1975 Big Game was a potential Rose Bowl decider

Either team could have gone to the Rose Bowl had they won (Cal did, easily, as Chuck Muncie dominated). However, because UCLA beat USC the next weekend, the Bruins edged out the Bears.

By vk on 09.30.15 10:07pm

Obviously, every 40 years Cal and Stanford are both good

By vk on 09.30.15 10:09pm

Ha, great observation!

You’re right; the winner of Cal-Stanford was good enough to tie one-loss UCLA for 1st-place honors in the Pac-12 in 1975 (although as you also pointed out, UCLA had already beaten both Stanford and Cal, so once UCLA def. USC, UCLA was going to be the Pac-12 representative regardless of who had won between Stanford and Cal that year).

Excellent observation, though, about Stanford and Cal both being at the top of the conference every 40 years.

I’m now reading the tea leaves and inferring that it MUST happen again this year. You know, since we’re on the 40-year schedule and all…

By Matt Vassar on 10.02.15 12:09am

Cal

As I have stated elsewhere, I really don’t think Cal is that good. An average, inexperienced Washington team took the Bears to the last possession in Seattle, all the while trying to give the game away with 5 turnovers — and damaging turnovers, often deep in their own territory. Goff is an excellent player and always a threat if he has time in the pocket. That said, Cal has a very difficult schedule after their game with WSU: Utah and UCLA (both away), USC at home, Oregon in Eugene. They could potentially be sitting 5-4 on their way back from the Oregon game and 2-4 in the conference. Their last three games are OSU (at home), Stanford (away) and ASU (at home); and they may be in the position that they have to win one of those three to secure bowl eligibility. Sounds strange considering they are currently 4-0, but they have a truly daunting stretch of games beginning next Saturday that could drastically alter the character of their season thus far.

By Jeff Tarnungus on 10.01.15 6:31am

I agree

They strike me as being similar to last year’s Cal — capable of putting up the points, but not capable of stopping others hanging points on them (Iook at how many Texas scored on Cal). They’re exciting to watch due to the offense and Goff, but that isn’t really new — that was also the case last year. Their defense does not look like it’s much better, and that likely means they will have a lot of shootout type games — likely to be the case against Wazzu this weekend as well, given their own proclivities offensively. It seems similar enough to last year’s team, really — which isn’t bad, but isn’t the oh-my-god-renaissance-of-cal-football. They need to win other than in shootouts to get that.

By Brendan Ross on 10.01.15 7:18pm

I actually agree with you

At the end of the season, I see Stanford finishing around either 8-1 or 7-2 for in-conference play, and Cal finishing quite a bit worse at around 6-3 or 5-4 for in-conference play.

That said, even within the above constraints, it’s very possible that by the time of Big Game, a 7-1 Stanford might be squaring off against a 6-2 Cal to determine the champion of the North. Or a 6-2 Stanford squaring off against a 5-3 Cal. Or a 6-2 Stanford squaring off against a 6-2 Cal.

And in any of those scenarios, we’ll have a Big Game that would determine who the champion of the North is. Wouldn’t that be fun?

By Matt Vassar on 10.02.15 12:02am

Not impossible, but I consider it improbable

When the Big Game is played, it will be Stanford’s last conference contest, while Cal will have one more remaining against ASU. Hence, the only way the Big Game can decide the outcome of the Pac-12 North is if Cal beats Stanford and is at least one game ahead before their final contest against ASU, or if Stanford wins and has the same number of losses or fewer losses than Cal, rendering a Cal victory against the Sun Devils meaningless. Of course, this also assumes that these two teams are on top of the Pac-12 North, with all other teams at least one game behind the second place team, whichever that is. Yes, this is perhaps over-analyzed. But looking at even your least aggressive scenario, which would pit a 6-2 Stanford against, say, a 5-2 Cal, the assumption is that Cal goes 4-2 over its next six games, which would require 2-2 in the stretch of games I allude to above. Not impossible, but very improbable. That said, if Cal really does go 2-2 against Utah, UCLA, USC and Oregon, then they have my full respect and have put something in place that I haven’t seen thus far (like a stout defense and an effective O-line).

By Jeff Tarnungus on 10.02.15 6:45am