2026 Stanford Football predictions

2026 Stanford Football predictions - Printable Version

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RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - Papa John - 08-02-2026

I'm not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere, but ESPN FPI has Stanford ranked #80, just ahead of the New Mexico Lobos and just behind the Toledo Rockets. (Also, it's dead last amongst the 65 Power 4+ teams.)

More on Stanford per FPI:
Projected 3.9 wins, 8.1 losses
0.0% probability of going undefeated or winning/making the Natty
0.1% prob of winning the ACC
0.2% prob of making the CFP
18.9% prob of 6 wins

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - MV72018 - 08-02-2026

(08-02-2026, 05:07 PM)Papa John Wrote: I'm not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere, but ESPN FPI has Stanford ranked #80, just ahead of the New Mexico Lobos and just behind the Toledo Rockets. (Also, it's dead last amongst the 65 Power 4+ teams.)

More on Stanford per FPI:
Projected 3.9 wins, 8.1 losses
0.0% probability of going undefeated or winning/making the Natty
0.1% prob of winning the ACC
0.2% prob of making the CFP
18.9% prob of 6 wins

What 4 teams can we possibly beat? Color me skeptical.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - Giants - 08-02-2026

Elon and the one upset that happens every year plus both of the tossups - Hawaii and NC State. And yes, that’s an awkward way to get to 4…

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - Papa John - 08-04-2026

And more prognostications for the season...

The coaches poll was released this morning (8/4/26). The following Stanford opponents were ranked in the top 25 or received votes (RV followed by the number of points received):

Notre Dame: #5
Miami: #7
SMU: #20
Louisville: RV 153
Georgia Tech: RV 26
NC State: RV 13
Virginia Tech: RV 12
Duke: RV 6
Hawaii: RV 1

Cal: RV 1

Like Stanford, Wake Forest and Elon (duh) did not receive any votes. I know this is a silly exercise, but going strictly by the coaches' poll the most likely path to four wins for Stanford would be WF (away), Elon (home), Hawaii (home) and Cal (away).

I wonder if the Friday game at home vs NC State might be a "trap" game for the Wolfpack? Kickoff is 10:30 pm Eastern so the game will end between 1:30 and 2 am body-clock time.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - SkiBum80 - 08-04-2026

(08-04-2026, 12:12 PM)Papa John Wrote: And more prognostications for the season...

The coaches poll was released this morning (8/4/26). The following Stanford opponents were ranked in the top 25 or received votes (RV followed by the number of points received):

Notre Dame: #5
Miami: #7
SMU: #20
Louisville: RV 153
Georgia Tech: RV 26
NC State: RV 13
Virginia Tech: RV 12
Duke: RV 6
Hawaii: RV 1

Cal: RV 1

Like Stanford, Wake Forest and Elon (duh) did not receive any votes. I know this is a silly exercise, but going strictly by the coaches' poll the most likely path to four wins for Stanford would be WF (away), Elon (home), Hawaii (home) and Cal (away).

I wonder if the Friday game at home vs NC State might be a "trap" game for the Wolfpack? Kickoff is 10:30 pm Eastern so the game will end between 1:30 and 2 am body-clock time.

If I didn't participate in silly exercises, then I might not get any exercise at all.
These four games are how I arrived at my pick of 4 wins.
Which I think is very doable but still more on the optimistic side than not.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - Goose - 08-04-2026

(08-04-2026, 12:12 PM)Papa John Wrote: Like Stanford, Wake Forest and Elon (duh) did not receive any votes. I know this is a silly exercise, but going strictly by the coaches' poll the most likely path to four wins for Stanford would be WF (away), Elon (home), Hawaii (home) and Cal (away).

I don't think Cal is going to let Stanford win the game this year. Tosh Lupoi has lots of expectations heaped upon him that Tavita does not. Sagapolutele is considered to be the real thing. I can't see a situation where Cal will quit like they did last year. Lupoi is a good enough motivator to make that not happen, especially in year one. Cal may not win by much, but IMO it is more probable than not that they will (sadly).

Quote:I wonder if the Friday game at home vs NC State might be a "trap" game for the Wolfpack? Kickoff is 10:30 pm Eastern so the game will end between 1:30 and 2 am body-clock time.

To get to 4 wins I think that will need to happen.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - MV72018 - 08-04-2026

Who at Stanford had the temerity to schedule Elon University anyway? Pretty weak if you ask me. Their last three games were against Rhode Island, Campbell (S?), and North Carolina A&T. They were 6 and 6 last year.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - Goose - 08-04-2026

(08-04-2026, 05:10 PM)MV72018 Wrote: Who at Stanford had the temerity to schedule Elon University anyway? Pretty weak if you ask me. Their last three games were against Rhode Island, Campbell (S?), and North Carolina A&T. They were 6 and 6 last year.

Perhaps someone who was trying real hard to ensure the new regime would win the homecoming game?

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - 82lsju - 08-04-2026

(08-04-2026, 05:48 PM)Goose Wrote:
(08-04-2026, 05:10 PM)MV72018 Wrote: Who at Stanford had the temerity to schedule Elon University anyway? Pretty weak if you ask me. Their last three games were against Rhode Island, Campbell (S?), and North Carolina A&T. They were 6 and 6 last year.
Perhaps someone who was trying real hard to ensure the new regime would win the homecoming game?

or maybe they wanted to have a game that would allow them to know the kickoff time more than 12 or six days ahead of the game to make scheduling other reunion events on Saturday easier....and these are often not "official reunion events" but groups of alums who want to do a breakfast, lunch, or dinner together on Saturday and would like to be able to schedule it sooner rather than later, especially if the event requires deposits for space.....of course looking at the actual attendance at the last few reunion weekend games (and yes I have tickets and go to the games) not all that many reunion attendees appear to be going to the game, at my last reunion in 2022 there was large attendance at the class tailgater but most did not bother with the game (and that year there was a 1pm kickoff and we did beat ASU 15-14). I'm not convinced there is much of a bump in attendance for either the game or reunion weekend because there is a game that weekend. In 2022 we did some informal polling in our class and the vast majority of people who cared if there was a football game reunion weekend were season ticket holders.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - Papa John - 08-05-2026

(08-04-2026, 05:10 PM)MV72018 Wrote: Who at Stanford had the temerity to schedule Elon University anyway? Pretty weak if you ask me. Their last three games were against Rhode Island, Campbell (S?), and North Carolina A&T. They were 6 and 6 last year.

Maybe Duke recommended them? The Blue Devils played Elon in 2024 and 2025.

I'm guessing that the ACC released its new, mostly (for this season) 9-game schedule last December and Stanford wasn't able to find an FBS team to fill that opening.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - 82lsju - 08-05-2026

(08-05-2026, 03:38 PM)Papa John Wrote:
(08-04-2026, 05:10 PM)MV72018 Wrote: Who at Stanford had the temerity to schedule Elon University anyway? Pretty weak if you ask me. Their last three games were against Rhode Island, Campbell (S?), and North Carolina A&T. They were 6 and 6 last year.

Maybe Duke recommended them? The Blue Devils played Elon in 2024 and 2025.

I'm guessing that the ACC released its new, mostly (for this season) 9-game schedule last December and Stanford wasn't able to find an FBS team to fill that opening.

I don't think many teams play 12 FBS games. We have 10 power 4 (+ND), one group of 5, and one FCS opponents which seems pretty typical

Looking at a few others (although none that I looked at have an FCS team as their reunion game)

Cal plays Wagner
Miami plays Florida A&M
Clemson plays Charleston Southern

we announced the date for the Elon game on Dec 16, 2025

https://gostanford.com/news/2025/12/16/updates-to-2026-schedule

Given reunion weekend is usually in the second half of October the reunion weekend game was likely going to be one of Oct 17, 24, and 31 so before the ACC schedule was announced it looked like a 33% chance for Elon to be the reunion game opponent. No idea how much influence we had to get an ACC home game on the Oct 24 or 31 (probably little or more likely none). Of course if they had scheduled the NCSU game for Oct 24 instead of TBD for Oct 23 or 24) it might have been reunion weekend.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - martyup - 08-05-2026

Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - fullmetal - 08-06-2026

Hawai'i and North Carolina were beatables on our schedule last year but didn't turn out that way. We picked up the Florida St. win on an ACC After Dark special after both starting QBs were taken out of the game for injury. Could have been a 6-6 season if the dice had rolled Stanford's way. Maybe Tavita and Andrew take this year's team to their full potential, whatever that may be.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - old spanish trail - 08-06-2026

(08-05-2026, 06:30 PM)martyup Wrote: Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

No.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - 82lsju - 08-06-2026

(08-05-2026, 06:30 PM)martyup Wrote: Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

yes, although I still think it unlikely we lose this game. We have lost plenty of other games over the years that I thought we were unlikely to lose....

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - JohnR34231 - 08-06-2026

(08-06-2026, 07:15 AM)82lsju Wrote:
(08-05-2026, 06:30 PM)martyup Wrote: Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

yes, although I still think it unlikely we lose this game. We have lost plenty of other games over the years that I thought we were unlikely to lose....

I agree. I think we will win, but is it beyond the realm of possibility that we will lose? Nope.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - SkiBum80 - 08-06-2026

(08-05-2026, 06:30 PM)martyup Wrote: Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

I'm sitting somewhere on the fence between:

Never underestimate our abilities!
.... and ...
Never underestimate our abitlity to "f" it up!

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - Embo - 08-06-2026

(08-06-2026, 12:54 AM)old spanish trail Wrote:
(08-05-2026, 06:30 PM)martyup Wrote: Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

No.

See Davis, University of California, 2005. I was there. JFC.

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - needle - 08-06-2026

(08-05-2026, 06:30 PM)martyup Wrote: Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

Elon last year was tied with eventual ACC champion Duke at halftime and within a touchdown in the fourth quarter before the wheels fell off (final score, Duke 45 - Elon 17).

RE: 2026 Stanford Football predictions - fullmetal - 08-06-2026

(08-06-2026, 12:55 PM)Embo Wrote:
(08-06-2026, 12:54 AM)old spanish trail Wrote:
(08-05-2026, 06:30 PM)martyup Wrote: Has anyone considered the Elon might beat us? They lace up their cleats and snap on their chin straps just like we do. They will be fired up for this game.

No.

See Davis, University of California, 2005. I was there. JFC.

no! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOO