[washingtonismoney]

This is a hard game to peg, I think. When Stanford has the ball it's a case of the resistible force versus the moveable object. Everything about the matchup suggests Stanford should move the ball fairly easily against 'Zona, except of course the fact that Stanford has moved the ball easily against anyone. Making it harder to predict is that the offense has basically three problems: a) conceptual/coaching problems, b) somewhat underwhelming personnel and c) underachieving/poor execution. Hard to tell how much is in each category. So I guess it's plausible that the lightbulb flicks on and we see pretty good execution and something closer to the offense we hoped to see.

Obviously you have to feel better about the matchup when Arizona has the ball--Arizona's offense is pretty good, but it's not as good as S.C.'s. And, well, Stanford's defense, we all know. Add in Arizona's injury problems on offensive line (one of Stanford's coaches sold his soul to face nothing but backup centers, I'm certain. Which helps the defense, but oh lord, why couldn't he have sold his soul for Brett Hundley?), and you'd think things are just swell there. I'm still confident but can't discount that this is the first spread-to-run, high-tempo offense the team has faced so far. Theoretically the defensive recruiting the past few years has been geared to stopping Oregon (and we've been seeing the dividends against, well, non-spread-run teams), but theory and reality have a funny way of not corresponding.

I'll say STAN 24 ARZ 14, just as a guess, with a game that leaves neither the optimists nor the sky-is-falling crew completely satisfied with their version of the world. But I wouldn't be surprised by: a closer Stanford win, a Stanford blowout, or a Arizona blowout.

[washingtonismoney]

This is a hard game to peg, I think. When Stanford has the ball it's a case of the resistible force versus the moveable object. Everything about the matchup suggests Stanford should move the ball fairly easily against 'Zona, except of course the fact that Stanford has moved the ball easily against anyone. Making it harder to predict is that the offense has basically three problems: a) conceptual/coaching problems, b) somewhat underwhelming personnel and c) underachieving/poor execution. Hard to tell how much is in each category. So I guess it's plausible that the lightbulb flicks on and we see pretty good execution and something closer to the offense we hoped to see.

Obviously you have to feel better about the matchup when Arizona has the ball--Arizona's offense is pretty good, but it's not as good as S.C.'s. And, well, Stanford's defense, we all know. Add in Arizona's injury problems on offensive line (one of Stanford's coaches sold his soul to face nothing but backup centers, I'm certain. Which helps the defense, but oh lord, why couldn't he have sold his soul for Brett Hundley?), and you'd think things are just swell there. I'm still confident but can't discount that this is the first spread-to-run, high-tempo offense the team has faced so far. Theoretically the defensive recruiting the past few years has been geared to stopping Oregon (and we've been seeing the dividends against, well, non-spread-run teams), but theory and reality have a funny way of not corresponding.

I'll say STAN 24 ARZ 14, just as a guess, with a game that leaves neither the optimists nor the sky-is-falling crew completely satisfied with their version of the world. But I wouldn't be surprised by: a closer Stanford win, a Stanford blowout, or a Arizona blowout.