Just how important.......

#2
#2
For better or worse, I think everyone can agree that it will set the tone for the season.
 
#3
#3
That would be good, at least gave us some confidence to start the season. But I don't think it would set the tune or anything like that. We were not that good after destroying Cal, and Cal were not that bad either.
 
#4
#4
It being the opener alone makes it ultra important, defending the SEC against that axis of evil that is Pac-10 football adds a little more zest.
 
#5
#5
I don't think it sets a tone for the season, but I definitely think it will give us an idea of how our season will go. Cal is a pretty good team with good talent and if we can go out there and win or compete, then it will give our guys some confidence heading into the bulk of the season. On the other hand, if we go out there and get our butts handed to us, then we'll have no confidence and be in danger of tanking.
 
#6
#6
It's kind of like a mediocre bowl game, in that it's not THAT important -- unless we lose, of course, at which point it retroactively takes on apocalyptic signficance.
 
#7
#7
It's one game on the schedule. Realistically it's less than Vandy or Kentucky in terms of importance.
 
#8
#8
I don't think it sets a tone for the season, but I definitely think it will give us an idea of how our season will go. Cal is a pretty good team with good talent and if we can go out there and win or compete, then it will give our guys some confidence heading into the bulk of the season. On the other hand, if we go out there and get our butts handed to us, then we'll have no confidence and be in danger of tanking.
Agreed 100%
 
#10
#10
We've now hit a level where being competitive with the likes of Cal is considered a good thing.

I think with the question marks on this team and how young it is, competing with a top 15 team nationally on the road in the opener is a pretty good thing.
 
#12
#12
I don't think it sets a tone for the season, but I definitely think it will give us an idea of how our season will go. Cal is a pretty good team with good talent and if we can go out there and win or compete, then it will give our guys some confidence heading into the bulk of the season. On the other hand, if we go out there and get our butts handed to us, then we'll have no confidence and be in danger of tanking.

That's my definition of "setting a tone". :p
 
#13
#13
I think with the question marks on this team and how young it is, competing with a top 15 team nationally on the road in the opener is a pretty good thing.
I would have thought this would have sunk in from my tirades last year, but apparently not: Cal is NOT, repeat NOT, in any way one of the 15 best teams in the country.
 
#14
#14
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest ....

At the end of the season it is likely that the Cal game will be a -4. Unless you are in contention for the national title game, the result of the Cal game has zero to do with the SEC outcome. And right now it is tough to envision a scenario where Tennessee is in the hunt.


For the first half of September, however, it will rank up there for UT fans with the invention of the steam combustion engine.
 
#15
#15
I would have thought this would have sunk in from my tirades last year, but apparently not: Cal is NOT, repeat NOT, in any way one of the 15 best teams in the country.

may not be, but right now and when we play them, according to the polls they are.
 
#16
#16
Any opening game against a top 10 or 15 team is extremely important. The SEC is only getting better, and for us to succeed, we have to be able to take or business in the Pac10
 
#18
#18
i find this game rather important. not really on a national level, which i really dont care what any sports caster says about our team anymore, but the game will be important for the players, espically the really young ones, to get some really solid competion before entering conference play. I really think this is vital going into the florida game.
 
#20
#20
The same polls that UT was #3 in at the start of the 2005 season.

yes, those same polls... whether or not they are will be told, but that's the world we live in. Preseason polls are pure guessing, but that's all we have. Whether or not UT and Cal are top 15 teams will be determined, but for now and up to that game, that's all we have, other than personal opinions (which is all polls are anyways).
 
#22
#22
It is pretty unimportant in the sense that we are not winning a NC this year and what really matters is the SEC title.

But it is important in the sense that we should win it and should be really pissed if we don't.
 
#24
#24
ESPN has them as preseason 12..... am i missing something?


yeah, you just said espn and rankings at the same time. Cal is not a top 15 team, its that simple. They looked good in the back end of last year cause they play in the pac-10, and no matter what anyone says, the pac-10 was a 1 team conference last year, and probably will be agian this year (even though i hold out for oregon to finally get it together). They can't play with the speed we have overall on our team, as we proved last year. go back and look at the players comments, they said they had never seen speed like they had in that game. and minus probably the best weapon in cal football the past 10 years in lynch, i just dont see them as a top 12 let alone top 20 team.
 
#25
#25
Obviously the game we played against them last year, their loss to Arizona, and about 50 years of history.


And last year has bearing on this year?? Just cuz you have a personal pac10 or cal hate doesn't mean the facts should be ignored... Cal is 12, we are 15. Beating a top12 team is very important.
 
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