[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford's schedule is so backloaded that everything will be determined by the results from the games that are in the national spotlight - USC, Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame.  The games before October 29, while still significant in the standings, don't do anything to answer the key questions that the fans and media keep asking:

How good is Stanford's defense?  Can Stanford beat an elite team with its defense?
Will Stanford win the Pac 12 North and host the conference championship game?
Will Stanford be in the mix for the NC game?
Will Andrew Luck win the Voldemort?

You can't really have a useful discussion about any of these until at least October 30.

I'll also make a Voldemort prediction - the winner will be the finalist whose team is the highest rated.

[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford's schedule is so backloaded that everything will be determined by the results from the games that are in the national spotlight - USC, Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame.  The games before October 29, while still significant in the standings, don't do anything to answer the key questions that the fans and media keep asking:

How good is Stanford's defense?  Can Stanford beat an elite team with its defense?
Will Stanford win the Pac 12 North and host the conference championship game?
Will Stanford be in the mix for the NC game?
Will Andrew Luck win the Voldemort?

You can't really have a useful discussion about any of these until at least October 30.

I'll also make a Voldemort prediction - the winner will be the finalist whose team is the highest rated.