After a close-to-the-vest affair in Pullman where the California Golden Bears barely beat the worst team in the conference 20-13, Cal turns around and begins their final home stretch of the season at Memorial Stadium.
The big question is whether the Bears can actually do anything to beat the number one team in the country, or if they're hopelessly overmatched this year. The Cal players certainly believe they have a chance to shock the college football nation on Saturday.
- Safety Sean Cattouse: "It’s motivating. You don’t get a chance very often to play the No. 1 team in the nation. It’s what every competitor lives for."
- Linebacker D.J. Holt: "They’re a team just like us, student-athletes going to school and playing football. They happen to be really good at what they do. We’re all excited and ready to play this weekend. I wish it was today."
- Coach Jeff Tedford: "They’re an excellent football team, no question about it. They deserve their No. 1 ranking. They’ve proven that. It’s going to be a major, major test for us. We’re going to have to be on top of our game."
Cal is currently 5-4 and out of the running for any major bowl bids, but they are a win away from at least ensuring a bowl bid of some sort in December or January. Unfortunately, the Golden Bears will have to go through the Ducks, their cross-Bay rivals the Stanford Cardinal (who are currently also a top ten team), and wrap up the season with the Washington Huskies. Although all their games are at home in Memorial (where they're 4-0), Cal has yet to face any opponents of Oregon or Stanford's caliber.
Stay on this stream for further updates leading up to this week's game.