Stanford football: Can Cardinal bounce back from injury-riddled 2019?

How will Stanford football fare in 2020?

The Pac-12 joined the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 and will be playing a conference-only schedule in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Game 1: at Washington (L) — The Huskies are transitioning to a new but familiar coach in former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and they will still be a tough team to beat on the road.
• Game 2: at Arizona State (L) — Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels is a darkhorse Heisman candidate and Arizona State will look to make a big leap in year three of Herm Edwards.
• Game 3: vs. USC (L) — USC is one of the, if not the most, talented team in the conference and the Cardinal won’t be able to stop the Trojans’ offense. The Cardinal secondary versus USC’s receiving corps should be a fun matchup.
• Game 4: at Cal (L) — Cal will be the league’s most experienced team and will have an excellent defense and will be a tough matchup for the Cardinal.
• Game 5: vs. Washington State (W) — The Cougars are undergoing a coaching change and will be fine in the long run and should have a potent offense, but Stanford gets the win due to the passing game.
• Game 6: at UCLA (W) — Chip Kelly is under a lot of pressure in his third season in Los Angeles, but the Cardinal will be the better coached squad with a better quarterback.
• Game 7: vs. Oregon State (W) — The Beavers are making strides under Jonathan Smith, but they will probably take a step back due to departures on offense.
• Game 8: vs. Colorado (W) — Colorado is another Pac-12 in transition and might be the league’s worst team. Stanford gets an easy win here.
• Game 9: at Oregon (L) — Oregon is the favorite in the conference and the Ducks’ powerful run game will be too much for an inexperienced Stanford front-seven.
• Game 10: at Arizona (W) — Arizona will be one of the Pac-12’s worst teams and the Cardinal end the season on the right foot.

Prediction: 5-5

I don’t think Stanford will be able to beat the league’s best this year and there will not be any easy wins for this team, but the Cardinal are dangerous because of their quarterback and head coach. I just can’t trust the defense or run game enough to pick many upsets.