Ann Killion
Mercury News
Yet another Big Game is upon us, one sure to be full of new twists and turns and legendary moments. Like, um, well, let's see. OK, there's this: The game is being played in December for only the second time in history and for the first time since 1892. It's unlikely that 114 years ago the game was scheduled for December so that TV could stretch the season into more paydays. We're also pretty sure that this game won't replicate the 10-10 tie played that day on the corner of Haight and Stanyan. Still, the game's date is the most intriguing element this year. Otherwise, the 109th Big Game is shaping up like so many others have recently: sadly predictable. Monday, at the Big Game media luncheon in San Francisco, there was the same brave chatter about what a close rivalry this is. ``It's always been a hard-fought, close game,'' Jeff Tedford said, with a straight face. Not exactly, Coach. While it's true that only 23 points separate the schools after 108 meetings, Tedford is doing his best to change that. The margin was much closer a year ago -- only one point separated them after 107 games. ``If you look at the series the last four years, it's always very, very close,'' Tedford said. Absolutely. That is if you're talking about at kickoff. Since Tedford took over, Cal is 4-0 against Stanford and has won by an average of 23.5 points. The scores: 30-7, 28-16, 41-6, 27-3. In recent times, the Big Game has been about streaks. Stanford won seven in a row in 1995-2001. Now Cal is likely to win its fifth in a row: The Bears are an angry 8-3 team that had national aspirations just two weeks ago pitted against a 1-10 team that has been abysmal.
The one sliver of hope for Stanford rests in the common denominator of Washington. The Cardinal beat the Huskies in the Northwest two weeks ago. In October, Cal struggled at home against the Huskies, finally beating them in overtime. Conclusion (at least if you're wearing red)? Anything can happen Saturday. Of course, there are seven other common denominators: Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, UCLA, Arizona State, USC and Arizona. Other than the last two, which defeated both teams, Cal handily beat Pac-10 opponents and Stanford handily lost to them. The buildup to this game will be less about analyzing competitive balance than pondering bigger questions. Such as: Could Cal come out flat?
The Bears lost their past two games, including an emotionally devastating defeat to USC that ended their Rose Bowl dreams. ``There's no question there was a lot of disappointment over the last two weeks,'' Tedford said. ``But we have so much to play for. There's a lot of emotion, a lot of rivalry and tradition.'' Linebacker Desmond Bishop, one of the seniors playing his final game for Cal, is determined to keep his team from suffering a letdown against weak Stanford. ``Not fully meeting expectations has been painful,'' he said. ``But a loss to Stanford would hurt even more.'' Here's another subplot: What will happen to Walt Harris? Stanford Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby is expected to give a quick thumbs up or thumbs down on Harris' future soon after the game. Monday, Harris seemed to be campaigning for his job, detailing the number of first-year players on his squad (31 -- including 18 redshirt freshmen) and pointing to the improved defense as a sign of progress. ``I think it will pay big dividends for us in the future,'' Harris said, apparently including himself in that future.
And there's this intrigue: Will oak trees force Tedford out? This will be the last Big Game at Memorial Stadium until 2008. That was the season the newly renovated Memorial Stadium was supposed to be unveiled. Tedford's contract contains an escape clause if those new facilities are not built. But, as fully expected, in the city of Berkeley, plans aren't going smoothly. The city plans to sue the school to halt the renovation over concerns about seismic safety. The UC Regents have postponed a vote on the project. And a group called ``Save the Oaks'' has been formed to save 38 old oak trees that would have to be removed for construction. So sit back on Saturday and enjoy the pretty view and the oaks. They might end up providing more drama than the game.
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