ESPN College Football

Every game counts. But some games count more. Or tell us more.

We're going through the Pac-12 and picking out one game that seems most important -- or potentially most revealing -- for each team from our vantage point today.

We're going in alphabetical order.

Oregon

Most important game: Nov. 10 at California (Not really, but work with me)

Why it's important: First, off, yes, we all know Oregon's most important game is at USC on Nov. 3. The hype for that one will be relentless, starting even in August. The odds seem extremely high that the Ducks will go to LA with an 8-0 record and a top-five rankings. Odds are good USC will be 8-0 and ranked in the top-five, too, perhaps even No. 1, though the Trojans schedule before that is notably more taxing than Oregon's. The winner very well could rise to No. 1 as we hit the season's home stretch. At worst, I'd bet the team that walks away from the Coliseum at 9-0 is ranked no worse than No. 2. So that game is monumental. Heck, it could even be a No. 1 vs. 2 showdown, which would be great fun.

But is there anyone reading this that isn't already aware of all that? If so, the Pac-12 blog will now start crying because it has failed you. Waaaaa!

I'm OK. Sniffle.

So, let's do this: Where is Oregon's second most important game? Figuring that out requires a couple of things. First, it has to be on the road, which eliminates Washington and Stanford. The Ducks have lost just six games under Chip Kelly, and only one was in Autzen Stadium. Second, it has to be a team that has given the Ducks some trouble and has the potential to do that again. For extra credit, it would help if this road game against a team that gives the Ducks some trouble could be played immediately after the Ducks game at USC.

Well, lookie here: At California on Nov. 10.

Oregon has lost three of its last four games in Berkeley. It's lone victory -- a 15-13 thriller in 2010 -- was the lone nailbiter in the Ducks unbeaten regular season. Cal also has the size and athleticism on defense to give the Ducks offense some trouble.

And, of course, there's that beloved sportswriter construct: "The Letdown Game." That's when a team wins a huge, emotional showdown only to show up flat the following weekend and faceplant. What I really cherish about that cliché is the thought of bringing it up to Kelly in advance of the game. He loves stuff like that.

We're continuing with our under the radar series.

The idea is to pick out a player who is not a big name, but who may be underrated. Or, at least, a guy who will need to step up and play a critical role in 2012.

We're going in reverse alphabetical order.

California: RB C.J. Anderson

2011 production: Anderson rushed for 361 yards with eight TDs. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry. He also caught seven passes for 186 yards and a score.

Making the case for Anderson: Talk about under the radar: Anderson is the backup to one of the Pac-12's most underrated players in Isi Sofele, who quietly rushed for 1,322 yards last year. Anderson was mostly the thunder to Sofele's lightning in 2011, giving Cal a big back to spell the diminutive Sofele, particularly in short-yardage situations. But here's the deal: A little bird told me that Anderson was consistently the Bears best back this spring. A big reason for that is Anderson losing 15 pounds -- he was out of shape last year after transfering from a junior college -- though he's still listed at 5-foot-11, 215. He's a physical runner who showed much better quickness this spring. Fans got a taste of the new-and-improved Anderson when his 87 yards rushing in the spring game included a 15-yard TD and 44-yard scamper. The Bears backfield is stacked. After Sofele and Anderson there's speedy Brendan Bigelow, and Daniel Lasco isn't too shabby either. That's a quality foursome, but there's only one ball. Let's just say Anderson, if he continues to focus on conditioning during the summer, could offer Sofele some legit competition for the starting job in fall camp. It's notable that Anderson is not only more physical, he's also a better receiver than Sofele and less of a mismatch when asked to block. Even if Anderson doesn't displace Sofele, it's not unreasonable to expect him to double his production from 2011.

California safety Avery Sebastian talks about his name change and the Bears’ young defense.

The noseguard talks about competing for a starting job, and the Bears' young defense.

California wide receiver wide receiver Keenan Allen talks about his injured ankle, competing with other Pac-12 receivers and the improvements of quarterback Zach Maynard.

All players are equal, but some players are more equal than others. That's the basis of our Most Important Player series.

First off, quarterbacks are excluded to make things more interesting. It goes without saying that Arizona's Matt Scott, USC's Matt Barkley and Washington's Keith Price are their teams' most important players. Their losses would be catastrophic.

And most important doesn't necessarily have to be "best." An All-American's backup can be pretty darn good, too.

Our most important guys are players who could swing a win total one way or the other, based on their living up to expectations. Or their absence.

California: WR Keenan Allen

2011 production: Allen caught 98 passes for 1,343 yards with six touchdowns. He averaged 13. 7 yards per reception.

Why Allen is so important: There are two things here. First, Allen is not only Cal's best receiver -- and one of the best receivers in the nation -- he is, second, Cal's only receiver at present. Seriously. A first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2011 and No. 15 player on our postseason list of the conference's top-25 players, he is the only -- and unquestionably -- irreplaceable player on the Bears roster. Are we overstating this? No. The Bears lose their Nos. 2, 3 and 4 receivers from 2011. Their No. 5 receiver, tight end Spencer Hagan, is back. He caught 12 passes. So who is their second-leading returning pass-catcher who actually played receiver? That would be Jackson Bouza, a walk-on who caught three passes. Coach Jeff Tedford has candidly admitted that he needs three of his five incoming freshmen receivers to be ready to contribute next fall. While redshirt freshman Maurice Harris, who has great hands but has been inconsistent this spring, and converted defensive back Joel Willis, have a chance to be in the mix, you shouldn't be surprised if Bryce Treggs and Darius Powe end up as Nos. 2 and 3 receivers in 2012. Bottom line: If QB Zach Maynard doesn't have Allen, who is sitting out this spring as he recovers from an ankle injury, the Bears passing game would be crippled.

California coach Jeff Tedford talks about the Bears position battles this spring and how he's approaching a season on the hotseat.

With one of the top running backs in the Pac-12 last season returning, the Cal Bears already know who is going to get the majority of the carries next season.

It's Isi Sofele, who looks to be picking up in spring practices where he left off last season. In 2011 Sofele rushed for 1,322 yards, 10 touchdowns and an average of 101.7 yards per game. Cal coach Jeff Tedford said he's expecting bigger things from Sofele next year.

"The experience that Isi gained last year and the way he hits a hole now is night and day," Tedford said following practice on Saturday. "When he hits that hole, he really hits it."

A couple of weeks ago, Tedford had talked about his marquee players getting a lot of rest during spring practices -- mainly because "we know what they can do." So far C.J. Anderson has stepped up during spring to provide some quality depth behind Sofele.

"C.J. Anderson looks great and has lost some weight," Tedford said. "When he first came here last fall, he was overweight and wasn't in shape, but now he's in shape and doing a great job. Between Isi, C.J. and those other three guys [Brendan Bigelow, Darren Ervin and Daniel Lasco] we're going to have some depth at that position."

Of course, Cal has only been working out in helmets and shorts -- and everyone looks explosive without pads on. Once the pads go on and the hitting starts, Tedford said he's hoping to learn a little more about the backs behind Sofele.

“As soon as we can get the pads on, it’s going to be critical that we can get those guys in game-type situations,” Tedford said. “Bigelow didn’t have a lot of that type of work last year, Ervin missed much of the season with injuries and Lasco did a great job on scout team. It’s so important to find out what they can do, so we’re going to take a good look at them."

With 252 carries last year, Sofele accounted for 52 percent of Cal's carries. Anderson was third with 72 carries behind quarterback Zach Maynard, who had 84 rushing attempts. Tedford said he's hoping to spread the wealth a little more next season.

"We’ve never really relied on one back,” Tedford continued. “It’s been by committee, sometimes two and sometimes three. If a third guy emerges, and I expect they will, then they’ll be in the rotation. They’re all really good players, there’s going to be a role for all of them if they continue to improve.”

Ted Miller discusses what Cal needs to do this offseason at the quarterback position.

Add one more to Cal's 2012 recruiting class.

Coach Jeff Tedford announced in a statement that tight end Harrison Wilfley (Orangevale, Calif.,) has signed a national letter of intent, bringing the school's recruiting class to 20.

Wilfley last played at American River College northeast of Sacramento in 2008 and 2009 before going on a Mormon mission to Uruguay. He played high school ball at Casa Roble High School.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Wilfley also has experience playing at defensive end.

Here's the official release from the school with a breakdown of Cal's recruiting class.

Every team had needs going into 2012 national signing day. Last week, Ted Miller looked at the needs of each team in the North Division and South Division. Here’s a look at whether those needs were met.

Arizona: Either Javelle Allen or Josh Kern -- both Texans -- could be the long-term answer at quarterback. Noticeably missing is the lack of an impact linebacker. But there is some good depth to the offensive line.

Arizona State: Nice pickup with running back D.J. Foster. Richard Smith and Josiah Blandin boost the wide receiving corps. Nine JC signees? We’ll see.

Cal: QB Zach Kline (No. 2 QB) is the jewel of the class, and receiver Darius Powe could be an immediate impact player. Cal wins the award for bipolar recruiting season, but this is still a solid class.

Colorado: If Yuri Wright can keep his thumbs in check, he’s a huge addition. He and Kenny Crawley boost a secondary sorely in need of playmakers.

Oregon: Arik Armstead headlines a diverse class that, as expected, is heavy on speed and addresses depth across the board. Next to duct tape, few things are quick fixes than a juco kicker.

Oregon State: No. 1 offensive guard Isaac Seumalo and tackle Garrett Weinreich fill immediate needs on the line. A lot of unproven commits on a defense that still needs help.

Stanford: Business should be booming in the Stanford cafeteria with seven new offensive linemen. And they get to grow with and block for Barry Sanders. Noor Davis and Alex Carter are elite defensive playmakers.

UCLA: Four ESPNU 150 players, headlined by athlete Devin Fuller. Who said Jim Mora wasn't cut out for college? Keeping Ellis McCarthy in Southern California -- and out of red and gold -- is big time.

USC: Don't cry for this tiny class. It features seven ESPNU 150 players and adds speed on defense with Jabari Ruffin, size on the offensive line with Max Turek and Jordan Simmons and athleticism with wide receiver Nelson Agholor. Another great haul for Troy.

Utah: A quarterback of the future is needed, and Travis Wilson (No. 39 QB) and Chase Hansen (No. 43 QB) should have a heck of a competition in the coming years. Lots of help and depth added to the offensive line.

Washington: A shaky recruiting season was saved at the last minute by the commitment of Shaq Thompson and the ability to hold quarterback Cyler Miles. Brandon Beaver helps a secondary that was one of the worst in the conference.

Washington State: Running back Robert Lewis and receiver Alex Jackson could prove to be money in the Mike Leach offensive overhaul. A few juco transfers should be stopgaps until depth develops and Leach's plan comes together.

Receiver Thomas Johnson picked Texas A&M over California, Oregon and TCU.

Earlier in the morning, Oregon flipped a pair of wideouts, Bralon Addison and Chance Allen, from Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, respectively, so this is less a hit for the Ducks than the Bears.

Washington again raided California to complete its revamped coaching staff on Tuesday, hiring Eric Kiesau away from the Bears.

Cal confirmed Kiesau's departure with a short statement from coach Jeff Tedford and athletic director Sandy Barbour. It has been reported that Kiesau will be the Huskies' offensive coordinator -- he coached receivers for Cal -- but it seems likely that head coach Steve Sarkisian will continue to call plays, as he did with former coordinator, Doug Nussmeier, who is leaving for Alabama.

On Monday, the Huskies hired Tosh Lupoi away from Cal. He is considered perhaps the best recruiter in the conference.

Kiesau is the fifth new coach Sarkisian has hired this offseason. In addition to him and Lupoi, Sarkisian hired Justin Wilcox (defensive coordinator) and Peter Sirmon (linebackers) away from Tennessee and Keith Heyward (secondary) away from Oregon State.

What has become clear: Washington is willing to pay big money to stock a staff around Sarkisian. When the numbers are published, it's possible that Washington could have the highest paid coaching staff in the conference in 2012, though USC doesn't release salary information. It's certainly clear that Cal couldn't keep up, even though both schools will rake in big money from the Pac-12's new TV contract. Simple fact: Washington is a wealthier athletic department, as Mitch Sherman notes here.

Here is the statement from Tedford: “Tosh and Eric have decided to take other jobs, and we wish them the best. When people have career opportunities they make decisions based upon a wide array of reasons that are important to them. We appreciate their contributions to Cal football, and we exhausted all of our resources to try to retain Tosh and Eric within the confines and continuity of our coaching staff, but both chose to take advantage of new opportunities. We will proceed to replace them with quality coaches who will continue to stand for what the University of California and our football program represent, just as Tosh and Eric did.”

And from Barbour: “Tosh and Eric are outstanding football coaches that did a terrific job during their tenures on the Cal staff. We certainly valued everything they brought to our football program and appreciate their time with us. We did all we were able to do to have them remain at Cal and appreciate our community’s willingness to assist in that effort. We remain excited and confident about the direction of Cal football under the leadership of Jeff Tedford.”

And, yes, it is fairly unusual for the coach and athletic director to release statements after they lose assistant football coaches. Tedford and Barbour probably felt they needed to in this case because Cal fans -- understandably -- aren't taking this well, particularly so close to national signing day on Feb. 1.

Thirty-year-old Tosh Lupoi, born and bred a Cal Bear and arguably the top-recruiting assistant coach on the West Coast, bolted Berkeley on Monday for Washington — a huge blow, 15 days before signing day, to 10th-year coach Jeff Tedford and a landscape-altering move in the Pac-12.

This is reality at Cal, where the athletic department operates under the weight of a budget deficit that exceeded, on average, more than $11 million from 2003 to 2010, according to a university report.

Lupoi, who recently finished his fourth year as defensive line coach under Tedford, reportedly earned $164,000 at Cal. At Washington, he received a new title: defensive run game coordinator — and, no doubt, a big raise.

How does Cal match that? It can't.

Read more from Mitch Sherman here.

Ted Miller previews Wednesday's Holiday Bowl matchup between California and Texas.