How will the second season of the Justin Wilcox era in Berkeley turn out for the Golden Bears? Keep reading for our 2018 preview of Cal football.
Looking for your favorite team? Find their preview on the 2018 Countdown to Kickoff
After over a decade under the leadership of Jeff Tedford, last year marked the first under new head coach Justin Wilcox for California. The longtime defensive coordinator finally got his chance to lead a program, and Wilcox experienced a dream opening. September opened with three straight victories against North Carolina, FCS Weber State and Ole Miss. The pair of wins over Power Five non-conference opponents set up California as a team to watch in the Pac-12 North.
Then the Golden Bears fell to earth quickly. They fell in an undefeated showdown against USC, then followed up with blowout losses to Oregon and Washington. Things came together in an upset of then-No. 8 Washington State, but it was an anomaly rather than a sign of a real turnaround.
Their only other win in 2017 came against Pac-12 North cellar dweller Oregon State. California was unable to find a third win in conference play and fell short of bowl eligibility.
With one of the most experienced returning offenses in the country, Cal should be able to keep up against Pac-12 opponents. But will their defense hold up against other dynamic offenses scattered throughout the league? Let’s look at the offense and defense and see where the Golden Bears might end up in 2018.