The Big Game. That’s all that needs to be said.
Stanford was not good last season. Their inability to run the ball (123rd in the country in yards per game) was as big a reason as any that the Cardinal finished with their first losing record since 2008. Stanford has gotten itself to the point where 4-8 is no longer acceptable.
The aforementioned poor rushing attack of Stanford will take a hit this year as its top rusher, Cameron Scarlett is gone. The top returning rusher on the team had only 227 yards last year.
On top of that, starting quarterback KJ Costello is gone, transferring to join Mike Leach at Mississippi State. That’ll leave the job to Davis Mills, who has experience starting but has never been overly impressive.
Paulson Adebo returns on defense, but he didn’t get much help from the rest of a secondary that ranked 121st in passing yards allowed per game.
In a rivalry game like this, crazy things can happen. Last year Cal won its first game in the series since 2009. Expect its to become two in a row this year.
Final Score: Stanford 17, Cal 24 (5-0)
This is where things are going to get interesting. If College GameDay happens, this is where it should be.
Yes, Oregon must replace Justin Herbert. Yes, the offensive line has questions with four starters that need to be replaced.
But don’t let any of that fool you. Oregon is a threat not just in the conference, but firmly in the National Championship conversation as well.
Now in Mario Cristobal’s third full season, expect this to be his best team. He’s done an excellent job building depth (including No. 1 in Pac-12 recruiting in 2019 and 2020), Oregon won’t take a step back.
The Ducks will further improve defensively, and with eight starters back plus the full time inclusion of Kayvon Thibodeaux, a unit that ranked ninth nationally could crack the top five this year.
A win for Cal would really skyrocket their chances as a potential playoff sleeper. Unfortunately, the Ducks will be too much for Cal to handle.
Final Score: Oregon 20, Cal 13 (5-1)