Yesterday, Stanford got pasted by Oregon State 43-3. But despite their sad performance this year, they can still qualify for a bowl game with wins over Cal and Notre Dame. Cal laid a big hurt on Washington 54-7 and can qualify for a bowl game with a win over Stanford. Which makes next week’s Big Game a must win game for both teams.

It’s rare to have a Big Game that means something these days. More often than not, the Big Game is an attempt to rescue a miserable season by one [if not both] of the participants. But both teams are clinging to the hope for a bowl game at the end of the season. Even if it’s only the Insight.com bowl, it’s still a bowl game. And the extra practice time that comes with the game can make a difference in how the team comes out of the gate next year.

So here’s to the 2003 Big Game.