Best-Case and Worst-Case Scenarios for Cal Football in 2025

CBS Sports recently posted best-case and worst-case scenarios for all ACC football teams for the 2025 season, and it provided an interesting perspective on Cal’s prospects.

It places Cal’s odds to win the conference at +13000, which, for non-gamblers, means 130-to-1 or a 0.8% chance to finish first. (Stanford's chances of winning the ACC are 300-to-1.)

Here is what CBS Sports said about Cal:

Cal

Odds to win conference: +13000

Best case 8-4: Cal becomes a transfer portal success story, as more than three dozen new additions brought in to replace a mass exodus of talent gel together in a make-or-break season for Justin Wilcox. Early success in the nonconference schedule helps the group build confidence for an ACC slate that includes some tricky cross-country travel in the middle of the season.

Worst case 4-8: The Bears lose a couple of games they are favored to win early in the season and with some tougher tests looming, we see coach hot seat drama become a primary storyline. Because this team is well-coached, they rally for some key wins, but a four-win season could lead to a change in Berkley.

These CBS Sports scenarios make sense considering the Bears are expected to finish 6-6 or thereabouts, according to most preseason predictions. The fact that neither Clemson nor Miami is on Cal’s conference schedule this season provides additional optimism.

It’s interesting that CBS says this is a “make-or-break season for Justin Wilcox” and then predicts that a slow start to the season could result in “hot seat drama” for Wilcox.

Wilcox’s current contract runs through the 2027 season.

General manager Ron Rivera is now the one who recommends the hiring and firing of the head football coach to Chancellor Rich Lyons, and Lyons has said he expects results.

Rivera made this statement during the March press conference to officially announce his hiring: “We’ve got to be successful — that’s the bottom line.”

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