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The Daily Cardinal Est. 1892
Thursday, March 28, 2024
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After their impressive win over Oregon last week, Stanford faces USC in Los Angeles in their quest for a Rose Bowl berth.

National Outlook: Coming off win, Stanford looks to Rose Bowl

November is the most competitive month in college football. As bowl games near, bitter rivalries resume and conference championship races heat up. This week is no different as critical matchups pepper the national landscape.

No. 4 Stanford at USC

Stanford is coming off its best performance of the year, a defensive masterpiece in which the Cardinal shut down Oregon and one of the nation’s most prolific offenses. Thanks to the win, Stanford is now on the inside track to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Stanford’s incredible defense held Oregon scoreless for three quarters last week. However, their punishing run game is what ultimately secured the win. Senior running back Tyler Gaffney rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown on his way to eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark on the season.

The Cardinal is hot right now, but USC has won three straight games following a close loss to Notre Dame. This newfound success is tied to the health of the Trojans’ star junior wide receiver Marqise Lee. Lee has missed two games this season, but he will play this Saturday. Lee reeled in a staggering 14 touchdowns last season, but he’s struggled to find his stride during the 2013 campaign. If the Trojans are to pull the upset, Lee will have to come up huge.

Texas Tech at No. 5 Baylor

Baylor is in the midst of its best football season in school history. The 8-0 Bears lead the nation with 61 points per game and their no. 6 offense is led by junior quarterback Bryce Petty. Petty has 22 touchdown passes on the season and only one interception. The Bears average 390 passing yards a game, which becomes even more impressive when considering Baylor’s average 295 rushing yards per game.

Baylor is coming off a dominant defensive performance against a good Oklahoma team, but their undefeated record will continue to be challenged as they face two more ranked teams in Texas and Oklahoma State before the end of the year.

Texas Tech is in complete freefall following a 7-0 start. The Red Raiders have suffered three straight losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. If the Red Raiders are to pull an upset this week, they’ll have to shake the bad memories that have plagued them down the stretch. Texas Tech is a good team: They are no. 1 in the country with 408 passing yards a game. They’ll certainly be a test for Baylor’s top-notch defense.

No. 25 Georgia at Auburn

Before the season started, many people had these two teams flip-flopped in the SEC standings. However, Georgia has been plagued by injuries this season and Auburn is in the midst of the most improved season in all of college football.

The Tigers have one loss on the year and still pose a threat to Alabama’s SEC or National Title hopes. Auburn is led by junior quarterback Nick Marshall, who is a dual threat with 1,301 passing yards on the season as well as 734 rushing yards.

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Georgia has had a disappointing season by their standards with three losses on the year so far. However, senior quarterback Aaron Murray is one of the best passers in the country. This season he’s thrown for 2,477 yards.

This could be a trap game for Auburn if they’re looking ahead to their date with Alabama. Georgia is not a team to take lightly.

No. 16 Michigan State at Nebraska

This contest in Lincoln is essentially a play-in game to the Big Ten title game. With the win, either team will be in control of their own destiny to secure a date with Ohio State in Indianapolis.

Michigan State is known for their impressive defense. The Spartans have the third-best defense in the country, allowing only 11 points per game. They’re coming off an impressive win against cross-state rival Michigan. In that game, the Spartan defense held Michigan to —wait for it—negative 48 rushing yards, the worst performance in Michigan’s history.

Nebraska has had an up-and-down year thanks in part to the variable health of senior quarterback Taylor Martinez. Fortunately for the Huskers, freshman quarterback Tommy Armstrong has played well while Martinez has been out. Armstrong had 139 yards and one touchdown in their win last week.

The Cornhuskers will benefit greatly from playing this game at home, but look for the Spartan defense to continue their unrelenting rampage through the Big Ten.

No. 18 Oklahoma State at No. 24 Texas

Texas started the year in shambles with an embarrassing 1-2 start. Many people were calling for head coach Mack Brown to resign. However, the Longhorns have turned the ship around with six consecutive wins. They haven’t lost a game in conference play and are still in good shape to win the Big 12.

Standing in their way is Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are ranked no. 12 in the BCS rankings and are also still in the running for the Big 12 crown. Both of these teams play Baylor later in the season.

This game pits two powerful offenses against one another. Oklahoma State is averaging 40 points per game while the Longhorns are averaging 34.

Look for Oklahoma State’s junior running back Desmond Roland to have a big game.

He’s had 10 touchdowns in his last four games. He’ll need to have a standout performance. With a loss, the Cowboys will be all but eliminated from a Big 12 title.

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