The 119th Big Game comes to us live from Berkeley on Saturday, when No. 24 Stanford will try to win its seventh straight over Cal.
Stanford vs. Cal 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know for the Big Game
Stanford comes into this game hot, and Cal is definitely not.
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Neither team should be happy with how its season has gone, but in a rivalry like this, one win can send fans into the offseason with at least something to smile about. Stanford was supposed to be the favorite in the Pac-12, but its title aspirations fell to pieces when it lost three games in four weeks to Washington, Washington State, and Colorado.
Cal didn’t have the same level of expectations as Stanford, but things have still gone poorly for the Golden Bears, too. They have not won consecutive games all year, they’ve lost three straight, and they need a victory in this game to have a chance at making a bowl.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Networks
Online streaming: Pac-12 Networks Live
Spread: Stanford is favored by 11 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Rule Of Tree for Stanford fans and California Golden Blogs for Cal fans.
Three big things to know
1. Stanford has won six straight games in this series, and it can ensure Cal misses a bowl game this year with a win over the Bears. After an extremely shaky middle section of the season, the Cardinal have rebounded nicely with three straight wins and are back in the top 25. It won’t be the season Stanford fans wanted, but a win here will make them happy.
2. Cal has lost each of its past three games by at least three touchdowns. It’s not a coincidence that those three games have come against USC, Washington, and Washington State. The Cardinal may not be the bully we thought they were before the season, but this trend does not look good for the Bears.
3. The matchups in this game are strength-on-strength and weakness-on-weakness for both teams. Cal’s potent offense will have a tough challenge with Stanford’s stingy defense, and the Cardinal’s popgun offense will meet their match against Cal’s terrible defense. Christian McCaffrey has had three straight games with over 100 rushing yards, and you should expect to see the fourth here.
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