The California Golden Bears finished up the 2009 season in sixth place in the Pac-10 Conference with a 5-4 record. The Golden Bears finished up the season at 8-5 overall after a 27-37 loss against Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl. Head coach Jeff Tedford will lead 14 returning starters onto the field in his ninth season with the club, and while expectations are low for this team, they have the potential to make some noise in the Pac-10 this season. Here is a closer look at the 2010 California Golden Bears and what they will bring to the table on both sides of the ball this season, plus my thoughts on where they finish up the year in the Pac-10.
Offense:
The Bears bring back eight starters to the offensive side of the ball, and the most important piece is back in senior quarterback Kevin Riley, who threw for 2,856 yards with 18 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions in 2009. Riley enters into his third season as the starting quarterback, and the Bears are hoping he can continue to improve his play.
The offense will have to find a way to replace one of their top offensive weapons in 2010, as running back Jahavid Best has made his way to the NFL. Best ended up missing the final four games of the season, and that allowed Shane Vereen to lead the Golden Bears in 2009 with 952 yards and 12 scores. Vereen figures to step in and take over the majority of the carries this season, and is projected to be one of the conference's best backs this season.
The Golden Bears welcome back junior wide out Marvin Jones, who led the team with 43 catches for 651 yards in 2009. Also back is senior Jeremy Ross and junior tight end Anthony Miller. Junior Alex Lagemann will step in at the open wide out spot.
The offensive line figures to be strength for the Golden Bears offense in 2010, as they bring back all but one starter from the 2009 season. Sophomore left tackle Matt Summers-Gavin, junior right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, and senior center Chris Guarnero all figure to be at the top of their class in the Pac-10 this season. Sophomore Brian Schwenke looks to have the early edge at the open right guard spot.
Defense:
The Golden Bears will look to dominate opposing teams offensive lines this season with a strong returning cast on the defensive line. Senior defensive end Cameron Jordan is the top sack artist back and the Bears are counting on a big season out of this kid. The Golden Bears also have one of the top defensive tackles in the conference in senior Derrick Hill, who is the perfect run stuffer in the 3-4 scheme. Keep an eye out for sophomore defensive end Chris Little, as he makes his way into the starting lineup and should give the Bears another solid pass rusher on the outside.
At linebacker the Bears bring back both starters at inside linebacker in Mike Mohamed and DJ Holt, and Mohamed is being picked by many to be one of the best linebackers in the conference after he led the Golden Bears with 112 tackles as a junior. Keep an eye out for sophomore outside linebacker Chris Little, as he makes his way into the starting lineup and should give the Bears another solid pass rusher on the outside.
In the secondary the Golden Bears look to have one of the best safeties in the conference in junior Sean Cattouse, as they really think he is going to put together a big season for this defense. Senior corner Bryant Nnabuife is expected to step in and start opposite of the talented young sophomore corner Josh Hill. This unit must play better than it did in 2009, as the Golden Bear's secondary allowed teams to average 267 yards and complete nearly 64% of their passes last year.
Pac -10 Prediction - 4th : I strongly expect the Golden Bears to be one of the top teams in the Pac-10 this season, but with road games against Arizona, USC, and Oregon State, I don't think they will have what it takes to win the conference this season. I still expect this team to finish right around the 8-9 win mark when the season comes to an end.
For a complete look at the Pac-10 Conference, check out Jimmy Boyd's 2010 Pac-10 predictions. If you plan on making money betting on college football this season, be sure to check out our live college football odds feed each week.
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