In my opinion this is a great way to start the season by facing a solid opponent. No easing into the schedule so the players will have to come out totally focused right from the start. This is a game that will not permit either team to take plays off so the players will have to give 100% effort on every snap. This game will have a BCS bowl type importance because of it being one of the featured late starting contests with national exposure. Both teams have different motives for playing well. Cal wants to prove that last years poor showing was an anomoly and not an indication that the program has slipped.
MSU wants to establish that they are a team on the rise and not the rollercoaster Spartans of the past forty years.
This game is important to both Cal and
MSU in that it will give an almost immediate guage to areas of weakness and strength. Each unit matchup will be critical in determining the eventual winner. Cal has just as many question marks as
MSU. Their OL appears to be a strength, but there is uncertainty surrounding both their running and passing game as they have many new starters at RB and WR. Cal's starting QB is also hoping to display better maturity and decision making than what he exhibited at times last year.
Defensively Cal is implementing a new 3-4 scheme to take advantage of their strength at linebacker. This is an alignment that could really cause
MSU some trouble if the proper blocking assignments aren't called. Nitchman is going to have his work cut out for him, as I expect Cal to employ an extensive assortment of blitz packages. Cal like
MSU appears to have a talented secondary that mixes in a couple of veterans with two underclassmen who got their feet wet last season. The three-man front that
MSU will face is probably the weakest unit of the three, but they are by no means a liability.
MSU is hoping that their own inexperienced receiving corps will step up and force the Cal defense from crowding the LOS. This is Dell's and Cunningham's time to shine and make the difficult catches that Thomas made look routine last season. Gantt will also be a key factor. He doesn't necessarily have to be spectacular, but when called upon he is going to provide a block to help Ringer to gain positive yards or make a catch that will keep
MSU in short down and distance situations.
The key matchup for
MSU, and one that I believe needs to end in a stalemate at the least is the front four. They will need to effectively get a push up field to disrupt Cal's running game, and pressure Riley when he goes back to pass. If the DL struggles I fear
MSU's linebackers will get tangled up with Cal's OL, rendering them useless.
I believe
MSU is capable of winning this game if they have continued to progress on their last years performances. Cal is just as capable and that is why this game will be a very good measuring stick for both squads. If neither team gains a momentum advantage and proceeds to run away with the game, this should be a closely contested affair decided by a touchdown or less.