After another long year, the Axe is back up for grabs in the 110th Big Game. One of the greatest and most historic college football rivalries will reignite tomorrow at Stanford Stadium, featuring two teams that have both had underachieving seasons. But the past is behind, and for three and a half hours tomorrow afternoon, no player will want anything more than to be holding the Axe up as the final whistle blows.

After the fifth game of the season, both Cal and Stanford were on football highs. Cal had just come off of a huge win at Oregon, was undefeated and was ranked No. 2 in the nation. Stanford had just come off its biggest win in program history, a 24-23 upset over then-No. 2 USC. It looked as if both teams’ seasons were headed in the right direction. Cal had its sights set on a Pac-10 and BCS Championship. Stanford had its sights set on a turnaround season and a possible bowl berth.

But the season is twelve games, not five.

Which brings us to tomorrow’s game, where both the Cardinal (3-8) and the Golden Bears (6-5) have lost five out of their last six games and enter tomorrow’s Big Game with hopes of salvaging seasons that once seemed so promising.

For Cal, problems started with a stunning 31-28 loss at home to Oregon State (where they could not get a play off in the waning seconds of the game) and continued downward. For Stanford, it’s the move from the high of all highs (think “Biggest Upset Ever”) to the low of all lows (46 points over the last four games, culminating in a loss to lowly Notre Dame). Both teams have been underperforming, and both have one game left to regain their early season success.

For the past few seasons, this game has brought more disappointment than satisfaction to the Stanford campus. Last year’s game, though one of the Cardinal’s best performances of the year, resulted in nothing more than a moral victory.

But this isn’t last season or any season in some time. You have to go back to 2003 to find a year that Cal entered the Big Game with a mediocre record (they were 6-6 and won the game 28-16). For the first time since then, Cal isn’t a heavy favorite.

For the past few seasons, Stanford has entered Big Game a substantial underdog and the results have proven it. This year, though the Bears are favored, the matchup on the field will be much more even (as evident with last year’s much-closer-than-expected game). In a matter of weeks, Big Game has gone from a seemingly automatic loss to a great chance for Stanford to win the Axe back and save an enigma of a season.

It is also the first Big Game in the renovated Stanford Stadium and will feature a smaller, more intense atmosphere. The stadium will be virtually sold out, and, in anticipation of greater student interest, the Athletic Department added an extra 1,400 seats to the Red Zone.

Stanford has no bowl hopes. Cal may not receive a bowl bid even with a win. So that leaves just one thing on the line tomorrow: The Axe. And in a bitter rivalry game like this, that is when everything changes. Past results are thrown out the door and records suddenly don’t indicate how good or bad the team is. The teams drop down to equal levels and it becomes a fight for bragging rights, pride and, of course, the Axe. The winner will be whichever team wants it more.

How bad do we want the Axe? The Axe is much more than a trophy for the football team. It is a symbol of Stanford pride, tradition and excellence. It is a reminder that we are just one step ahead of Cal. Unfortunately, we haven’t been reminded of these things for quite some time. It’s time to bring the Axe back to the Farm.

For the past five years, Stanford has had no success against Cal. But a new coach, a new attitude, a new stadium and a new chance to beat the Bears are all on the table. If we win tomorrow, the school would be electrified. The football season would be successful. The Axe would be ours.

Tomorrow, it won’t matter that Stanford beat USC. It won’t matter that Cal was once the second best team in the country. It won’t matter that Cal has won five straight Big Games. It won’t matter that Stanford is “better” than Cal. All that matters is the Axe. And everyone — players, coaches and fans — must do whatever it takes to make sure that we are the ones holding it up at the end of the game.