This is bad from an alumni relations standpoint. We usually host Parents Weekend/ Homecoming mid-October, a Thursday or Friday game isn’t great option. We want alumni and parents to come back so they give more money and win more. 😭
We'll start 3-1 and then have our mid season swoon.
We'll improve at the end and beat Furd ensuring Wilcox' return. Same old script.
Also we need a general manager for the football program who can focus on global issues and NIL like Stanford has done with Luck. He should report to Lyons. Knowlton can focus on nonrevenue sports and Badminton
Ugh, I really want to head down to Blacksburg for the VT game, but that's a 4-hour drive on a good day and just not feasible during the week. Le sigh...
What the F is the possibility of Thursday or Friday games? If so, then they will have to be night games. Weekday night game at Memorial will be a complete traffic nightmare. Who's idea is this anyway and WHY?
Coach Wilcox seems more than suitable to coach at Cal-given the unique infrastructure herein. He is professional; seems able to attract talent in both the player and coaching ranks; and, but for, a few kicks, referee calls, injuries and our #1 QB/WR transferring out, we'd be asking for his contract extension and ultra optimistic given the upcoming schedule. I'll take my reality check in November...
Could two things be true? Wilcox is surely all of those things and Cal is just Cal. They're even more Cal than ever. But... Wilcox has had enough several times to have a much higher performing team. Especially last year. You have to close that game against Miami -- and if you do -- momentum. The Calgorithim loses its mind.
There’s 3 clear wins on the schedule v OSU, SDSU and TS. The rest are toss ups which means we’ll win 7-8 games if we go 4-5 or 5-4 on the toss ups. That said, it’s a relatively easy schedule so if we’re better than we look on paper we could easily win 9 or 10. That’s the silver lining. I don’t see us getting blown out in any of these games barring injury so it should be fun to watch
The folks on this thread saying the GB's go undefeated in 2025 have clearly just come from the dispensary. My prediction: 3-1 out of conference, 4-4 in conference, to land at a very Wilcox-like 7-5. Cal has historically, and especially under Wilcox, played down to their competition. I'm really hoping and praying that Cal posts a winning conference record this year, the first since 2009 (and first with JW as head coach). That to me would show some progress in the program... To expect much more is folly imho. But still - GO BEARS!
I don't even need the dispensary to sunshine pump in the off season. Because, "WE'RE GOING TO BE SO GOOD NEXT YEAR." I will wait until we take a bear sized poop on ourselves in Corvalis to return to reality. And also, your comment is spot on but damn a winning record in conference would be nice. Have I asked for too much?
If Wilcox can’t go 8-4 with this schedule and the current roster then he needs to be fired. 8-4 is the floor with this schedule. At a minimum he should be 3-1 in OOC games and at a minimum he should be 5-3 in ACC play.
Wilcox has been consistently losing close games to Power conference teams for nearly a decade…it’s a lesson he has clearly not learned yet…realistically, what do we expect to change now, especially with such an unproven QB room…
I’m hoping it starts with the new coaches, but at the end of the day, Wilcox is still in charge and has simply found ways to lose football games.
NIL makes this impossible for any consistency now. Every time we get good players they leave and do not stay and that goes on all across the country now. The only way to overcome this is to recruit from the cream of the crop and we just don't have the stature or the program to do that on any kind of consistent basis.
Even if this quarterback is any good, Alabama or some other big program with long dollars will offer him the world.And will take him from us.
Well said. There is no real place for teams like Cal anymore. There will be no Tedford-esque era again. Alums and people who support the team in the Bay Area have too many other things to do to invest massive amounts of money in the NIL pool. And that is the now the game.
Agree 100% on the NIL. It really hampers schools like Cal, although Wilcox has actually done a solid job of plugging holes left by guys who portaled out.
Like all football HC’s that don’t call plays, either offensive or defensive and be it pro or college, you’re really only as good as your coaching staff. IF he’s finally hit on legit hires with Harsin/Rolo/Famika, with this 2025 schedule there is no reason Cal should not have their best season in a decade, even with the inexperience at QB.
With all the coaching changes and some possibly good changes on the OL / QB - if it is another losing year - what do you think will happen to Wilcox? My guess is nothing.
This is bad from an alumni relations standpoint. We usually host Parents Weekend/ Homecoming mid-October, a Thursday or Friday game isn’t great option. We want alumni and parents to come back so they give more money and win more. 😭
First two years, ACC has been really kind to us regarding byes. The home & away schedule also isn't that bad.
6-6 with a 7-5 upside
We'll start 3-1 and then have our mid season swoon.
We'll improve at the end and beat Furd ensuring Wilcox' return. Same old script.
Also we need a general manager for the football program who can focus on global issues and NIL like Stanford has done with Luck. He should report to Lyons. Knowlton can focus on nonrevenue sports and Badminton
🙏
Ugh, I really want to head down to Blacksburg for the VT game, but that's a 4-hour drive on a good day and just not feasible during the week. Le sigh...
5-7
What the F is the possibility of Thursday or Friday games? If so, then they will have to be night games. Weekday night game at Memorial will be a complete traffic nightmare. Who's idea is this anyway and WHY?
Because we're a bottom feeder in a bad conference and they just need a game to plop on television.
What’s up with the Thursday night games? Doesn’t Amazon Prime carry NFL games on Thursday? I enjoy football, but let’s be reasonable here.
Seems like an easy schedule..sadly, that's probably the only reason Cal could eke out a .500 season.
I rather have a winning season with easy schedule than have many tough losses and blame it on strength of schedule.
And say "we were 17 points away from being 8-4"
Coach Wilcox seems more than suitable to coach at Cal-given the unique infrastructure herein. He is professional; seems able to attract talent in both the player and coaching ranks; and, but for, a few kicks, referee calls, injuries and our #1 QB/WR transferring out, we'd be asking for his contract extension and ultra optimistic given the upcoming schedule. I'll take my reality check in November...
Where he struggles is getting all the facets to work at the same time, and unfortunately that's his main job as a HC.
Could two things be true? Wilcox is surely all of those things and Cal is just Cal. They're even more Cal than ever. But... Wilcox has had enough several times to have a much higher performing team. Especially last year. You have to close that game against Miami -- and if you do -- momentum. The Calgorithim loses its mind.
There’s 3 clear wins on the schedule v OSU, SDSU and TS. The rest are toss ups which means we’ll win 7-8 games if we go 4-5 or 5-4 on the toss ups. That said, it’s a relatively easy schedule so if we’re better than we look on paper we could easily win 9 or 10. That’s the silver lining. I don’t see us getting blown out in any of these games barring injury so it should be fun to watch
Game Day wants to come back to Berkeley.
5-0 Duke comes to 5-0 Cal for ESPN College Game Day on Oct 4
Book it.
6-6.
+/- 1.
Sadly.
History and past performance says you’re right.
The folks on this thread saying the GB's go undefeated in 2025 have clearly just come from the dispensary. My prediction: 3-1 out of conference, 4-4 in conference, to land at a very Wilcox-like 7-5. Cal has historically, and especially under Wilcox, played down to their competition. I'm really hoping and praying that Cal posts a winning conference record this year, the first since 2009 (and first with JW as head coach). That to me would show some progress in the program... To expect much more is folly imho. But still - GO BEARS!
Hey, I order mine to be delivered thank you very much.
I don't even need the dispensary to sunshine pump in the off season. Because, "WE'RE GOING TO BE SO GOOD NEXT YEAR." I will wait until we take a bear sized poop on ourselves in Corvalis to return to reality. And also, your comment is spot on but damn a winning record in conference would be nice. Have I asked for too much?
Hey, it's January - sunshine pump away!!!! :-)
If Wilcox can’t go 8-4 with this schedule and the current roster then he needs to be fired. 8-4 is the floor with this schedule. At a minimum he should be 3-1 in OOC games and at a minimum he should be 5-3 in ACC play.
Only hope is that the Holy Trinity (Harsin, Rolovich, Anae) are ACTUAL game-changers and save JW. Which legit could happen.
But the QB room remains a major, major question mark.
...but much better than a month ago.
Cal vs SMU to end the season again? Most notably on a downer as the oil money takes even more hold.
Not if it’s a de facto conference championship game, at home…
Hope so
I think they will learn from the close losses. Go Bears 🐻
Not meaning to flame, ABA ID, but why?
Wilcox has been consistently losing close games to Power conference teams for nearly a decade…it’s a lesson he has clearly not learned yet…realistically, what do we expect to change now, especially with such an unproven QB room…
I’m hoping it starts with the new coaches, but at the end of the day, Wilcox is still in charge and has simply found ways to lose football games.
NIL makes this impossible for any consistency now. Every time we get good players they leave and do not stay and that goes on all across the country now. The only way to overcome this is to recruit from the cream of the crop and we just don't have the stature or the program to do that on any kind of consistent basis.
Even if this quarterback is any good, Alabama or some other big program with long dollars will offer him the world.And will take him from us.
Well said. There is no real place for teams like Cal anymore. There will be no Tedford-esque era again. Alums and people who support the team in the Bay Area have too many other things to do to invest massive amounts of money in the NIL pool. And that is the now the game.
Okay, but we saw teams like SMU and Indiana have rebuilt portal rosters and amazing seasons. I don't think this is an excuse for Wilcox.
We don't have SMU's oil money. And Indiana has B1G money, so they're literally making more than 3x our revenue.
Indiana is playing against other teams with B1G money though.
Agree 100% on the NIL. It really hampers schools like Cal, although Wilcox has actually done a solid job of plugging holes left by guys who portaled out.
Like all football HC’s that don’t call plays, either offensive or defensive and be it pro or college, you’re really only as good as your coaching staff. IF he’s finally hit on legit hires with Harsin/Rolo/Famika, with this 2025 schedule there is no reason Cal should not have their best season in a decade, even with the inexperience at QB.
No reason why this shouldn't be an undefeated regular season. Might be the easiest schedule in all of major cfb.
With all the coaching changes and some possibly good changes on the OL / QB - if it is another losing year - what do you think will happen to Wilcox? My guess is nothing.