SEC Game of the Week

As much as I wanted to pick Western Carolina at Alabama as the game of the week that would not have been fair to anyone outside of Tuscaloosa. So here it is...

Tennessee Volunteers at California Golden Bears
8 p.m. EST ABC National Coverage


The California Golden Bears say they will be seeking revenge in Berkley Saturday night with the Tennessee Vols coming to town. The Vols jumped out to a 35-0 lead last year before taking out their starters. By midway through the third quarter the Golden Bears were playing for a lost cause, hardly knowing what had hit them. Back up quarterback Joe Ayoob replacing starter Nate Longshore who was yanked while his team still had an egg on the scoreboard. Ayoob and strategy helped Cal team put up 18 points after the game was over, saving face in the box scores printed in the newspapers. That strategy did not go over well with Vol Coach Phillip Fulmer, as he watched Cal continue to attempt onside kicks with less than five minutes to go.

All off season coach Jeff Tedford and quarterback Nate Longshore have been talking the talk now they will have to walk the walk. The hostile SEC environment was something the Bears had never experienced before. In addition Starbucks is not served in the stands at Neyland Stadium and neither is sushi; that has to be tough to get used to for the fans from Berkley. Tedford was reportedly sickened by the loss in Knoxville that he threw up after he got off of the return plane to Berkley. That same Cal team did go on to pick up the pieces and collect a share of the PAC 10 conference championship. But do they honestly believe they can beat the same team that slaughtered them last year?

I think it is a stretch to think that either team will blow out the other this year. The Vols at last check are a 6 point underdog and have historically pulled off some big upsets when they are large underdogs on the road. Erik Ainge has a broken finger on his throwing hand, running back LaMarcus Coker is suspended, punter Britton Colquitt has a pulled quad, the Vols have to fly three time zones away and have to fight off a reported 50,000 noise makers that Cal plans to give out to their fans.

The Golden Bears have 165 pound stud receiver DeSean Jackson, a proven running back in Justin Forsett and have even almost sold out their stadium. Imagine that, selling out a stadium against a ranked team. The Golden Bears lost their top three defensive players from last year and will have to replace much of their front seven.

Everyone seems to be stacking their chips against the Vols in this one and that is why they will pull it out in the land of the tree huggers. Ainge will have a great game, though not necessarily put up huge numbers, making people question whether Fulmer was just putting up a smoke screen with the injury talk. Arian Foster will return to his home state and tear through the relatively inexperienced Cal defense hitting the century mark in yards with his bruising style. Longshore will not get in a rhythm as the Vols defense will throw him off his game again early. Defensive tackles J.T. Mapu and Demonte Bolden will play surprisingly well holding down Forsett. Tough, close game but the Vols hold on for the win .

Prediction:

Vols 28 Golden Bears 20