To build excitement for the upcoming season, I will be releasing an individual team preview for each of my top 25 teams every day from now until the season starts on Thursday night. The preview continues with #9 Stanford.
2013 Review
Stanford was picked by many do even more than win just a Pac-12 championship. Many thought they could win it all. They opened the season with five wins in a row, including wins against Arizona State and Washington, before what could have been the biggest upset of the year, when they lost 27-21 on the road against Utah. Stanford came back just fine, winning three games in a row, with two of those wins coming against top ten schools, UCLA and Oregon. The Cardinal were looking like they could still be in contention for a title before their second loss when they lost on the road against USC, 20-17. They would bounce back by winning their last two games against Cal and Notre Dame to finish with a record of 10-2. They would also beat Arizona State for a second time in the conference championship. They would lose to Michigan State 24-20 in the Rose Bowl, but another BCS season was a positive for Stanford.
Season Outlook
Stanford lost some of its key starters from last year, but will bring in new starters that fill those roles perfectly. They will still be the same ground and pound, where down the defense type offense, as well as a very hard-hitting physical defense, which has had much success in the past, especially against rival Oregon. Stanford opens the season against UC-Davis, which should be an easy win. After a tough conference opener at home against USC and an easy win over Army, they face two tough road tests in a row against Washington and Notre Dame. The second half of the season will feature more tough games with home games against Washington State, Oregon State, and Utah, as well as road games against Cal, Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA. The schedule is filled with tough road games as almost all of their ranked opponents come on the road, but Stanford should be able to adjust and have another great season.
Season Prediction
11-1 (8-1) 2nd in Pac-12 North
No comments:
Post a Comment