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Which WAC program is happiest to see Boise State leave for greener pastures? Can we have a three-way tie? If so, in alphabetical order, it goes Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada – one team that’s been stymied at every turn by the Broncos, another that tasted brief success in 2007 and a third that won the battle but lost the war a season ago. So who wins when Boise leaves for the Mountain West? Those three win, at least in 2011 – come 2012, it’ll be the same old days all over again, once the Bulldogs, Warriors and Wolf Pack rejoin the big, bad Broncos, recommencing the battle for second which defined the WAC over the last half-decade.

That’s a happy, optimistic little paragraph, isn’t it? And it takes an outsider, someone not associated with the three above programs, to ignore the opportunity that awaits in 2011 and look towards a tougher road a year in the future. The opportunity: an outright conference title. Imagine, if you would, a team other than Boise State taking home the WAC. It’s not so easy to picture, is it?

Most likely to succeed

Hawaii As noted in yesterday’s Hawaii preview, that the Warriors enter 2011 with more issues surrounding the offense than the defense bodes well for this team’s chances. One thing we know about U.H. is that the offense is going to roll, even an offense that needs to rebuild up front and locate at least three additional options at receiver. That’s because the system is locked in; having a great quarterback helps, but even if the Warriors were breaking in a new starter under center the offense would score points in bunches. And the defense is good enough to carry the water while the new faces break into larger roles. Hawaii might not win another 10 games, but this team is the best in the conference.

Most likely to struggle

New Mexico State Who else could it be? At least San Jose State seems to have a plan: the Spartans are going to run with the youngsters and look ahead to 2012 and 2013. The Aggies have a nice coach in DeWayne Walker, but even he doesn’t seem to have a grasp on the situation at this moribund program. New Mexico State is on its third offensive coordinator in as many years; have no offensive skill players of consequence; lost an all-WAC cornerback; have a gaping hole at nose tackle; and worse yet, get San Jose State on the road. It’s going to be another ugly season.

Most likely to start ugly, finish with style

Nevada Few non-B.C.S. conference programs start with a tougher September. Hey, at least the Wolf Pack have a bye on the first Saturday of the season. From there, however, Nevada takes on Oregon, San Jose State – well, that’s a win – Texas Tech and Boise State, all on the road. That’s 1-3, more than likely. The Wolf Pack are a lock for at least six wins the rest of the way, however, with Hawaii and Fresno State really the only teams capable of scoring with Nevada.

The WAC favorite in 2012

Louisiana Tech By default? Maybe. But the Bulldogs are definitely improving under Sonny Dykes, and even if the soon-to-be-departed threesome hung around the WAC for another year or two I wouldn’t doubt Tech’s ability to take home the conference crown in the near future. The key for the Bulldogs will be landing the sort of recruits needed to run this Air Raid system. But Tech is still growing, and should be better in 2011 before standing as the WAC’s best heading into next season. And yes, at least partially by default.

Best coach

Chris Ault, Nevada It’s not just the body of work, but what Ault and Nevada have achieved over the last the six years: no outright conference titles, but 51 wins, a program-record 13 a year ago. Nor can you ignore how innovative his Pistol offense has been, nor how it has spread through the F.B.S. in a very short span of time. The offense will be put to the test this fall without Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua leading the way, but in theory, the Pistol will rack up yardage regardless of whether it’s an all-American or a fifth-year senior running the show.

Offensive player of the year

Bryant Moniz, Hawaii Now that Kellen Moore and Kaepernick have left the conference, Moniz can step into the void as the WAC’s first-team quarterback. Only the above duo could knock a 5,000-yard passer off that team, it seems. Moniz was the centerpiece of last year’s offense despite great seasons from Alex Green, Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares. We’ll see that proven in 2011, as Moniz will continue to lead the nation in passing despite a new offensive line, a new starting running back and only one leading receiver back in the fold. If Moniz isn’t the WAC’s best offensive player, it might be his new favorite target, Hawaii receiver Royce Pollard.

Defensive player of the year

Corey Paredes, Hawaii I don’t want to give the Warriors too much love at the expense of the rest of the conference, but if the pick isn’t Paredes, then who? Utah State’s Bobby Wagner is a good linebacker, but the Aggies won’t be stout enough in the first season running the 3-4 to have Wagner as the best defender in the conference. I wonder if Fresno State’s Logan Harrell will be equally productive without Chris Carter drawing attention at end. James-Michael Johnson will again pace the Nevada defense, but will he do enough statistically to warrant a vote? The clear answer is Paredes, who makes tackles, interceptions and big plays for the Warriors.

Five biggest non-conference games

Nevada at Oregon Sept. 10
Nevada at Boise State Oct. 1
Hawaii at Washington Sept. 10
Nevada at Texas Tech Sept. 24
Fresno State at Nebraska Sept. 10

Five biggest conference games

Hawaii at Nevada Nov. 12
Fresno State at Hawaii Nov. 20
Fresno State at Nevada Oct. 22
Hawaii at Louisiana Tech Oct. 1
Louisiana Tech at Nevada Nov. 19

Projected order of finish

Hawaii
Nevada
Fresno State
Louisiana Tech
Utah State 
Idaho
San Jose State
New Mexico State

It’s been more than a month since Tom Harding finally got his hands on that elusive trophy.

You know, the shiny gold one reserved for the top baseball team in the state.

The ultimate prize that every team sets out to attain when practice begins in March.

The luster hasn’t worn off the trophy and the smile hasn’t left Harding’s face.

His Honaker Tigers are the Virginia High School League Group A, Division 2 champions.

“It’s great,” Harding said. “No doubt about it. It’s a big, big thing. People are not over that yet. This has been a great thing for the community.”

For Harding, the state championship trophy was 41 years in the making and how he earned it couldn’t have been dreamed up by the most creative of Hollywood screen writers.

On the morning of June 10 he was on the operating table getting two stents put in after suffering a heart attack. Twenty-four hours later, he was in the dugout at Radford University to see his team take the title.

“Coach Harding is a legacy at Honaker,” said Tiger pitcher Chaz Miller. “I don’t care how long Honaker exists, nobody will replace Tom Harding. … He is Honaker baseball.”

He’s also the Bristol Herald Courier’s 2011 baseball coach of the year.

Four decades of excellence

Richard M. Nixon was in the White House, Lew Alcindor and the Milwaukee Bucks were NBA champions and “Dirty Harry” was one of the year’s biggest hit movies.

Also in 1971, young Tom Harding was in his first season as Honaker’s head coach, playing games at a spartan facility and learning the ropes.

“I remember we wouldn’t let anybody slide because we played on a shale field pretty much,” Harding said. “It’s where the outfield is now at our place. You can still see a little bit of the old infield. … It was uphill to first base, then downhill to second base. When you got to third you ran uphill to home.”

The facilities improved and Harding’s team quickly became a contender.

He’s coached different generations of Tiger players.

He’s coached in three different districts – the Clinch Valley, Hogoheegee and Black Diamond.

He’s won more than 500 career games.

He’s loved every minute of it.

“It’s been a real experience,” Harding said. “Through all that, the kids have always been super and always been hard workers. I thank God all the time that I’ve been able to be where I am for this long.”

In Harding’s four-plus decades of calling the shots, Honaker’s had just three losing seasons.

There was one thing missing from the resume however. That state title.

Oh, Harding had come close before.

In 2009, his team dropped a 4-3 decision to Gate City in the state semifinals.

The year before, the Tigers lost 7-6, at home, to James River in the quarterfinals.

Many of his teams in the 1980s and 1990s were competitive but came up empty.

The Tigers finally put it all together this year, relying on a group of five determined seniors and their veteran coach.

Perfect Ending

At Honaker High School’s practice prior to the state semifinals, Harding felt some tightness in his chest.

He took some nitroglycerin tablets, but those didn’t help too much.

So late Thursday night the pain became too much and he told his wife, Jo, they needed to head to Bristol Regional Medical Center.

“They did some blood work and came back and said, ‘well you’ve had a heart attack,’ ” Harding said. “I’m wanting to know if I could get out of there pretty quick. They said ‘no, we’ll have to admit you. It could be more serious than we can tell, so we’re going to have to get in and look.’ So, getting in there and looking around; it’s not a good feeling when you hear that.”

They scheduled the procedure for Friday, around the same time Honaker played Appomattox County in the state semifinals. Alex Zachwieja, Harding’s assistant coach of more than two decades, was at the helm and the Tigers rolled to a 21-1 victory.

“I got out of the cath lab and went back to the room,” Harding said. “Of course the family was there and the first thing my wife said well, it’s 19-0. I said, ‘What?’ She said Honaker’s winning, 19-0. I said good grief, this anesthesia is getting to me. 19-0? I was really worried about Appomattox.”

Harding got out of the hospital the next day, hopped in the car and headed up Interstate 81 to Radford for Honaker’s final showdown with J.J. Kelly. He arrived in the sixth inning, waiting out a long lightning and rain delay in the press box.

He finally made his way down to the field in the seventh inning, watching from the dugout as Miller recorded a strikeout to seal the 16-9 victory.

“I’m glad we did it,” Miller said. “I was glad I’m a part of it and I could help. He deserved it. That’s all there is to it.”

The 69-year-old Harding isn’t sure if he’ll return to the bench for a 42^nd season. Right now he’s still enjoying that state title.

Quieting the critics

Honaker heard the criticisms all year, mostly from the alleged know-it-alls that frequent local prep sports message boards.

“The Tigers played in a weak district.” “They benefitted from a mild schedule.” “They never could get it done in the postseason.”

Those catcalls were heard over and over all spring.

They’ve quieted down now.

Honaker went 7-1 against teams from the highly-touted Clinch Mountain District.

The Tigers beat the Region C, Region B and Region D champions in the state tournament.

“I don’t know whether we’ve laid too much to rest or not,” Harding said. “But that’s OK.”

This much is certain: Honaker is the state champ. There’s no arguing that.

“I had all the confidence in the world in them,” Harding said.

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The Secondary Six’s Twitter fiasco moves forward. Sadly, the Twitter Egg is gone, replaced by the conference name is giant blue letters.  The conference tried to move forward by posting a link to their Facebook page, which of course was actually a link to the North Dakota Hockey Facebook page.

The good news is the Secondary Six was able to become a trending topic on Twitter immediately following the announcement, thanks in most part to everyone saying, “That’s seriously what they picked?” If only Twitter had existed back in the 1930′s so the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei could have said, “At least we’re trending!”

The Secondary Six also started their first ever meme with the now-deleted “We are exciting to announce the formation of the NCHC.” An error North Dakota sports information director Jayson Hajdu blamed on North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol mistyping. At the very least, today’s face-palming errors leave no question which school is driving the bus for the Secondary Six. The question is what direction are they heading in?

The WCHA and CCHA officially responded to today’s press conference. Here is the WCHA’s release, and the CCHA’s release. It’s probably the best they could have done considering the circumstances.

The event today was hosted by Bobby Goldwater of the Goldwater Group and Stafford Sports. Goldwater has a pretty sketchy track record to say the least.

Brad Schlossman brought up the fact that today’s press conference was so short because of the hour of interviews planned afterwards. I guess I forgot how much this group struggles to do things in public and has to work behind closed doors.

So when NBC/Versus starts researching the viability of putting the Secondary Six on their network, hopefully they don’t look at websites that they actually own. Not that NBC has the editorial synchronicity of Fox News, but it still doesn’t look good.

Paralyzed Rutgers University football player Eric LeGrand has posted two photographs of himself standing during physical therapy.

The photos appeared Wednesday on LeGrand’s Twitter account. LeGrand tweeted that he’s “standing up little by little” and “standing tall, we can’t fall.”

His mother is with him in the photos.

LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down while making a tackle on a kickoff return against Army on Oct. 16 at New Meadowlands Stadium.

The 20-year-old has said he believes he will walk again.

California has spent the last 88 years at good old Memorial Stadium, where you can sit and watch the game for free on Tightwad Hill if money’s tight — just don’t wear a red shirt, if you please. The streak ends this fall, due to some much-needed renovations at the home field: Cal will play its home games at San Francisco’s AT&T Park in 2011, marking the first time since the 1923 Big Game that the Golden Bears won’t host opposition in Berkeley. How will this affect Cal’s season? Will fans come to AT&T Park, particularly students? That’s a big question, as while only 25 miles separate the university from the field that’s a long way to go for many fans accustomed to rolling out of bed and into the stands at Memorial Stadium — or onto the dirt on Tightwad Hill.

Conference
Pac-12, South

Location
Berkeley, Calif.

Nickname
Golden Bears

Returning starters
12 (7 offense, 5 defense)

Last year’s ranking
No. 35

2010 record
(5-7, 3-6)

Last years
re-ranking
No. 73

2011 schedule

• Sept. 3
  Fresno St. (in San Francisco)
• Sept. 10
  at Colorado
• Sept. 17
  Presbyterian
• Sept. 24
  at Washington
• Oct. 6
  at Oregon
• Oct. 13
  U.S.C.
• Oct. 22
  Utah
• Oct. 29
  at U.C.L.A.
• Nov. 5
  Washington St.
• Nov. 12
  Oregon St.
• Nov. 19
  at Stanford
• Nov. 25
  at Arizona St.

Last years prediction

The big question, as was the case last season, is the defense. There are a few players to replace at each level, particularly in the secondary. The good news is that Cal has players ready to step up; along the line, for instance, Cameron Jordan is poised for a big season. Until it shows improvement, however — and we might not be able to tell until the heart of Pac-10 play — the defense remains a concern. Altogether, Cal is very good team, one easily capable of landing a spot in the Top 25. Much, if not all, depends on how the Bears fare during their tough stretch of Pac-10 road games from late September through early November.

2010 recap

In a nutshell For the first time under Jeff Tedford, Cal failed to reach bowl play. And no, it was not because of a questionable defense. Not in the least: Cal finished the year ranked 18th nationally in total defense, 21st against the pass, 21st in sacks and 17th on third down. So my concerns were woefully unfounded; where I really erred, however, was in projecting this offense to return to its 2008 form. Nope, that didn’t happen. The Golden Bears took a significant step back from 2009, even, scoring only 310 points, significantly less than the program’s next-worst offensive showing under Tedford. It was the defense that kept Cal in games against Oregon, Arizona and Washington; it was the offense that lost those games. That’s extremely frustrating, especially since Cal first made its way into the top half of the Pac-12 thanks to Tedford’s deft offensive touch.

High point I’d guess Colorado, as that 52-7 win not only pushed Cal to 2-0 but also led many to believe the offense would live up to expectations. The year’s best performance, however, came in a 50-17 dismantling of Arizona State on Oct. 23. That was Cal’s last home win on the year, and will be the last win at Memorial Stadium until at least 2012.

Low point Three losses by a field goal or less. There’s Arizona, a 10-9 loss, and Washington, a 16-13 loss, but Cal fans will always remember how close the Bears came to unseating then-No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 13. It wasn’t just the two-point loss but the way it came about: Cal had a 24-yard field goal called back in the fourth quarter due to an illegal motion penalty against the kicker — the kicker! — and had that same kicker miss the ensuing 29-yard try. In all, Cal dropped three straight home games to end the regular season. And before I forget, I should add that the Bears lost to Stanford.

Tidbit Cal’s seven losses in 2010 came against teams that combined to go 64-27 on the season. Three of those teams, Nevada, Oregon and Stanford, combined to go 37-3, and only one, Oregon State, failed to reach bowl play.

Tidbit (Big Game edition)  Cal’s 34-point loss to Stanford in the Big Game was only the program’s second loss in the series since Tedford’s arrival in 2002. But the margin of defeat was Cal’s largest since losing to Cardinal by 41 points in 1930. It’s the third-largest in the rivalry’s history, joining the 1930 loss and a 41-6 loss in 1926.

Tidbit (100-word preview edition) It’s that time again. Here’s how it works: I give you a quiz question; you become the first person to answer the question; you win the opportunity to pen a 100-word preview of your favorite team when it appears on the Countdown. Get it? Good. Here’s the question:

Cal alumni Aaron Rodgers and Desmond Bishop won Super Bowl rings with the Green Bay Packers this past January. That the pair participated in the game at all gave Cal at least one representative in each of the last 10 Super Bowls. Can you name the Cal players who have played in the Super Bowl, whether their teams won or lost, over the last 10 years?

Teams already spoken for California (Katster), Iowa (M Meyer), Mississippi (Flint Foster), Nebraska (Alex Payne), Northwestern (NUwildcat09), Oregon (Eksynyt), Pittsburgh (htp2012), Texas (Burnt Orange), Texas A&M (Ol’ Rock), Washington (Dr. Klahn).

Former players in the N.F.L.

38 LB Lorenzo Alexander (Washington), DT Tyson Alualu (Jacksonville), CB Nnamdi Asomugha (Oakland), LB Tully Banta-Cain (New England), RB Jahvid Best (Detroit), LS David Binn (San Diego), LB Desmond Bishop (Green Bay), QB Kyle Boller (Oakland), S Chris Conte (Chicago), OG Brian Del La Puente (New Orleans), S Thomas DeCoud (Atlanta), LB Zack Follett (Detroit), RB Justin Forsett (Seattle), LB Scott Fujita (Cleveland), OG Mike Gibson (Seattle), S Matt Giordano (New Orleans), TE Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta), P Nick Harris (Detroit), WR Lavelle Hawkins (Tennessee), CB Dante Hughes (San Diego), WR DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia), DE Cameron Jordan (New Orleans), LS L.P. LaDouceur (Dallas), K Ryan Longwell (Minnesota), RB Marshawn Lynch (Seattle), C Alex Mack (Cleveland), DT Brandon Mebane (Seattle), LB Mike Mohamed (Denver), TE Cameron Morrah (Seattle), OT Ryan O’Callaghan (Kansas City), QB Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay), TE Craig Stevens (Tennessee), LS Nick Sundberg (Washington), OT Mike Tepper (Indianapolis), CB Syd’Quan Thompson (Denver), WR Verran Tucker (Kansas City), R Shane Vereen (New England), OT Langston Walker (Oakland).

Arbitrary top five list

Writers with California-Berkeley ties, with notable work
1. Jack London, Call of the Wild.
2. William Vollmann, Europe Central.
3. Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking.
4. Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle.
5. Beverly Cleary, Dear Mr. Henshaw.

Coaching

Jeff Tedford (Fresno State ’83), 72-42 over nine seasons in Berkeley. His winning percentage (63.2) is the third best in school history, trailing only Andy Smith (79.9 from 1916-25) and Pappy Waldorf (67.0 from 1947-56). Tedford turned Cal into a winner so quickly 7-5 his first season that many have overlooked the situation he inherited. The program went 16-39 over the five seasons before his arrival — the forgettable Tom Holmoe era — bottoming out at 1-10 in 2001. The Bears have experienced nearly unprecedented success under the former Oregon offensive coordinator, finishing nationally ranked in four of the last seven seasons. How has he done it? With a dynamic offense, for starters, one typically paced by his latest project under center. Sometimes, however, his Golden Bears ride the running game, not their quarterback, illustrating Teford’s flexibility and penchant for adapting to his personnel – the mark of a top offensive mind. Prior to serving as the offensive coordinator under Mike Bellotti at Oregon, Tedford coached six years at his alma mater (1992-1997), the first year as quarterbacks coach and the final five as offensive coordinator. In 2006, the Bears were co-Pac-10 champions with Southern California. Cal is 5-2 in bowl games under Tedford, making him the only head coach in the history of the program with more than two bowl victories. And, most importantly, Tedford is 7-2 in the Big Game; Cal lost seven straight to Stanford prior to his arrival. You cannot overestimate what that means to the Cal fan base. And no, I dont think the bloom is off the rose. He needs a winning season, but the program would be foolish to place Tedford on the hot seat.

Tidbit (coaching edition) It’s not a coincidence that Cal’s finest seasons offensively came when Tedford himself was calling plays, which he did over his first three years with the program. After relinquishing those duties, by and large, in the years since, Tedford will go back to calling plays for the Bears in 2011. New-old face Jim Michalczik is back in Berkeley, where he coached from 2002-8, after spending the last two years as the offensive line coach with the Oakland Raiders. Michalczik will do the same with Cal while adding the offensive coordinator title, and while Tedford will call plays he’ll have a role in game-planning. Tedford also added former Wyoming offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo as his quarterbacks coach, which should free up some time for Tedford to focus on play-calling.

Players to watch

Is the receiver combination of senior Marvin Jones and sophomore Keenan Allen’s the Pac-12’s best? It’s safe to make that statement, in my mind: Jones (48 receptions for 756 yards) is steady, while Allen (496 yards receiving, 136 yards rushing) is a ticking time bomb — a threat for six whenever he touches the ball, a receiver built in the same mold as DeSean Jackson. Is Allen quite that good? Well, few players can quite match Jackson’s explosiveness, but Allen is clearly poised for a big-time 2011 season. This pair will do much of the heavy lifting in the passing game, with Coleman Edmond, Michael Calvin (13 receptions for 147 yards) and Kaelin Clay the leading reserves. Anthony Miller (13 for 152) headlines a thin group of tight ends, one made thinner by Spencer Ladner’s knee injury. Cal has the receivers to make the passing game work; does Cal have anyone who can get them the ball?

Former Buffalo transfer Zach Maynard, Allens half-brother, got the nod at quarterback in May, outplaying senior Brock Mansion and sophomore Allan Bridgford for the starting role. Mansion had his shot last fall, when he replaced an injured Kevin Riley, but did not do enough during his starting duty to warrant holding onto the spot. As the starter at Buffalo in 2009, Maynard threw for 2,694 yards and 18 scores against 15 interceptions; not great numbers, but there’s clearly potential here. Maynard is also an adept runner, which might give this offense a new look under Tedford, one Cal hasn’t seen over the last decade. I think it’s safe to say that he has a rapport with Allen, which is a good start. It’s also not a stretch to say that Maynard holds the key to Cal’s success on offense: the program hasn’t had extended solid quarterback play since 2006. Will Maynard be Tedfords next quarterback project turned good?

Isi Sofele (338 yards) takes over for Shane Vereen at running back after being the primary backup a year ago. The question isn’t whether Sofele can break a big run, because he clearly can; the question is whether he can take the pounding, as his smaller frame suggests he can’t be a 20-carry back. We’ll know the answer for sure come September, but Cal needs a complimentary option. It would be nice if junior Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson would be that guy: not just because he has yet to tap into his potential, but because he could be the bigger back to Sofele’s shifty running style.

Two starters must be replaced along the line, but Cal does bring back five linemen with starting experience. One is senior left tackle Mitchell Schwartz, a second-team all-conference pick last fall and a starter since his redshirt freshman season. Brian Schwenke returns at left guard, senior Justin Cheadle at right, ahead of mammoth redshirt freshman Geoffrey Gibson. Not surprisingly, the two other linemen with time in the starting lineup will assume the roles vacated by Donovan Edwards and Chris Guamero. One is junior Dominic Galas, who takes over at center. It’s time for junior Matt Summers-Gavin to step into a starting role: after starting four times at guard in 2010, Summers-Gavin is a slightly undersized starter at right tackle.

Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast earned praise for the way his defense held tight with Oregon, Arizona and others, but his success in those games overshadowed how his defense failed miserably against Nevada, U.S.C., Oregon State and Stanford. In short: Cal took a step forward last fall, but the defense needs to seal the holes, playing more consistently, to help the Golden Bears offset some issues offensively. Can the defense do so? I have no doubt it can.

There are two pretty successful starters to replace, however. The first is end Cameron Jordan, a major contributor off the edge. Who fills his N.F.L.-sized shoes? Senior Trevor Guyton, that’s who, one of last year’s best pass rushers (29 tackles, 4.5 sacks) despite his part-time role. Can Guyton do even more as a full-time starter? There’s no reason to think he can’t, though it’s up to Guyton to embrace the opportunity in the lineup. He’ll join senior Ernest Owusu as Cal’s starting ends, with freshman Gabe King and sophomore Deandre Coleman the top reserves. Coleman has the size to move inside in certain packages.

Cal also has two options at nose guard. Junior Aaron Tipoti will start, mainly due to his very good size — he’s about 310 pounds, which is great for a college nose guard. But junior Kendrick Payne will play plenty, especially if he’s back at full health after an injury-marred 2010 season. You could probably say that Payne would start if he had Tipoti’s size, but he’s a bit too small to stand up down-after-down in the middle of the line.

The Bears will have a new look at linebacker without the services of all-conference pick Mike Mohamed, last year’s leading tackler. It’s an easy move, but Cal is wise to transition senior Mychal Kendricks (66 tackles, team-best 15 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks) into Mohamed’s spot inside. Kendricks is terrific; his partner inside, D.J. Holt (85 tackles, 5.5 for loss), is a game-tested senior. It seems strange to say, considering how good Mohamed was, but Cal might not miss a beat inside.

Are these freshmen that good, or is Cal short on choices at outside linebacker? As with Sofele at running back, we’ll know in September. As of today, the Bears are going forward with a pair of freshmen starting on the outside in this 3-4 defense: David Wilkerson is a redshirt, Cecil Whiteside a true freshman who was on campus for spring drills. Cal could turn to a more experienced linebacker like Ryan Davis if one isn’t ready to go, but it seems like the Bears are going forward with the rookies outside.

Position battle(s) to watch

Secondary Four players with starting experience are back in town, but the real issue stems from a lack of depth. Or what might be a lack of depth: perhaps incoming freshmen Avery Walls and Stefan McClure can step right into major roles, though that’s a lot to put on a first-year defenders plate. Safety Sean Cattouse (59 tackles), an honorable mention all-conference pick in each of the last two years, is the most experience returning defensive back; he needs to be more consistent, however. But Cattouse is clearly locked into a starting role, with senior D.J. Campbell, a one-game starter last fall, his likely running mate at safety. Junior Josh Hill has dabbled at safety but is currently penciled in as a leading reserve at cornerback, though I don’t doubt he could move over if either starting safety goes down to injury or battles inconsistency. For now, it’s junior Marc Anthony (48 tackles, 2 interceptions) and sophomore Steve Williams at cornerback, and that’s not a terrible combination. But where’s the depth? Cal should be awfully concerned about life throughout the secondary if any of the starters — or a key reserve like Hill — suffer an injury, as a group of freshmen look like the next in line at several positions. That’s one of the major stories surrounding this defense in 2011: the pretty heralded crop of true and redshirt freshmen in the secondary. There’s no doubting this group will one day make an impact in Berkeley, but 2011 might be too soon to hope for major snaps.

Game(s) to watch

Each home game is noteworthy. There aren’t very many clear wins to find on this schedule, outside of Presbyterian, so Cal will need to dig and claw for each victory. Games against Fresno State, Washington State, Colorado and Oregon State are must-wins if the Golden Bears are to return to bowl play. The Pac-12 South is out of Cal’s reach, but that doesn’t make the Big Game any less interesting. The Bears head to Stanford on Nov. 19. And what of that game with Colorado? Well, its a Pac-12 game, but its not: while the Buffaloes make the move to the conference in 2011, that game counts as a non-conference game for both teams.

Season breakdown & prediction

In a nutshell So I’m pretty bearish on Cal in 2011, it seems. Most are looking at the following and penciling the Golden Bears in for a tough season: last year’s poor play, the new starter at quarterback, the unproven quantities at running back, the losses in the front seven and a thin secondary. Those are very valid concerns, to be fair. But I have faith in this defense’s ability to win games on its own and Tedford’s ability to coordinate this offense as the play-caller, slight concerns or no. I have a little more faith in the defense than the offense, at least as of today. The Bears are strong up front; this front seven is paced by a terrific duo of inside linebackers, but there are potential difference-makers at outside linebacker and along the line. The lack of proven depth in the secondary is a worry, but don’t confuse that with a lack of talent: there’s plenty of that, even if some comes in true and redshirt freshmen. On its own, I think this defense can win five games. Can the offense do enough to get Cal back into the eight-win range? Maybe, but I feel safer predicting a 7-5 finish. Much depends on how Maynard fares against big-time competition. If Tedford can reclaim his reputation as a quarterback guru, we could see a night-and-day improvement offensively. Of course, I can’t say that’s going to happen — even if Maynard is an intriguing starter. The Bears have to find a running game, but I still think the offense will be better. Cal’s not going to compete for the South division title, but the Bears will be better, back in bowl play.

Dream season The new quarterback, new starters and new home field dont bother the Bears in the least: 10-2, 7-2 in conference play.

Nightmare season The offensive issues continue to plague this team, and a slide on defense seals a second straight 5-7 season.

In case you were wondering

Where do California fans congregate? There are plenty of options when it comes to message board chatter, beginning with Bear Insider and continuing with Bear Territory and Cal Sports Digest. The Cal fan base also touts several good blogs, such as California Golden Blogs, Excuse Me For My Voice, Bear Talk and Bears With Fangs.

Word Count

Through 71 teams 209,663.

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Who is No. 49? The mayor of the city housing tomorrows university is a retired member of the U.S. Postal Service, a veteran of the Vietnam War, a member of the Dandridge Avenue Neighborhood Association and a member of the First A. M. E. Zion Church.