California Through Cardinal-Colored Glasses

TV commentators are hyping Ohio State vs. Michigan as yet another “game of the century," and celebrities are scrambling to find tickets. It's only the third time the top two ranked teams have faced each other in the history of 2006 (and it will happen again on January 8). Sub-headlines are going to traditional rivalries like Pit vs. West Virginia (a/k/a the Backyard Brawl) and Auburn vs. Alabama (college football + deep south = intense). Relatively little attention is going to USC vs. Cal. That may not be such a bad thing. After a few years, the bright lights started to singe the Trojans. It’s been a welcome relief to have relative anonymity in the college football world (anything is less pressure than what was experienced by last year’s “Greatest Team of All Time” that lost the championship game in the closing seconds).

The spoiled rich kids and dirty hippies seem like perfect rivals, and have played each other 94 times (the most USC has played any opponent). Yet the match up has always taken a backseat to the schools' marquee rivals (UCLA and Notre Dame for USC, Stanford for Cal). That changed four years ago, when Jeff Tedford started an amazing turnaround of the Bear's program, and struck up a coaching rivalry with Pete Carroll. Suddenly, this became one of the best rivalries in college football.

2002: USC escapes with a 30-28 comeback victory at home after being down 21-3 and regaining the lead in the 4th quarter.

2003: Cal beats USC in triple overtime 31-34, the Trojan’s only loss en-route to a national championship.

2004: USC survives 23-17 when Cal falls apart after getting a first down on USC’s 9 yard line with just under two minutes to play. The Trojans won't look vulnerable against any team for another year.

2005: USC buries Cal 35-10 in Berkeley, matching the Bear’s record for consecutive conference wins. The Trojans last loss? 2003 at Cal.

This Saturday, USC and Cal will play for the Pac-10 Championship and a bid to at least the Rose Bowl. If USC wins out, they stand a great shot to play in their fourth consecutive bowl game for a national championship.

At least nobody playing in LA on Saturday will feel much pressure to win the Heisman. USC took home three of the last four trophies, but doesn't have anybody in the mix this year. Cal's talented backs are slipping out of contention. At least the commercials (see above) still have the Trojans well represented.