The pandemic arguably damaged Cal's football and basketball programs more than any other school's in the country.  The football team was stopped in its tracks in 2020. Even in that difficult autumn, the Golden Bears had more problems than most, with their much-delayed opener cancelled by COVID protocols, and another game hastily arranged at UCLA in a 24-hour window after ASU had to pull out of a contest at Tempe. This was all among other distractions which would linger into 2021, when protocols would decimate the roster late in the season, including a game that probably shouldn't have been played at Arizona, and the team having to scramble for arrangements just to do workouts with the fitness center shuttered for extended periods. (Basketball, for what it's worth, faced the same hurdles, contributing to a precipitous hardwood decline and eventual ouster of head coach Mark Fox.) 

This was all after the program seemed on the ascent for Justin Wilcox in 2019, after a bowl win over Illinois and resultant excitement for a 2020 campaign that never materialized. Now Wilcox, an Oregon alum who was still so highly regarded a bit over a year ago that he pulled himself from the Ducks' coaching search that eventually landed Dan Lanning, might be fighting to keep his job...

Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Cal's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the Pac-12 season.

Pac-12 preview: Conference winner | Arizona | Arizona State | California | Colorado | Oregon | Oregon State | Stanford | UCLA | USC | Utah | Washington | Washington State

2023 Cal at a glance

• Last Year: 4-8 SU, 7-5 ATS, 7-4-1 O/U
• Returning starters: Offense 8; Defense 6
• Win total: 5 (Over -130, Under +110)

What do you need to know about Cal before locking in your Pac-12 futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Pac-12 futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!