Andrew Wild

The only interesting element of my recruitment and start at The Daily Californian was how disgustingly overexcited and purposeful I was to become an editor as quickly as possible.

The tools the team will have in the uphill climb to improve on last year’s 7-6 record have become clearer, but knowing whether or not they have what it takes is still a while away.

For one, Cal is again without a clear-cut first-string QB, and although a starter is unlikely to be officially announced until shortly before the regular season begins in late August, this will be the biggest test the competitors have faced so far.

The news was of a coaching staff restructuring that was farcical in its attempt to change everything possible about the Bears offense … outside of changing a single one of the faces and names involved.

The Bears’ offensive efficiency ranked as the second worst among all Power Five teams, ending just above Rutgers and below eternal laughingstock Kansas. How do you ruin the efforts of a defense that was top 10 in the nation by just about any statistic?

Until the Bears can get both sides of the ball on the same page, they seem doomed to play little brother in their biggest rivalry.

So far, the transfer seems to be paying dividends. Bunting has gotten on the field in every game and has posted career highs for season catches and receptions. There’s no doubt he provides a size and physicality that the Bears are seriously in need of.

As has been the case all throughout the season, Cal’s fate will come down to whether or not the offense can rise to the moment. Against their dreaded rivals at home, it’s hard to imagine a better test of that ability.

Saturday’s matchup, and perhaps the shape of the Pac-12 North for a few years to come, are going to hinge on whether some of the Bears coaching staff can manage to outflank an old mentor.

If Cal can truly get both sides of the ball on the same page the rest of the way, I think the sky’s the limit. The caveat, of course, is that its remaining opponents are going to make things a whole lot more difficult than the 1-6 Beavers.