Stanford Football

How can it be that Stanford, the No. 1 Pac-12 team in this power rating, can be fourth in the BCS standings given the stature of the conference as one of the best, a step below the SEC?

The general argument: If a team from one of the five major conferences is unbeaten, it should be ranked ahead of a team with one defeat, such as Stanford, which lost to Pac-12 opponent Utah.

That's a decent argument if the conferences in which those undefeated teams played was equal to or better than the Pac-12. The Big Ten and Big 12 are not as strong as the Pac-12, using the BCS standings as a gauge.

Florida State, the No. 2 team in the BCS standings, is benefiting from playing in a weak ACC. Clemson (No. 8) is the only other ACC team in the BCS Top 20.

The Pac-12 has four teams among the Top 20 of the BCS standings, including three teams that Stanford has overpowered—once invincible Oregon (No. 6), UCLA (No. 13) and Arizona State (No. 19). 

The Big Ten has only Ohio State (No. 3) and Michigan State (No. 16) in the Top 20. The Big 12 has only three: Baylor (No. 5), Oklahoma State (No. 12) and Oklahoma (No. 18).

Baylor is unbeaten, but the Bears had a ridiculous nonconference schedule with the likes of Wofford, Buffalo and Louisiana-Monroe. Baylor showed vulnerability at Kansas State on Oct. 12, surviving 35-25 thanks to two touchdowns in the fourth quarter against a Wildcat team that was 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12.

Ohio State's road victories are against Cal, Northwestern and Purdue. The combined record of those teams: 6-22. 

Stanford lost at Utah, but look at how others have fared in Salt Lake City: Oregon State won 51-48 in overtime, UCLA held on to win 34-27 and ASU survived 20-19 after the Sun Devils trailed 19-7. That's a difference of only 11 points in three games against quality competition. 

All things being equal, if Florida State suffers an upset loss and Stanford defeats an emerging USC team, Cal, and Notre Dame and captures the Pac-12 title, the Cardinal should be in the the national title game despite that loss at Utah. Why? Beating Oregon is monumental. It should all come back to that game.

Ohio State and Baylor cannot match that.

Here are this week's Pac-12 football ratings:

1. Stanford (8-1, 6-1): If the Cardinal does not play Alabama in the national title game, it would be a shame because they are the strongest teams in the country in terms of how they come at teams fearlessly. Stanford proved its toughness against Oregon, running on 66 of 79 plays and averaging 4.2 yards per carry even, though, the Ducks knew what was coming. Last week: No. 2. Postseason prediction: Rose Bowl vs. Ohio State.

2. Oregon (8-1 overall, 5-1): The Ducks' psyche took a hit, especially with how they were unable to run against Stanford's vaunted defense. When push came to shove, Oregon fell with a thud. Byron Marshall's run of five straight 100-yard games ended with 46 yards, De'Anthony Thomas had just 30 rushing yards and Marcus Mariota had minus-16 yards including sacks. Last week: No. 1. Postseason prediction: Sugar Bowl vs. Missouri.

3. Arizona State (7-2, 5-1): The Sun Devils are the most resourceful team in the Pac-12, somehow getting the win at Utah despite catalyst Taylor Kelly having one of his worst games. ASU showed it can win by scoring 50 points or only 20. The Sun Devils' season will come down to the game at UCLA in two weeks, but they must take care of a rested Oregon State team this week first. Last week: No. 3. Postseason prediction: Holiday Bowl vs. Texas.

4. UCLA (7-2, 4-2): If the Bruins win the Pac-12 South, they will earn it. They still have to face Washington, Arizona State and USC, three teams with a combined record of 20-8. Last week: No. 4. Postseason prediction: Alamo Bowl vs. Oklahoma.

5. USC (7-3, 4-2): We will find out if the Trojans are for real Saturday when they face their first ranked opponent at the time of kickoff. USC lost to ASU, which is ranked No. 21, but the Sun Devils were not ranked when they met in the fifth week of the season. Last week: No. 5. Postseason prediction: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Boise State.

6. Oregon State (6-3, 4-2): After two touchdowns in the past two games by the offense, the Beavers know it will take much more scoring to keep up with the Sun Devils, who are averaging 43 points. The difference is Oregon State lost to Stanford and USC in those two games, and the Cardinal and Trojans have the best defenses in the Pac-12. ASU's defense is good, but it is more opportunistic than dominating. Last week: No. 6. Postseason prediction: Sun Bowl vs. Duke.

7. Washington (6-3, 3-3): The Huskies must prove themselves now against quality competition, starting Friday at UCLA. Washington's three conference wins are over teams with a combined three Pac-12 wins (all by Arizona). It has lost to powerhouses Oregon, Stanford and Arizona State. Washington clinched a spot in a bowl game for the fourth year in a row, but it has to win two of its final three games to avoid going 7-5 for the fourth year in a row. Last week: No. 7. Postseason prediction: New Mexico Bowl vs. Colorado State.

8. Arizona (6-3, 3-3): Rich Rodriguez is still in rebuilding mode after last week's 31-26 loss at home against UCLA. Arizona is still a couple of years away from being a realistic challenger. The Wildcats host Washington State, a team it should beat, this Saturday. Arizona can make it a perfect 4-0 against the last four teams listed in these rankings. Last week: No. 8. Postseason prediction: Fight Hunger Bowl vs. BYU.

9. Utah (4-5, 1-5): The Utes move up a spot in these ratings this week because of how they played ASU tough for three quarters. Utah battled despite a porous offensive line that has allowed quarterback Travis Wilson to be sacked 13 times in the last three weeks. Last week: No. 10. Postseason prediction: No bowl game.

10. Washington State (4-5, 2-4): Senior safety Deone Bucannon is a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football. He will be important against Arizona tracking fleet-footed quarterback B.J. Denker while the front seven concerns itself with Ka'Deem Carey. Last week: No. 9. Postseason prediction: No bowl game.

11. Colorado (3-6, 0-6): Relief is on its way, Colorado fans. Cal, a fellow winless team in the conference, is coming to town. Colorado has lost every Pac-12 game by at least three touchdowns. The Buffaloes never had a chance against Washington last week, falling behind 31-7 at halftime. The Cal game should go down to the wire, which makes the game actually worthwhile to watch. Last Week: No. 11. Postseason prediction: No bowl game.

12. California (1-9, 0-7): The Golden Bears defense could not hold up against a USC offense that is conservative in its play calling compared to other Pac-12 teams. It was an embarrassing effort for the Bears, who allowed six touchdowns on defense and three more on special teams. Freshman quarterback Jared Goff continues to improve. He helped Cal put up 28 points for the second week in a row, but that was not enough again.  Last Week: No. 12. Postseason prediction: No bowl game.

Please check out Javier Morales' blog at TucsonCitizen.com.

Coaches have tried to to raise health concerns, fake injuries and play offensive keep-away as a means of slowing down hurry-up, no-huddle offenses. Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason has stopped the nation's most prolific hurry-up team twice without gimmickry.  

Variations of the hurry-up and spread offenses show no indication of fading from the college football landscape. If the Pac-12 is any indication, their proliferation is just beginning. As a result, athletic departments nationwide will be searching for answers—just as the NFL has, as detailed in Greg A. Bedard's feature on Mason in The Monday Morning Quarterback last July.  

Perhaps a traditional powerhouse with deep pockets and a need to stay ahead of the changing curve seeks Mason's insight. 

Of course, there might not be a defensive coordinator more prepared to take the reins as a head coach than Mason, save Alabama's Kirby Smart. Smart's name frequently swirls as coaching vacancies open. Expect the same for Mason. 

Not coincidentally, the two oversee similarly constructed units that blend toughness and tenacity with athleticism. Both are also responsible for crafting counters to the zone-read plays out of the spread without sacrificing the ability to stop more traditional, power-based offenses. 

Indeed, Mason's version of the 3-4 negates the matchup problems zone-read plays and spread-offense nuances are designed to create.   

Head coach David Shaw said after Thursday's dominant, 26-20 Cardinal win over the Ducks that it's more than just the base that makes the Stanford defense so success, but Mason's ability to designate players to the right assignments. 

"As much as it is scheme, [the success of Mason's defense] is recognizing what kind of guys that we have and putting them in position to be successful," he said in his postgame press conference, per GoStanford.com. "The team doesn't matter if you're just scheming and we put guys like [defensive end] Henry [Anderson] and [linebacker] Shayne [Skov] in bad position.

"You have to know your people, you have to know who you're playing against, and put the scheme and personnel together and he's done a great job," Shaw added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-AML_OCSE

The teams most likely to see spread offenses are in the Pac-12 and Big 12, the two conferences with the highest concentration of teams employing the scheme. However, the SEC is seeing more of it, and Urban Meyer is turning the Big Ten on its head with his version of it. 

With apologies to the Stanford faithful, imagine the possibilities of Mason working in some capacity at a few other programs.  

FRESNO STATE

Should another program come calling Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter, this could be the perfect launching point for Mason's hypothetical head coaching career. Mason would not need to leave Northern California, an area with which he's well familiar. 

ILLINOIS

Illini head coach Tim Beckman's seat gets hotter with every Big Ten loss, and in Week 12, his defensively anemic bunch faces Ohio State's dynamic spread offense. Considering Illinois has given up at least 39 points in four of its last five outings, the outlook against the Buckeyes is bleak. 

A defensive-minded head coach could flourish in the Big Ten perhaps more than any other conference. 

TEXAS

Head coach Mack Brown fired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz early into this season, after Brigham Young and Ole Miss both exploited the Longhorns inability to defend quarterbacks adept at the zone-read.

Texas has seen improvement under fill-in Greg Robinson, but Mason is an intriguing, long-term solution to combating the many uptempo offenses prevalent around the Big 12. 

TEXAS A&M 

Imagine if Texas A&M had a better defense. It's a thought that's crossed plenty of college football fans' minds this season, as the Aggies score big points under the offensive genius of head coach Kevin Sumlin. Inability to stop opposing offenses eliminated Texas A&M from championship contention in 2013.

Pairing Sumlin's offensive acumen with a defensive mind the caliber of Mason's spells championship.

USC

The future complexion of the USC coaching staff is one of the greater mysteries to be resolved this offseason. Athletic director Pat Haden likely needs to hire someone with head coaching experience, but going for the gusto would be finding a way to attract Mason as coordinator. 

USC is stocked with talent and already ranks among the conference's best defenses under Clancy Pendergast. However, the one thorn in the Trojans' defensive side are zone-read offenses. 

Returning to the pinnacle of the Pac-12 where Stanford now sits means stopping Oregon, as the Cardinal have done. What better place for Haden to go to than the source? 

The Stanford Cardinal asserted their status as the team to beat in the West with a 26-20 win over the Oregon Ducks on Thursday night. The No. 3 Ducks were stunned, as they were completely shut out for three quarters. No. 5 Stanford arguably played 50 minutes of the best college football of the season. 

Here are a few standout stats from Stanford's dominating win over the Ducks.

Stanford's Streaks Live On

With the win over the Ducks, Stanford extended its win streak at home to 14. The Cardinal's last loss in Stanford Stadium was to Oregon in 2011. Upsetting the No. 3 Ducks also made it four ranked opponents in a row that Stanford has defeated. The other ranked wins include No. 23 Arizona State, No. 15 Washington and No. 9 UCLA.

Oregon's 18-game road win streak was snapped with its loss to Stanford. Thursday night's upset in Stanford Stadium was four years to the day of the Ducks' last road loss. That loss dates back to 2009— when the Cardinal bested the Ducks 51-42.

Two forced fumbles by the Cardinal extended their takeaway streak as well. Stanford has now forced a turnover in 34 consecutive games, which is second only to Missouri's 39.

Defensive Dominance

Entering the game, Oregon was averaging 632.13 yards of offense per game. Stanford managed to hold the Ducks to only 312 yards of total offense. The last time Oregon averaged less was in its 26-17 loss to Ohio State in the 2010 Rose Bowl. In that game, Chip Kelly's team recorded 260 yards.

Stanford's rush defense turned in a phenomenal performance, only allowing 62 yards on the ground. The Ducks offense averaged 331.5 rushing yards per game before facing the Cardinal. A 2009 game against Boise State was the last time Oregon failed to record more than 70 rushing yards.

Opponent	Plays	Rush Yards	Total Yards	Yards Per Play
Nicholls State	71	500	772	10.87
@ Virginia	69	350	557	8.07
Tennessee	76	216	687	9.04
California	74	264	381	5.15
@ Colorado	96	349	755	7.86
@ Washington	81	265	631	7.79
Washington State	77	383	719	9.34
UCLA	81	325	555	6.85
@ Stanford	58	62	312	5.38
Season Averages (Before Playing Stanford)	78.13	294.67	632.13	8.09

Stanford-esque Play Selection

Power running and Stanford football go hand in hand, so David Shaw's play selection wasn't hard to predict. However, the Ducks' attempt to stop Stanford's running game was futile. Stanford ran the ball 66 times, which is more than the total number of rushing yards that the Ducks offense recorded (62). Only 13 pass plays were called. Three of those came in the third quarter. None were called in the fourth. The Cardinal's play selection helped them dominate the time of possession battle 42:34 to 17:26.

Stanford's primary running back, Tyler Gaffney, handled 45 of the Cardinal's 66 rushing attempts for 157 yards and a touchdown. Those 45 carries were the most by a Division I FBS running back since the 2010 season and the most in Stanford history.

Looking Ahead

Now that the Cardinal have defeated the Ducks, all they need to do is win against USC and California to be crowned champions of the Pac-12 North. Their final regular season game is at home against No. 23 Notre Dame. The Pac-12 title game follows, and if the Cardinal win out, they'll likely find themselves in the top four of the BCS standings. A berth in the BCS National Championship is certainly possible if all of the pieces fall into place.

November 20, 1982

"Oh, the band is out on the field! He's gonna go into the end zone!"

You've seen The Play before. Dozens of times, in all likelihood. And you remember Joe Starkey's famous commentary as Cal completed "the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!"

It's a moment that lives in college football history. A wild, multi-lateral, last-second kickoff return between fierce rivals? Even that memory would fade in time. That memory doesn't become required viewing in every 'greatest plays' montage, it doesn't get replayed in commercials for decades, and it certainly doesn't define a program. But The Play does.

Because unlike other great events in college football history, The Play represented something more fundamental at its core. It represented the perils of hubris—of celebrating too soon only to have your heart broken—in one iconic instant.

And that one instant has never left Stanford fans.

---

November 8, 2013

The clock strikes 4:30 a.m. in London on Friday morning. My Cardinal are ahead four scores at home with under a quarter to play, and my emotional state can best be described as 'terrified'.

On the face of it, this is an irrational way to be feeling. Stanford has manhandled the mighty Oregon Ducks for the entire game, holding one of the country's most explosive offenses completely scoreless. There are Ducks literally crying on the sideline. It's been a dream script for almost 50 minutes of football, and here I am, completely unable to appreciate any of it. I get an email from my Mom at the game—she feels the same way.

But as time creeps onward, hope begins seeping in. Treacherous, backstabbing hope. The kind of excruciating hope I'd learned to avoid through years of experience.

"I should know better. I'm a Stanford fan."

And yet here I am, breaking the Cardinal rule (pardon the pun).

Every minute that ticks off the clock will make Oregon's inevitable comeback all the more painful. I know that, and I still can't help myself. We're going to win this game. We're going to beat Oregon. OREGON. Again!

By the time the rally begins, we're in 'legendary collapse' territory. 

---

October 28, 2000

This wasn't when it all began. At age 12, I'd been a Stanford fan long enough to understand the territory. I'd been going to games since I was literally 10 days old (debuting with a win, surprisingly enough).

It isn't where it all began, no, but it's the game that sticks with me. No. 9 Washington was visiting The Farm, with prolific QB Marques Tuiasosopo at the helm. The Huskies jumped out to an early lead. A light drizzle turned into a pouring rain. A terrible on-field tragedy caused a stop in the action, and the drenched fans waited with hearts in their throats for play to resume.

Many began to file out. My mother took my younger sister and joined the rush. My father and I were left in row 79 of the gargantuan Stanford Stadium, the uppermost island in a small red archipelago dotting an ocean of empty bleachers.

Play resumed, and it was more of the same. Washington built the lead, time ticked down, and Stanford looked well beaten by a better team. A Willie Hurst touchdown run just inside the six-minute mark pushed the score to 24-6 and seemingly wrapped things up. The stadium was nearly empty now, with only the most stubborn fans remaining—the kind of fans who hold out hope beyond all reasonable limits and wait for a miracle. Tonight, they'd see two.

First, Randy Fasani found Luke Powell on a 60-yard pass, leading to a DeRonnie Pitts touchdown and two-point conversion.

Then, Ruben Carter recovered Mike Biselli's onside kick, the Cardinal drove downfield again, and Fasani rushed his way into the end zone for another score. 24-20 with 2:30 remaining.

And then they did it again. A second perfect onside kick from Biselli fell into the hands of Carter, and destiny was with the Cardinal. Ninety seconds later, Stanford led 27-24.

It was a spectacular comeback in surreal circumstances, with rain dumping by the gallon in the California autumn. The celebrations were immense. I distinctly remember the unbridled joy...the excitement...the hubris.

There were still 53 seconds left. It took Marques Tuiasosopo three plays to undo everything.

That was the night I became a true Stanford fan.

---

November 8, 2013, 4:37 a.m. GMT

The score is now 26-7. The shutout is off. Commentators around the country lament the lost shutout but write it off as garbage-time points. I get a text from my sister.

The comeback is on. I know it, she knows it, every Stanford fan in the world knows it. We've seen this movie before. 

---

October 29, 2005

It's 5 years and one day after the Washington loss, and Stanford football has fallen apart. The departure of Tyrone Willingham left the program in the hands of Buddy Teevens, who proceeded to screw the whole thing up in spectacular fashion. That said, he was gone now after three terrible seasons, and new coach Walt Harris had the Cardinal on the brink of bowl eligibility.

Undefeated UCLA rode into town on the back of superstar playmaker Maurice Drew, ready to make a statement. But Stanford flipped the script.

After one quarter, Stanford led 7-0. After two quarters, 7-3. After three, 14-3. With 8:26 to go in the fourth, it was 24-3. Then the wheels fell off.

I don't remember what the weather was like in that fourth quarter. I don't remember exactly how I felt when the score was 24-3. I'd seen enough Stanford football by that point that any excitement I had was tempered, but I certainly didn't expect what came next.

UCLA, who had been comeback artists all season long, finally figured it out. Three possessions and three touchdowns later, it was tied. Some stuff happened in between (most notably an outrageous over-reliance on the prevent defense and the most conservative offensive play-calling imaginable from Walt Harris and Co.), but those details aren't what cling in the deep recesses of my mind.

What I remember is the strange inevitability of it all. We were winning by 21, then by 14, then by 7, but we were still winning. But everyone in attendance that day knew what was happening and couldn't do anything about it. The script was written, Stanford was going to lose, and we would have to watch the end of the movie knowing full well how much it was going to hurt.

The box score says Maurice Drew only caught 4 passes during the comeback, but as far as I remember he must have caught 20. They were all screen passes. They were all obvious. And they all worked to absolute perfection. 

UCLA won in overtime. 

---

November 8, 2013, 4:50 a.m. GMT

My sister has stopped responding to my texts. She's gone off the grid. I get another email from my Mom, saying only "OMG- this is horrible". Stanford's clock-killing drive has ended with a field goal attempt, blocked and returned for a touchdown by Oregon. The score is now 26-13, and the Ducks attempt an onside kick.

They convert it.

"Deep breaths, John."

I try to calm myself down.

"We're the No. 5 team in the country. We're leading by 13 points at home with five minutes to go. I'd rather be us than them."

But do I really even believe it? 

---

November 26, 2005

Less than a month after the heartbreak against UCLA, it was time for the old Stanford Stadium to host its final game. Resurgent, 8-2 Notre Dame needed a win to secure a BCS berth, while the Cardinal needed one just to make a bowl at all. 

After 84 years of playing football in the same building, Stanford had a chance to send it out in style. Bulldozers were literally set to break ground as soon as the game ended, and fans were encouraged to help dismantle the stadium and take home whatever souvenirs they could get their hands on.

The game itself ended up being a classic. In a thrilling fourth quarter, Stanford came back twice from nine points down and claimed a one-point lead inside the two-minute mark. It didn't even take the Irish the full 106 seconds to drive down the field and score. Heck, they even left time on the clock for the Cardinal to mount a furious drive of their own.

And what a finish that would have been: Driving downfield in the final game at Stanford Stadium, with everything on the line, and beating your bitter rivals to secure the first bowl berth of an era. Wouldn't that have been special?

Instead, T.C. Ostrander was ignominiously sacked on 4th-and-19, and it was the Notre Dame fans that celebrated. They rushed Stanford's field, on Stanford's day, and took down the goalposts. They tore through the Stadium and scoured for our artifacts—our history—as a keepsake of their BCS berth. 

This was what it meant to be a Stanford fan, all rolled up into one exceptionally crummy moment.

---

November 8, 2013, 5:02 a.m. GMT

It's over. Another touchdown, another onside kick, and this time Stanford had recovered. Three heart-attack-inducing running plays later ("Don't fumble, don't fumble, please God don't fumble") the Cardinal had won.

I can't tell how I feel exactly. It's not unbridled jubilation, but it's far from mere relief. The Stanford of my present had just squared off head-to-head with the Stanford of my past, and the good guys had come out on top.

---

It's tough to contextualize Stanford fandom, to be honest. It's a proud legacy, but not on the level of the true college football powerhouses. There have always been lean years scattered among the good, and none were leaner than those I grew up in.

But then came Jim Harbaugh, and with him a new dawn. When he came to town in 2007, spouting off about "an enthusiasm unknown to mankind" and using the word 'championship' not ironically, people laughed at him. A scattered bowl appearance here or there was all this attendance-starved, academics-driven program had any right to expect. Harbaugh was just a crazy coach with no idea what challenges he was about to face.

While the 'crazy' part is still up for debate, the rest is history. Stanford improved every year under Harbaugh, garnering some of the most memorable wins in program history ("What's your deal?"), and culminating in a BCS bowl win. 

But when he left, another miraculous thing happened. Stanford didn't drop off. David Shaw has proven to be as good if not better than his predecessor. This is the fourth straight season the Cardinal have been a real national force, but also just the fourth of my lifetime. It's now a program that wins the big games, that other teams circle on their calendars, that coaches around the country try to emulate. How can Stanford fans rectify the present-day reality with the one that they've known forever?

And that's why this Oregon game was so meaningful. Programs can change. The new Stanford is not a mirage, and it slew some serious demons on Thursday night.

The old Stanford isn't dead, of course. It lives on every time we fans get petrified over an opponent's 3rd-and-long, or an old-timer yells "Short-side sweep!" from the stands in a call back to the inglorious days.

And it lives on in the very DNA of the program. This is a fanbase that has been burned too many times before. It can never take anything for granted. Every success must be appreciated, and every bit of glowing praise taken with a grain of salt.

There can be no hubris among Stanford fans. The band cannot be on the field. Not again. Never again.

Coming into Thursday night’s huge showdown between Pac-12 powers Oregon and Stanford, it was Ducks QB Marcus Mariota who was the spotlight star player who everyone was focusing on and talking about. Following a spectacular performance in the first half of the season, Mariota had established himself as the consensus favorite and front-runner to win this year’s Heisman Trophy.

Unfortunately, the dynamic dual-threat signal-caller finally met his match when he squared off with a stingy and stout Stanford defense, led by intimidating inside linebacker Shayne Skov.

Skov and the rest of the Cardinal defense constantly harassed Mariota all night long, forcing the usually explosive playmaking passer to look out-of-sync, uncomfortable and even downright frightened for the entire night. The menacing play of the team’s star senior defender was the main reason that Stanford was able to shut down Oregon’s usually explosive offensive attack and ultimately pull off a standings-shaking 26-20 upset in front of a national audience.

After listening to Oregon RB De'Anthony Thomas talk about how the Ducks were going to put up 40 points on the Cardinal this year, Skov was the one who ended up doing all the talking with his play on the field. He then followed up with a little friendly trash talk of his own, following the game. 

Ummm I'm havin trouble counting? How many points was that? U know what we'll give ya half

— Shayne Skov (@ShayneSkov11) November 8, 2013

Whether the mohawk-adorned, face-paint-smothered defensive warrior was instinctively timing up A-gap blitzes to perfection, forcing momentum-swinging fumbles, turning the Ducks’ speedy playmakers into hapless victims, or just sending pre-snap shivers down Mariota’s spine by staring him down from across the line of scrimmage, it was clear that Skov was making the type of impact that few other defenders in the collegiate ranks are capable of.

Though he wasn’t solely responsible for holding the Ducks’ dangerous rushing attack—which entered the game ranked second in the nation, averaging 331 yards per game—to just 62 total net rushing yards—Skov was the leader of the charge and the centerpiece of the shut down.

His brilliant performance on the big stage against Mariota—the now-former Heisman favorite—is worthy of plenty of praise. In fact, you could even make the argument that Skov, who entered the game averaging 7.8 tackles per game, even deserves some serious Heisman buzz.

You might say, “but wait, defensive players can’t win the Heisman,” which would be a fair point. Considering the current times we live in, if you aren’t a quarterback—a position that has produced 11 of the last 13 award winners—you don’t have a realistic shot at building the momentum needed to make the national publicity push to win the stiff-armed trophy.

Still, as former Notre Dame LB Manti Te’o—a player who Skov tops in terms of natural talent—proved last year, defensive players can indeed actually make a considerable candidacy for college football’s most prestigious award. Te’o was obviously aided by the Notre Dame hype machine, and a rather weak field of candidates, but he still was able to finish No. 2 in the voting behind winner Johnny Manziel.

Can Skov do the same? Only time will tell. But putting together a dominant showing in a nationally-televised prime time game against a Top Five team obviously can only be a helpful boost.

With Mariota now seemingly out of the race, other high-profile quarterbacks such as defending-winner Manziel, Florida State’s Jameis Winston, Alabama’s AJ McCarron and Baylor’s Bryce Petty will now be the ones who garner most of the attention in the final month of the season. But Skov’s name should at the very least be thrown into the discussion right along with them. Stanford’s success is predicated on its strong defense, and Skov is clearly the most valuable player and the definitive leader of the unit. He’s the quarterback of the defense so to speak.

Even if a one-loss Cardinal team doesn’t find a way to sneak into the BCS championship game, and instead has to settle for another Pac-12 title and a Rose Bowl berth, it still shouldn’t diminish all that the 6’3’’, 245-pound wrecking ball has accomplished during his senior year.

After suffering a severe season-ending knee injury just four games into the 2011 season, Skov returned to the field last year and put together a solid campaign, leading the team with 80 tackles, including 42 solo stops. However, it was clear that he wasn’t 100 percent recovered and wasn’t ready to dominate in the fashion that we had become accustomed to seeing from him.

This year, however, there’s been a notable difference in his play, as he’s taken his game back to an elite level. Recently, ESPN's Kevin Weidl called Skov's range "night and day" from last season, and NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah quoted an unnamed NFL executive who said Skov is an explosive blitzer, who possesses top-notch playmaking instincts.

When all is said and done, Skov will likely garner plenty of recognition, awards and accolades for his 2013 performance. He’s already a shoe-in to earn a spot on numerous All-American teams, and you’ll likely see him down in Orlando as one of the finalists for the prestigious Bednarik Award.

The question is: will Skov be able to add a trip to New York City to his postseason itinerary?

Since 2009, three defensive players—Ndamukong Suh, Tyrann Mathieu and Manti Te’o—have been invited to the Heisman ceremony. Obviously, the thought of a primarily defensive player winning college football’s most talked-about honor is no longer as taboo as it once was.

Only time will tell whether Skov can follow in the footsteps of Suh, Mathieu and Te’o, but as of now, Stanford’s star defender has certainly proven that he belongs in the Heisman discussion.

The Stanford Cardinal have more than earned a trip to the BCS national title game this year.

For the second year in a row, David Shaw's team shut down an explosive Oregon offense in impressive fashion with a 26-20 win. It may also mark the second time the Cardinal are robbed of a chance to compete for college football's most prestigious prize. 

The Cardinal entered Stanford Stadium against the nation's No. 2 offense, which had previously averaged over 55 points per game behind the arm of Heisman contender Marcus Mariota, who had accounted for over 2,500 total yards and 31 touchdowns.

Just like last season's 17-14 win, Stanford stifled the Oregon attack through physical, fundamental football.

On offense, the Cardinal converted eight of 10 third-down attempts in the first half to ultimately blow away the time-of-possession battle, as they controlled the clock for over 42 minutes in total. As Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee points out, Oregon needed to do better in that regard:

Stanford also physically imposed its will on defense, and when the team brought five or more pass-rushers, Mariota was held in check on 4-of-10 passing. When Stanford went into prevent mode and didn't blitz late, Mariota completed 75 percent of his attempts and threw two scores.

The result was the Ducks offense being shut out in the first half for the first time since 2009, a total 3-of-10 tally on third down, 10 penalties for 81 yards and just 250 passing yards for Mariota.

Best of all, senior back Tyler Gaffney had quite a day as the Cardinal offense bullied its way to the major win:

	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Tyler Gaffney	45	157	3.5	1

So yes, the Cardinal have managed to redeem themselves for an ugly loss to unranked Utah in mid-October in which Stanford lost the time-of-possession battle in a physical outing and allowed 410 yards of total offense on the road.

While it was one of the ugliest losses possible, it came early enough in the season that Shaw's team has been able to claw its way back into the title hunt, especially after an exclamation point against Oregon.

It would have been nice if the Cardinal had prevented 20 fourth-quarter points and won in dominant 26-0 fashion, as the pollsters and computers would have been more impressed, but a win over the No. 3 team is a win over the No. 3 team.

Now, the only things standing in the way of Stanford's trip to the championship are Alabama and Florida State, but as Trey Crittenden smartly illustrates on Twitter, anything is possible in what is always a wacky November:

Ohio State and Baylor may also stand in the way depending on how things shake out in the polls, but Ohio State must deal with a potential Big Ten Championship against an elite Michigan State defense as its first true test, while Baylor has two ranked opponents remaining and dates with TCU and Texas in Big 12 play.

Alabama must still move past No. 13 LSU and No. 9 Auburn, while Florida State at the very least has a trap game against Florida to close out the season and, as good as he's been, a freshman quarterback in Jameis Winston.

Stanford does still have a matchup with No. 23 Notre Dame, but this is a 7-2 Fighting Irish team, not the one that pulled off a shocking upset over the Cardinal in overtime last season.

Unlike any of the teams standing in the way outside of Tallahassee and Birmingham, Stanford doesn't rely on tricky tactics. It's reliable, traditional and old-school football through and through.

That showed in dominant fashion Thursday, and the consistent Cardinal have more than earned a shot at a title. All that remains is for Gaffney and Co. to keep their fingers crossed that names above them falter in the coming weeks.

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Stanford's 26-20 defeat of third-ranked Oregon Thursday was the masterpiece of the Jim Harbaugh-David Shaw era. Sure, two special teams miscues in the fourth quarter produced a final score not indicative of the Cardinal's thoroughly dominant performance. 

But then, not every masterpiece is perfect. The Venus de Milo is missing her arms, after all. 

Three late scores may have knocked off a few of Stanford's style points, which matter in the BCS Championship race, where everyone's a critic. Nevertheless, the Cardinal no less resoundingly answered misguided detractors who projected a comfortable Oregon win. 

In the process, Stanford left its signature all over the Ducks bright yellow helmets, as defensive tackle David Parry alluded on Twitter. 

Forty points? Maybe in an eight-quarter game. And that's no criticism of Oregon's offense, which has scored big points on literally every other opponent it's faced in nearly three full seasons. 

Rather, it confirms that while Oregon is the Pac-12's face, Stanford is its standard bearer. 

"To be able to win the Pac-12 Championship, you have to go through Oregon, or you have to go through us," linebacker Shayne Skov explained in his postgame press conference, per GoStanford.com. "That is the mentality we've had these past couple years, and that's what it's going to keep being." 

Thursday marked a new high point for Stanford football in what has been a five-year run of new milestones. Last season brought the program's first conference championship since 1999, and the first Rose Bowl victory in over four decades. 

Stanford moved into the lead for a second straight league title and another Rose Bowl appearance with the win, and it did so against a more experienced, more balanced and arguably better Oregon team. 

The Ducks' frantic rally effort resulted in a score similar to last year's Stanford win—a win that, as The Bootleg's David Lombardi noted, Shaw said could have been much more lopsided. 

This win followed a similar formula. Skov made himself at home in the Oregon backfield, forcing erstwhile Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Mariota well out of his comfort zone. Skov forced two fumbles, including one in the red zone that proved to be a difference-maker. 

The Cardinal lived up to the Stanford reputation of smart, disciplined play, never conceding the big play and avoiding costly penalties. Offensively, the Cardinal took the air out of the ball with powerful running back Tyler Gaffney carrying 45 times en route to a 42:34-to-17:26 time-of-possession disparity. 

It was throwback football at its finest. 

"When you walk into our new facility, the players only entrance, to the left is the offensive line, to the right is the picture of the defensive line," Shaw said, as reported by Elliott Almond of the San Jose Mercury News. "That is what football is about. You control the line of scrimmage, and you have a chance to win."

But that didn't mean Shaw and offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren were paint-by-numbers. A few big pass plays for quarterback Kevin Hogan were difference-makers in the first half, particularly a 47-yard connection with Michael Rector that set up the game's first score. 

The Cardinal's ascent to the upper echelon of college football has been ongoing for six years, two longer than Michelangelo spent on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Crafting the perfect work of art can't be rushed, and Shaw's mission is keeping the project going. 

Stanford's current run of greatness isn't the program's first. Attaining success hasn't been an issue for the Cardinal—maintaining it has. 

As Stanford pursues the first back-to-back conference championships since 1970 and 1971, the long-term question that lingers beyond this season is what's next?

Thursday's win wasn't just the next pinnacle for the current era of Stanford football, it was also the culmination of an outstanding senior class that includes Skov and Gaffney, as well as Trent Murphy, Josh Mauro, injured Ben Gardner, Henry Anderson, Ed Reynolds and more. 

This year's lineup may have been Shaw's best chance at a national championship. 

Still, Hogan returns, and it certainly appears his best days are ahead of him. His best receiving weapon, Ty Montgomery, has a season of eligibility remaining. James Vaughters is ready to emerge as the star on the defensive side, and the coaching staff's ability to pitch the university's appeal to a national recruiting base has yielded results. 

Words that Shaw shared with a small gathering of reporters in July resonate: 

"I get a little smile on my face when people say, 'gosh, I can't believe you guys are still doing well. We tried to build a program and build a team that, year-to-year, was going to be competitive. The fact we went to three straight BCS games, that's kind of our expectation. 

Stanford is now over the highest hurdle between it and a fourth straight BCS bowl. And that's an especially eye-catching addition to the Cardinal's growing gallery. 

After both Oregon and Stanford took to the locker room during halftime of a highly entertaining Pac-12 matchup, one of the greatest college football players of all time was able to have his moment. After a brilliant career, former Stanford quarterback John Elway had his No. 7 jersey retired.

And no, the Cal marching band didn't interrupt the ceremony.

Took long enough, huh?

He becomes just the third player to have his jersey number enshrined by the program, as Jim Plunkett (No. 16) and Ernie Nevers (No. 1) are the other two to have received the honor.

Elway was one of the best college quarterbacks ever to play the game and was one of the guys who helped put Stanford on the map. At a time when the school was more known for prestigious academics and hosting the best and the brightest, Elway took the sport by storm and proved that Stanford could in fact blossom into a football school.

He played from 1979-1982 and completed 62 percent of his passes while throwing for 9,349 yards and 77 touchdowns in his career. When he graduated, he held pretty much every major school record for quarterbacks, and his single-game record of six touchdowns still stands.

Elway was also a two-time Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. He finished second in the 1982 Heisman Trophy voting and was even a successful baseball player who was taken in the second round of the 1981 MLB draft by the New York Yankees (having been previously drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1979).

Needless to say, Elway had a tremendous impact on Stanford, but he also opened doors for other quarterbacks to play this game. His dual-threat ability was unique at the time and allowed other signal-callers who rely on their feet to make plays to actually have an opportunity.

With Stanford surprisingly up 17-0 at the half, it'll be interesting to see how this honor affects the crowd the rest of the game.

In a game that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the BCS standings this week, the No. 3 Oregon Ducks visit Stanford Stadium to take on the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal.

Oregon is looking to stay perfect and leapfrog over No. 2 Florida State with a win. The Cardinal are simply striving to upset the Ducks for the second season in a row and make their path to the Pac-12 title game a bit easier. 

Entering the game, the Ducks are putting their 18-game road winning streak on the line. Their last road defeat was in 2009 against the Cardinal. On the other hand, Stanford has won 13 straight at home, and their last loss was in 2011 against the Ducks. 

With a possible BCS National Championship berth on the line, here's how Stanford can pull off the upset against the Ducks.

Sticking to a Stanford Style

The Stanford style of football has proved to be successful for the past few seasons, and sticking to that style will be the Cardinal's best chance to score an upset. There's no reason to deviate from the norm against Oregon, and doing so almost cost them against Oregon State in the Cardinal's previous game.

Stanford prides itself on its massive offensive line, and establishing the run should be a priority. With the Ducks' secondary led by Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, the Cardinal's best chance of utilizing its wide receivers effectively is through play-action. That can't be done unless Tyler Gaffney gets Stanford's running game going.

With a run-heavy offense, the Cardinal will look to keep the ball out of Marcus Mariota's hands and keep the clock running. In addition, this will help keep Stanford's defense off the field and rested, which will be crucial against a high-powered Oregon offense that can drain any defense rather quickly.

Stanford must also keep its defensive identity intact. Playing physical and setting the edges will be key to limiting Oregon and its tendency to run towards the boundaries. With the return of defensive end Henry Anderson, the Cardinal's defensive line will get a much-needed boost after losing Ben Gardner to injury. Trent Murphy and Shayne Skov, two of Stanford's NFL-caliber defensive stars, will have the job of containing Oregon's explosive running game.

Winning the Turnover Battle

Both the Cardinal and the Ducks have had tremendous success in terms of turnovers this season. With a turnover margin of plus-13 in eight games, Oregon is ranked fourth in the nation. The team has also only thrown two interceptions all season long, which is the least in college football (tied with Louisville, Kentucky and New Mexico). Neither of those were thrown by Marcus Mariota. In fact, Mariota has not thrown a pick since the Ducks' loss to Stanford last season.

Stanford has a very impressive turnover streak as well. The Cardinal have gone 33 straight games with a takeaway, the longest active streak of its kind in the nation. However, Stanford is dead even with a turnover margin of zero thus far. 

In last season's meeting, Oregon ended up winning the turnover battle with a 2-point margin, yet Stanford was still able to win in overtime. Regardless, no team ever wants to have a negative turnover margin, and recording a few takeaways against the Ducks will surely help the Cardinal's upset bid.

Special Teams

Field position will be crucial for both teams heading into this matchup. The Cardinal and the Ducks have explosive kickoff and punt returners to help them with gaining that extra bit of field position.

For Stanford, Ty Montgomery is one of the best kickoff returners in the nation, averaging 32.52 yards per return (second in the nation) and returning two kickoffs for touchdowns (tied for most in the nation). Bralon Addison has been extremely successful in returning punts for the Ducks. He is averaging 19.25 yards per return (third in the nation) and has returned two punts for touchdowns (tied for most in the nation). De'Anthony Thomas provides Oregon with yet another dangerous piece on special teams.

Making Marcus Mariota and the Ducks Uncomfortable

If Stanford can manage to keep the game close entering crunch time, one has to think that the Cardinal will have the advantage over Oregon. The Ducks are used to blowing out opponents and going into cruise control in the fourth quarter, which is what great teams can afford to do, but that habit seemed to hurt Oregon in last season's meeting. 

Mariota has rarely been put in high-pressure situations. One can argue that his only experience in such a situation was against Stanford last year. On the other hand, the Cardinal have had several close fourth quarter games this season and know how to grind out a win. 

If the Cardinal can successfully execute these four aspects of Thursday night's matchup, another upset against the Ducks is a good possibility. Defeating the Ducks and winning out may be just enough to earn Stanford a spot in the BCS National Championship.