The California Golden Bears could not have had a worse season than the one they just went through. They didn’t win a single game against a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision. They lost to the worst teams in the Pac-12. They didn’t show that they could be very competitive with the best teams in the conference. The first year of head coach Sonny Dykes’ stay in Berkeley could not have started on more of a wrong note. There’s nowhere to go but up for the Bears, as the saying goes.
Strengths
The Bears are reasonably competent at one thing, basically: They can throw the ball. Dykes brought a pass-first philosophy with him from Louisiana Tech, his previous coaching stop. Quarterback Jared Goff showed some flashes of promise, and he’s one of the more talented players the Golden Bears have on their roster. However, Goff didn’t have much help at all. He didn’t have a running game or an offensive line. If those parts of the offense can be built up and developed around him, Goff could give the Golden Bears more of a chance to win games this season, helping California to escape the basement in the Pac-12 North Division and giving fans hope that this program is headed for better things in the future.
Weaknesses
The Golden Bears did almost everything poorly last season. They couldn’t protect Goff, who was a sitting target in the pocket. They couldn’t play physically. They couldn’t mount any resistance on defense. They were blown through like a clump of hay that wasn’t tied down by strong wires. There was nothing holding this team together, especially on defense. At the first sign of trouble, players lost confidence and couldn’t come back on the net play with a greater show of strength. The Golden Bears were dismantled by teams that sought to run the ball right up the middle between the tackles. Being shredded at this first point of impact near the line of scrimmage left the Golden Bears’ defense vulnerable to every other point of attack. If California can’t become a better team on each of its lines, both offensive and especially its defensive fronts, the Golden Bears just aren’t going to make progress. It’s true that this is a finesse offense, but even a finesse offense has to have highly capable offensive linemen to make the system work. It’s also true that as much as Cal might want to pass and score, the defense has to be able to hold teams under 30 points if all that scoring is going to matter. The Golden Bears played virtually no defense last season, and that can’t stand this season.
Schedule
The Golden Bears are one of those teams that’s so bad that its schedule is automatically tough. Only a game against Sacramento State looks like a probable victory. A home game against Colorado is the one really good chance for a win in the Pac-12.
Outlook
The Golden Bears are still a disaster. If they somehow get three wins on this schedule, it will be a surprise, and a pleasant one for them.
Pick: Under 2.5 at +115
