This will be an exciting game.This may be the best game of opening weekend.It features a storied program looking to bounce back and another program hoping to gain some national attention and respect.This game will be fought hard and I see it coming down to a field goal at the end.

Congrats to both teams for scheduling something other than a creampuff opener. I can't wait!

This is a bigger game for the Vols. If they start the year with an L, even to a talented Cal team, the heat on that program will reach a full boil. Until Cal figures out how to get past USC, they will always be outside looking in. UT can tell them how that feels, spending many years trying to get past Florida.

I don't think this game is going to be as close as others may. Tennessee should be back on track with Cutcliffe running the offense. I believe the Vols will have too much firepower and also they are at home. Should make for a good game but I believe Tennessee walks away late!

Anyone who thinks Tennessee has an advantage at home hasn't watched the Vols very closely in a few years; I'd actually feel better about the Vols chances if the game was at Berkley. Nonetheless, as I've said before, Erik Ainge will decide this game...look for the Vols to pull out a victory in a close contest.

It's almost a lose-lose situation for Cal. If they lose, even by a small amount, everyone will dismiss the rest of their season against a "weak" Pac 10. If they win, everyone will instead focus on Tennessee's continuing problems.

Christopher has it right, although he seems to indicate disappointment with what he is saying. Nonetheless, what he says is the truth. First, overall, the Pac-10 is weak. Second, beating Tennessee isn't as big of a deal as it used to be.

Quoting SI preview and the NYtimes
Offensively, the Bears return players who accounted for 24 of their 27 rushing touchdowns and players who caught 20 of their 22 TD receptions. Defensively, the Bears return 13 of their top 16 tacklers and welcome back players who recorded 27 of the team's 32 sacks last season.
In regard to the Tennessee defense, the front seven was decimated by graduation. The Offensive line is all new and will take time to gel.
California will take this one simply because of their experience and established and proven system.
Marc

Funny that this blog opens with questions about Cal's 3rd year sophmore QB. The big QB question of this game is will Erik Ainge show up, or will it be Erik Anguish again?

This game sizes up as UT & Cal both starting out handing off to their backs with a few short passes from their questionable QBs - not a high-scoring proposition. Which team is the first to pull the trigger and passes downfield is the better question. Odds favor Cal, but then, never count Dangerous Dave out of a money game. They may be yelling "Cut!" when this one's over.

Tennessee can't beat Florida? To quote a penguin, "Phlblblblblt!" Spurrier's first year as coach of Florida, he brought an unbeaten team into Neyland Stadium and lost 45 to 3. Since then, Spurrier's had Phabulous Phil's number. This isn't some institutional tradition. This is the old lineman vs the cocky visor tosser. It's between coaches.

I think that a solid performance by Cal will be a win. A win against Tennessee at home is always a good w. I don't think Nate will have to throw too much though I think he'll test the Vols deep. Look for Lynch to grind and the d-line to harass Ainge.

Its all about Eric. Will he suck or not suck? That is the question! Cal will come in strong and play hard, well prepared football. Their offense will face one of the country's top defenses. The Vol defense kept them in every game last year, with a chance to win all but Notre Dame. 5 of those 6 losses could have been wins (just like 3 or 4 of the '98 team's wins could have easily been losses). Point is, Eric doesn't have to be Peyton reincarnated. He just has to not suck.

It'll be run, run, and run. The QBs will be used sparingly, or unless forced to. Vols had better take notes. Whether Cal can go far this year depends on the O-line, it's that simple.

"beating Tennessee isn't as big of a deal as it used to be"? Used to be? While 2005-2006 was a 5-6 disaster, 2004-2005 was a 10-3 season with a win over Miami. Since 2001, they are 44-19 (11-2, 8-5, 10-3, 10-3, 5-6). I think one bad year is a little early to be writing them off completely. After all, the 1998 National Champs followed a "disappointing" 1997 team.

I also think David Cutcliffe’s return will be huge. His quarterbacks include Heath Schuler, Peyton Manning, Tee Martin, and Eli Manning. Say what you want about their pro-performance, (I'm looking at you Schuler) but they could all throw the ball pretty well in college.

We'll find out how "weak" the PAC 10 is this weekend as they go up against three SEC teams. No body knows anything about relative strength until some on the field results come in. The fact that the PAC 10 can't win no matter what can be taken as evidence of the dreaded east coast bias. If all three PAC 10 teams facing the SEC win, everyone will announce that the SEC is in a down year not that the PAC 10 has a rightful place at or near the head of the college football table. Bias talk is a joke. Saying a team or a conference is the best or the worst before a single down has been played is a joke. Results are the only thing that matters and that usually speaks in favor of the PAC 10 being given less credit than it deserves.

We'll find out how "weak" the PAC 10 is this weekend as they go up against three SEC teams. No body knows anything about relative strength until some on the field results come in. The fact that the PAC 10 can't win no matter what can be taken as evidence of the dreaded east coast bias. If all three PAC 10 teams facing the SEC win, everyone will announce that the SEC is in a down year not that the PAC 10 has a rightful place at or near the head of the college football table. Bias talk is a joke. Saying a team or a conference is the best or the worst before a single down has been played is a joke. Results are the only thing that matters and that usually speaks in favor of the PAC 10 being given less credit than it deserves.

The PAC-10 is anything but weak. Cal, USC (how can you be weak and have USC in your conference?), and Oregon constitute anything but weak. The spread offense, Lynch/Forsett, Jackson/Jordan, and two talented tight ends mean that this game will be over by halftime. Last time I checked, the stadium and the fans (all 100,000 of 'em) don't play defense. Cal 38 Tennessee 13

Christopher and CPatric definitely are right about the Pac 10 being weak... Oh wait, I forgot that the Pac 10 is 6-3 against the SEC in the past 5 years. Hmmmm...

Beating Tennesse on the road is a big deal. They are a traditional powerhouse even with their down year. This is the type of game where Cal can get the national exposure from the start that it lacked in 2004. I think Tedford will play this game like he did USC in 2004. Conservative and efficient. Cannot wait to be in Neyland wearing Blue and Gold. Go Bears! Pac-10 doubters go home!

Reading the below comments makes me sick. Cal gets no respect and I cant wait for them to walk into an SEC team and hand out a beat down. Top to bottom CAL is a much more talented team than Tennessee and Tedford is one of the best coaches in all of football. I dont care where they are playing. CAl is going to bust Tennessee in the mouth.

2000 - 2005 Pac-10, 7; SEC, 3. Can we stop with the ignorant blanket statements "the Pac 10 is weak" If they are so weak then the SEC must really be weak.

My point was actually about the bias against the Pac 10. I think the Pac 10 is way underrated, but does my opinion matter? No. People will think the Pac 10 is weak no matter what. It's too bad, really. Some great football is being played out here.

I get so tired of people citing the homefield advantage here, telling us Cal fans that we have no idea what it's like to play before such a large and hostile crowd. First, as jimbob426 noted, "the stadium and the fans (all 100,000 of 'em) don't play defense." True. Second, while the attendance of past games may not reach as high as is expected tomorrow, we've played before FAR more hostile crowds before--Autzen Stadium, The Colliseum, Huskie Stadium (back when it was THE toughest place to play college football)--and we've always shown that its impact is minimal. Check out what Chris Fowler writes on ESPN.com to see why, at least with this game, homefield advantage isn't much of an advantage. In fact, it might actually hurt the Vols: there is nothing more disconcerting and unnerving for the home team than a stadium full of stunned and quieted fan. I wish I was going to be at Neyland tomorrow: I'd love to hear the silence of all those cousins in orange when Cal goes in and leaves a little Pac-10 love on their way to victory! Go Bears!

I agree I have seen some good Pac 10 games and I'm an SEC fan (GO VOLS), but one guy mentioned having USC, Cal, and Oregon in your conference does not constitute a weak conference, is it the PAC 10 or PAC 3, either way it's gonna be a good game,but we are back and the everyone is going to take notice at about 8:00 after the Bears become the first victim of 2006 BIG ORANGE FOOTBALL

Overated, underrated, everyone does remember this is the first game of the season, there are going to be mistakes made which can and will probably decide this game, Cal has a good defense, and although the Vols D was hit really hard but anyone who watches Tennessee knows you can always count on having one helluva defense, Lynch is a great running back, but he's not gonna run wild on Tennessee's D, it'll be close I figure about 24-21 but at about 8:00 p.m. notice will be served and the Bears will become the first victim of many of 2006 BIG ORANGE FOOTBALL, GO VOLS

You know, I find it a little funny, with all this "Pac-10 is weak" talk. Usually you ask any college sports fan, and they will tell you that a championchip equals a successful season. So I did a little research and this is what i found. Out of the top 10 schools with the most NCAA championchips, the Pac-10 owns the top three spots. Just the wins of UCLA, Stanford, and USC alone add up to more than the rest of the top 10 combined! So you tell me how "weak" the Pac-10 is.

How sweet would it be to see the SEC, who has the possiblity to knock off BCS contenders today with wins, destroy the beloved AP poll by handing USC, Cal, and Michigan the loses they deserve?

This is the same story, different year. The nothern sportswriters and analyst are trying there best to make this out to be more of a game than it is going to be. Everyone knows a rebuilt SEC team like Tenessee is better than most teams in the nation. Tennessee big in this one, no contest!!!!!!!!