Third-seeded Cal is rightfully listed as a national title contender as it prepares to host No. 14 seed Grand Canyon in the opening round of the D1A playoffs on Saturday in Berkeley, CA. 

The Bears are coming off a strong season in which they won all but two games on their schedule: a 49-25 loss to the University of British Columbia in early March and a 21-12 defeat at the hands of top-ranked Saint Mary's last week.

However, Cal also represents something bigger in this matchup. The Bears are the old guard. They represent the long-standing collegiate rugby teams, the ones that toiled during the dark ages of the early and mid-20th century. Cal is referenced quickly when people start talking about "name schools" and "iconic collegiate brands"—like they do at the CRC.

Grand Canyon is none of these. While the Bears can trace their rugby roots to the 19th century, GCU is in its fourth season as a program and first as a D1A member. It's new against old, reputation against upstart, the establishment against a team with nothing to lose.

GCU qualifies for D1A Rugby playoffs as the #14 seed in its inaugural year in D1A (and only its fourth year of existence as a program!) - GCU will face #3 @CalVarsityRugby on April 14 at 2pm pacific @Cal. More info to follow on available livestream and live scoring! pic.twitter.com/bJR6BHqNo7

— GCU Rugby (@gcurugby) April 8, 2018

As an independent team, GCU went 7-2, beating, Utah, Cal Poly, UC Davis, and San Diego State (basically every team on the cusp of a playoff spot). The Antelopes' two losses were to BYU and Arizona, both by a score of 53-22 (what are the odds of that?). 

“We did all we could to make the playoffs, and then just had to wait to see if that would be enough,” GCU head coach Camron Wyper said. “Even with our strong strength of schedule and results, it wasn’t guaranteed. Cal is one of the premier teams in DIA, and it’s going to be a huge matchup for us. We’re rolling into playoffs as a formed team, but you certainly can’t take that for granted, since playoffs are a totally different entity.”  

Preview: National Postseason for Cal Starts 2 p.m. Saturday at Home vs. GCU https://t.co/VRNmUxOkOH

— Cal Varsity Rugby (@CalVarsityRugby) April 9, 2018

Basically, Grand Canyon has nothing to lose. To play at Witter Field and enter the D1A playoffs, the 'Lopes have to feel they have arrived and in doing so scored a point for the new guard. However, Cal head coach Jack Clark is too smart of a rugby coach to take GCU's newness or lack of a profile for granted.

"We feel when we get it right we can beat any team in the competition," Clark said. "Unfortunately, when we play unskillfully we are vulnerable to certain defeat. We don't have much of a margin for error. It's just where our team is at present. Grand Canyon University is plenty good enough to beat us."

FloRugby Pick: Cal all the way. The Bears are just too disciplined and even if they fall —which they might—they will rally. But could Grand Canyon score a couple of tries and look good in defeat? Yes, yes they could.