A look ahead: Is Cal doomed in ‘08?
By Jon Wilner
Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 4:25 pm in
Pac 10,
USC,
Cal,
Stanford,
UCLA.
***Note: Cal’s 2008 schedule is at the bottom of this post.
OK, doomed might be a bit strong — that headline was a visceral response when the topic of next season popped into my head driving home from Big Game on Saturday night.
But I sure don’t see a Pac-10 title contender when I look at the roster
And that’s if DeSean Jackson
comes back for his senior year.
.
Frankly, I think Jackson wants to bolt and will bolt if he gets assurances of being a first-day pick. When you have an older brother who played in the NFL, the NFL is just about all you’re thinking about once your junior year rolls around.
On that topic: I can’t help but wonder what the coaches thought privately of Jackson not playing in Big Game because of a bruised thigh. Isn’t that something you at least try to play through?
Is it, unless you’re saving yourself …
Anyhow, the defense should be decent, if for no other reason than many of the two-deepers are returning. (The Bears have to find an answer at middle linebacker, however. Worrell Williams is not it.)
But there are serious, serious questions at the skill positions, of all places.
Justin Forsett departs, and Jahvid Best’s hip injury could be serious. If Best can’t play, then James Montgomery is the guy. (Could be worse, but it could be a lot better, too.)
Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan depart, and Jackson might join them. If he does, the Bears will be totally rebuilding at receiver. If he doesn’t, he’ll be double-teammed every step of the way.
And — here’s the biggie — what are the Bears going to do at quarterback?
I believe Jeff Tedford put the 2008 season at risk by not playing Kevin Riley down the stretch in ‘07 — not full time, but for portions of each game, minimum.
And I’m not saying that based on how Nate Longshore played in Big Game. I was saying that weeks ago (
here’s the link) (and there’s a link within that link to an even earlier post on Longshore).
What I saw in Big Game only made me more convinced that Longshore is not the guy to lead Cal to a conference title.
He’s so vulnerable against first-rate pass rushes and blitzes, as we saw against UCLA, USC, Stanford … just about everyone who beat Cal down the stretch forced Longshore to make bad decisions/throws in the second half.
His ankle was a factor, but it wasn’t
the factor. And it’s not like he’s going to get more mobile in the next nine months.
But because Tedford stuck with Longshore in November and kept Riley on the bench, the Bears are faced with what could be a very serious problem:
Their choice at the most important position is a somewhat-accurate, easily-disruptable, injury-prone, immobile senior … or a sophomore with virtually no experience.
So if Longshore can’t get it done, or gets hurt, then the Bears will basically be starting all over with a rookie QB.
And they’ll be doing it with (probably) a rebuilt receiving corps and (possibly) Montgomery, not Best, at tailback.
(I haven’t even addressed to prospect of Alex Mack bolting for the pros.)
Let’s just say, the defense had better be ready to play.
The 2008 schedule:
Aug. 30 - Michigan State
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