Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer about what they believe is the best game or sporting event this weekend.
For all of the SEC, Big XII, and Big Ten talk I hear – and I hear quite a bit of each – it is amazing how the Pac-10 always seems to fly under the college football radar. How quickly fans seem to forget that it was not any of those conferences that went undefeated in the bowl season in 2008. It was the Pac-10. It is the Pac-10 that boasts six teams with a record of 6-3 or better. It is also the PAC-10 that features the weekend’s best game between the California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal.
Obviously, this game is important in the race to win the Pac-10. Stanford has the best opportunity to snag the top spot in the conference from Oregon and Arizona which, as of this writing, both control their destiny in conference. Should Oregon lose in one of its last two games – a distinct possibility with matchups against a resurgent Arizona and an always strong Oregon State (at least the Beavers are always strong at the end of a season) – Stanford owns the tiebreak over the Ducks. With a win over rival Cal, Stanford has an excellent chance of winning the conference. Cal has the chance to disrupt the Cardinal’s Rose colored dreams, but will have to do so without star running back Jahvid Best.
Best has 12 touchdowns on the season with 6.1 yards per carry, and is sorely missed by the Cal offense. With Best out the offense has managed just 38 points in two games. Best was one of the best running backs in the country before going down to injury. His replacements, Shane Vereen and CoVaughn DeBoskie-Johnson have been good, but not as great as Best. An underrated aspect of Best’s game was his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He is third on the team with 22 receptions and second on the team with four receiving touchdowns. Best’s absence changes the offense and the preparation of opposing defenses, and the Golden Bears have not fully adjusted.
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While Best is out, Stanford’s sudden Heisman Trophy candidate, running back Toby Gerhart, is very much in. Gerhart, who has scored 19 touchdowns on the season in just 10 games, averages over five yards per carry and nearly 140 yards per game. He has a bruising style and runs behind an excellent offensive line. Quarterback Andrew Luck has been impressive in his freshman season, too. Thirteen touchdowns against just three interceptions is quite impressive, but his 2,220 passing yards are good enough for second in the conference.
Ironically, the more Stanford wins, the greater – it seems – the chance that the team will lose its coach. Jim Harbaugh, who has done a credible job of turning the Cardinal football program around, graduated from Michigan. Michigan, we all know, has a coach whose time seems to be running out. Should Rich Rodriguez be jettisoned from Michigan, it is understandable if the athletic director’s first call is to Jim Harbaugh. The rumors first started early this month, then Harbaugh refused to address them, then he finally gave the standard coach’s comment where he did not deny the possibility of moving on to Michigan but kept the interview focused on the current situation. Kudos. But, fans have seen this game a million times before.
This is a game that Stanford must win. This is a game that Stanford should win. This is a game that, if the team wins, it may lose a coach where every win adds to an already impressive resumé. If the team loses, this game may be the reason why the coach stays around next season.
Oh, and there is that whole rivalry thing. These two teams genuinely dislike each other, and have for decades. Not only is this a compelling game in a compelling conference, it is an example of what makes college rivalries great.
