ESPN College Football

Kevin Gemmell previews The Big Game from Stanford Stadium.

In looking for a historical perspective on the Big Game -- which will be played between Stanford and Cal for the 114th time on Saturday -- who better to ask than Jim Rutter -- archivist for Stanford athletics.

He's a fourth-generation Stanford graduate, and his mother, grandmother and great-grandfather are Cal grads.

"I've gone to almost every one since I was born and my freshman year at Stanford was 'The Play,' Rutter said. "I didn't talk to anyone for 24 hours."

He understands -- as do most people who grew up or live in the Bay Area -- what this rivalry is all about.

"This isn't LSU or Alabama where they are both Top 5 every time they run into each other, or Oklahoma and Nebraska in the old days," Rutter said. "It's not like that. But at the same time, the rivalry itself is pretty unique. These two schools are not neighboring states. They are in the same community basically if you look at the Bay Area. You have a unique interaction of the alumni working together, living next door to each other. How often do you have two conference schools that are less than an hour away -- maybe USC and UCLA -- and they have a great rivalry, too. Other than that, it's pretty unique."

Here's a look at some of the best games in the history of the series, and a little insight from Rutter.

• 1924: Might be considered the best of them all -- a 20-20 tie. Stanford scored on a last-second touchdown by Murray Cuddeback. The tie was Stanford's only blemish on the year until they went to the Rose Bowl and lost to Notre Dame 27-10.

"If you talk to the real old-timers, they will say that was the best one," Rutter said.

• 1947: That was a tough year for head coach Marchmont Schwartz and the boys -- finishing 0-9. But the 50th Big Game almost turned out to be one of the biggest upsets in the history of the series. It's sometimes dubbed "The Plea," because Cal's Paul Keckley hadn't played the entire game with a shoulder injury. He begged coach Pappy Waldorf to go in during the final minutes with Stanford leading 18-14. Keckley caught an 80-yard touchdown from Jackie Jensen and Cal won 21-18.

"It came down to a wobbling duck," Rutter says. "Paul Keckley and Jackie Jensen saved Cal's [butt] because Stanford was like a 10-1 underdog."

• 1982: The Play. Enough said.
• 1990: Known as "The Revenge" John Hopkins connected on a 39-yard field goal as time expired, leading Stanford to a 27-25 win. But it was the series of events that led up to the field goal that were so dramatic. Jason Palumbis hit Ed McCaffrey for a touchdown with 12 seconds left, but Stanford missed the two-point conversion and trailed 25-24. Cal fans stormed the field, which led to a 15-yard penalty on the kickoff -- and Stanford recovered the onside kick. A questionable (depending which colors you wear) roughing the passer call turned a 54-yard field goal into a 39-yard field goal which Hopkins nailed to close out the game.

"There were a lot of unusual things in that one," Rutter said. "Tremendous back-and-forth and it came down to a phenomenal exchange at the end. For some, it healed some of those wounds from The Play."

And then there are a couple of notable upsets:

Riding a 9-0 start in 1951, Stanford had locked up the Rose Bowl, but lost to Cal 20-7. Again in 1970, Stanford had clinched its Rose Bowl berth and then lost to Cal in the season finale, 22-14.

"You don't ever want to get a big head going into this game," Rutter said. "In fact, I'd probably be more scared if Stanford had beaten Oregon (last week). It seems like that's always the perfect time for Cal to get up and bite."

As the saying goes with the Big Game, anything can happen, and usually does.

"That's what makes this game so exciting," Rutter said. "You don't know what is going to happen."

California's Sean Cattouse is a good safety. A sure tackler. An NFL prospect. And you already know where this is going, right?

Cattouse was cast as the part of roadkill for one of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck's most replayed highlights -- his 58-yard scramble in last year's Big Game blowout of the Bears. "Roadkill" is not a role any football player wants.

"A lot of jokes. It's all fun and games," Cattouse said when asked -- again and again -- this week about the play. "I'm just more sickened with myself with how I went about trying to tackle him. It looked like nothing I've done before."

How much do you think Cattouse enjoys hearing about that play? How much do you think he wants a rematch with Luck, one on one? And how much do you think all the Cal players enjoy hearing about how super-awesome Luck and the Cardinal are?

The Big Game is always a big game. It's a rivalry game between elite schools that like to tout how they are more elite really than the other.

And it means plenty to Cal.

For one, they'd get the Axe back. While the Bears have split the last four Big Games, they have won seven of nine under coach Jeff Tedford.

Tedford is another issue. While he's been successful against the Bears' biggest rival -- Stanford was riding its longest winning streak in the series with seven consecutive Big Game victories from 1995-2001 when he arrived in Berkeley -- there is considerable fan frustration with his program's inconsistency over the past few years. A win over a highly ranked Stanford team would mute that, at least in the short term.

Further, Cal is playing for its own stakes. If it beats the Cardinal, it improves to 7-4 and moves up in the pecking order with bowl selections.

That said, there are unintended consequences of playing the spoiler. It would cost the Pac-12 about $6 million because Stanford wouldn't be the pick for an at-large BCS bowl berth. And then the Cardinal likely would end up in the Alamo Bowl, which would knock every other bowl-eligible team down a notch.

"It's not about spoiling anything for them," Cal quarterback Zach Maynard said. "It's a huge rivalry game for us."

Cal also has a strong history of upsets in the series, particularly when the Cardinal boasts a celebrated quarterback.

The Bears beat John Elway twice, producing the greatest play in college football history -- "The Play," in fact -- to do so in 1982. They knocked off Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett in 1970. And, of course, they upset Luck in 2009, 34-28, with Cal linebacker Mike Mohamed grabbing an interception in the waning moments with Stanford on the Bears' 3-yard line.

That, in fact, was one of the worst games of Luck's career. He was 10-of-30 for 157 yards with no touchdowns.

Before that game, Tedford repeatedly tweaked his players with how the media and fans believed then-No. 14 Stanford and running back Toby Gerhart were too physical for the Bears. In response, Cal's Shane Vereen rushed for 193 yards on 42 carries with three touchdowns and outplayed Gerhart.

It was a successful motivational angle that Tedford might revisit. Young people often seem to respond well to the underdog, no-respect role.

"Those are always motivational pieces," Tedford said. "We have a great deal of respect for them. Their accolades -- they are worthy of them."

Still, in the end, all rivalry games are like this. There are Cal men and Stanford men. Blues and Cardinal. And when they meet -- their own and the other -- they will remember who won, and when and how it went down.

Said Cattouse, "It's a big game every year. Every year we want to win it."

A football field is 100 yards long, and each yard marker has produced immortal memories in college football.

ESPN.com is looking at some of the most famous touchdowns in college football history for each and every yard marker, and California's stunning 57-yard kickoff return to beat Stanford -- better known as "The Play" -- is the choice at 57 yards.

You can check out "Yards to Glory" here.

And here's what I wrote about one of the most famous moments in sports history.

57. The Play

Cal beats Stanford on five-lateral finish

Nov. 20, 1982: "The Play" is simply one of the greatest moments in sports history. Stanford had taken a 20-19 lead on late-game heroics from QB John Elway. Four seconds remained. But on the ensuing kickoff, the Bears used four laterals -- some Stanford folks dispute the legality of a couple -- before Kevin Moen took No. 5 the final 25 yards for the improbable game-winning score. Making the spectacular play memorably absurd, Moen was forced the run through the Stanford band, which had prematurely taken the field to celebrate a victory, and he punctuated the thrilling moment by running over trombone player Gary Tyrrell in the end zone.

Every preseason we take a look at potential best-case and worst-case scenarios for every Pac-10 team. While these are often tongue-in-cheek, they nonetheless represent the top and bottom we see for each team.

So it might be worthwhile to revisit each.

Next up is Stanford, which finished 12-1 after whipping Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Best Case: 12-1 with a Rose Bowl win against Ohio State and a final No. 2 ranking.

What was right: A number of Stanford fans have written, pointing out how much the 2010 season resembled the Cardinal's "best case." Most notable is the final spot in the BCS standings at the end of the regular season: No. 4. The best case gets the final record -- 12-1 -- correct, including a BCS bowl victory and final top-5 ranking. Quarterback Andrew Luck did end up staying. Moreover, the whole tone of Stanford gradually earning national respect approximated what actually happened.

What was wrong: Stanford's lone loss was at Oregon, not at Washington, which it whipped 41-0. The Big Game win against California was a blowout, not a nailbiter. The BCS bowl was the Orange, not the Rose. The Cardinal finished ranked fourth, not No. 2. Coach Jim Harbaugh bolted for the San Francisco 49ers instead of signing a lifetime contract.

Worst case: A 7-6 finish after a win against Temple in the Eagle Bank Bowl.

What was right: Well, seven wins were correct, as was the loss at Oregon. Stanford did win its bowl game. Harbaugh did leave.

What was wrong: A lot, most particularly envisioning the defense as being particularly weak. Stanford's defense ended up being one of the best units in the nation. Harbaugh did leave, but for the NFL, not Michigan. California most certainly didn't play in the Rose Bowl. Luck is returning for his junior year. Stanford hired David Shaw, not Walt Harris, though that was entirely a joke.

Conclusion: Considering it was one of the best seasons in program history, it makes sense that the "best case" prevails here by a wide margin. And going 1 for 2 with Harbaugh and Luck is probably as much as anyone could ask for.

A look back on the week that was.

Team of the week: Oregon State was left for dead -- understandably -- after getting pushed around at home by Washington State on Nov. 13, thereby ending the Cougars 16-game Pac-10 losing streak. But there was a Beavers resurrection Saturday during a 36-7 stomping of USC.

Best game: Considering all three games this past week were decided by at least 17 points, there really wasn't a "best" game. But Stanford's overwhelming performance on both defense and offense in the Big Game at California was very impressive -- making it easy to point to the Cardinal as the nation's best one-loss team.

Biggest play: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck made an early statement in the Big Game with a 58-yard run on third down in the first quarter. The "wow" moment, though, was when he flattened Cal safety Sean Cattouse.

Offensive standout: Not to be redundant but Luck was nearly perfect in the Big Game. He completed 16-of-20 for 235 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and ran three times for 72 yards.

Defensive standout: USC just couldn't block Oregon State DT Stephen Paea, whose six tackles -- 2.5 for a loss with a sack and a forced fumble -- don't completely tell the story of how much of a nuisance he was to the Trojans.

Special teams standout: The only bright side for Cal might have been punter Bryan Anger, who averaged 54.3 yards on three punts, with a long of 71 yards. Two of the three were killed inside the Cardinal 20-yard line.

Smiley face: Good for Washington and Oregon State getting off the carpet and keeping bowl hopes -- albeit slim ones -- alive. The Beavers had lost three of four conference games, including the aforementioned face plant versus the Cougs, while the Huskies had suffered three consecutive blowout losses before upending UCLA. Showing resilience is a good thing.

Frowny face: Everyone wondered when USC would stop showing up this year due to NCAA sanctions killing postseason possibilities. Then we got so far into the season, it seemed possible they'd show up every week. Wrong. The debacle at Oregon State was embarrassing. A completely lifeless effort on offense against a struggling, injury-riddled defense.

Thought of the week: Washington's visit to California feels meaningful, and not just because it's a bowl-eligibility-elimination game. Both programs are looking for a November uptick for grumpy fan bases after disappointing seasons. If Cal wins, it could end up in the Holiday Bowl, and even the Sun Bowl is a heck of a destination for a 6-6 team. Same for the Huskies, though they also will need to win at rival Washington State on Dec. 4 to earn a sixth victory.

Questions for the week: Is there a major upset on tap? Top-ranked Oregon plays host to No. 21 Arizona and No. 6 Stanford gets a visit from again formidable Oregon State. Can both home teams survive and keep hopes for two BCS bowl teams -- and an extra $4.5 million for the conference -- alive?

The Big Game is over at halftime.

Stanford leads 31-0, and there is no way that California can score 32 in the second half with struggling quarterback Brock Mansion.

That means we won't have to talk about Cal's split road-home personality any more. The Bears can get blown out at home, too.

Jim Harbaugh is going to even his record with Jeff Tedford at 2-2. And the Cardinal are making a major statement about themselves as the nation's best one-loss team.

Mansion has completed just 8 of 16 for 57 yards with two interceptions and a fumbled snap.

Not good.

Meanwhile, there is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. He's completed 10 of 13 passes for 165 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. And he had two runs for 69 yards, including a 58-yard effort that included him running over Cal safety Sean Cattouse.

Good.

Stanford outgained the Bears 312 yards to 119 in the first half.

The only question remaining is how many points Harbaugh wants to score. And if he goes for two at any point in the second half.

How about all those smart guys getting mouthy before the Big Game even started!

The jawing cost Stanford receiver Jamal-Rashad Patterson, who was ejected for his involvement in a pregame altercation. That's even more of a blow with receiver Chris Owusu apparently out.

Then California fumbled a snap at its 26-yardline, which isn't a good way for quarterback Brock Mansion to get his legs under him.

Still, the Cal defense made a stand and the Cardinal had to settle for a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Seemed like the Bears' defense has the same fire it had last week against Oregon. On the downside, it appears that cornerback Darian Hagan is out and Marc Anthony didn't start.

It's been an inconsistent year for California, and that goes for the Bears defense, too, despite its generally strong numbers.

But first-year defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast clearly put together an outstanding game plan last weekend, when the Bears held top-ranked Oregon to a season-low in yards and points.

It doesn't get any easier this Saturday, though, with No. 6 Stanford coming to Berkeley for the annual Big Game. While the Cardinal might not be as fast and flashy as the Ducks, they also rank among the nation's elite offenses, and quarterback Andrew Luck may be the best at his position in the nation.

So there's no rest for Pendergast this week. He did spare a few minutes, though, to talk defense.

Give me the basics of what you guys did against Oregon and why was it so successful?

Clancy Pendergast: I just think our guys played well that night. We played with good gap integrity -- the guys fit their gaps. And the secondary did a good job in coverage.

Why is it so difficult to maintain gap integrity against Oregon?

CP: They are very lateral in a lot of things they do. Sometimes the gaps travel down the line of scrimmage and they are hard to keep. But that's very important against them. And they do some other blocking schemes that aren't lateral, too. So you have to prepare for different types of blocking schemes with them. Their linemen are very athletic. Their running back runs very well, not only tackle to tackle but also on the perimeter. And you've also got the quarterback to deal with.

Going into the game, did you anticipate you'd get such an inspired, fiery effort?

CP: I did. We had a good week of practice. They were into it. The communication was good throughout the course of the week. We really zeroed in on the things we wanted to do. It was more about us defensively than it was about Oregon.

Give me two or three guys who really played well versus Oregon.

CP: Defensive end Trevor Guyton played good. Noseguard Derrick Hill played good. Linebacker Mike Mohamed played good. Safety Chris Conte played good. Safety Sean Cattouse was solid. Those are the guys who jumped out at me.

This will be your first Big Game: Does anything feel different to you this week, or is it just another game?

CP: The intensity is a little heavier in practice. The guys' antennas are up a little bit like they were last week. From being around college football and football in general, I've always known this is a storied rivalry. I'm looking forward to my first Big Game.

Looking at Stanford: What do you see on film of their offensive line?

CP: They are very impressive. They do an excellent job at the line of scrimmage. They get movement. They work very well together. And when they do get movement, they are very athletic in getting to the second level. They are a physical group. I'm very impressed with the job they've done, from an athletic and physical standpoint and from a coaching standpoint.

You've got a significant NFL background: Does Andrew Luck look like a guy who can star on Sundays? What does he do well?

CP: He's very impressive. You can see he carries himself with a lot of confidence. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and his staff have done an excellent job preparing him. You can tell he has a very good command of the offense, with the different things he does within the scheme. He sees the field well. He evades the rush very well. He gets them into good plays when they need to change a play at the line of scrimmage because of a certain look the defense is giving them. He's been very patient. He can make plays outside the pocket with his feet, but he can also make all the throws in the passing game -- from the intermediate and underneath option-type routes to the precision comebacks, all the way from one hash to the other sideline, which a lot of teams in the NFL like to have the quarterback make. He's got a lot of tools that are going to make him an outstanding prospect at the next level.

Is it much different preparing for Stanford compared to preparing for Oregon?

CP: That's kind of college football. You are preparing for different offenses week in and week out. That is the challenge as a defensive coordinator -- to put together a plan that adapts to what the other offense is meant to do. They create a lot of problems. They use a lot of different personnel groups. Like I said, they are very good at running the football. They are very well coached. They are very efficient throwing the football. They are very good on third down. They are very good in the red zone. We'll have our hands full on Saturday without a doubt.

Give me a couple of keys for you guys to be successful on Saturday?

CP: Our rallying cry is we've got to have very good gap integrity within our front seven. And we can't give up a big plays. They like to push the ball down the field, but we can't let them get any explosion plays.

The Big Game between California and Stanford -- or is it Stanford and California? -- kicks off our season-ending series of rivalry weekends, so the Big Bosses in the palace in Bristol, Conn., wondered: What has been the best rivalry in each conference from 2000-2009?

As usual, when my bosses ask anything of me, I was thrilled to cogitate over the assignment. My reply: The Civil War. Without question.

Start with this: It's competitive. Oregon and Oregon State have split their last 10 games.

Further, it's been important, starting on Nov. 18, 2000, which was a horrible, no-good, rotten, very bad day for the Ducks. Not only did the Beavers win the Civil War 23-13, the loss knocked the Ducks out of the Rose Bowl. And not only did the Ducks get knocked out of the Rose Bowl by their in-state rival, their loss allowed the hated Washington Huskies, whom they had beaten, to go to the Rose Bowl instead. Meanwhile, the Beavers went on to whip Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, the Huskies won the Rose Bowl over Purdue, and the Ducks had to settle for beating Texas in the Holiday Bowl. Ah, but things haven't always been rosy for the Beavers in the rivalry. Not by a long shot. In the last two Civil Wars, an Oregon State win would have earned it a Rose Bowl berth for the first time since the 1964 season. The Beavers lost both. In 2008, the Ducks blew out the Beavers in Corvallis, 65-38. In 2009, with the Rose Bowl going to the winner, the Ducks again prevailed, but this time in a 37-33 nail-biter.

And when he came back to, he was flat on his back on the beach in the freezing sand, and it was raining out of a low sky, and the tide was way out.

• Getting to know a young receiver who has stepped up for Arizona.
• A young CB makes an impression at Arizona State.
• Recall the big interception that iced the 2009 Big Game for California. Some thoughts on the Big Game.
• The Pac-10 office is looking into fake injuries versus Oregon.
• Oregon State needs QB Ryan Katz to regain his confidence for USC.
• Comparing Stanford greats: Andrew Luck and John Elway.
• UCLA knows it probably needs a win at Washington to earn bowl eligibility.
• USC's defensive line wants to turn up the pressure at Oregon State. Talking points.
• Washington will honor these seniors tonight. The Huskies remain motivated.
• Recapping Washington State coach Paul Wulff's radio show, which was happier than usual.

» Predictions: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

Been mediocre of late. Went 2-2 last week and the season record is now 48-16. You might find the top comment amusing, though.

Won't go .500 this week, that's for sure.

Thursday
Washington 28, UCLA 24: Jake Locker can't really lose his final game in Husky Stadium, can he? The Huskies' -- very bad -- run defense will need to step up, though.

Saturday
Stanford 28, California 20: The Cardinal has too much at stake to lose the Big Game. Stanford's advantage at quarterback will be too much to overcome for Cal, even playing at home. And will this be Andrew Luck's final Big Game? And what about Jim Harbaugh?

USC 40, Oregon State 24: USC is rolling. Oregon State is not. The Trojans luck in the state of Oregon will change. It just doesn't seem reasonable to believe that a defense that got pushed around by Washington State has a chance to slow down USC.

OFF: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Washington State.

I will let you go, Ricky. But first, I want you to say..."I... love... crepes."

• Arizona expects to get QB Matt Scott and RB Nic Grigsby back for the Oregon game on Nov. 26.
• QB Brock Osweiler gets some looks with the No. 1 offense during Arizona State's bye week.
• California running back Shane Vereen needs to carry a big load in the Big Game.
• The Oregonian reports that fake injuries were part of California's game plan, according to a source within the Bears football program, but there's nothing officials can do about it.
• Oregon State is looking for inspiration. A practice report. Coach Mike Riley stands by his assistants.
• It's seemingly more likely that Stanford QB Andrew Luck will enter the NFL draft this spring as a redshirt sophomore.
• UCLA isn't afraid of the bad weather in Seattle (for all my friends in Seattle: It's going to be 79 and sunny in Scottsdale on Thursday). Talking points for UCLA.
• USC RB Marc Tyler is happy to be hurting. QB Matt Barkley is still a work in progress.
• Washington QB Jake Locker has been cleared to play as the senior plays his final game in Husky Stadium.
• Washington State RB James Montgomery is hoping the NCAA gives him a sixth year.

Does Jim Harbaugh need a hug? Sure sounds like it. His poor, old Stanford team: How can it possibly survive this weekend at California in the Big Game?

Sure, Stanford is ranked sixth in the nation, and many educated eyes deem the Cardinal the nation's best one-loss team. Sure, Stanford's offense is among the most potent in the country. Sure, it's led by the likely top overall pick in this spring's NFL draft, quarterback Andrew Luck. Sure, the Cardinal are still in the running for the Rose Bowl, which Cal last played in 457 years ago.

But Cal has won seven out of eight Big Games, including a surprising 34-28 upset last year at Stanford.

"You mentioned last year, but you could really go back the last eight years," Harbaugh said. "We're trying to make this rivalry game a rivalry. But you can't really call it a rivalry when you've lost seven out of the last eight games."

Poor, old Stanford.

California darn near beat top-ranked Oregon last weekend before succumbing 15-13. The Bears' defense only allowed one offensive touchdown against the high-powered Ducks. Oregon rolled over Stanford 52-31. So what is the poor old Cardinal to do?

"It's the best defense we've played by far," Harbaugh said. "They really look like the best team in the Pac-10, especially at home."

Cal, by the way, is 5-5. It lost by 21 at Nevada, 34 at USC and 28 at Oregon State, which just lost to Washington State.

Ah, but the Big Game, which ninth-year Bears coach Jeff Tedford seemingly owns, will be played inside Strawberry Canyon, where Cal's only loss this season is the nail-biter to the Ducks.

On the road, the Bears might play like Elmer Fudd but at home they transform into Wolverine. Why? No one knows. It's a mystery on par with Kim Kardashian's celebrity.

"I've been asked that enough times, so I should have analyzed it," Tedford said. "If I had the magical answer it would have been taken care of a long time ago."

What we can understand with metaphysical certainty is that Cal is going to need to score to beat Stanford, and it hasn't done much of that since quarterback Kevin Riley went down with a season-ending knee injury and was replaced by Brock Mansion. In the 11-plus quarters since Mansion has been running the offense -- including starts against Washington State and Oregon -- the Bears have scored just five touchdowns. Mansion has just one TD pass with two interceptions and is completing just 46.8 percent of his throws.

Seeing that Bears running back Shane Vereen gashed Stanford for 193 yards and three scores on 42 carries -- 42! -- in last year's Big Game, you can imagine the basics of the Cardinal's defensive plan: Gang up on Vereen, force Mansion to make plays in the passing game.

"It's going to be very important for him to keep his composure and for him just to play within himself and not try to do too much," Tedford said. "He's still learning, there's no doubt about it."

So Cal's challenge is to figure out creative ways to move the ball and keep the dramatically improved Stanford defense honest.

But that's nothing compared to poor, old Stanford.

"We're really trying to figure out how we can move the ball against them," Harbaugh said. "This week preparing for Cal's defense is pretty much like preparing for an NFL team."

The matchup of Stanford's physical offensive line and the Cal front seven will be interesting. The Bears lead the Pac-10 in total defense and sacks (30). Stanford is 14th in the nation in total offense and has yielded just four sacks, which is tied for fewest in the nation.

When asked about last year's game, Harbaugh said the Cardinal "got the fuzzy end of the popsicle." After purchasing hundreds of different brands of popsicles, the Pac-10 blog was unable to find one with a fuzzy end, but Harbaugh provided clarity by noting that the problem for Stanford in the 2009 Big Game was "we didn't score as many points as the Bears did."

Nothing like cutting to the chase. And in Saturday's game, while there will be an intriguing strength-on-strength battle between the Cal defense and the Stanford offense, this one really comes down to whether Mansion and the Cal offense can rise to the occasion and score more points than poor, old Stanford.

The Man has been holding California running back Shane Vereen down. And by "The Man," I mean the media.

There's a reason that Vereen is the best running back folks outside the West Coast haven't heard of. There's a reason a back who can go yard or run with power or catch passes doesn't get more publicity.

Folks, these are tough times. Everyone is worried about jobs -- getting one, keeping one. And Vereen, a media studies major, is eyeballing a job at ESPN. After talking to the articulate junior for only a few minutes, there is one obvious reaction for any media member: Yikes.

"I've always wanted to be a sports analyst," he said. "One of my favorite shows is SportsCenter. I like PTI. I grew up watching Stuart Scott. It's been a big dream of mine to be able to argue about sports."

(Note to boss: Vereen wants to be on TV. He has no interest in taking over the Pac-10 blog. So no need to contact him. Really. Please.).

Vereen is presently second in the Pac-10 and 13th in the nation with 115.4 yards per game. He's tied with Oregon's LaMichael James for the Pac-10 lead in touchdowns with 10 (eight rushing, two receiving). He and the Bears visit USC on Saturday in a critical matchup for both teams. The winner figures to set a trajectory into the top-half of the Pac-10. The loser likely takes a turn to the bottom-half.

There is another reason Vereen hasn't been in the spotlight. Before this season, he was only a highly productive backup. While he posted 1,667 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns with a 5.1 yards per carry average, he, nonetheless, spent the previous two seasons as the counterpunch for Jahvid Best.

But Vereen has long had a fan club, which has only grown larger this fall. That fan club is comprised of coaches who watch him on tape and play against him on Saturdays.

"Wow, I think he's NFL [quality]," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. "I don't think there's any question about his ability -- his size, his vision, his speed, his balance. He breaks tackles. He's a complete running back. There's nothing he can't do on the field. He's your prototypical NFL guy with size and speed and vision."

Then there's Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh: "He's a really efficient runner when it comes to him getting all the yards that are blocked for him. And he is explosive enough to get even more yards than what are blocked for. He can take it the distance. He's one of those backs who can make a big run. He's good after contact. He's really explosive -- just a good football player."

With Best injured last year, some Cal and Stanford fans might recall that Vereen piled up 193 yards on 42 carries in a 34-28 upset win in the Big Game.

Said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, "He's a fabulous back. He's been a fabulous back since he's been in this league. And once again on Saturday he was a great player."

Neuheisel is alluding to the Bears 35-7 win against UCLA in which Vereen rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and caught three passes for 51 yards.

"He's the next great running back," said USC coach Lane Kiffin, who knows slowing down Vereen is the top priority for his struggling defense.

Vereen admits that redshirting his freshman season was difficult -- he was a touted recruit who wanted to play -- but he said he had no problem being Hutch to Best's Starsky the previous two seasons.

"That didn't bother me," he said. "Jahvid was a great running back and one of my best friends. I was happy for him. He deserved all the accolades he received."

What coaches keep coming back to with Vereen is his versatility. He's got five career rushes over 50 yards, but the 204 pounder also can get tough yards inside and break tackles. He also is an outstanding receiver and can return kicks.

"The thing that stuck out the most about Shane was his versatility," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "He has a great feel for the running game and he's got great speed, but the way he catches the football out of the backfield -- you can put him at receiver. He's got great feel for the passing game."

The general consensus is that Vereen will have to settle for an NFL career for a while before he joins the ESPN family. As for the lack of publicity -- at least to this point -- Vereen doesn't seem terribly worked up.

"I don't pay too much attention to it," he said. "I try to just focus on the simple things -- on what's important this week, in this day. I have enough trouble remembering my class schedule, let alone worrying about national attention and all that kind of stuff. I assume that when the time is right it will come."

Vereen, as a student of the sports media, also is painfully aware of the perception of Cal. The Bears boast great talent and can look unbeatable at times. Then, just when they get acclaim, they flop. Last year, the Bears were ranked No. 6 before they took consecutive whippings from Oregon and USC by a combined count of 72-6.

"We understand that in the past couple of years, we have had some letdowns," he said. "Because of that, I think we're conscious of what needs to be done. I think we feel like we have a lot to prove."

Any type of revenge against Oregon will have to wait until the Ducks visit on Nov. 13 in what might be a game with national title implications.

But Vereen and the Bears get the Trojans on Saturday, a team Cal hasn't beaten since 2003. If Vereen puts up big numbers in a Cal win, it's not likely The Man will be able to keep a lid on his talents much longer.