The Bears handed Oregon one of their few losses in 2020 in a shocking upset in Berkeley during the Pac-12’s bizarre COVID shortened season. The Ducks went on to win the conference championship making the Cal win an even more impressive one at the end of the day.
The win was the Bears’ only one of the season, and on top of that, it was only Cal’s second win over Oregon in 12 years. The Bears got a week off to try and regroup and get things on the right track to prepare for the top ten ranked Ducks, but it may take more than just an extra week of preparation to take back-to-back matchups against Mario Cristobal’s team.
California Golden Bears Team Preview
There’s not much positive to say about this Bears team to start the year. The lone win came against FCS opponent Sacramento State. The out-of-conference schedule featured matchups against TCU and Nevada, so the scheduling provided quite a bit of a challenge to start the year. However, the conference games against Washington and Washington State haven’t exactly exposed the Bears to the best the Pac-12 has to offer.
The team ranks in the bottom three in both scoring offense and defense. The rush defense has been better than the record indicates, coming in at fourth in the league. Offensively the Bears move the ball at a rate consistent with the middle of the pack; they just struggle to convert their drives into points at the end of the day.
Cal is 2-3 against the spread on the season and have reached the over in total points in three of the matchups this year as well.
Oregon Ducks Team Preview
The Ducks came into the year with the matchup against top-five ranked Ohio State circled on their NCAAF calendar, and the hype paid off. The Oregon rushing attack gashed the Buckeyes in Columbus, and the Ducks notched the most impressive win of the college football season for the opening month.
Unfortunately for Oregon, the injury bug has not left the team alone. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe battled injuries against the Buckeyes and did not suit up, and potential Heisman Trophy candidate, CJ Verdell, suffered a season-ending injury in the Ducks’ loss to Stanford.
The tough loss to the Cardinal knocked Oregon out of the top four for the time being, but the Ducks still have plenty of time to make their way back into the playoff conversation.
Even with the big outright win as an underdog in Columbus, the Ducks are only 1-4 against the spread on the season. They’ve hit the under in three of their five matchups so far, albeit with higher total points betting lines being set than the Bears have seen this year.
Betting Preview
Sportsbooks have Oregon as -13.5-point favorites at home in Eugene this weekend, and the over/under total points line is set at 54.5.
It’s hard to see the Bears pulling off an upset for the second straight year even with Oregon’s injuries, but stranger things have certainly happened in college football this season.