Welcome to our weekly predictions post from our writers. You’ll see what they expect the score to be and any wacky or rational predictions they expect to see in each game!
Christopher_h
Scoreline: Cal wins 35-30
This is a game between two complete unknowns. Can UCLA stop embarrassing themselves on a national stage with a proven head coach? (Read: Was Rome built in a day?) And how will Cal fare with NFL-caliber talent all over the field but an unproven head coach and coordinators? I'm cautiously optimistic that there's still good in the world, and that UCLA will struggle against their smarter, more athletic, and more talented counterparts at the #1 public university in the world. UCLA then adds a couple garbage time TDs to make the score looks closer than it really was.
Callie Wake
Scoreline: Cal wins 45-21
Both teams are similar in that they are trying to build upon seasons of disappointment. However JKS and our skill positions are going to make the difference. Iamaleava and UCLA’s skill players will not be able to rise to the same level, and UCLA will suffer a demoralizing first loss of the season
Rob Hwang
Scoreline: Cal wins 48-30
I think the game is going to fairly close all game, Bears pull away in the late 3rd or early 4th and the Bruins dont have enough in the pass game to close the gap with time dwindling.
Ben Rossi
Scoreline: Cal wins 34-31
Both teams will be hungry to make their mark in a new era with new head coaches and as a result many new pieces, but with returning quarterbacks. Cal seems to face more questions in certain units of the defense while UCLA will be seeking a better play from quarterback Nico Iamaleava. I expect both teams to see growing pains with their defensive units leading to a fairly high scoring close game. With the home field advantage and edge at quarterback, Cal takes a vital opening win, continuing our recent success in football and other major sports against the Bruins.
Piotr T Le
Scoreline: Cal loses 24-27
I am likely going to be an outlier in this group. I think there is a learning curve when both of your coordinators are going to call their first impactful play-call ever while they face a coaching staff that has been together for a while.
Berkelium97
Scoreline: Cal wins 34-24
UCLA owes Cal $10m per year in Calimony payments. That's $27,397 per day, or about $1,141 per hour. Spread that over 3 hours and we get $3,424. Hence, Cal wins 34-24.
Ben
Scoreline: Cal wins 35-17
UCLA leaves it all on the field for Martin Jarmond and scores 10 4th quarter points.
Nick Kranz
Scoreline: Cal wins 24-16
Cal and UCLA are so wildly similar entering this season. Both teams badly underperformed last year and fired their coaches. Both teams had major roster gaps to address, particularly along the lines. Both teams had to heavily rely on the portal, and will look very different in 2026.
For that reason there is a ton of uncertainty on both sides, and a wide range of possible outcomes, so I don't feel particularly confident about my prediction, which basically comes down to one factor:
Cal has JKS, and UCLA has Nico Iamaleava. While Nico is neither as bad as his worst performances would indicate nor as good as his recruiting profile would have predicted, he is not JKS. In a game where nearly every other position group is in flux, I'm riding with the team that has JKS.
Yoav Shames
Scoreline: Cal wins 35-31
As the sun sets on Strawberry Canyon this Saturday night, the lights will be bright enough for this Cal team to shine. Make no mistake, it will be a close game, but I think Tosh gets his first career Head Coaching win in a knife fight. We will be left with a lot of lingering questions on the defensive side of the ball and on our Offensive Line depth, but our skill position players will prove just too much lightning for UCLA to handle.
Bentpawn (Don)
Scoreline: Cal wins 42-28
Many Cal games this year will be a race to score 40 points first.
Ruey Yen
Scoreline: Cal wins 28-17
The Tosh Lupoi era kicks off with a trick play for a TD!