Cal’s bowl picture is still wide open, and after two games it’s already looking a little shakier than it did before the season.
All eight of the college football experts cited here had the Bears headed to a bowl before the season began. Now, after Cal opened with a 45-24 loss to UCLA and then edged Syracuse 21-18, that number has dropped to five. It’s still early - Cal is only two games into a 12-game schedule before Saturday’s home game against Wagner (1-2) - but the projections have already started to split.
Among the five outlets that still see Cal reaching the postseason, the Poinsettia Bowl is the only destination that shows up more than once.
If Cal gets to at least six wins and becomes bowl-eligible, the Bears would still be slotted into one of the Pac-12-affiliated bowls this season. Teams that were in the Pac-12 in 2023 are still being sent to Pac-12-affiliated bowls rather than ACC-affiliated ones. That setup is expected to be the last of its kind, though nothing is certain.
The 2023 Pac-12 schools - listed here as Legacy Pac-12 teams - are Cal, Stanford, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado.
Here is the current pecking order for bowls involving those teams:
- Alamo Bowl - Legacy Pac-12 vs.
Big 12, Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. Pacific at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
TV: ESPN.
- Las Vegas Bowl - Legacy Pac-12 vs.
SEC/Big Ten, Dec. 31 at 12:45 p.m. Pacific at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
TV: ESPN.
- Holiday Bowl - Legacy Pac-12 vs.
ACC, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. Pacific at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.
TV: ESPN.
- Sun Bowl - Legacy Pac-12 vs.
ACC, Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. Pacific at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.
TV: CBS.
- Poinsettia Bowl - Legacy Pac-12 vs. current Pac-12, Dec. 23 at 4:30 p.m.
Pacific at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. TV: CW Network.
- Independence Bowl - Legacy Pac-12 vs.
Big 12, Dec. 22 at 5:30 p.m. Pacific at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
TV: ESPN.
- ESPN bowl pool - possibly the Armed Forces Bowl, Gasparilla Bowl and First Responders Bowl.
If no bowl spot opens up for a Cal team that does qualify, the Bears might still land in an ACC-affiliated bowl.
In Other News...
Cal Still Has Something To Prove In This FCS Mismatch
Cal is getting ready for a game that should, on paper, be about as lopsided as it gets, but the Bears are not approaching Wagner like a placeholder on the schedule. The Seahawks come in as an FCS opponent, and while the matchup has all the markings of a game Cal is expected to control, starting center Bastian Swinney said the message inside the locker room has been about respect and focus rather than scoreboard watching.
Head coach Tosh Lupoi has made the same point in his own way, steering the conversation away from Wagners last result and back toward what the Bears will actually have to handle on Saturday. For Cal, the test is less about surviving an upset scare than making sure it plays cleanly against a defense that brings pressure, executes its scheme and forces an offense to stay sharp from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]
Cals Fast Start Is Creating A New Debate Around Two Positions
Two games into the season, Cals early surge has already started to reshape the conversation on both sides of the ball. Kingston Lopas ball-hawking start has him leading the nation with four interceptions, and his PFF standing among safeties only strengthens the sense that the Bears may have found a defensive centerpiece. On the other side, Jaron-Keawe Sagapoluteles efficient showing in the 21-18 win over Syracuse gave Cal a needed lift in a tight game and helped underscore why the offense looks more stable than it did a year ago.
What makes the Bears fast start so interesting is how quickly it has created questions about where the best fit is at two key spots. PFFs weekly grades backed up the eye test around several Cal contributors, including Isaiah Crosby and Daniel Harris, while Michael Klisiewicz also turned in a strong performance up front. The larger issue now is whether this early success is a sign of roles settling in, or a situation still waiting to sort itself out as the schedule gets harder. [Read more 🡒]
Kingston Lopa Is Giving Cal A Defensive Ceiling Fans Can Dream On
Kingston Lopas breakout start has turned him into one of the early standouts in Californias secondary, and the accolades are starting to pile up. After his performance in Cals Week 2 win over Syracuse, the Walter Camp Foundation recognized the defensive back as its National Defensive Player of the Week, adding another layer to a beginning that has already put him in the conversation as one of the most productive playmakers in the country.
Lopas day against Syracuse was the kind that can change a seasons outlook for a defense, with three interceptions and a game-changing score mixed into the effort. It was also his third weekly recognition and the first time a Cal defensive back has earned that national honor, a sign that his rise is becoming harder to treat like a short-term hot streak. [Read more 🡒]