The 2016 NCAA College Football season gets under way Friday, August 26th at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The California Golden Bears and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will settle their differences at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia. A whopping 60,000 Aussie enthusiasts are expected to attend a football match of a different nature in the inaugural Sydney Cup contest.
The Golden Bears are hoping to keep the momentum from a 8-5 2015 season going. Last year was a major improvement considering California went 1-13 just two years earlier. Coach Sonny Dykes was hired in 2014. As a result, an immediate turn around took place and the prestigious program went 5-7. The eight victories last year were the school’s best since 2009. Furthermore, the PAC 10 is the epitome of parity, so capturing that win total this season might be quite a chore.
California lost their veteran signal-caller Jared Goff to the number one pick in the NFL draft. Replacing the schools all-time leading passer won’t be an easy task. After that is completed, they need to replace some skilled players on the defensive side of the ball. The Golden Bears only return five starters from a 2015 squad that yielded over 30 points a contest.
In addition to that, California faces a daunting PAC 10 conference slate. The Golden Bears will face-off against USC, UCLA, Arizona and Utah. Unfortunately their non-conference match-ups aren’t much easier. Berkeley has to contend with inter-state rivals Sand Diego State and the Texas Longhorns from the Big 12.
California might have had a little luck on their side. They acquired a late replacement quarterback that has plenty of experience in his back pocket. Texas Tech’s Davis Webb decided to transfer from the Big 12 and test his mettle in the PAC 10. The senior gunslinger has participated in 23 gridiron match-ups in his college career. He totaled 46 touchdown passes and threw for over 5,500 yards in three seasons in Lubbock.
Davis Webb might have the experience needed to fill in for Jerod Goff but he will be tossing the ball around to some unproven pass catchers. The Golden Bears lost six receivers that Goff relied on to move the chains in 2015. The one bright spot in this scenario is that they will be facing off against a secondary that relinquished over 20 end-zone receptions in 2015.
The Rainbow Warriors are trying to figure out how to be competitive once again. Hawaii racked up five consecutive losing seasons. Unfortunately, they hit a program low 3-10 in 2015. As a result, they failed to beat one conference opponent last year.
Hoping to remedy it’s woes, Hawaii hired head coach Nick Rolovich. Rolovich spent the last four seasons at Nevada sharpening the “Pistol” offense that caused Mountain West teams the fits. Consequently, fans can’t expect to much to early. There are a lot of moving parts to Rolovich’s offense, so it will take some time for the kids to catch on to the new system.
The Rainbow Warriors quarterback scenario was up for grabs until Nick Rolovich name Ikaika Woolsey as the club’s starter. Woolsey has some on-field experience of his own. The senior quarterback has started 19 contests in his career. Last year, he tossed for over 900 yards and five touchdowns. Rolovich’s new offense might just be what the doctor ordered for more production from the position.
The Golden Bears and the Rainbow Warriors have played each other four different times. Currently, they are 2-2 against one another. Their last meeting was all the way back in 1994. Odds-makers in Las Vegas are predicting a one sided affair with plenty of offensive out-put. The Golden Bears are a 20 point favorite. The over/under came online at 63.5 points and the betting public has now pushed the total to 66.5.
California not only reeled in Davis Webb but also returns three talented running backs. That might be a bit to much for an undersized Rainbow Warrior squad. The Rainbow Warriors will need to move the chains to keep Cal’s offense off the field. They should find some first downs by running the ball but the Golden Bears should have to much speed and talent on both sides of the ball for them to overcome.
The Hun’s Prediction:
Take the under 66.5
California 38, Hawaii 16
Ej “The Rainmaker” and I will be hosting a Friday afternoon podcast starting September 2nd for handicapping advice to college football fans. Stay tuned for more.
