This column makes use of the traditional "Stanford" spelling, but feel free to copy it into your favorite word processor and replace all instances with "Stanfurd" for an improved reading experience.
I surely don't need to remind you of the importance of this game. A win for Cal means a successful season, the denial of Stanford's playoff hopes, the validation of all that is good in the universe, and a shiny new Top Dog for every child in all the land. A win for Stanford means the Axe returns to the Farm, a Pac-12 North championship goes along with it, the Big Game losing streak extends to six, and former friend of the Bears Brennan Scarlett gets eleven more years of eligibility to torture us.