How will the Bears do?

Based on our unscientific pooling data, most Cal fans think the Bears will come in first of second in the conference, and see the Rose Bowl on Jan 1 instead of Jan 7.

So what do the boys in Vegas think? I was just there for the past 4 days (only lost a little...) and the line varied from 25 to 1 to 35 to 1 that the Bears would win it all. If you want the best odds, go to the Venetian, at 35 to 1 (meaning $100 pays $3500). Cesars and Harrah's think the Bears will do better, at 30 to 1, and The MGM / Mirage (Bellagio, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, etc) folks think the Bears will do a bit better than that, at $25 to 1.

There was not a line on how many games the Bears would win, although almost every other team had one that was ranked. SC was picked to win the Pac 10, with 10 wins as the over / under. I think that is a pretty good call this year for SC.

My prediction of the Pac 10 this year looks like this:

Cal (Homer - what can I say) 11-1 - lose at Oregon. New Years in Pasadena!
USC - 10-2 - Lose at Cal and Oregon
Oregon -9-3 - Lose at Boise State, at Arizona and at UCLA. Ties SC for second, but SC goes to Holiday Bowl.
Oregon State 8-4 - Lose at Oregon, Cal, USC and UNLV, or some other inexplicable early season debacle
Arizona - 7-5 - Keeps Stoops another year - guarantees the Bears will make the Rose Bowl before they do.
Stanfurd - 7-5 - Propels Hairball to the NFL. The future value of Tight Ends increases dramatically.
UCLA - 6-6 - This is the dramatic turn-around people were hoping for. The LA times endorses Neuweasle for Governor.
Arizona State - 4-8 - A sorry end for the worst 49er coach in 30 years.
Washington State - 2-9 Who knows
Washington - 1-11 - Couldn't happen to nicer guys.

UCLA does not make a bowl game since there were eligible teams ahead of them.

I have to say - I am really sickened by the prospect of Notre Dame this year. They play NO ONE of consequence, except USC. They will probably go 11 - 1. But they play 4 Pac 10 teams. Besides the above mentioned USC, they play Washington and Washington State (UGG) as well as Stanfurd. I think this is a year that Stanfurd gives them trouble. But Stanfurd is probably the second most difficult team that they face this year. Maybe Michigan State. But Michigan is way down, as is Boston College. Maybe this is the year when Navy rises up to kick the snot out of them. I bring this up because, of course, they have a special Notre Dame rule, which means if they have a sniffing chance of being in the BCS they will get in. So, an 11 - 1 Cal, not the Pac 10 champ - could lose out to an 11 - 1 Notre Dame who played the worst schedule of any of the top 25 teams.

The Bears have a tough road to hoe, but clearly the two games that stand out are the SC game at home, and the Oregon game on the road. Then, Oregon State at home.

Over the past few years, SC and Oregon State are the only teams to beat us at Memorial. It is time to stop that nonsense.

Go BEARS!!