Cal, USC face off with Pac-10 championship at stake

	Cal's DeSean Jackson fancies himself as another Reggie Bush. The Trojans may disagree, however. Jeff Gross/Getty Images
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The Game might be played on Saturday in Columbus, but across the country there's another big game that has major BCS and national-title implications.

Saturday night's battle between Cal and USC features two programs that are the unquestioned class of their conference. Just as Ohio State and Michigan have so often turned the Big Ten into the Big Two and the Little Eight (OK, Little Nine), so too have the Trojans (8-1) and Golden Bears (8-2) dominated the Pac-10.

Since 2002, USC and Cal have combined to go 97-24, compared with 101-22 for the monsters from the Midwest. Indeed, had the 17th-ranked Bears not stumbled against Arizona last week, they would likely have been in serious contention for a spot in the national championship game with a victory over USC. Still, they're not out of the BCS -- a win on Saturday would sew up the conference title and a berth in the Rose Bowl -- and they can still ruin the Trojans' dream of playing in a third-straight national championship game.

Since he arrived in Berkeley in December 2001, Cal coach Jeff Tedford has earned a reputation as one of the better offensive minds in the college game. Despite a 1-3 record against the Trojans, Tedford has built his program's reputation partly on the strength of its intense rivalry with USC. In 2003, the Golden Bears were the only team to beat the Trojans, winning 34-31 in overtime. And in 2004, during USC's undefeated march to a second straight national title, Cal came within six points of another upset. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 29 of 31 passes that day and was unstoppable until the end. Trailing 23-17, he couldn't get the Bears into the end zone despite a first-and-goal from the Trojans' 9-yard line with 1:47 remaining.

Can they get it done this time? The talent is certainly there. In tailback Marshawn Lynch and sophomore wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Cal has two of the most electrifying offensive players in the country. Lynch, the 10th-leading rusher in the nation (109 yards per game), averages 6.5 yards per carry. A physical, explosive runner, the 5-foot-11, 223-pound junior has scored six touchdowns in his past four games.