(Written by kencraw)

The Oregon game is BY FAR the most exciting match up Cal plays each year these days. If you’re looking for the next edition of ‘The Play’, don’t expect it to come from the Big Game, expect it to come from the Oregon game. Just look at all the “amazing, sensational, traumatic, heart rending, exciting thrilling” things that have happened in the Tedford v. Belloti series:

1. 2002, no game: The potential best match up of the year gets the shaft in the 8-game Pac-10 schedule, delaying the start of what has been a great series. Thankfully, the Pac-10 shortly resolved this problem by going to a full 9-game round-robin just a few years later.
2. 2003, turn out the lights: Cal came into this game 5-5 after destroying the Arizona schools in back to back weeks. Oregon was 5-4 having just got drubbed by U-Dub. Cal played a strong first half but could only squeak out a 10-7 halftime lead. However, in the 2nd half, the team came alive and was up 17-7 and was driving to score again when 1/2 of the stadium lights went out. Yes, you read that right, 1/2 the lights went out. It took them close to a half-hour to get the lights back on and when they did, the Bears couldn’t recover, eventually losing 17-21, capped by an Oregon touchdown with less than a minute left.
3. 2004, hands of stone: Unlike the previous year, Cal was a BIG favorite in this game, ranked #4 in the country. Their only loss was to #1 ranked USC in LA in what was perhaps the most thrilling game of the 2004 Pac-10 season. Oregon on the other hand was having a more mediocre season at 5-4 (again). However, it was Oregon who attempted to return the favor of Cal’s tough play the year before taking a 27-14 lead in the 2nd quarter, their only mistake being a missed extra-point. However, being a day-game, the Bears had to find a different bag of tricks to use to rebound than the Ducks. Aaron Rodgers got his groove back and the defense made strides against the Oregon offense, finally taking the lead back early in the 4th quarter, 28-27, the missed extra-point now being of critical importance. It all came down to the last Oregon drive of the game where with less than 2 minutes left when a wide open Keith Allen dropped a pass on 4th down. The catch would have both kept the drive alive and put the Ducks well within field-goal range.
4. 2005, going backwards to kick hurried field-goal: The tables had turned on the two teams in 2005 with Oregon 7-1 with their only loss being to USC and Cal in a free-fall after starting the season 5-0 and now 6-2 after barely escaping Berkeley with a win over ailing WSU. It was a back and forth game where Ayoob shot himself in the foot numerous times preventing Cal from dominating. It setup the critical juncture of the game with the scored tied at 20-20 where Cal had the ball and drove all the way to the Oregon 33, marginal field-goal range with one timeout and just under a minute left. However, Cal lost ground on both 1st and 2nd down pushing them back to the 44, well out of field-goal range. To add injury to insult, Cal had to use their last timeout on the 2nd down busted play. Cal needed a 10+ yard play that stopped the clock to allow for a field-goal attempt. Instead Ayoob ran the ball to the Oregon 37 and went down in-bounds setuping up a 20-second scramble to get off a 54 yard field goal attempt in the rain. The kick was short by less than a yard, a kick that would have been good from the original 33-yard spot. Cal then lost in overtime.
5. 2006, the exception that proves the rule: This was SUPPOSED to be the next in the line of great games, this time between two ranked teams. However, Cal’s defensive pressure proved too much for the relatively inexperienced Dixon who made a number of mistakes including an early game interception in his own redzone that set the tone of the game in this blowout.
6. 2007, fumble for a touchback: Probably the best game of the series, two undefeated teams and highly ranked teams met in Eugene, along with the ESPN GameDay crew, for what was a a battle for the ages. After trailing for most of the game, albeit by one score at the most, Cal put together a handful of good drives as the defense came up with some critical stops mid-2nd half to take a 31-24 lead. Oregon tried to come back but a handful of turnovers in the 4th quarter stiffled their otherwise good progress. It all came down to the last drive yet again with Oregon down by 7 with 1st and goal after a long drive down the field. When Colvin reached for the endzone on a quick pass to the outside, he was hit REALLY hard by Ezeff, who managed to somehow knock the ball out of Colvin’s hands. What was particularly odd about it was that the ball didn’t go the direction of the hit, but squirted forward into the endzone and out of bounds for a touchback, sealing the win for the Bears.

What’s going to happen this year?

UPDATE: My prediction for the unusual thing that tips the scales this year is special teams. Between Belloti’s penchant for the trick play on special teams, Cal’s uneasiness in some special teams situations while at the same time having some pretty big run back potential, I think this year there is going to be a late-game special teams disaster for one of the two programs that will end up being the deciding factor. 60% likelihood of a blocked punt, 30% likelihood of a big run-back, 10% likelihood of a fumble on a runback.