Cal Bears (7-3) vs. Stanford Cardinal (7-3)
Saturday, November 21, 4:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Stanford -7.5

Sam’s Take (46- 18):

The 112th edition of the Big Game will kickoff at 4:30 pm on Saturday, and Stanford is pulling out all the stops in order to win back the Axe (Tiger Woods will be the Cardinal’s honorary captain). I’m sure Stanford fans will have one eye on the Oregon-Arizona game, as it will be going on concurrently, and imagine the scene on the Farm if the Cardinal and Wildcats win their respective games at around the same time!

As well as Jim Harbaugh’s team has played in recent weeks, it is important to remember that Cal has won six of the last seven in this series. It is also worth mentioning that the Bears have a lot to play for, as a win in the Big Game would keep Jeff Tedford’s club in the hunt for a third place finish in the Pac-10.

The Big Game will also have an impact on the Heisman Trophy race. Who would have thought before the season started that #7 in red would be on the verge of an invite to New York while #4 in white watches from the sideline? In a year where none of the usual suspects seem to want the trophy, Toby Gerhart’s stock is soaring. A big day rushing in the Big Game may impress voters enough to give him a realistic shot (although it would really help if Stanford can sneak into the Rose Bowl).

While I was impressed by Cal last week against ‘Zona, I don’t think Bob Gregory’s defense has the size to stop the powerful Cardinal rushing game. Right now I believe Stanford can run its power plays on any D in America, and even when you know its coming there is now way to contain it. Throw in a red hot Andrew Luck, and its easy to see why Stanford has scored 106 combined points in its last two high-profile games (UO, USC).

It wouldn’t surprise me if Cal scores in the high 20’s or low 30’s against Stanford, as QB Kevin Riley has played pretty well in his last few games and RB Shane Vereen is more than capable of carrying the running load. But I just don’t think 24-30 points is going to be enough to keep up with the powerful Cardinal.

I expect a competitive game in the first half, but then Stanford’s well-oiled offensive machine will take over.

Prediction: Stanford 40 – Cal 27

Cal Player to Keep an Eye On: DB Bryant Nnabuife - Nnabuife was excellent in his first career start last week, and he will have to be even better this week in order to prevent Andrew Luck and the Stanford passing attack from establishing a rhythm.

Stanford Player to Keep an Eye On: CB Richard Sherman - I am assuming the Stanford offense will do its thing, but the defense will need to make a few plays too. Sherman is a true playmaking corner who loves to bait quarterbacks (as he did last week vs. ‘SC).

Dave’s Take (49 – 15):

I knew the win over Oregon was no fluke. That said, after the massive workload that Gerhart had in that game, and the emotional overload of becoming bowl eligible, I thought the Cardinal would come out flat against USC.

Instead, they built on the effort, putting up 50+ for the second straight week in destroying the Trojans on their home turf.

Now, with the Big Game and a potential Rose Bowl bid on the line, why should we expect anything less than another fantastic effort?

I expect Cal to be at their very best this Saturday, too. While it has been a disappointing season in Berkeley, what better way to salvage it than to crush your hated rival’s shot at a Rose Bowl berth and Toby Gerhart’s shot at the Heisman in one fell swoop?

Should be a fun game to watch with plenty on the line for both sides, but if both teams are at their best, I just can’t see Stanford losing this one. They are playing at another level on offense right now, and the defense is feeding off of the energy as well. Cal won’t go down easy, but look for Stanford to take care of business in their last game of conference play.

Prediction: Stanford 41 – Cal 28

5,374 Responses to “Week 12 Game Matchup: Cal Bears VS. Stanford Cardinal”

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