Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Air Noland is such a great name for a QB lol
Grats on going B2B
Air Noland is such a great name for a QB lol
Grats on going B2B
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
The season the California Golden Bears just had is truly legendary, with a number of players cementing their GOAT status in the annals of College Football history.
Two players in particular placed themselves on the Mount Rushmore of college greats; QB Duane Dinson, and WR George Cheeseman. Dinson’s second Heisman, joining Ohio State HB Archie Griffin as the only two-time winner, would be enough to cement his status, but he added to that by capturing a number of career and single game records to go along with his 2027 season records. If Dinson leaves for the NFL he will hold the records for career passing TDs (172), passing yards in a season (8,101), passing TDs in a season (89), and passing yards in a game (758). His favorite target over the past few years, Cheeseman, could also walk away as the greatest receiver in College Football history even if he decides not to stay for his senior year. Cheeseman has captured the records for career receiving yards (9,302), career receptions (555), career TD catches (99), receiving yards in a season (3,707), receptions in a season (246), TD catches in a season (38), receiving yards in a game (560), receptions in a game (25), and tied for TD catches in a game (7).
It’s easy to think the Golden Bears did all of this with just two players, but HC Tosh Lupoi has done an excellent job building a truly deep team of players that have the talent and depth to dominate on a weekly basis.
2028 ACC FINAL STANDINGS
2028 FINAL RANKINGS
CALIFORNIA TOP PERFORMERS
Offense : QB Duane Dinson - You could make some arguments about a number of players thanks to Cal’s prolific offense, but in the end it could only be Dinson. Finishing the season with all-time-great level numbers like 7,377 passing yards and 82TD to 6INT would be enough, but the Heisman winner also added 1,271 rushing yards and 17TD on the ground. He was spoiled by all of the offensive talent around him, and he truly made the most of it.
Defense : LE Karl Haggan - Haggan dominated the defensive awards season, and for good reasons. His 18 sacks and 50 tackles for a loss led the nation and helped anchor a Cal defense that kept opponents at bay with the 8th least points allowed despite playing 16 games. Haggan also finished 6th in the nation in tackles, an amazing feat for a defensive lineman.
2028 CALIFORNIA AWARD WINNERS & ALL AMERICANS
The Golden Bears need their full ACC media share quickly, they are going to need to build a trophy building to house all the silverware they are collecting. Their existing case is going to run out of room quickly, if it hasn’t already burst.
Heisman Memorial Trophy : QB Duane Dinson
Walter Camp Award : QB Duane Dinson
Chuck Bednarik Award : LE Karl Haggan
Ted Hendricks Award : LE Karl Haggan
Lombardi Award : LE Karl Haggan
Davey O’Brien Award : QB Duane Dinson
Fred Biletnikoff Award : WR George Cheeseman
Doak Walker Award : HB Deuce Linwood
John Mackey Award : TE DeShaun Peters
Jim Thorpe Award : SS Tremayne Landman
Dick Butkus Award : LOLB Taylor Webb
First Team All Americans
QB Duane Dinson
HB Deuce Linwood
WR George Cheeseman
WR Darryl Hawkinson
TE DeShaun Peters
LE Karl Haggan
ROLB Jabari Uwaezuoke
Second Team All Americans
HB Larry Hall
RT Linval Sturgis
Freshman All Americans
DT Quincy Crocker
CB Jordan Rosewood Jr.
2029 OUTLOOK
Needs Improvement - Defense, only by comparison. It can be a little hard to evaluate by national rank, since Cal finished with the most total yards allowed but they also played more games than all but one other team. When spread out they averaged 376.7 yards a game, which isn’t great, but at the same time they scored so quickly they put opposing offenses back on the field quite a bit.
On The Right Track - The offense remains nearly perfect, putting up historic numbers, so let’s dig a little deeper for signs of improvement that could keep Cal winning season after season.
A glaring sign of improvement can be found on defense, despite allowing the most yards in the nation they allowed the 8th least points. When averaged over the 16 games played, the Golden Bears allowed a paltry 15.9 points a game while averaging 71.6 themselves. Another good sign is their jump in sack totals, something the Cal defense has struggled to do as opposing passers have been able to stand back in the pocket and throw on them at will. They finished tied 4th in total sacks, add that to the nation’s best turnover differential (+41) and their defense starts to look like the best in football.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Welcome to a new feature called Four Downs With where I get time to wrap up the season with each ACC head coach. Today I was able to sit down with Cal’s Tosh Lupoi after his second National Championship and discuss what he’s doing to go for a third.
You managed to win back-to-back national titles, and you made it look easy. Is it true that winning a second time is harder than the first?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it easy, we worked our [expletive] off every week to make it look easier when you just see the final score. We played a lot of good teams, some great teams in the playoff, but our hard work and dedication allowed us to execute and stay on top.
Duane Dinson had an incredible year that helped fuel your repeat, what happens if he leaves early for the NFL?
I think Justin [Wilcox] really started a ‘next man up’ mentality that I like to keep alive, so if he isn’t here we have a number of players ready to compete that will relish a fight for his spot. QB isn’t really a position we’ve looked at the portal for, so whoever will be our QB next year, they’re already in the house.
Following the end of the season, a number of high profile jobs have opened up. Have you been contacted by anyone about an opening? Being a two-time national champion as a head coach must put you in demand.
I’m not really interested in being distracted by that, I’m at Cal right now and I’m focused on 2029.
I close with this one every year, what aspect of the team, and this could be staff as well, do you see as a critical area for improvement in 2029?
I think we are heading into an offseason where we might be losing some starters, so we’ve got some guys that need to be prepared to move into the starting lineup. We’ve also been working on building up our staff from within, so I think there might be some opportunities for a guy or two to come in as a coach from the analytics staff. We’ll see what happens as we get ready for spring practices.
You managed to win back-to-back national titles, and you made it look easy. Is it true that winning a second time is harder than the first?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it easy, we worked our [expletive] off every week to make it look easier when you just see the final score. We played a lot of good teams, some great teams in the playoff, but our hard work and dedication allowed us to execute and stay on top.
Duane Dinson had an incredible year that helped fuel your repeat, what happens if he leaves early for the NFL?
I think Justin [Wilcox] really started a ‘next man up’ mentality that I like to keep alive, so if he isn’t here we have a number of players ready to compete that will relish a fight for his spot. QB isn’t really a position we’ve looked at the portal for, so whoever will be our QB next year, they’re already in the house.
Can anyone live up to the standards set by Dinson?
Following the end of the season, a number of high profile jobs have opened up. Have you been contacted by anyone about an opening? Being a two-time national champion as a head coach must put you in demand.
I’m not really interested in being distracted by that, I’m at Cal right now and I’m focused on 2029.
I close with this one every year, what aspect of the team, and this could be staff as well, do you see as a critical area for improvement in 2029?
I think we are heading into an offseason where we might be losing some starters, so we’ve got some guys that need to be prepared to move into the starting lineup. We’ve also been working on building up our staff from within, so I think there might be some opportunities for a guy or two to come in as a coach from the analytics staff. We’ll see what happens as we get ready for spring practices.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
A hectic recruiting season has come to a close as the next window opens, we have a new recruiting champion rising to the top with fierce competition from the usual suspects. Kirby Smart and Georgia finally have to take a back seat to Cal, with the Bulldogs finishing the year #2. Alabama, Miami, and Notre Dame round out the Top 5.
The biggest riser in this class was Virginia Tech, finishing 6th. Signing two five-star prospects out of Virginia and keeping them from leaving the state helped boost them above their modest performance on the field.
The most surprising programs to fall in the rankings were Texas A&M (38), Washington (39), and USC (50). Even making the College Football Playoff and finishing the season ranked #10 didn’t help the Huskies on the recruiting trail.
2029 TOP RECRUITING CLASS
ESPN 300 Commits : 28
Top Offensive Prospect : WR Marcus Washington
Top Defensive Prospect : LE Marques Busby
Final Ranking : 1st
Lupoi finishes with an excellent class, not just because it finished ranked #1. The Golden Bears end up with high end prospects at a number of positions in need of depth in the future. WR Marcus Washington and gem 4-Star WR Tye Hayes are tall and fast and could allow Cal to continue tormenting secondaries once WR George Cheeseman and Darryl Hawkinson leave. ROLB Tim Hunt often comes up with scouts as an excellent signing by Cal, with two of Cal’s best LB graduating there could be an opening for the freshman to play early. QB Donte Shelby could also be an interesting signing, with QB Duane Dinson likely to leave there will be a competition at QB without a clear cut solution there.
While not critical, signing transfers from Louisville (WR Kelvin Tiffen) and Florida State (DT Caleb Parms) helps weaken ACC opponents while building roster depth.
The biggest riser in this class was Virginia Tech, finishing 6th. Signing two five-star prospects out of Virginia and keeping them from leaving the state helped boost them above their modest performance on the field.
The most surprising programs to fall in the rankings were Texas A&M (38), Washington (39), and USC (50). Even making the College Football Playoff and finishing the season ranked #10 didn’t help the Huskies on the recruiting trail.
2029 TOP RECRUITING CLASS
ESPN 300 Commits : 28
Top Offensive Prospect : WR Marcus Washington
Top Defensive Prospect : LE Marques Busby
Final Ranking : 1st
Lupoi finishes with an excellent class, not just because it finished ranked #1. The Golden Bears end up with high end prospects at a number of positions in need of depth in the future. WR Marcus Washington and gem 4-Star WR Tye Hayes are tall and fast and could allow Cal to continue tormenting secondaries once WR George Cheeseman and Darryl Hawkinson leave. ROLB Tim Hunt often comes up with scouts as an excellent signing by Cal, with two of Cal’s best LB graduating there could be an opening for the freshman to play early. QB Donte Shelby could also be an interesting signing, with QB Duane Dinson likely to leave there will be a competition at QB without a clear cut solution there.
While not critical, signing transfers from Louisville (WR Kelvin Tiffen) and Florida State (DT Caleb Parms) helps weaken ACC opponents while building roster depth.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
An absolutely wild coaching carousel has spun harder than it has in years with several top tier programs firing their head coach, and California found themselves caught in the middle of it yet again. The result was the announcement that Cal’s Tosh Lupoi will be leaving his position and taking over at Alabama.
“The University of California is disappointed to lose Lupoi, but we wish him well on his future ventures. We would like to thank him and his coaching staff for all the hard work and victories won on our way to our first national championship in the playoff era,” said Cal AD Jim Knowlton in a press release immediately following the announcement.
This time it wasn’t one domino that got things started, but four. All within a few days of each other, four of the biggest programs in the nation decided to part with their head coaches and cause panic in the job market. Texas fired Steve Sarkesian, Penn State fired James Franklin, Texas A&M fired Mike Elko, and finally Alabama fired Kalen DeBoer. While they have fallen behind in the Big Ten, it bears noting that Wisconsin also parted with former Cal HC Justin Wilcox in the same window. Several big jobs opened up in a very short span of time.
The situation at Alabama was not unexpected, the Crimson Tide have fallen far below their standards in the SEC and DeBoer has struggled to get back to where Nick Saban had them. The bigger problem for the Crimson Tide was that both of their coordinators bolted for NFL jobs, and this caused a healthy portion of their staff to leave for other jobs. The immediate rumor that came from this shakeup was that Alabama were targeting Oregon’s Dan Lanning, and then Oregon were targeting Cal’s Lupoi.
Whatever happened with Lanning, inside sources point to a commitment to Oregon and a greater interest in Georgia if Kirby Smart were to retire, he decided to stay at Oregon. Oregon quietly announced that Lanning had signed a lucrative long-term extension, one that gave him a substantial raise on a previous extension signed to keep him through 2030. Early reports note that this deal makes Lanning the second highest paid coach in college football, just behind Smart, with an annual value of $12 million.
It’s unclear if Lanning received an offer, but Alabama certainly offered Lupoi the job with a significant increase in salary over what he was getting at Cal. The former Alabama DC and four-time national champion, twice as a head coach and twice as a coordinator / assistant, is very familiar with their program and should hit the ground running just like he did at Cal.
With so many big names hitting the job market, a number of them immediately became attached to Cal, but the university moved quickly to announce their new head coach. Offensive coordinator Marshall Claremont has been promoted to Head Coach, and the rest of the coaching staff has remained untouched.
“The University of California is excited to promote Marshall Claremont to the position of Travers Family Head Football Coach. We believe he embodies the value of a program and a team that we are proud to have representing our university in the ACC. Go Bears!” said Cal AD Jim Knowlton at a press conference introducing Claremont.
Claremont has developed an excellent reputation as an elite recruiter under Lupoi, and it marks a sound business decision as the Golden Bears cannot hope to compete with some of the bigger programs when it comes to coaching salary.
“The University of California is disappointed to lose Lupoi, but we wish him well on his future ventures. We would like to thank him and his coaching staff for all the hard work and victories won on our way to our first national championship in the playoff era,” said Cal AD Jim Knowlton in a press release immediately following the announcement.
This time it wasn’t one domino that got things started, but four. All within a few days of each other, four of the biggest programs in the nation decided to part with their head coaches and cause panic in the job market. Texas fired Steve Sarkesian, Penn State fired James Franklin, Texas A&M fired Mike Elko, and finally Alabama fired Kalen DeBoer. While they have fallen behind in the Big Ten, it bears noting that Wisconsin also parted with former Cal HC Justin Wilcox in the same window. Several big jobs opened up in a very short span of time.
The situation at Alabama was not unexpected, the Crimson Tide have fallen far below their standards in the SEC and DeBoer has struggled to get back to where Nick Saban had them. The bigger problem for the Crimson Tide was that both of their coordinators bolted for NFL jobs, and this caused a healthy portion of their staff to leave for other jobs. The immediate rumor that came from this shakeup was that Alabama were targeting Oregon’s Dan Lanning, and then Oregon were targeting Cal’s Lupoi.
Whatever happened with Lanning, inside sources point to a commitment to Oregon and a greater interest in Georgia if Kirby Smart were to retire, he decided to stay at Oregon. Oregon quietly announced that Lanning had signed a lucrative long-term extension, one that gave him a substantial raise on a previous extension signed to keep him through 2030. Early reports note that this deal makes Lanning the second highest paid coach in college football, just behind Smart, with an annual value of $12 million.
It’s unclear if Lanning received an offer, but Alabama certainly offered Lupoi the job with a significant increase in salary over what he was getting at Cal. The former Alabama DC and four-time national champion, twice as a head coach and twice as a coordinator / assistant, is very familiar with their program and should hit the ground running just like he did at Cal.
With so many big names hitting the job market, a number of them immediately became attached to Cal, but the university moved quickly to announce their new head coach. Offensive coordinator Marshall Claremont has been promoted to Head Coach, and the rest of the coaching staff has remained untouched.
“The University of California is excited to promote Marshall Claremont to the position of Travers Family Head Football Coach. We believe he embodies the value of a program and a team that we are proud to have representing our university in the ACC. Go Bears!” said Cal AD Jim Knowlton at a press conference introducing Claremont.
Claremont has developed an excellent reputation as an elite recruiter under Lupoi, and it marks a sound business decision as the Golden Bears cannot hope to compete with some of the bigger programs when it comes to coaching salary.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
The 2028 California Golden Bears made it two national championships in a row, and there’s an argument they could make 2029 a third. Even with staff and player departures, this looks to be the best team in the nation once again.
The obvious big story this offseason is the departure of head coach Tosh Lupoi for Alabama. The Cal athletic department clearly saw this coming, or was at least ready for it to happen, as they quickly promoted offensive coordinator Marhall Claremont to head coach. With Claremont’s spot vacant, Sterlin Gilbert has been elevated to offensive coordinator and should continue the style of play Marshall introduced last year. Gilbert, who moved to QB coach under former OC Justin Burke, has been at Cal for some time and will continue to call a balanced spread / multiple style offense. Chase Garbers, a former Cal / NFL / UFL QB, has been promoted from an offensive analyst to passing game coordinator.
SPRING ANSWERS
1 - T.J. Gold is taking over at QB. The early departure of two-time Heisman winner Duane Dinson opened up a competition between Gold and redshirt junior Walt Ricci. Marshall was very diplomatic, calling the competition “extremely close” before announcing Gold as the starter at the end of spring. Members of the media and third party observers were more blunt, calling it “an easy choice” for the Cal head coach. While Ricci has two years of experience backing up Dinson, he’s mostly handed the ball of late in games with Cal enjoying a massive lead. Gold, while he has no experience, looks like a QB a genie would grant you if you wished for a starting QB. Many scouts feel he will be a better passer than Dinson, with the kind of arm strength NFL scouts love and a 6’5 220 frame that makes Dinson look slight. He’s athletic, but looks to prefer to stay in the pocket and scramble only if forced.
Claremont might have a better passer with Gold.
2 - Marshall could not ask for a better supporting cast on offense. The new head coach has a reputation for being a little more conservative and balanced on offense, which is why some thought Ricci would be a lock to start with Gold getting snaps late in games. He couldn’t have a better opportunity to throw Cal’s highest ever ranked QB prospect in the deep end. The Golden Bears return their starting HB, both record shattering receivers, a high-upside receiving TE, and an offensive line made almost exclusively of upperclassmen with a lot of snaps under their belt.
3 - Cal’s secondary could be excellent. All of Cal’s starters in the secondary are upper classmen, with three of them electing to stay for their senior seasons instead of testing the NFL draft. FS Scoot Henderson, a long time fixture of the secondary, flirted with the draft but decided to stay one more season. Golden Bear legend SS Tremayne Landman reportedly convinced him to stay, having those two prowling the middle of the field will give offensive coordinators nightmares. CBs Joey Eddie and Jeremiah Elkins are experienced stalwarts, with two of the most promising corners in the nation (Xamarion Cherry and Jordan Rosewood Jr.) backing them up. Opposing QBs aren’t going to get any breaks throughout the game..
Landman will leave as a legendary four-year starter.
FALL QUESTIONS
1 - Will HB Deuce Linwood make history? We saw Cal go back to their running game last year and Linwood showed he was up for it, putting up a season close to Barry Sanders’ legendary 1988 season. Linwood could have three more games to get it done again, Sanders did it in (11) games and didn’t get to count their bowl game, so there is a chance we could see Linwood get there. Even if he doesn’t break Sanders’ record, it’s highly likely he will pass Donnell Pumphrey’s career rushing mark as well as Keenan Reynolds’ career rushing TD mark. With Gold unlikely to run as much as Dinson, some of those 1,000+ rushing yards will go to Linwood.
Linwood has a unique opportunity to make history.
2 - Can Watson continue to improve a young defense? The Golden Bears made another defensive leap in 2028, but this year there is going to be a lot of turnover in terms of depth and at linebacker. Redshirt sophomore RE Marvin Wile surprised the staff and bolted for the draft, setting up a situation where the entire defensive line is being replaced. Both defensive ends, Rashaud Droogsman and Jarrad Keller, have some experience but DT Richard Calcaterra is going to see his first snaps this year. Linebacker has the same problem, with junior Enrique Ordonez the only returning starter and two redshirt freshman getting starting slots. There is an opening for Cal’s defense to take a step backwards, it won’t look like a problem if Cal scores 70+ a game again, but Marshall would like to avoid relying on winning a shootout every game.
3 - Can TE Tyler Pounds maintain Cal’s dominance at TE? Marshall decided to roll the dice here as well, though Pounds is going into his third year at Cal. The former WR sat behind TEs Vai Bush and DeShaun Peters and could be the best receiving TE Cal has ever had, but the concern is how he handles the rest of the job. With Cal running the ball quite a bit, he will be required to block on a regular basis. Peters getting the starting job last year showed that at least Tosh Lupoi valued his superior blocking ability over his pass catching, so we will have to see how Pounds holds up against opposing defenses.
Can Pounds keep Cal as Tight End U?
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS
Tupoi did an excellent job stocking this team with talent and depth, thanks to that they won’t need to rely on any incoming freshman or transfers to fill in starting spots.
Transfer Portal
WR Kelvin Tiffin (SR, Louisville) - It’s likely Tupoi signed Tiffin to weaken Louisville, but he immediately became the 4th best WR on the roster with more starting experience than WR Andre Onwenu.
LG Cory Keke (SR, Nevada) - Another luxury signing, Keke comes in as cover for the only underclassmen in the starting offensive line.
2029 Recruiting Class
CB Marion Wade - Wade isn’t necessarily a starter, but he’s part of that group with Cherry and Rosewood Jr. of extremely talented corners who should be in the starting lineup soon. Wade is listed as the top nickel corner, but he will likely see the field late in games rather than displace anyone else.
K Brian Troup - While Cal has developed a reputation for avoiding field goals, they still need a kicker. Troup is only one of two true freshman to be named to the starting lineup, as the nation’s top K prospect it isn’t surprising to see him handed the job.
DEPTH CHART
Cal’s offense should continue to be the best in the nation, even with a change at QB there are so many weapons on hand that it will continue to be impossible to plan for them. As noted earlier, quite a bit of turnover on defense has created an opening for regression.
SCHEDULE
The Golden Bears have one of the toughest schedules in the nation, mostly due to their non-conference schedule. Cal has made a point of scheduling an exciting slate of games outside the ACC, and this year will be no different. A road trip to #13 Tennessee opens the season, followed by visits from #4 Nebraska, #10 Arkansas, and #25 North Texas.
In the ACC, they miss most of the big name programs and have a decent path back to the ACC title game. Four tough road games in a row make up the meat of their schedule, going to #11 NC State, Louisville, #24 Miami, and Stanfurd for the Big Game. Outside of that stretch they get #17 Georgia Tech at home.
The obvious big story this offseason is the departure of head coach Tosh Lupoi for Alabama. The Cal athletic department clearly saw this coming, or was at least ready for it to happen, as they quickly promoted offensive coordinator Marhall Claremont to head coach. With Claremont’s spot vacant, Sterlin Gilbert has been elevated to offensive coordinator and should continue the style of play Marshall introduced last year. Gilbert, who moved to QB coach under former OC Justin Burke, has been at Cal for some time and will continue to call a balanced spread / multiple style offense. Chase Garbers, a former Cal / NFL / UFL QB, has been promoted from an offensive analyst to passing game coordinator.
SPRING ANSWERS
1 - T.J. Gold is taking over at QB. The early departure of two-time Heisman winner Duane Dinson opened up a competition between Gold and redshirt junior Walt Ricci. Marshall was very diplomatic, calling the competition “extremely close” before announcing Gold as the starter at the end of spring. Members of the media and third party observers were more blunt, calling it “an easy choice” for the Cal head coach. While Ricci has two years of experience backing up Dinson, he’s mostly handed the ball of late in games with Cal enjoying a massive lead. Gold, while he has no experience, looks like a QB a genie would grant you if you wished for a starting QB. Many scouts feel he will be a better passer than Dinson, with the kind of arm strength NFL scouts love and a 6’5 220 frame that makes Dinson look slight. He’s athletic, but looks to prefer to stay in the pocket and scramble only if forced.
2 - Marshall could not ask for a better supporting cast on offense. The new head coach has a reputation for being a little more conservative and balanced on offense, which is why some thought Ricci would be a lock to start with Gold getting snaps late in games. He couldn’t have a better opportunity to throw Cal’s highest ever ranked QB prospect in the deep end. The Golden Bears return their starting HB, both record shattering receivers, a high-upside receiving TE, and an offensive line made almost exclusively of upperclassmen with a lot of snaps under their belt.
3 - Cal’s secondary could be excellent. All of Cal’s starters in the secondary are upper classmen, with three of them electing to stay for their senior seasons instead of testing the NFL draft. FS Scoot Henderson, a long time fixture of the secondary, flirted with the draft but decided to stay one more season. Golden Bear legend SS Tremayne Landman reportedly convinced him to stay, having those two prowling the middle of the field will give offensive coordinators nightmares. CBs Joey Eddie and Jeremiah Elkins are experienced stalwarts, with two of the most promising corners in the nation (Xamarion Cherry and Jordan Rosewood Jr.) backing them up. Opposing QBs aren’t going to get any breaks throughout the game..
FALL QUESTIONS
1 - Will HB Deuce Linwood make history? We saw Cal go back to their running game last year and Linwood showed he was up for it, putting up a season close to Barry Sanders’ legendary 1988 season. Linwood could have three more games to get it done again, Sanders did it in (11) games and didn’t get to count their bowl game, so there is a chance we could see Linwood get there. Even if he doesn’t break Sanders’ record, it’s highly likely he will pass Donnell Pumphrey’s career rushing mark as well as Keenan Reynolds’ career rushing TD mark. With Gold unlikely to run as much as Dinson, some of those 1,000+ rushing yards will go to Linwood.
2 - Can Watson continue to improve a young defense? The Golden Bears made another defensive leap in 2028, but this year there is going to be a lot of turnover in terms of depth and at linebacker. Redshirt sophomore RE Marvin Wile surprised the staff and bolted for the draft, setting up a situation where the entire defensive line is being replaced. Both defensive ends, Rashaud Droogsman and Jarrad Keller, have some experience but DT Richard Calcaterra is going to see his first snaps this year. Linebacker has the same problem, with junior Enrique Ordonez the only returning starter and two redshirt freshman getting starting slots. There is an opening for Cal’s defense to take a step backwards, it won’t look like a problem if Cal scores 70+ a game again, but Marshall would like to avoid relying on winning a shootout every game.
3 - Can TE Tyler Pounds maintain Cal’s dominance at TE? Marshall decided to roll the dice here as well, though Pounds is going into his third year at Cal. The former WR sat behind TEs Vai Bush and DeShaun Peters and could be the best receiving TE Cal has ever had, but the concern is how he handles the rest of the job. With Cal running the ball quite a bit, he will be required to block on a regular basis. Peters getting the starting job last year showed that at least Tosh Lupoi valued his superior blocking ability over his pass catching, so we will have to see how Pounds holds up against opposing defenses.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS
Tupoi did an excellent job stocking this team with talent and depth, thanks to that they won’t need to rely on any incoming freshman or transfers to fill in starting spots.
Transfer Portal
WR Kelvin Tiffin (SR, Louisville) - It’s likely Tupoi signed Tiffin to weaken Louisville, but he immediately became the 4th best WR on the roster with more starting experience than WR Andre Onwenu.
LG Cory Keke (SR, Nevada) - Another luxury signing, Keke comes in as cover for the only underclassmen in the starting offensive line.
2029 Recruiting Class
CB Marion Wade - Wade isn’t necessarily a starter, but he’s part of that group with Cherry and Rosewood Jr. of extremely talented corners who should be in the starting lineup soon. Wade is listed as the top nickel corner, but he will likely see the field late in games rather than displace anyone else.
K Brian Troup - While Cal has developed a reputation for avoiding field goals, they still need a kicker. Troup is only one of two true freshman to be named to the starting lineup, as the nation’s top K prospect it isn’t surprising to see him handed the job.
DEPTH CHART
Cal’s offense should continue to be the best in the nation, even with a change at QB there are so many weapons on hand that it will continue to be impossible to plan for them. As noted earlier, quite a bit of turnover on defense has created an opening for regression.
SCHEDULE
The Golden Bears have one of the toughest schedules in the nation, mostly due to their non-conference schedule. Cal has made a point of scheduling an exciting slate of games outside the ACC, and this year will be no different. A road trip to #13 Tennessee opens the season, followed by visits from #4 Nebraska, #10 Arkansas, and #25 North Texas.
In the ACC, they miss most of the big name programs and have a decent path back to the ACC title game. Four tough road games in a row make up the meat of their schedule, going to #11 NC State, Louisville, #24 Miami, and Stanfurd for the Big Game. Outside of that stretch they get #17 Georgia Tech at home.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Dang, sucks that Lupoli left...but to be expected. Cal can't pay em like Bama can
Question. I'm assuming you make a new member to takeover as the new coach at Cal. Do you just set the old coach on auto at their new school?
Dang, sucks that Lupoli left...but to be expected. Cal can't pay em like Bama can
Question. I'm assuming you make a new member to takeover as the new coach at Cal. Do you just set the old coach on auto at their new school?
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Gotcha, I've done that with my OC's cause generally its CPU gen guys that are available to hire. Was thinking about doing a dual one eventually where I start as the OC at a small school then follow him once he gets promoted, but still control the small school as the incoming HC while we build them into a power. I know how to make the new member in an offline dynasty, but was thinking about if there are multiple coaches going through I wouldn't want to be in control of potentially 4+ HCs at different schools lol
Gotcha, I've done that with my OC's cause generally its CPU gen guys that are available to hire. Was thinking about doing a dual one eventually where I start as the OC at a small school then follow him once he gets promoted, but still control the small school as the incoming HC while we build them into a power. I know how to make the new member in an offline dynasty, but was thinking about if there are multiple coaches going through I wouldn't want to be in control of potentially 4+ HCs at different schools lol
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Super defeated here, and I don't know what the ongoing issue is. I continually get disconnected from the EA servers mid-game over the past few weeks, and after playing this game quite a bit I just don't think the actual gameplay is there to make powering through it worth my time anymore.
I don't want to turn this forum / content into a rant about all the problems with the gameplay (there are many), so I'm going to hang up my cleats. Maybe a future version will get us closer to a good on-field experience and I'll fire it back up.
Thank you to everyone who read / viewed / liked my story. I will continue to read everyone else's stories and be jealous that you are able to keep enjoying and creating.
Super defeated here, and I don't know what the ongoing issue is. I continually get disconnected from the EA servers mid-game over the past few weeks, and after playing this game quite a bit I just don't think the actual gameplay is there to make powering through it worth my time anymore.
I don't want to turn this forum / content into a rant about all the problems with the gameplay (there are many), so I'm going to hang up my cleats. Maybe a future version will get us closer to a good on-field experience and I'll fire it back up.
Thank you to everyone who read / viewed / liked my story. I will continue to read everyone else's stories and be jealous that you are able to keep enjoying and creating.
Comment
Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Sorry to hear that Bayers. Really enjoyed your content. Hope to see you drop more in the future. Would say by far your dynasty lay out was the best.Sent from my SM-S928U using Operation Sports mobile app
Sorry to hear that Bayers. Really enjoyed your content. Hope to see you drop more in the future. Would say by far your dynasty lay out was the best.Sent from my SM-S928U using Operation Sports mobile app
PSN Name - xboxxerx
You can call it being a "Homer". But as Tupac said, its California Love.
My Teams
NFL- San Francisco 49ers
NBA- Los Angeles Lakers
NHL- Anaheim Ducks
MLB - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
NCAA - USC
You can call it being a "Homer". But as Tupac said, its California Love.
My Teams
NFL- San Francisco 49ers
NBA- Los Angeles Lakers
NHL- Anaheim Ducks
MLB - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
NCAA - USC
Comment
Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Sad to see you go man, but you put Cal on the map before hanging up the sticks.
I've been having my fair share of problems with the EA servers as well and am making my new dynasty offline for that very reason.
The hope is that since this is the 1st year of CFB that they'll continue to expand on the gameplay and features to give the fans what they want. The fear is they'll stick with their Madden gameplan and just copy and paste new rosters each year. We shall see.
Echoing what Xbox said, your in depth reporting and layouts were definitely some of the best on the site. Hoping to see you posting another one in the future!
Sad to see you go man, but you put Cal on the map before hanging up the sticks.
I've been having my fair share of problems with the EA servers as well and am making my new dynasty offline for that very reason.
The hope is that since this is the 1st year of CFB that they'll continue to expand on the gameplay and features to give the fans what they want. The fear is they'll stick with their Madden gameplan and just copy and paste new rosters each year. We shall see.
Echoing what Xbox said, your in depth reporting and layouts were definitely some of the best on the site. Hoping to see you posting another one in the future!
Comment