CAL seemingly had it all last Sept. 2, when the glitzy, glamorous Golden Bears strolled into Knoxville for a season-opening tussle with Tennessee.
The Bears were No. 9 in the nation, their highest ranking since 1952. They had superstars at every skill position. They were under the direction of the country’s latest, greatest, offensive guru, coach Jeff Tedford. And they were even a darkhorse choice to win the national title.
Then they kicked off at Neyland Stadium. Four excruciating hours later, the orange scoreboard read: Tennessee 35, Cal 18. All of a sudden, the Bears were 0-1 frauds, out of the Top Ten and the national spotlight.
Until now.
“That first game was a drag on the whole season,” Cal linebacker Zack Follett said, “and we’ve had the whole summer to reflect on it and let it motivate us.”
The nation, and the Volunteers, for that matter, get a chance to see how motivated these Bears are. Saturday night, No. 12 Cal plays host to No. 15 Tennessee in Week One’s primetime, marquee matchup.
“I’ve always been a believer in each game stands on its own,” Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer said. “This is a different Tennessee team and a different Cal team.”
A different time zone and stadium, too, and that should make the difference. Plus, Week One is traditionally where home favorites make hay, and we won’t challenge that theory much.
Listen, Cal won’t be confused with Southern Cal anytime soon, especially on the depth chart, but the Bears’ starting offensive skill is comparable to the No. 1 Trojans’, and the defense isn’t bad either. Just ask Texas A&M, which was blasted by the Bears, 45-10, in the Holiday Bowl.
Tennessee, picked preseason No. 2 in the SEC East, is in line for a good season. But with Cal, Southern Miss and Florida on the slate the first three weeks, it could be a rocky start on Rocky Top.
Cal (-6) is the pick.
Louisiana State (-171/2) over MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bayou Bengals will be different with Matt Flynn under center, but equally as potent.
SYRACUSE (+31/2) over Washington: Not a big fan of cross-country flights to start a season. On a national stage, hot-seated Greg Robinson needs this one.
VA. TECH (-271/2) over East Carolina: Number is high, but so is the motivation and emotion in Blacksburg.
MIAMI (-18) over Marshall: Randy Shannon gets a gimme in his debut.
NOTRE DAME (-21/2) over Georgia Tech: With Penn State and Michigan on deck, the Irish better get a win now.
NEBRASKA (-21) over Nevada: Look for Bill Callahan to let new starting QB Sam Keller run it up as he prepares for Wake and USC.
BOS. COLLEGE (-6) over Wake Forest: The honeymoon’s over for the Deacons. The Jeff Jagodzinski Era opens with a bang.
WISCONSIN (-14) Washington State: You’ll see Cougars QB Alex Brink play on Sundays soon – but not many of his teammates.
STANFORD (+17) over Ucla: The number’s too high for this rivalry. The Cardinal have covered seven of nine in this series.
Missouri (-41/2) over Illinois: (in St. Louis) The speedy Tigers will love that Edward Jones Dome turf.
WEST VIRGINIA (-23) Western Michigan: Not an easy opener, but you can’t go against that offense.
GEORGIA (-6) over Oklahoma State: Cowboys defense is shaky and the ‘Dawgs closed last year with wins over Auburn, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.
AUBURN (-131/2) over Kansas State: Tommy Tuberville’s a smart man. He wouldn’t have scheduled the Wildcats if he didn’t think the Tigers could whack ’em.
CLEMSON (+31/2) over Florida State: The Seminoles’ new all-star coaching staff needs time to jell.
OFF THE GRID: Each week, we’ll take a stab at a game not on the Saturday’s Heroes Grid. Let’s try MEMPHIS (+21/2) over Ole Miss. The Tigers lost to the Rebels by three last season, and now they get them at home.
RECORDS: 2006: 128-105-8 Overall, 26-22 Best Bets. 2005: 119-97-5, 28-16.
tsullivan@nypost.com