This week, I will preview the Stanford Cardinal. Last season, Stanford won the Pac-12 and blew out Iowa in the Rose Bowl game. The Cardinal are the most likely Pac-12 team to appear in the upcoming 2017 College Football Playoff. The Cardinal will lose many key players in quarterback Kevin Hogan, running backs Remound Wright and Barry Sanders Jr., wide receivers Devon Cajuste and Michael Rector, offensive guard Joshua Garnett, offensive tackle Kyle Murphy, safety Kodi Whitfield, and defensive end Aziz Shittu. Many key players will return for Stanford as well. Running backs Christian McCaffrey (last season's Heisman runner-up) and Bryce Love, backup quarterback (likely starter, son of Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst) Keller Chryst, tight end Austin Hooper, wide receiver Francis Owusu (once again, this is the guy that did that amazing catch last season against UCLA), cornerbacks Alijah Holder and Quenton Meeks, and defensive end Solomon Thomas all return for the Cardinal.
I've placed Stanford at #2 in the country in the preseason, only behind #1 Alabama. The Cardinal open the season against Kansas State, who went 6-7 last season. This will be a nice easy start to the season before taking on USC and UCLA after their early bye week. Stanford will beat K-State 48-14. The Cardinal host USC next. This will be another win for Stanford, 44-28. By this point, I've got Stanford climbing to #1 in the nation (I predict that Ole Miss will upset Alabama again this season). After this, Stanford will make a trip to the Rose Bowl Stadium for the fifth straight year. For the past four seasons, Stanford has played at the Rose Bowl to either play against UCLA or in the Rose Bowl game. Back to the upcoming Stanford versus UCLA game, this may end up being a 42-34 Stanford win. Stanford will head up to Seattle the following Friday to take on the Washington Huskies. Stanford will win this game 52-34. After that, the Cardinal return home against Washington State, a feisty offense. Stanford will win this match in overtime 65-59. Coming up will be a probable top 10 matchup with Notre Dame on the road. This will result in another overtime, with Stanford winning 41-38. After this, there will be a break against the Colorado Buffaloes, who I think will miss out on the postseason again. Stanford will win 38-7.
Teams left over on Stanford's schedule will probably be scared. I've got Stanford at 7-0 and still at number 1 in the nation. The top-ranked Cardinal will cruise by Arizona 48-27, Oregon State 62-13, top-10 Oregon 51-38, California 49-31, and finally, Rice 56-17.
Now, I predict that Stanford will beat UCLA 48-31 in the Pac-12 Championship and head to the 3rd annual College Football Playoff. The other three teams I predict will make the Playoff are Clemson (ACC), Alabama (SEC), and Baylor (Big 12). Sorry, Big ten fans, but Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan might make the Big Ten's Playoff hopes somewhat fall apart due to the chaotic rivalry games.
Anyways, I have no idea how the teams would be ranked in the Playoff. Stanford fans, you should be looking forward to this season. It can be Stanford's dream football season: undefeated (13-0) and sitting on the College Football throne for most of the year. The 2016 NFL Draft will begin this Thursday, so I will recap the draft and the Bruins that entered it next week.
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