The Stanford Cardinal are set to play a six-game schedule with a seventh seeded game coming during the Pac-12 Championship Week. We know who the Card are playing, we know the dates and the locations. While we don’t know the seventh game yet and will have to wait for the season to unfold, we still don’t know and will have to see who each team dresses come game time as well.
One thing we’ve seen from the teams who have suited up to play football this year, is that nothing is certain during a season in the middle of a global pandemic. Players are out due to false tests, due to positive tests or simply being near someone with positive tests. Coronavirus contact tracing is a real issue with some schools and teams have had to maneuver games around or postpone and cancel games as soon as two-three days ahead of a scheduled matchup.
While the Pac-12 has released their full schedules and announced daily testing for all 12 member programs, one thing is for certain: nothing is certain in this season.
Let’s take a look at some of the reactions from around the country after Stanford released their six-game schedule.
As a reminder, here’s the schedule:
Week 1 — Saturday, November 7 — @ Oregon Ducks
Week 2 — Saturday, November 14 — vs Colorado Buffaloes
Week 3 — Saturday, November 21 — vs Washington State Cougars
Week 4 — Friday, November 27 — @ California Golden Bears
Week 5 — Saturday, December 5 — @ Washington Huskies
Week 6 — Saturday, December 12 — vs Oregon State Beavers
And here’s what people are saying:
Stanford-Cal Big Game date set | Mercury News
Stanford Football 2020 Schedule: Early Predictions | 247Sports
David Shaw keeps his outlook simple ahead of short season | Mercury News
Pac-12 football schedule headlined by Oregon vs Stanford opener | Sports Illustrated
Stanford resets at cornerback | 247Sports
Stanford President, AD release statements on return to play | CBS
Comments
First reaction: Deja vu, 2006
Some of Stanford’s more forgettable seasons open with promise. The 2006 campaign began in Eugene—and was a total dud from the opening series.
In comparing Stanford 2020 to that year, one alarming thought come to mind.
Stanford had a tailback like Toby Gerhart and an athletic director with no tolerance for losing and complacency in football. You can’t say that this year.
By OrangeMark on 10.05.20 10:38am
This Year Is A Mess
We lost so many players through the transfer portal and now our two best returning starters are passing on this year. Not gonna be easy.
Having said that, we lucked out with Colorado as our cross conference opponent and have a reasonable schedule once we get past Oregon (schedule wise…..not that I expect a win).
I am looking forward to the games but have no real expectations anymore……about Stanford winning or even playing 7 games. Not sure what this season is all about……other than trying to play catch-up with those conferences that started earlier. I hope that Tanner McKee gets to see the field a bit if the situation warrants it. We need to be thinking about next year.
By hoyaparanoia on 10.05.20 9:40pm
Maybe a mess will compel fundamental change
Is any P12 program trending downward more than Stanford?
After going 20-9 against Top 25 foes in his first five seasons, Shaw is 6-10 vs. ranked teams since 2016. Since beating Oregon two years ago, Stanford is 1-4 when ranked and 1-5 against ranked opponents.
Three related factors are taking their toll. Tavita and Carberry were bad hires. Some recent recruiting classes were especially lean. Most of the talent that chooses Stanford doesn’t develop. Consequently, here’s comes another season where the Cardinal is weak in the front seven and needy on the offensive line.
I predict this season will be "all about" the continued regression. Oregon and Cal are the biggest peers on the schedule. A blowout to the Ducks and another loss to Cal — alongside a sub-.500 record in their other five games — will offer further signs of a broken program.
Proof of the decline is as obvious as it is deep-rooted.
By OrangeMark on 10.06.20 11:15am