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College Football: Top 10 national title contenders after Week 1

By Andrew Miller

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide speaks with head coach Jimbo Fisher of the Florida State Seminoles after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide speaks with head coach Jimbo Fisher of the Florida State Seminoles after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 27: Bryce Love of Stanford celebrates a touchdown during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 27: Bryce Love of Stanford celebrates a touchdown during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) /

10

Stanford Cardinal Pac-12

Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal /

Scouting Report

Stanford’s season opener came in the Sidney Cup against the Rice Owls. The Cardinal was supposed to roll over Rice to a huge margin of victory. They did just that behind solid efforts from quarterback Keller Chryst and running back Bryce Love.

Losing Christian McCaffrey did not make a difference in the efficiency of the Stanford offense. Chyrst is much improved from last year and could be one of the better quarterbacks in the Pac-12. Stanford does not need him to do much other than take care of the football.

Related Story: 5 reasons Bryce Love can exceed Christian McCaffrey

Head coach David Shaw is one of the most underrated in the country. He makes the Cardinal competitive each year in the Pac-12. They have the talent on both sides of the ball to make a run at the Pac-12 Championship.

Especially with how lackluster Washington and USC looked in Week 1, Stanford could be the favorite in the conference very soon. Love is also a true Heisman contender with the spotlight solely on him now.

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