SPOTLIGHT GAME No. 9 Cal (8-4 ...

SPOTLIGHT GAME

No. 9 Cal (8-4 in 2005) at No. 23 Tennessee (5-6)

4:30 pm Saturday - ESPN

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California would like to be where Tennessee is. A perennial power. The tenders meanwhile, are emphatic about not liking where they are.

What's the deal here? Welcome to another guild football season, where every game look upons

What the shining Bears, who visit Neyland Stadium onward Saturday, admire about Tennessee is its 1998 national championship, its sum of two units Southeastern Conference championships and coach Phillip Fulmer's record of 128-37 a 776 winning percentage that's tops among major- body coaches with at least 10 years of experience.

What the offers are pondering is their messy 5-6 finish last season, which left them bowl-les for the first time since 1988 Three offensive coaches, including coordinator Randy Sanders, didn't revert

"This season is not just for us," said star wide receiver Robert Meachem, taking the blame for Tennessee's disastrous 2005 "It's for all the players who were here last year. It's for coach Sanders and all of [the departed coaches]."

Left guard David Ligon reflected sounded that sentiment, saying: "It [stinks] those coaches had to take the blame for the mistakes we made. It's a life precept We'll never forget it."

California has its acknowledge agenda as it tries to unseat USC in the Pac-10. With a victory in Knoxville, the Bears could settle up a big late-season showdown against the Trojans. After this week, Cal figures to be favored in each game until it goes to USC upon Nov. 18.

forward the other hand, the Bears know they face a tough criterion

"I don't think you want to play Tennessee and Minnesota back-to- back in the preseason each year," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "But I think this year's team is ready for this challenge."

After being named the starting quarterback across returnee Joe Ayoob on Tuesday, sophomore Nate Longshore entireed ready for 104,079- seat capacity Neyland Stadium.

"It's going to be a blast," Longshore said. "As a little kid, you're playing rings in your backyard and imagine what it would be like to play in assurance of 100,000 people. We won't have to imagine anymore."

Tennessee will answer with junior Erik Ainge, who has waded between the walls of past quarterback derbies with the Vol

chiefly teams would be pleased to be ranked 23rd coming against a losing season. Tennessee isn't greatest in number teams, though. Rather than being disquieted about seeing a top-10 team right without of the gate, the Vol present the appearance eager to have this early chance to atone.

"I'm lovin' it," offensive tackle Arron Sears said. "We've gone between the walls of a whole summer with that 5-6 onward our mind. This will indicate how good we are."

Whether these early-season key-note matchups are good for a team's overall season is render free of access to debate. But players and fans be pleased with them. And they are great for the winners, while repeatedly giving the losers time to recruit

Fulmer insists he doesn't have a question at issue with playing such an important game in the way that early.

"Every game at Tennessee is crucial," he said.

The line: Cal through 1oe.

Gould's pick: Tennessee 24-21

e-mail: hgould@suntimes.com

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