Rating: (5 skip the birth of your first born - 1 Pants Off, Dance Off) ... 5
