The challenge posed by this Saturday’s meeting of No. 23 Oregon, and California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., is obvious.
Win and you remain in the hunt for the Rose Bowl; lose and you’re effectively out.
The teams are in this tenuous position because both have played inconsistently this season. The Golden Bears started their season with an ABC-televised 38-31 win over Michigan State and a 66-3 thumping of Washington State, then suffered a 35-27 loss at Maryland on ESPN. They rebounded with wins over Colorado State and Arizona State, then lost at Arizona only to rebound convincingly in a 41-20 win over UCLA.
The Ducks have had their hiccups as well, with a 37-32 home loss to Boise State and a 44-10 embarrassment at the hands of USC in Los Angeles, and have also rebounded well from the losses, most recently with wins over UCLA and Arizona State after the loss at USC.
At a Glance
| Who: | No. 23 Oregon vs. California |
| Where: | Berkeley, Calif., ABC |
| When: | 12:30 p.m. |
| Why should I watch: | Do you want to have a chance at a conference title? Winning this game keeps those dreams alive. This late in the season, it’s asking a lot to try to win the Pac-10 title with two losses. Don’t bet on it happening for the loser. |
| Weather: | 62 |
