Stanford's game against Cal deemed a must-win

There are only about 40 miles separating Stanford and their biggest rival, Cal who the Cardinal beat every season from 2010-2018.

However, with the decline in the on-field product at Stanford in the later years of the David Shaw era, the Golden Bears were able to win three out of the last four renditions of the Big Game. Now, both programs are looking to turn things around after lackluster seasons, with Stanford hiring offensive guru Troy Taylor to lead the program while Cal hopes to revamp what has been a stagnant offense. 

Both teams are projected to be on the wrong end of .500 in 2023, but as we have learned throughout the years, winning the Big Game is a great consolation prize, if you believe in that sort of thing. 

According to 247Sports' Raymond Lucas Jr., due to the severity of how difficult their schedules are this upcoming season, the Big Game is a must-win game for both programs. It is one of the few weeks on the schedule that appears to give either team a chance to win, which even when you finish below .500 you still appreciate every single win.

Lucas explained the importance of Stanford winning the game for the first time in three years, citing it'll help them take a step in the right direction to be the dominant program they once were. 

Stanford is under new leadership and seizing control of the Bay Area is essential if the Cardinal are to return to being a force on the west coast. Stanford struggled lately, but Cal has not been much better. The Golden Bears should be the superior team in 2023, which will leave a challenge for the Cardinal.

He continued saying:

Stanford is the only team in the Pac-12 that begins the season with consecutive road games, which could lead to the Cardinal becoming the first group to ever roll their eyes at a business trip to Hawaii. After traveling to Honolulu, Stanford departs for Los Angeles and squares off with USC. From there, the Cardinal meets a Sacramento State program Taylor built into a winner. Stanford plays host to the likes of Oregon, UCLA, Washington and Notre Dame. While those clashes taking place in Palo Alto is ideal, they are challenges nonetheless.

With Stanford's win total projection at a modest 3.5, you would have to imagine that the Cal game is one that the oddsmakers view as winnable. Stanford is in the midst of a complete rebuild, as they will be fielding a new quarterback, a brand new batch of  receivers, practically a new offensive line unit, and are replacing the entire secondary.

While the Big Game likely won't have Pac-12 Championship implications, its still can very much be considered a must-win game.