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NCAA Football Betting Online: It’s a do-over for the Cal Golden Bears as they embark on another season with a new coach and new quarterback. Maybe the Jeff Tedford era wasn’t so bad. After brining the program back to relevancy in the Pac-12 and nationally with eight consecutive winning seasons and seven bowl appearances to begin his tenure, Tedford was let go after a 3-9 record in 2012. Sonny Dykes produced just one victory in his first year and one winning season in four. He was let go, turning the controls over to Justin Wilcox as the program looks to get back to the Tedford days.
2017 California Golden Bears at a Glance
Golden Bears National Championship Odds: +40000
Golden Bears Odds To Win Pac 12: +8000
Golden Bears Regular Season Win Total: 3.5
The Bears improved in each of Dykes’ first three years, going from one win to five and then topping out at eight in 2015. But the team regressed last season, going 5-7 and missing out on a bowl game for the fourth time in five years. That’s not good enough for a program that thinks it’s better than it actually is. So Dykes was let go and Wilcox starts over with a brand new coaching staff.
After two years of stellar quarterback play, the position is a huge question mark for Wilcox and new coordinator Beau Baldwin. Jared Goff led the team to eight wins and was the No. 1 overall pick two years ago. Davis Webb transferred in and threw for nearly 4,300 yards and 37 touchdowns last season. Now the job is up for grabs.
There is no clear No. 1 in the duel between Chase Forrest and Ross Bowers. That’s probably good news since Baldwin wants to diversify the offense a bit. We won’t see the pass-happy attack we saw under Dykes and the ground game will be featured more prominently with Tre Watson and Vic Enwere getting a bulk of the carries. The line suffered significant losses and has just one returning starter, which will hinder the group’s ability to outscore opponents.
Former Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter was brought in as defensive coordinator to work with a group that ranked last in the Pac-12 in points and rushing yards allowed. Cal also surrendered 518.3 total yards per game to place 125th nationally. The Bears can’t be any worse in 2017 and more attention will be paid to that side of the football. There are no gimmes on the schedule, with the exception of FCS Weber State, and reaching bowl eligibility would be a huge haul for Wilcox. Given the circumstances, however, another five-win season is the best to ask for.
2017 California Golden Bears Schedule
Week 1: Cal at North Carolina, Saturday, September 2
Week 2: Cal vs. Weber State, Saturday, September 9
Week 3: Cal vs. Ole Miss, Saturday, September 16
Week 4: Cal vs. USC, Saturday, September 23
Week 5: Cal at Oregon, Saturday, September 30
Week 6: Cal at Washington, Saturday, October 7
Week 7: Cal vs. Washington State, Friday, October 13
Week 8: Cal vs. Arizona, Saturday, October 21
Week 9: Cal at Colorado, Saturday, October 28
Week 10: Cal vs. Oregon State, Saturday, November 4
Week 11: OFF
Week 12: Cal at Stanford, Saturday, November 18
Week 13: Cal at UCLA, Friday, November 24
List of California Golden Bears Seasons
| Year |
Record |
Bowl Game |
| 2016 |
5-7 |
|
| 2015 |
8-5 |
W – Armed Forces Bowl |
| 2014 |
5-7 |
|
| 2013 |
1-11 |
|
| 2012 |
3-9 |
|
| 2011 |
7-6 |
L – Holiday Bowl |
| 2010 |
5-7 |
|
| 2009 |
8-5 |
L – Poinsettia Bowl |
| 2008 |
9-4 |
W – Emerald Bowl |
| 2007 |
7-6 |
W – Armed Forces Bowl |
| 2006 |
10-3 |
W – Holiday Bowl |
| 2005 |
8-4 |
W – Las Vegas Bowl |
| 2004 |
10-2 |
L – Holiday Bowl |
| 2003 |
8-6 |
W – Insight Bowl |
| 2002 |
7-5 |
|
| 2001 |
1-10 |
|
| 2000 |
3-8 |
|
| 1999 |
4-7 |
|
| 1998 |
5-6 |
|
| 1997 |
3-8 |
|
| 1996 |
6-6 |
L – Aloha Bowl |
| 1995 |
3-8 |
|
| 1994 |
4-7 |
|
| 1993 |
9-4 |
W – Alamo Bowl |
| 1992 |
4-7 |
|
| 1991 |
10-2 |
W – Citrus Bowl |
| 1990 |
7-4-1 |
W – Copper Bowl |
| 1989 |
4-7 |
|
| 1988 |
5-5-1 |
|
| 1987 |
3-6-2 |
|
| 1986 |
2-9 |
|
| 1985 |
4-7 |
|
| 1984 |
2-9 |
|
| 1983 |
5-5-1 |
|
| 1982 |
7-4 |
|
| 1981 |
2-9 |
|
| 1980 |
3-8 |
|
| 1979 |
6-6 |
L – Garden State Bowl |
| 1978 |
6-5 |
|
| 1977 |
7-4 |
|
| 1976 |
5-6 |
|
| 1975 |
8-3 |
|
| 1974 |
7-3-1 |
|
| 1973 |
4-7 |
|
| 1972 |
3-8 |
|
| 1971 |
6-5 |
|
| 1970 |
6-5 |
|
| 1969 |
5-5 |
|
| 1968 |
7-3-1 |
|
| 1967 |
5-5 |
|
| 1966 |
3-7 |
|
| 1965 |
5-5 |
|
| 1964 |
3-7 |
|
| 1963 |
4-5-1 |
|
| 1962 |
1-9 |
|
| 1961 |
1-8-1 |
|
| 1960 |
2-7-1 |
|
| 1959 |
2-8 |
|
| 1958 |
7-4 |
L – Rose Bowl |
| 1957 |
1-9 |
|
| 1956 |
3-7 |
|
| 1955 |
2-7-1 |
|
| 1954 |
5-5 |
|
| 1953 |
4-4-2 |
|
| 1952 |
7-3 |
|
| 1951 |
8-2 |
|
| 1950 |
9-1-1 |
L – Rose Bowl |
| 1949 |
10-1 |
L – Rose Bowl |
| 1948 |
10-1 |
L – Rose Bowl |
| 1947 |
9-1 |
|
| 1946 |
2-7 |
|
| 1945 |
4-5-1 |
|
| 1944 |
3-6-1 |
|
| 1943 |
4-6 |
|
| 1942 |
5-5 |
|
| 1941 |
4-5 |
|
| 1940 |
4-6 |
|
| 1939 |
3-7 |
|
| 1938 |
10-1 |
|
| 1937 |
10-0-1 |
W – Rose Bowl |
| 1936 |
6-5 |
|
| 1935 |
9-1 |
|
| 1934 |
6-6 |
|
| 1933 |
6-3-2 |
|
| 1932 |
7-3-2 |
|
| 1931 |
8-2 |
|
| 1930 |
4-5 |
|
| 1929 |
7-1-1 |
|
| 1928 |
6-2-2 |
L – Rose Bowl |
| 1927 |
7-3 |
|
| 1926 |
3-6 |
|
| 1925 |
6-3 |
|
| 1924 |
8-0-2 |
|
| 1923 |
9-0-1 |
|
| 1922 |
9-0 |
|
| 1921 |
9-0-1 |
T – Rose Bowl |
| 1920 |
9-0 |
W – Rose Bowl |
| 1919 |
6-2-1 |
|
| 1918 |
6-2 |
|
| 1917 |
5-5-1 |
|
| 1916 |
6-4-1 |
|
Cal joined the Pacific Coast Conference for its initial season in 1916 and has remained affiliated with the league, which eventually became the Pac-12, for its entirety. During the 1920s the Golden Bears had an incredible run under Andy Smith, going five consecutive seasons without losing a game and posting a 44-0-4 record from 1920 to 1924. They won PCC titles in the first four years of that stretch, missing out on a fifth to arch-rival Stanford in 1924. Cal claimed four national championships from 1920 to 1923.
Capping off a perfect 9-0 season, the Bears shutout Ohio State in the Rose Bowl following the 1920 season. They missed out on another perfect season the following year, playing a scoreless tie in the Rose Bowl to go 9-0-1. The Bears were ranked No. 1 by the AP in 1937 winning their second Rose Bowl and finishing with a 10-0-1 record. Cal enjoyed another dominant run under Pappy Woldorf from 1947 to 1952. The Bears went 53-9 overall in that six-year span, won three conference titles, were ranked in the top-5 of the AP poll every year and played in three straight Rose Bowls.
There wasn’t much excitement around Cal football until Tedford took over in 2002. He led the Bears to their first winning season in a decade and rattled off eight straight winning campaigns while twice matching the program record with 10 victories. The Bears won their last conference title in 2006 when they shared the crown with USC. A hot coaching prospect in the middle of his tenure, Tedford elected to stay at Cal and was rewarded by getting the axe after going 3-9 in 2012.
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