Pac-12 Football 2017: 5 teams that will be on upset alert in Week 4

Stanford is coming off two consecutive losses. The first, on the road at USC, was hardly unexpected. The second, on the road at San Diego State, was far more shocking. The Aztecs are two-time defending Mountain West champs, but it was still a shocker to see the Cardinal fall against their Group of Five opponents.

Finally playing their first home game of the season, Stanford is hoping a friendly environment can change their fortunes. The oddmakers have pegged David Shaw’s squad as a 7.5-point favorite when UCLA visits the Bay Area on Saturday night. But as we have seen this year, the Bruins will not be an easy out for the Cardinal regardless of where they play.

Yes, the Bruins are coming off their own disappointment against a Group of Five school. UCLA went to Memphis in Week 3 and fell in a 48-45 shootout to the Tigers. Like San Diego State, Memphis might end up being a conference champion this year. But the stigma remains, and just like Stanford the Bruins have also flown by the seat of their pants in the first few games of the season.

Favored by over a touchdown, the Cardinal will need a much better game from Keller Chryst at quarterback. He has regressed since the season opener against Rice, and Stanford cannot win solely on the strength of its running game. Given their surprisingly mediocre defensive numbers, Stanford will struggle to survive a shootout against their visitors from Los Angeles. They will not cover the point spread, and could lose outright to fall to 1-3 on the year.