Cal football enters unknown territory as they enter the ACC. This is the official Cal football schedule prediction for the 2024 season.
Game-by-game Predictions for 2024
Every season brings newfound optimism amongst the fanbase and team. This season, Cal can surprise college football fans if they play well in the ACC. It’s still football, and the team doesn’t want to make excuses regarding travel distance or strength of schedule. That being said, I have to be realistic when giving my official prediction. I detail my Cal game-by-game schedule predictions below for their upcoming 2024 college football season.
First Three Games on the Schedule
Game 1: Cal vs U.C. Davis
Cal begins the football season at home against a familiar northern California opponent in U.C. Davis. These two schools played one another in 2022, with Cal finishing on top 34-13. Cal will more than likely rely on the run game by using their advantage in the trenches. FCS schools should not be overlooked, but I expect Cal to handle this team easily. They start the season off right by going 1-0.
Game 2: Cal at Auburn
This next game is a real coin flip for me. Their first road game of the year is in Auburn. These two teams played each other last season where Cal lost a maddening game at home 14-10. That was the type of game that could help propel Cal back onto the scene, yet they lost in true heartbreaking fashion with three missed field goals. Facing an SEC team on the road is certainly no gimme. Auburn has more star power and a great home-field advantage. This could be a chance for Cal to upset them on the road, but I have to take Auburn in this one.
Game 3: Cal vs San Diego State
The second home game of the season features southern California school San Diego State. This is the first time these two schools have faced one another since 2016. San Diego State seems to be going through a rebuild right now as they have a brand new head coach and return only six starters. I expect this to be a big game for Jaydn Ott on the ground and through the air. I would not be surprised if Cal wins this game by 14+.
Next Three Game Predictions
Game 4: Cal at Florida State
For their first inaugural game in the ACC on the 2024 schedule, Cal football heads to Florida State. The Seminoles are one of the top teams in the country and playing at Doak Campbell Stadium is incredibly tough. It’ll be interesting to see how D.J. Uiagalelei does as the starter after transferring from Oregon State. First game on the east coast and in the ACC, this feels like it could get ugly quickly for the Golden Bears. I don’t see them winning this one, but hopefully, they can make it tough on them and earn respect as they begin conference play.
Game 5: Cal vs Miami
Being .500 heading into the fifth game is not ideal, but Cal will take a week off before Miami comes into town. The game time is still TBD, but if this game is at night, I like Cal to upset the Hurricanes. There’s something to be said about a bigger east coast school flying out west and playing in a night game on the west coast.
It gets cold in the Bay Area at night and with the time-zone advantage, this has upset potential written all over it. Cal’s defense has familiarity playing against quarterback Cam Ward when he was with Washington State last season, a game they won 42-39. The key will be to slow him down and rely on the run game. I’ve got the Bears winning in an upset for their first conference win.
Game 6: Cal at Pittsburgh
Entering the halfway point of the season, the Golden Bears travel out east to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers. There are only four other teams with a worse projected win total in the ACC than Pitt after they finished 3-9 last season. They don’t have much of a pass rush and are inexperienced at the quarterback position. I expect them to be a little better than they were last year, but this should be a Cal win. I’ve got the Bears winning two conference games in a row and 4-2 at the halfway point.
Heart of the Schedule
Game 7: Cal vs NC State
These next three games will tell us a lot about how this team will finish the season. NC State rolls into Strawberry Canyon for the first matchup ever between these two schools. The Wolfpack are a serious threat in the ACC this season. They got some serious help in the transfer portal by getting guys like Grayson McCall, Justin Joly, Jordan Waters, and Noah Rogers. As much as I would love Cal to win this game, I think they lose in a nail-biter. Cal takes a step back after winning two in a row.
Game 8: Cal vs Oregon State
This is where I think the Golden Bears can go on a run. Familiar foe and longtime Pac-12 rival Oregon State will be playing at UC Berkeley. The Beavers are now in the Pac-2 conference after not being able to join another conference in the realignment mess that took place. This is by no means a game that Cal can sleepwalk into. The Beavers have a ton of unproven talent and a new head coach, but they’re going to be playing with a chip on their shoulders after being left out of realignment. This game will show if Justin Wilcox can win the games he should win. I’ve got the Bears in a win at home against the Beavers by 10+.
Game 9: Cal at Wake Forest
After beating the Beavers, Cal will head back out to North Carolina to play against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest finished at the bottom of the ACC last season. The Demon Deacons have just 39 winning seasons in 116 years of playing college football. They recently got quarterback transfer Hank Bachmeier from Boise State, but after losing their top receiver and struggling to protect the quarterback, this will be another rough season for them. Cal wins this one convincingly and stacks another win to get to 6-3.
The Home Stretch
Game 10: Cal vs Syracuse
After an embarrassing blowout loss to Oregon last season, the Golden Bears were able to rattle off three wins over their last three games. I think they can replicate that same success this season. They start it off with a home game against Syracuse. Syracuse is expected to finish in the bottom half of the conference, but they might surprise some people after they got quarterback Kyle McCord from Ohio State in the transfer portal. They’re certainly a team that Cal can’t take lightly; but that’s a long distance from New York to Berkeley and I think that plays a major factor. Cal gets to 7-3 on the season.
Game 11: Cal vs Stanford
Long at last we get to our long-time rivals. One of the oldest and most prestigious rivalries in all of college football and certainly on the west coast. The Stanford Cardinals come into Berkeley as now an ACC rival, which feels kind of weird. The biggest factor for Cal will be if they can get pressure on an offensive line that struggled last season and how they strategize for Stanford’s elite wide receiver, Eli Ayomanor. Still, the Cardinals are in sort of a rebuild as they enter this season under second-year head coach Troy Taylor. I expect the Axe to stay where it belongs with Cal improving to 8-3.
Game 12: Cal at SMU
The last game on the 2024 schedule has shootout written all over it for Cal football. The Golden Bears will go on the road to take on the SMU Mustangs who now join the ACC as well. SMU has the potential to be very good now that they play in a power four conference. They did struggle against power five schools last season going 0-3, but they brought in over 20 transfers with 13 of them playing on the line. Preston Stone will likely be the starting quarterback after throwing for 28 touchdowns last season. He should take the next step and lead a formidable Mustangs offense. This is a good team and unfortunately, I think one Cal loses too.
Final Record Prediction: 8-4
Conclusion
Yes, I might be a homer thinking Cal can get to eight wins this season. That being said, this team has the potential to win up to nine or 10 games. Or, they could also win just six games. It’s too hard to tell right now how they’ll match up against these ACC schools. The Golden Bears certainly have the playmakers and speed to compete with these schools, but it ultimately comes down to execution and their play within the trenches.
Fans should be excited for this season and hope for the best. Cal has the path set ahead of them and a bowl game should be the minimum. Hopefully, they handle business at home and win a few road games. Winning eight games would be a huge step in the right direction for this program.
Cody Henderson
I root for teams that only let me down. Talking all things Las Vegas Raiders and Cal Bears football. Follow me on X where I post my dramatic takes.