NCAAF : Hawaii-Cal Open 2016 Down Under

Week 1 of the FBS college football season is getting an early start – literally. It will be noon local time (10 PM ET, ESPN) when the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors play the California Golden Bears this Friday at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia. The Bears have opened as massive 20-point favorites, although the early action has been on Hawaii.

The Warriors have seen better days. They went 3-10 SU and ATS last year, dropping all eight of their conference games in the Mountain West. Nick Rolovich, a former quarterback and offensive coordinator at Hawaii, will try to resurrect this program in his maiden voyage as a head coach.

California enjoyed a reasonably good 2015 campaign at 8-5 SU and 6-7 ATS, ending the season with a convincing 55-36 win over Air Force (+5.5) at the Armed Forces Bowl. But the Bears enter their fourth year of football under Sonny Dykes with lowered expectations after QB Jared Goff went No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. It's up to new starter Davis Webb to pick up the slack; Webb transferred from Texas Tech after finishing his degree, and looks like a comfortable fit in the Bear Raid offense.

NCAAF Odds: Webb Takes Over as Cal, Hawaii Open 2016
With Jared Goff turning pro, Davis Webb will be under center for the California Golden Bears when they open the 2016 FBS college football season Friday (10 PM ET, ESPN) in Sydney, Australia against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. California is a 20-point chalk at press time.

Webb, a graduate transfer from Texas Tech, has the big arm that head coach Sonny Dykes needs in his Bear Raid offense. The Warriors know a thing or two about big arms; rookie coach Nick Rolovich was their star QB in 2001, but current starter Ikaika Woolsey has yet to impress in Hawaii.