BERKELEY – As chair of the Cal Rally Committee, it is Claire Robbins' responsibility to make sure the Stanford Axe gets to its rightful location after the Big Game should the Golden Bears defeat Stanford on Saturday.

Robbins has a plan to make that happen – not that it's really going to matter.

"It's going to be complete chaos no matter what the plan is," Robbins said. "In the past, they've run to the center of the field with it. We'll probably parade it around the field for a little while, then take it to its secure location."

It's been 10 years since Cal won the Big Game, meaning the past nine Rally Committee chairs have gone home empty-handed (the chair changes every year). Most pundits predict this year's showdown to be competitive with the Bears having a strong chance at winning, and Robbins is ready.

"It's really exciting," said Robbins, a senior molecular and cell biology major. "It's been hard the past nine years because every chair has prepared for it to come home and has ended up being disappointed. I don't want to get too excited, but I'm fully prepared for it to come home."

If the Stanford Axe ultimately winds up in Robbins' hands, it will culminate the traditional "staredown" that takes place during the final minutes of every Big Game. With five minutes left on the clock, 13 members of the Stanford Axe Committee and 13 members of the Cal Rally Committee will head down on to the field at Stanford Stadium. At the two-minute mark, the members of the opposing committees will line up facing each other and stare until time expires. If the Bears win, the members on the Stanford side will hand the Axe over to the Cal Rally Committee, and hysteria will likely ensue.

"We stand there lined up. We stare at each other and try not to smile or blink so we don't get roasted on national TV," Robbins said.

The staredown and subsequent awarding of the axe marks the end of one of the most tradition-rich weeks in college football. It began Monday with the lighting of Wheeler Hall, Doe Library, the Campanile and Sather Gate in blue and gold and the annual San Francisco Cable Car rally that winds up in Ghiradelli Square and includes the Cal band, dance team, cheer squad, mic men and Oski (the cable car is blue and gold).

Other events during the week include Thursday night's rally with all of Cal's spirit squads visiting various residence halls and tonight's annual bonfire at the Greek Theatre that will feature a visit by members of the football team and Chancellor Carol Christ.

Due to fires in recent years and environmental concerns, Cal's Rally Committee decided this year to forgo the standard wood bonfire and instead use a metal structure that can accommodate propane. The committee has started a fundraiser to help offset costs for the structure.

"It's time to reinvent this beloved tradition," Robbins said. "The UC Rally Committee feels that it is our duty, not only to protect the symbols and traditions of our University, but to advocate for change in what is our changing environment. Thank you to the loyal Californians who have supported us in our endeavor to reinvent a timeless tradition of the UC Berkeley campus."

To help support the Rally Committee's cause, click here.