2011 NFL Draft Recap - Day 1

1st Round
24. New Orleans Saints - Cameron Jordan, DE

With the 24th overall pick, New Orleans chose Cal’s star defensive end Cameron Jordan. Jordan goes to an established contender in New Orleans, who likely vie for playing time at left defensive end slot opposite Will Smith.

I know that many are going to look at where Cameron Jordan was drafted and see it as a slide, and granted, Jordan went lower than where I and most had projected. I had Jordan going in the Top 20, most likely headed to the Patriots or Chargers, thinking few teams would let him drop out much further than that.


So dropping down to the 24th spot wasn’t nearly as much of dramatic slide as some might presume or make it out to be. I will say however, what was surprising was the number of defensive ends who were drafted ahead of Jordan. Heading into the draft, Jordan was considered one of the top defensive end prospects, and ideal at the 5 technique spot.

However, the draft had five defensive ends chosen ahead of Jordan. So I suppose that while it wasn’t much of a slide, I did think there was some undervaluing of Jordan.

Getting too immersed in the talk of a slide however, has us losing sight of how incredibly proud we should be of Cameron Jordan. The guy was a model student-athlete for the Bears, and is now a first round NFL draft pick.

He’s also about to make millions. Holla.

P.S. This also makes it three straight years that the Bears have had a first round draft pick (2009 - Alex Mack, 2010 - Tyson Alualu, Jahvid Best, and now, 2011 - Cameron Jordan).

Congratulations Cameron Jordan!
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Follow the NFL Draft 2011

You can follow my thoughts on the NFL Draft this year by following my twitter here:
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Projecting the 2011 Draft: Free Agents

Yesterday, I looked at the players who were likely to get drafted in the NFL draft beginning on Thursday. Today, I look at some of the players who might slip into the seven round draft, but are more likely to get signed as a free agent as soon as draft finishes.

Chris Conte

A bit like Cameron Jordan, Chris Conte has made a great case for himself starting his senior year. The difference is that Jordan performed his way into the first round, while Conte has gone from being an unknown to giving himself a real shot at playing on Sundays.

Conte was a three year reserve at the cornerback position, and switched to his more natural position at safety beginning towards the end of junior season in practice. After firming up starting role in the offseason, and things really took off for Conte.

Conte ended his senior season on a bang, finishing with first team All Pac-10 honors.

Things got even better for Conte with his combine and pro day numbers. At the combine, Conte ran the forty in 4.52 seconds, and recorded 18 reps on the bench press, along with a 35.5 vertical.

There’s actually more than a strong chance that Conte gets drafted. He’s got prototypical NFL size for a safety (6’2, 200 lbs), and his measurables would put him up with some of the top safety picks. He’s shown he can play a variety of positions, and teams may take a shot with him if they need help at either safety position or some solid depth with special teams.


His sample size of solid play may be a bit too small with just one season as a starter however, and Conte still lacks the ideal fluidity in the hips to be an immediate safe bet against some of league’s premier receivers. Despite always being around the ball, Conte also doesn’t have the level of field vision yet to be considered a ball-hawking safety.

Still, I do think that for the reasons mentioned above, that Conte will almost certainly end up in a team camp if he doesn’t slip into the seventh round.


Jeremy Ross

On paper, Ross has got so many things going for him. The guy has ideal athleticism, size and speed to play at the next level.

Ross ran a blistering 4.4 range in the forty at Cal’s pro day, to go along with an eye popping 39 inches in the vertical. He also put up 22 reps on the bench press. Simply put, he put up the kind of numbers that had scouts saying, “Now’s the time to go and look at some film.”

Therein lies the issue however. Ross was never able to put it all together to be a premier wide receiver for the Bears. Prone to a number of drops early in his career, Ross was known more for his flashes of brilliance, as well as his propensity to hurdle nearly everything and anything in sight. He was more of a role player wide receiver, an at-best 3rd option in multiple wide receiver packages. Ross never topped more than 350 receiving yards in a season, with just 3 collegiate TD catches.

Ross was a bit more productive his senior year before having his year cut short with a season-ending injury. He also was a bit of a revelation at the punt returner position, returning one in junior season and hosting a fairly solid average during his senior season. Ross was also productive on the ground on end arounds.

Still, most NFL teams aren’t drafting today for utility players, instead looking to fill those needs in free agency, which is where I think Ross will end up. He’s going to get a decent look at special teams, and may end up being a decent receiving option if he can show consistency with his hands. Here’s hoping that he can become a bit of a feel-good free agency story much like Verran Tucker last year, who ended up starting a few games with the Chiefs.


Kevin Riley

Coming into the season, when asked about Kevin Riley’s NFL chances, I stated that Riley would have had have had a breakout senior season in order for him to have a shot at getting drafted. Let’s face it: you really have to be an elite player to be an effective NFL quarterback, and Riley’s career at Cal had been too up and down, despite some bright moments.

As we all know, although Riley showed improvement during his senior season, his year was tragically cut short with a season ending injury at OSU. Even prior to his injury, Riley didn’t show quite the breakthrough type of consistent performance to make you think that NFL teams would consider Riley as draftworthy material.

It’s tragic in that Riley displays some of the qualities that you absolutely love from a collegiate quarterback. Riley was a natural leader, a fiery competitor who really improved with every season. For the most part, he took care of the ball, and managed most games fairly well.

He had also shown improvement in nearly every passing category since his first year as a starter.
(via ESPN)

However, he never seemed to get a firm grasp of his delivery, with his accuracy still too inconsistent to considered an NFL quarterback.

I do think there’s still a chance Riley could end up in an NFL camp. He’s got a lot of games under his belt in the Pac-10, and shows good athleticism and size. Still, I do think people underestimate just how difficult it is to make in the NFL as a quarterback. If it doesn’t work out with Riley in the NFL, I think he has a great shot to play in any of the other leagues (AFL, UFL, CFL).
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Projecting the 2011 Draft

The NFL will hold its annual draft on Thursday, and the Golden Bears are looking to continue its rich tradition of sending some very good players to the draft in hopes of making their imprint at the next level.

For the past several years, the Bears have had some pleasant surprises (Alex Mack and Tyson Alualu slipping into the first round) and some draft disappointments (Aaron Rodgers and Desean Jackson’s slides).

This year’s draft appears to be fairly clear with Cameron Jordan, and a bit more uncertain everywhere else. Let’s take a look and see where this blogger thinks these Bears will end up in the draft.

Cameron Jordan

Very few players have done as well in the past year to improve their draft stock as much as Cameron Jordan. Jordan entered his senior season as a player who could slip into the first round depending on his level of play, and is now a possible Top 15 selection.


Jordan’s progress and performance in his senior year and post-season draft process has been remarkable. He put up solid numbers in his senior season (62 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles), showing steady improvement in nearly every statistical category since his freshman year with the Bears. He also turned heads at the Senior Bowl, had impressive workouts at both the combine and Cal’s pro day, while saying all the right things in his interviews with the media and general managers in public and private interviews.



What the pundits are saying:
Jordan appears to be solidly entrenched as a first round draft pick (he’ll be one of the 25 rookies attending the draft on Thursday), but it’s been a bit difficult to project exactly where in that round he’ll go. Some have him pegged as high as somewhere in the Top 15, though few if any have him slipping out of the first round.

My Projection
Jordan seemingly has everything you want in a player to be a stalwart in your defensive line for years to come. Smart, personable, athletic, great natural frame, and is well-equipped with skills from years playing multiple positions in different schemes over his four year playing career with the Bears.

The only two things keeping Jordan from being a Top 10 pick? First, Jordan happens to be stuck in the middle of one of the best defensive end classes in recent history, with a few teams in high need of a pass rusher having a luxury of options. Jordan projects more as a “versus the run” type of defensive end, though he is still incredibly versatile. Secondly, true 5 technique players like Jordan usually don’t go in the first half of the draft.

Still, Jordan is doing everything you possibly can to upset that trend. I’d be surprised if Jordan falls into the bottom third of the first round, as I see him as a natural fit with either the Patriots at #17 or San Diego at #18.

Projection: Mid-First Round

Shane Vereen

Like Justin Forsett, Shane Vereen had a bit more of a quiet, yet productive career than their predecessors (Marshawn Lynch and Jahvid Best respectively), and that will likely mean that both will probably be drafted a bit lower than their value would project.

However, I highly doubt Vereen falls as much as Justin Forsett did, who barely escaped going undrafted after being picked by the Seahawks in the seventh round. And that seems to be working out pretty well for Forsett.

Vereen’s productive career at Cal includes just one full season as the starter, yet there’s enough footage on Vereen for scouts to know what they’re getting in Vereen: a solid, versatile back who will be able to contribute in the run and passing game, as well as with special teams.

Vereen added 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground to bring his collegiate career total to 2,834 yards and 29 scores. He also has 674 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns through the air. Productive. Flat out productive.

Shane Vereen certainly didn’t hurt his stock at the combine. Although running in the 4.4 range would have certainly helped his case, Vereen ran an admirable 4.5 forty, and put up an impressive 31 reps on the bench press, which was the best of any runningback (not counting FBs). Impressive.

What the pundits are saying
While most scouts know that Vereen will be able to contribute to whichever team he’s drafted, many have questions as to whether he’ll be able to be an every down back. Vereen doesn’t have the bulk to be a bruiser, but isn’t in the same range as Jahvid Best or Chris Johnson in terms of speed to be an easy first round pick.

Most projections have Vereen going anywhere from the third round to the fifth round.

My projection
Although some have stated that Vereen could slip into the second round, I don’t think there are too many teams in dire need of a back at this point, nor are there any backs outside of Mark Ingram who are deemed as being first round material. I don’t think too many teams will draft a runningback in the first two rounds unless they’re confident he can be an everydown back.

I think the best case scenario for Vereen to get drafted in the third round, though I do think it’s more likely he gets bumped down to the fourth round, or possibly even the fifth.

I believe Vereen will flourish most with a team who is looking for 1-2 runningback punch, similar to Jamal Charles/Thomas Jones at Kansas City. Many have painted Vereen as a third down back, but I think he’s too versatile and talented to be limited to those situations. I have questions as to whether he can a lead back, but I do think there are a couple of teams out there looking for a solid second option who can play right away.

Prediction: Top of the 4th round

Mike Mohamed

Mike Mohamed is a bit of an interesting and difficult player to project the draft status for because he’s had an interesting career at Cal. Technically only a two-year starter for the Bears, he’s made a case for being the Bears’ best overall linebacker for the past several years.

He has played nearly every linebacker position for the Bears, while seeing his role change a bit with both the scheme and coordinator changes for Cal. That hasn’t stopped him from being productive however, even while played banged up his senior year.

When I think of Mohamed, I think of a smart, instinctive and technically sound player. He isn’t the most athletically gifted, or physically imposing linebackers, but he’s been a defensive stalwart for the Bears the past few seasons while find ways to make the occasional big play.

My Projection
I can see Mohamed getting drafted anywhere from the fifth to the seventh round. While there is also a slight chance that Mohamed falls out of the draft altogether, I do think a look at Mohammed’s footage will reveal that Mohammed has been around the ball far too often in his career for a team not to pick him up somewhere in the draft.

Prediction: Late 6th Round
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Thoughts on QB Battle

In some ways, this post is a long time coming since it’s been a while since Coach Tedford announced that the starting quarterback battle is essentially a three-way race between RS senior Brock Mansion, RS sophomore Allan Bridgford, and Buffalo junior transfer Zach Maynard.

On the other hand, this QB battle is far from being over. Although Tedford has indicated that it could be conceivable that a QB could separate himself by the end of Spring Ball, it will likely be a few weeks into Fall camp before a starter is established.

Below are some thoughts as to what each QB brings to the table, as well as what will be necessary to win the starting job.


Allan Bridgford

Background
Allan Bridgford was one of the highest touted QB recruits of the Tedford era. A four star recruit on both Rivals and Scout, Bridgford finished his senior season rated as high as the 10th best QB in the nation by Rivals.com.

As a three year starter at Mission Viejo High, Bridgford shattered numerous QB records, including the single season record for touchdown passes with 38, previously set by Mark Sanchez who had 29 in 2004. Bridgford finished the 2008 season with over 3000 yards passing.

Other pre-college accomplishments include being an Elite 11 Camp QB (finishing 3rd in the MVP voting), second in the four-day accuracy challenge, and was an US Army All-American selection.

In coming up with my writeup for Bridgford, I stumbled upon my recruiting analysis of Bridgford from two years ago. Here’s what I wrote:

Things to Be Excited About
Bridgford is a fundamentally sound, prototypical pro-passer, in the model of previous Tedford QBs. He features good size, standing at 6’3, 215 pounds and pretty good arm strength, although not quite Kyle Boller-esque. Bridgford has shown about the prettiest touch I’ve seen out of a high school QB in a while. He can really fit the ball just about anywhere, particularly over the heads of linebackers into tight coverage, and is about as accurate as you can ask for. He isn’t much of a threat to take off with the ball, but shows good pocket presence and is quick to throw the ball away if pressured. He is really a timing and rhythm passer, who excels most on short-intermediate routes, and appears to be a smart student of the game.

Areas of Concern
It’s strange, although Bridgford has a quick release, it is a bit of a windup one that makes it seem as if his passes take a bit longer to get out. While displaying good touch, a number of his passes will get picked off at the collegiate level if he can’t show a tad more zip. He also hasn’t shown a big enough arm to be a true vertical threat just yet. As a rhythm passer, Bridgford relies heavily on his timing with his receivers, and can force passes at times if it’s not there, made apparent when he struggled during his Army All-American performance working out with brand new receivers.

Outlook
You can’t help but not feel secure with Bridgford as a future Cal quarterback. Most of all the physical skills are there, and he seems heady enough to be ready to take on Tedford’s offensive system. My estimation is that Bridgford will really challenge for the starting spot in 2011.

Check out his mechanics.

Elite 11: Allan Bridgford @ Rivals Video

Updated Outlook
Bridgford promptly injured his shoulder upon arriving at Cal during a workout, and not much has changed since the time of my original writeup. Of the three quarterbacks, Bridgford is still said to be the most accurate, though questions about his longer throwing motion still exists. Bridgford is also the least mobile of the quarterbacks, and poses little threat as a runner.

He has arguably looked the most consistent of the three quarterbacks but has yet to get any scrimmage snaps with the first team unit, which might greatly skew perceptions of his performance. Reading into Tedford’s quotes on Bridgford, it seems as if Tedford appears to be fairly content with what he’s seen, but is far from impressed enough yet to hand over the keys to Bridgford. He likely shares a lot of concerns about Bridgford in terms of throwing motion as well as his command of the offense, given that these are the most significant snaps Bridgford has received in over two years.

My prediction however is that Bridgford will enter fall camp as one of the top two quarterbacks, with a real shot at being the starter at some point this season.

Zach Maynard

Background
As most know by now, Maynard is Keenan Allen’s half-brother and was part of a package deal that had Maynard transferring to Cal from Buffalo after Turner Gill’s departure, along with Allen who had then been an Alabama soft verbal.

Maynard wasn’t the most highly sought after prospect out of Grimsley High School in Greensboro, NC, but passed and rushed for more than a combined 3,000 yards and 34 scores in his senior season. His athleticism helped him become a starter by his sophomore season in 2009 at Buffalo. He completed 218 of 379 passes (57.5%) for 2,694 yards and 18 TDs with 15 interceptions. He also had 455 yards on the ground, along with a rushing score.

Things to be excited about
Maynard is easily the Bears’ most athletic quarterback. He is the Bears’ most mobile and best running threat of a quarterback since Aaron Rodgers. He has always been able to rush for a good chunk of yards, and has made plays with his feet in spring ball, whether by design or by improvisation.

It’s obvious that Maynard is an incredibly intriguing prospect to Tedford. Take this quote that Tedford had on Maynard:

“He’s doing really well. He throws the ball with authority. He’s understanding more every day of what goes on. He’s a really quick learner. He’s the guy that can make a difference wit his legs. He can run. Everyday is something new for him. When we’re starting to repeat things, he’s getting it. We put a lot in. The more repetitions he gets, the better he gets every day."

Tedford’s interest in Maynard isn’t a surprise. Maynard has a full year of experience starting at the FBS level, is the most athletic of the QB candidates, can make all the throws, and presents a running threat that might open up the playbook for the Bears in some tantalizing ways. It’s been reported that Maynard has taken the most snaps out of the gun in practice, and has also kept the ball more in some designed QB roll outs. It also helps that Maynard has the best rapport both on and off the field with the Bears’ best offensive weapon in Keenan Allen.

Areas of Concern
Maynard didn’t exactly light the Mid-American conference on fire in his one season as the starter. It’s hard to hold anyone’s first year as a starter against them, but I think it is a legitimate question as to whether Maynard has the stuff to be a starting quarterback in the Pac-12 if he were to replicate the level of up-and-down play he had at Buffalo.

What also hurts Maynard is his lack of experience with Tedford’s playbook. He is going to be a bit behind the eight ball in familiarity with the offense, and has some catching up to do. In Tedford’s mind, this appears to the biggest hindrance to Maynard stepping out and really showing what he can do.

Outlook
I think that Maynard is intriguing enough of a prospect that he’ll enter fall camp taking either first or second-team snaps. He’s been getting most of the first team snaps as of late, though his play has been erratic. There’s a bit of breathing room with Maynard in terms of allowing him to get his feet under him and get comfortable with the offense, but his play in scrimmages will have to be markedly improved in the fall for him to continue to get the bulk of first team reps.

Brock Mansion

Background
Most fans are fairly familiar with Mansion at this point. A touted Elite 11 QB prospect from Dallas, Texas, Mansion led his team to a state title during his senior year. Owner of one of the coolest QB names in Cal history, Mansion has spent a majority of his career at Cal as a backup.

Mansion was rushed into duty last season, taking over for an injured Kevin Riley in the OSU game. Mansion went on to start the final four games of the season, where the Bears stumbled to a 1-3 record.

Things to be excited about
Mansion returns as the most veteran quarterback on the Cal roster in terms of starts with the Bears. Both he and the staff are hopeful that his experience as a starter last year will prove to be invaluable moving forward. Tedford has stated that there’s a clear difference in terms of poise, command of the offense, and ball handling when Mansion is taking snaps.

While Mansion isn’t quite as quick-footed as Maynard, he is still a fairly mobile quarterback for his 6’5 frame, and is capable of pulling the ball down and running. Any thoughts of utilizing the quarterback more in the running game wouldn’t completely be thrown out the window with Mansion under center.

Mansion probably also has the strongest arm of three quarterbacks. The guy can absolutely uncork the ball, and is capable of making every throw on the field. The zip on some of his passes is pretty impressive.

Check out his first scoring drive last year.


Areas of Concern
In sum, you’re concerned if you think Mansion has made little improvement since his junior season. Here’s what I wrote following the Washington loss last season:

At this point, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen all there is to see with Brock Mansion. I feel the sample size is large enough with 4 starts including one road game and three at home (and at OSU game where he played a majority of the game). He’s played against very good defenses, and poor ones. He’s had a full month as the starter, and I’m just not seeing it with him.



I really have nothing bad to say about Brock Mansion as a student athlete. By all accounts, he’s an upstanding individual, a total team player, and works his tail off on and off the field.



Yet, if you take in what you’ve seen over the last month, how can you really put your confidence in him as next year’s starting quarterback?



Mansion was just 12 for 22 for 92 yards and an interception. Most of his completions came on quick screens and swing passed that went for little no yardage, and I really saw only two passes in the game I was impressed with. Mansion can deliver beautiful passes when he sets his feet, but he doesn’t have the field vision nor the pocket awareness at this point to set himself up for success.

I’m not sure my opinion has changed all that much. A part of me is actually really pulling for Brock, and is hoping that the light goes on for him much in the same way it has for a number of senior quarterbacks.

But another part of me still feels I have a good sense as to what we’re going to get with Mansion: an athletic quarterback who can make all the throws, but doesn’t show the consistency to do that enough when needed.

Again, I hate to keep pulling up last year’s games against him, as he was clearly unready to lead the team, but his numbers speak for themselves. Mansion completed just 48.9 percent of his passes with 2 TDs (one coming on a hook at lateral) and 5 interceptions. He averaged under 130 yards per game passing, and his 85.5 passer rating wouldn’t put in him the Top 100 in the nation in that category. Again, his games weren’t under the most ideal circumstances, but as a redshirt junior, it’s hard to be pleased about those numbers.

Outlook
I think Mansion will prove to be a valuable asset to the team next year, just not as a starter. I wouldn’t rule him out, as there’s still a chance for him to be in the starter conversation midway through fall camp. Yet, I think if Bridgford and Maynard show any consistency, they might prove to be too intriguing of prospects to deny taking a chance on.
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Cal Football 2011 Schedule Thoughts

Cal's schedule was officially released a few weeks ago, but I'm just getting around to mentioning anything about it. Here's the schedule below.

Day, Date - Opponent (Time, TV)
Sat., Sept. 3 - Fresno State (TBA)
Sat., Sept. 10 - at Colorado (TBA)
Sat., Sept. 17 - Presbyterian (TBA)
Sat., Sept. 24 - at Washington (TBA)
Thu., Oct. 6 - at Oregon (6 p.m. PT, ESPN)
Thu., Oct. 13 - USC (6 p.m. PT, ESPN)
Sat., Oct. 22 - Utah (TBA)
Sat., Oct. 29 - at UCLA (TBA)
Sat., Nov. 5 - Washington State (TBA)
Sat., Nov. 12 - Oregon State (TBA)
Sat., Nov. 19 - at Stanford (TBA)
Sat., Nov. 26 - at Arizona State (TBA)

After the jump, some quick thoughts.


We all knew the Bears had a bit of a funky schedule this year, what with Memorial Stadium under renovation and all the games being played at ATT park and all. With that said, there's a little extra funkiness in store for this upcoming season.

Sat., Sept. 3 - Fresno State
The Bears open their season playing the Fresno State bulldogs at a "neutral" game site at Candlestick Park. This is a game that FSU and head coach Pat Hill have been pining for for quite some time now, and it appears they'll get their wish. Really, this game probably wouldn't have happened had the Bears not been in such a rush to try and get a full schedule together this year. The challenges with the stadium reconstruction had made it difficult for the Bears to be picky about their opponents this year, and the Bulldogs willingly jumped at the chance to play the Bears.

As for the venue, the game will be held at in one of the worst stadiums in the country in my opinion. Perhaps it's the stench of the Niners performance there the last ten years or so, but I really do not enjoy watching games there. Transportation getting to and from the stadium is a pain and the stadium offers nothing in terms of comfort, views, or amenities. And let's just hope whoever is QBing for the Bears that day doesn't have to deal with the strong winds that can swirl through the stadium.

The Bulldogs themselves should make for a suitable opponent. They're competitive enough to offer a stiff challenge, yet far from daunting. The game should provide a good sense of where the Bears are in their development.

Sat., Sept. 10 - at Colorado (TBA)
Another weird game in that the Bears face off against a new Pac-12 conference opponent in a non-conference game. The Buffaloes were reportedly trying to get out of this one after joining the Pac-12 in the offseason, but it made more sense for them financially to stick it out.

Now that there Buffaloes have shed themselves of Dan Hawkins, I expect them to be better. I thought they had shown some signs of competitive play last season, despite their uncompetitive showing in Memorial Stadium last year. Plus, going on the road to Boulder against a team seeking revenge is never an easy task.

Still, the Buffaloes are still a ways away from being a truly dangerous team, and the Bear should walk out with a win in this one.

Sat., Sept. 17 - Presbyterian (TBA)
Yes, the legendary and storied Presbyterian Blue Hose program will face the Bears in their first meeting at ATT park. Blue Hose's alumni include President Barack Obama, NFL greats Peyton Manning and Barry Sanders, as well as pop sensations Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.

Sat., Sept. 24 - at Washington (TBA)
For the first time in a while, Washington won't be Cal's final opponents of the season. The Bears will pick up right where they left off, after their last meeting with Huskies ended with a heart-breaking loss on the last play that sent the Huskies to the Holiday Bowl and the Bears sitting home for the bowl season for the first time in Jeff Tedford's tenure.

The media will have an easy job selling this one, freely opting between the revenge/redemption angle, or going with the conference opener story.

Jake Locker is gone, as are some veteran defenders in Mason Foster, but the Huskies will still feature one of the better runningbacks in the conference in Chris Polk who should contend for all-conference honors next year. Plus, why does it seem like it's been an eternity since the Bears have had nice memories in Husky Stadium?

Thu., Oct. 6 - at Oregon (6 p.m. PT, ESPN)
The Bears will have a few extra days to prepare for this one, which is about the best possible situation in preparing to face the Ducks, other than coming out of a bye. The Ducks offense takes a bit of extra time to prepare for, in terms of both conditioning and gameplanning.

Cal faces the Ducks on national television, getting the Thursday night ESPN2 slot. Unfortunately for the Bears, when they play on ESPN, bad things happen.

To make matters worse, the Ducks are again the conference favorites next year, and as we all know, Autzen is historically one of the tougher venues to play at. Oh, and the Bears were walloped their 42-3, the last time they played there. Hurray!

Thu., Oct. 13 - USC (6 p.m. PT, ESPN)
The craziness continues, as the Bears continue their Thursday night ESPN tour with a game against the USC Trojans. Unfortunately, the Bears' last couple of meetings against the Trojans haven't ended well, to stay in the least.

Despite the Bears postseason and recruiting restrictions, the Trojans still feature the best athletes in the conference. It's hard to get excited for this one given the Bears' woes against USC, but hey, perhaps there will be a 8 year anniversary special of the last time the Bears beat the Trojans in Memorial stadium. Wait, they'll be playing at AT&T. Blast!

Sat., Oct. 22 - Utah (TBA)
The Bears come off their bye to square off against new Pac-12 foe Utah. The last time the Bears played the Utes, they were beaten in the Poinsettia Bowl. Notice a theme here? Revenge tour!

While I highly doubt the Utes will go through a Pac-12 schedule unscathed like they did so many years in the Mountain West, they're still a well-coached competitive team with a nice quarterback in Jordan Wynn. It should be a competitive game, and fun one to watch.

Sat., Oct. 29 - at UCLA (TBA)
Ahh the Bruins. Far be it from me to begin taking things for granted, but the Bears have absolutely owned the Bruins the past few years. And after breaking the Rose Bowl curse (not THAT one), I can't find myself getting too worried about this one.

Sat., Nov. 5 - Washington State (TBA)
What does it say when I find myself more scurred of Cougs than the Bruins? I really do believe this will be the year that Cougars win more than one conference game. They were fairly competitive in almost their games last year, nearly taking down the Bears in Pullman last year.

With that said, the Bears should still handle Wazzu.

Sat., Nov. 12 - Oregon State (TBA)
Jeebus, it's been a while since the Bears have beaten OSU. I keep saying, "This will be the year," every year as the Beavers usually look mediocre on paper each season, only to go on a conference ass kicking from the mid season on (with the exception of last year).

But you know what? I think this is the year.

Sat., Nov. 19 - at Stanford (TBA)
It's been a while since the Bears had their asses handed to them by the Furd like they did last year. I don't know how much added motivation that will be for a team facing their rivals. But here's hoping to the Bears showing up more than they did last year.

The Furd lose Jim Harbaugh and some veteran offensive lineman, but still have one of the best QBs in the land in Andrew Luck. I'm doubtful that the Furd will have the level of success they did this past season, but they should still be a very good team who will likely be favored in this matchup.

Sat., Nov. 26 - at Arizona State (TBA)
The media's sexy pick to contend for a conference championship, the Sun Devils finish their season against the Bears. The Sun Devils were 6-6 last year, but people are excited out in Tempe. You might ask, "Why? Isn't Dennis Erickson still the head coach?"

Well the optimistic fans will tell you they have a lot going for them. ASU was competitive in most of their losses, mere points away from knocking off Wisconsin, OSU, Stanford, and USC (their worst loss coming to the Bears actually). They also return one of the conference's more solid defenses and one of the nation's more fearsome defenders in Vontaze Burfict. Brock Osweiler looked promising after taking over for Steven Threet last season, and the schedule looks doable.

This blogger isn't sold however, and think the Bears may should have a solid shot if they decide to show up.

Well there you have it folks. It's a funky schedule for a funky season. Here's hoping the results aren't as funky.
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Tevin Carter Leaves Team

(via CaliforniaGoldenBlogs)

There were a few big stories yesterday which I'll touch upon in a couple of posts.

The first of which is the news that redshirt freshman wide receiver Tevin Carter has left the team.

While there are some unsubstantiated stories as to why Carter has left the team, all we have so far is this quote from Coach Jeff Tedford.

"He's finished here, which is unfortunate," Tedford said. "I don't know if he had a passion to play football anymore... he doesn't know if he wants to play football."


This has to be disappointing for all involved. I for one, had big hopes for Carter, a prized recruit from last year's Cal class. Carter had a freakish blend of size, speed (he was a track star), and athleticism. He was expected to contribute heavily this year and battle for some significant playing time.

Needless to say, Carter's career with Bears is over before it ever really took off, but I wish Tevin the very best in his future and with what he decides. No word yet as to whether he will stay enrolled at Cal and get his degree, but as Ted Miller reports, Carter has not asked for a release so that he can transfer schools.

In terms of long term plans for the team, while the Bears are likely set at their starting WR positions with Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen, it will be interesting to see who moves into the 3rd and 4th spots in the WR rotation. Expect RS frosh Kaelin Clay to play a lot, with senior Michael Calvin pushing for the 4th spot alongside senior Coleman Edmond who got limited playing time last year as a junior transfer.

Wide Receiver recruiting also becomes a much higher priority this season, with Jones, Calvin, and Edmond all graduating at the end of this season. The Bears would only be left with Clay, Allen, incoming frosh Maurice Harris, Terrance Montgomery, and a few walk-ons in Jackson Bouza and Spencer Hagan.
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>