While the Golden Bears and the Rainbow Warriors will fight for one more win to end their seasons, fans had planned a game of their own. This drinking game was supposed to quietly run alongside the Hawaii Bowl. But the participants didn’t count on one person finding the rulebook: Max Browne, the announcer in the booth, who now wants to have some fun of his own. 

Cal Football Insider Tony Kransinski shared a screenshot of Browne’s Instagram story on X, confirming that the color commentator had seen the rules and was already issuing warnings: “Uh oh, you guys are in trouble 👀😂”

A former quarterback and team captain at both USC and Pitt, he joined ESPN as a college football analyst in 2025 after stops with The CW, Pac-12 Network, Stadium, and USC, giving him both the comfort and the instincts to steer a broadcast however he sees fit. The game is three-tiered, with rules centered around a hilarious list of comments, familiar names, and storylines that could keep resurfacing. And now, Browne knows exactly what they are:

Why Max Browne holds the advantage:

The easiest level of the game, labeled “take a sip for,” revolves almost entirely around what comes out of the booth. A sip is required any time Tosh Lupoi or Ron Rivera comes up, along with mentions of Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele’s high school background or the run-and-shoot offense. Every Jacob De Jesus catch also counts, which is where things can quietly get out of hand given how often he’s involved. Other triggers include nods to the “Calgorithm” meme, the phrase “Caloha,” any deliberately vague redacted callback, or even a passing reference to Gameday 2024.

Things escalate in the next tier. Certain pieces of familiar college football trivia force players to finish half their drink. A reminder that Nick Rolovich and Timmy Chang were once teammates does it, as does the phrase “Ott to Go,” another well-worn reference fans expect to hear once the broadcast starts filling time.

Then there are the all-or-nothing moments. These are the rare or absurd triggers that require finishing the entire drink. If the Rex Volcano tweet appears on the broadcast, there’s no choice but to empty the glass. A Mark Hamper touchdown carries the same penalty, treated as a genuine shock given it hasn’t happened this season. Even Cade simply stepping onto the field for an offensive snap qualifies for a full-drink consequence.

“😏 I’m the least of your worries. “Every JDJ catch” is how you end up texting your ex Merry Christmas in the 3rd quarter,” he wrote, resharing the Cal insider’s report of the leak on his X account. 

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Browne wouldn’t have to force anything to make the game unravel. A passing mention of Tosh Lupoi or Ron Rivera while filling space between plays would be enough to keep drinks flowing. So would casually revisiting Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele’s background, slipping in a run-and-shoot reference, or leaning into Jacob De Jesus’ involvement. 

We already know one catch is definitely coming, since Jacob De Jesus is only one reception away from equaling the season record in Cal for the most. He’s already the No. 1 target for Sagapolutele, who also plans to end his breakout rookie season on a high note. If fans had instead decided on every JDJ TD instead of reception, Browne would’ve cut them slack.

And if he wanted to push it a little further, the bigger penalties are right there, too. None of it would sound out of place on a bowl broadcast, and Browne clearly won’t be letting up easy on these guys.