Talk about the bloom being off. Cal received no votes in the AP Poll for the first time since 2003, back when Tedford and the sturdy Golden Bears were considered rowdy upstarts. The Bears have indeed struggled living up to expectations (deserved or undeserved) as of late. It seems as if they’re finally getting the media burn back after the media got tired of being burned themselves.
Not that preseason polls will matter much in the end run, but how will Cal respond with no expectations after so many years of expecting to reach the top and failing to do so? It’s anyone’s guess.