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The Big Game is really big for Stanford and Cal this year
The Big Game between Stanford and Cal is one of the most unique and spirited rivalries in all of college football. However, with the Pac-12 North crown on the line this season, the game takes on added importance.
Stanford could clinch the Pac-12 North crown on Saturday in Palo Alto by taking down the 6-4 Bears. However, Stanford's dreams were much loftier than just a Pac-12 North crown just last week. But following the team's 38-36 loss to Oregon, Stanford head coach David Shaw knows that his team has to focus on winning the Pac-12 North on Saturday.
"We're living life in the windshield right now," he said, per ESPN. "[The College Football Playoff] is in the rearview mirror. We have one game to go the Pac-12 championship game, and that's what we're going to focus on."
Cal last beat Stanford in 2009, a win that not many of the current members of the Cal football team were associated with.
The Bears have had a relatively successful season; however, the team has only won one of its previous five games. The Bears know that by beating Stanford they can send a message to the rest of the Pac-12 that this season is no fluke.
"If you want to keep moving forward, this is the kind of game you have to win," said Cal head coach Sonny Dykes.
The stakes are big for both Stanford and Cal on Saturday. Both sides seem to be welcoming the added pressure.
(h/t ESPN)
