The Apple Cup. The Big Game.
The Civil War.
Yes, it is rivalry week in the Pacific-10 Conference, and more than a few Pac-10 teams will be looking to extend their seasons to a bowl game.
Arizona and Arizona State will square off next Friday in a game both teams need to win, Washington State will try to spoil Washington’s Rose Bowl aspirations in the Apple Cup and UCLA will make a push for a respectable bowl berth against Southern California. Stanford and California will meet in the Big Game, with a lot of pride, but no bowls at stake.
Then there is the granddaddy rivalry game of them all, the Civil War, where for the first time in recent history, the nation’s eyes will focus on a football game featuring two teams from Oregon. The Civil War will be a high-stakes poker game, and if the Cougars upset the Huskies, then the Rose Bowl will be the prize.
USC at UCLA
UCLA (6-4, 3-4) is the prime candidate for the Pac-10’s fourth bowl berth, but it won’t be playing in the Rose Bowl after this Saturday. The Bruins already have the six wins necessary for a bowl trip, and will most likely head to Hawaii for either the Jeep Oahu Bowl or the Jeep Aloha Bowl.
But more could be at stake for UCLA Saturday. There is an outside possibility that the Bruins could earn a berth in the higher-profile Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, if Oregon gets blown out by Oregon State. The Sun Bowl, which is likely to feature Wisconsin as its Big 10 representative, may pass on a Ducks-Badgers rematch and select UCLA if the Bruins beat USC (4-6, 1-6) Saturday.
“There is none better than the UCLA vs. USC rivalry,” Bruins coach Bob Toledo said. “It’s the city of Los Angeles and the city championship.”
USC is just looking for a shred of respect in a disastrous season and still has No. 11 Notre Dame to look forward to next Saturday.
Arizona at Arizona State
The game may be next Friday, but Arizona and Arizona State may as well play this Saturday.
The rivalry game without a name will have little impact on other Pac-10 teams, but it will have all the importance in the world to the Sun Devils and the Wildcats.
Friday’s winner will get an airplane ticket to Hawaii from Santa Claus and will play in either the Jeep Oahu Bowl Christmas Eve or the Jeep Aloha Bowl Christmas Day. The loser gets coal in its stocking and watches those bowl games — and the rest of the postseason festivities — from home.
“You have two teams coming from similar places,” Arizona head coach Dick Tomey said. “You have the chance to get out there and go for it against your rival. That’s a terrific way to end the season.”
Arizona and Arizona State have identical overall records (5-5), almost-identical losing streaks (the Wildcats have lost four in a row, the Sun Devils three) and identical postseason aspirations.
The beauty of college football is that one of them has to win.
Stanford at Cal
California (3-7, 2-5) and Stanford (4-6, 3-4) will meet in the least important game on the Pac-10 slate this week. But the Big Game is always one of the most heated rivalry games, and this year’s matchup should be no different.
Cal’s defense, led by defensive end Andre Carter, will try to stop Stanford’s Randy Fasani to DeRonnie Pitts connection.
But Stanford has had Cal’s number in recent years, and a sixth-straight Cardinal win would break the record for the longest Big Game winning streak by either team.
