(9) California (0-0) At (23) Tennessee (0-0)
GAME NOTES: In what is expected to be one of the best games of the opening weekend, the 23rd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers will play host to the ninth- ranked California Golden Bears. California owns its highest preseason ranking since 1952, a tribute to the program that Jeff Tedford has been able to build. The Golden Bears finished 8-4 a year ago, and 18 starters are back in the fold. They were selected to finish second in the Pac-10 behind USC, and they haven't faced a club from the SEC in almost 20 years. Tedford is 5-6 against ranked foes since taking over the California program, and his club can make a major statement with a win over Tennessee. Speaking of the Vols, their 2005 season was one to forget. The club actually got off to a solid 3-1 start before everything seemed to fall apart. Phil Fulmer is said to be on the hot seat in Knoxville, so a good start is essential. The head coach is 13-1 all- time in season openers, and his lone opening loss came way back in 1994. The SEC may be the best conference in the nation, and Tennessee needs to prove that it deserves to be mentioned among the league's elite teams. The all-time series between Tennessee and California is tied at 1-1, and the last meeting took place back in 1987.
California possesses a true Heisman Trophy candidate in the person of tailback Marshawn Lynch. Last season as a sophomore, Lynch exploded for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns, and that total could have been greater if not for some nagging health issues early in the campaign. Over the final four regular season tilts and the team's bowl game, Lynch averaged 150.6 yards per contest. While Lynch is getting most of the preseason attention, fellow tailback Justin Forsett is back in place after rushing for 999 yards a year ago. Nate Longshore will be under center for the Golden Bears, and while he has ideal size at 6-5 and 233 pounds, he has battled injuries and has yet to reach his potential. Longshore has a number of talented receivers to utilize, including DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan. Jackson is the more dangerous of the two, as he averaged 15.8 yards per catch as a true freshman and scored seven times. The offensive line is somewhat inexperienced, so that is an area of concern heading into this opener. In four years under Tedford, California has averaged 34.4 ppg, easily the most in any four-year stretch in program history.
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Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Tennessee 23, California 20
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