Rule Of Tree Staff Predictions: Stanford Cardinal at Oregon Ducks

Charlie Foy: Ahead of the season, I picked Oregon to win this game. Today though, I’m picking Stanford. The Cardinal defense is much better than expected, and the Oregon offense is one dimensional. Stanford wins 31-17.

Daniel Gilbert: I’ve always been the outcast when it comes to individual players, and I’m actually right most of the time. This time, it’s Oregon’s quarterback, Justin Herbert. I could be wrong, but I genuinely don’t get the hype, and if everyone else says he’s a big deal, I’ll go out and say he plays decent at best and Stanford wins this game 30-17. I do worry about the crowd atmosphere as Stanford has been struggling during their huddle and getting up to the line of scrimmage but I feel Stanford has too much and you can’t make a terrible defense disappear overnight.

Marlaina Calhoun: I’m pretty nervous about this game. Like many other Stanford-Oregon matchups over the years, it will have huge implications on the rest of the season for both teams. Stanford has the offense to compete, but it’s going to be a battle for quarterback K.J. Costello with the crowd noise. He needs to settle down the home fans immediately by playing precise, mistake free football. Oregon’s run game with Brooks-James may not have been as sexy like in years past under HC Cristobal, but the defense will have their hands full. I have no reasoning behind it, but my gut tells me we come up short on this one. I hope I’m wrong. Oregon wins 34-17.

Kyle Fierro: This one has a 2015 Oregon vs. Stanford feel to me more than a classic 2012 rematch. Oregon is an unproven force with a very talented QB facing a top national contender Stanford with all the pieces in place. Spoiler alert, Oregon won in a shootout 38-36 in November 2015. This one is a little earlier in the schedule, so I don’t think either offense has reached their full potential yet. I think we see the best Love game so far, but not his best of the season on Saturday. I believe our no.1 nationally ranked defense in points allowed gets put to the test and drops off a few ranks after this week. Shaw is going to run the ball, and the degree of run game success will determine the outcome of the game. In the end, I see Stanford winning a close one 31-28.

Colton Molesky: A poor start to the season. His name buried under the Jonathan Taylors, Tua Tagovailoas and Kyler Murrays of the college football Heisman world. A shot to the head forcing him out in week three. But all that is in the rear view mirror. Saturday’s game has all the makings of a fantastic Bryce Love statement game to remind everyone of what he is still very much capable of, set up perfectly against a team he has abused throughout his career. And if Love can give the Cardinal an early lead, the Stanford defense and their array of coverage and blitzing looks can hold onto it. Stanford wins 44-31.