It doesn’t get much better than this. Of course, I’ve said that each weekend this year. But here we are. Leaving the land of Eldridge Cleaver—headed for the land of Elder Cleavage.

Pundits think it’s Tedford vs. Carroll. DJ vs. Jarret. Longshore vs. Booty. But we know better.

This is class warfare. A study in opposites. Public school vs. Private. It’s Mao, Che and Fidel vs. Biff, Buffy, and Binky. Where Levis meet Louis Vuitton. It’s the unshaven vs. the shaven—and that’s just women’s legs.

It’s the bra-ed vs. the bra-less. Brainy vs. the brainless. It’s the “lumpin prolatariet vs. the bourgeois. Where the sustainable's meet the disposables.

This isn’t just a football game. It’s what Bill O’Reilly’s been writing about—a true Culture war.

For a thousand years, it’s been the dumb jocks vs. the athletes who had to go to class (even if it was Professor Belquist’s Speech class or Hurst’s grade yourself ed class). The scholarship athlete whose job was to make sure the parking place didn’t move vs. the scholarship recipient who had to pine tox the toilets and rake up the garbage in Memorial Stadium.

This is the game where recruits who meet bunnies at Hef’s joint, take on recruits who met Earl at the Fern.

This is the game we too often almost win—only to lose it in the last second—or fall short in the waning moments.

It’s Pete Canamella breaking Johnny O’s leg or the McKeever twin (I forget which one—all those yuppies look alike) breaking Bates’ jaw after he was out of bounds.

It’s for all the marbles (or as they say at mummy’s country club: “Point milkshake.”)

My favorite writer said after the Oregon game that Cal would be favored by 2 to 7. Alas, he believed that song “There is no Arizona”

SC is favored by 6. It ‘s their field. It will be nosier than the Pi Phi sleeping porch late on a Saturday night as they compare dates.

They’ve got the Mo.

But they haven’t been slowly boiled alive in Tennessee. We have. It says here that that horrible afternoon will put us in the Rose Bowl tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

If you need to get psyched up listen to James Bethea

From Dave Bush, some corrections to keep idiots like me honest

This shows that I am reading.....When cal played Illinois in '74, Mike White
was our coach...he didn't go to Illinois until `1980.....The only "planes''
of Champaign" fly over it...I think you meant to say "plains''....And Rip
Engle didn't "lose his job'' after Hunt to Bradley. He was an institution,
and left on his own terms ...but you are correct that he quit at the end of
that year,and the idea of getting beat on what was obviously offensive pass
interference was a factor in his decsion. Also, Mike McCaffrey tells me that
as an assistant in the "Bradley" game, Joe Pa was abusive to opposing
players....See you next weekend

From Greg, some awards:

California's 2006 Award Semifinalists
Daymeion Hughes - Jim Thorpe Award (Top Defensive Back) - three finalists named Monday, Nov. 20
Daymeion Hughes - Ronnie Lott Trophy (Top Defensive Player) - three finalists named Monday, Nov. 27
Daymeion Hughes - Chuck Bednarik Award (Top Defensive Player) - three finalists named Wednesday, Nov. 23
DeSean Jackson - Biletnikoff Award (Top Wide Receiver) - three finalists named next week
DeSean Jackson - Randy Moss Award (Top Return Man) - finalists announced Wednesday, Dec. 13
Nate Longshore - Davey O'Brien Award (Top Quarterback) - three finalists named Tuesday, Nov. 21
Marshawn Lynch - Doak Walker Award (Top Running Back) - three finalists named Tuesday, Nov. 21
Marshawn Lynch - Maxwell Award (Top Player) - three finalists named Wednesday, Nov. 23
Jeff Tedford - George Munger Award (Top Coach) - three finalists named Wednesday, Nov. 23
Jeff Tedford - Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year (Top Coach) - winner announced Saturday, Dec. 16

Eight Golden Bears Earn Pac-10 Football Academic Honors Eight members of the California football team have been selected for the Pac-10 All-Academic Teams, the league announced on Thursday. Senior fullback Byron Storer and senior cornerback Randy Bundy were both first team honorees for the Golden Bears. To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and be either a starter or significant substitute. In addition to Storer and Bundy, sophomore center Alex Mack, junior defensive lineman John Allen and junior linebacker Greg Van Hoesen were honored as second team picks. Three Bear offensive linemen collected honorable mention honors: seniors Erik Robertson and Scott Smith and sophomore Noris Malele. In Tedford's five years at the helm of the California program, 50 of his players have been recognized by the conference for their combination of athletic and academic excellence. Storer, Mack, Robertson and Smith were also among the eight players honored last season. Storer, Robertson and Smith were also among Cal's nine in 2004 while Storer is the lone active player to have also earned the honor in 2003. 2006 California Pac-10 All-Academic Selections
Byron Storer, RB, Sr., Mass Communications (First Team)
Randy Bundy, DB, Sr., American Studies (First Team)
Alex Mack, C, So., Legal Studies (Second Team)
John Allen, DL, Jr., Political Science (Second Team)
Greg Van Hoesen, LB, Jr., Art Practice (Second Team)
Noris Malele, OL, So., Social Welfare (Honorable Mention)
Erik Robertson, OL, Sr., Scandinavian Studies (Honorable Mention)
Scott Smith, OL, Sr., English (Honorable Mention)

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Jeffrey Earl Warren
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