Oregon v Stanford - Predictions From Around The Country

Today is Saturday - GAMEDAY - with Stanford and as I has started doing every Saturday, I am posting a smattering of predictions from around the country.

Site	Oregon	Stanford	Notes:
Rob Mosley – Register Guard	35	17
ESPN Insider	27	21
AccuScore	71%	27%
ESPN Ted Miller	40	28
CFN Fearless Predictions	33	24
CFN Sport Picks	4	0	Number of staff picking Oregon vs Opponent
Sporting News Picks	5	1	Number of staff picking Oregon vs Opponent
Sporting News Picks – Jim Gilstrap	34	24
Sporting News Picks – Matt Hayes	34	23
Sporting News Picks – Steve Greenburg	30	28
Sporting News Picks – Brian McLaughlin	35	13
Sporting News Picks – Dave Curtis	34	38
Sporting News Picks – Derek Samson	21	20
College Football News DG on PX	31	21
CBS Sport Picks	5	0	Number of staff picking Oregon vs Opponent
NBC Sports	30	31
USA Today	30	26
Jon Wilner – Mercury News		Pick	No Score
Bud Withers – Seattle Times	32	35
Phil Steele	37	27

That is 16 picks for Oregon and 4 picks for Stanford - a little bit different from last week where it was almost 50/50 with USC getting the nudge.

Of course we all know what happened last week.

Final notes on the game:

I have heard ad nauseum, that this is a let down game for the Ducks and that it is a trap game that Stanford will win.  I guess these same pundits just don't listen to Coach Kelly when he says that the team focuses on each game each week.  Apparently there is some truth to that since the Ducks are undefeated in P10 play.  They also don't listen to the players who are very well grounded and have completely bought into Coach Kelly's program.  With everybody on the same page, I truly fear for the rest of the P10's chances of flying under the radar against these Ducks.

The Ducks are beating their P10 foes by an average of 30 points - 30 points - that is not a typo.  Oregon's scoring offense is number 9 in the country and number 1 in the P10, whereas their scoring defense is number 19 in the country and number 2 in the P10.

Conversely, Stanford is 24th in the country in scoring offense and number 3 in the P10 and their scoring defense is 44th in the country and 5th in the P10.  However the one thing to watch is that Stanford is 19th in the country in passing efficiency and Oregon is 4th in the country in defending that efficiency.

So what does all this mean blog readers?

It means that Oregon will come onto the field ready to play Stanford and only Stanford.  The Ducks have put USC behind them, thrown away the rear-view-mirror, and have blinders only for Stanford.  The Ducks don't even care who they play next weekend, because that weekend isn't here yet and last weekend is already gone.

Stanford on the other hand is trying to become bowl eligible for the first time since dirt was dust (not really, it's only been since 2001 and the last time the Cards beat the Ducks).  So there is some motivation to at least keep the game close.

In spite of the Cards motivations, I think there is too much Ducks for the Cards to handle, final score:

Oregon 48
Stanford 21