Stanford Lucks Out Cal In 114th Big Game, Rises To #4 In AP Poll

The Stanford Cardinal’s exciting, close, lucky 31 to 28 Big Game win over the California Golden Bears on Saturday, combined with Oregon’s loss to a suddenly powerful USC, pushed the team on The Farm up to #4 in the AP Top 25 Poll, while Oregon dropped to number 9. Stanford also retains The Axe for the second straight year. (Lucky asses they are.)

First, it was a great Big Game that lived up to its billing. As the Washington Post put it, Stanford had a shaky start, but Cal’s was even shakier. After Cal Quarterback Zack Maynard hit Keenan Allen for a 60 yard bomb down to the Stanford 21, Cal’s outside toss running play went for a loss, and a fumble – the Cardinal recovered.

That was the turning point for the contest in this blogger’s view, because Stanford’s Andrew Luck, who was a candidate for the Heisman until this game, missed wide open receivers that could have made this Big Game a blow out in his team’s favor. But credit the bad weather – ran and winds, and a sudden cold chill that had many heading for the concessions in search of hot chocolate and coffee – for some of Luck’s misfire problem. But, weather or not, a Heisman QB should hit those passes – they were that wide open.

Fans, Rain, And Occupy Stanford

The Stanford Band once again lived up to its reputation by making fun of Cal’s tradition of protests, saying that Cal “whines about everything.” Any video of this is rather funny, or insulting, or both.

And like other Big Games, this blogger had to slip in a video of the Cal Band coming into the Royal Exchange on Sacramento and Front Street in San Francisco.

Stay tuned.