Stanford Football: The Ins and Outs, Highs and Lows of the 2012 Schedule

What type of season are the Stanford Cardinal going to have?

Many believe it's going to be a struggle because they've lost their star player in quarterback Andrew Luck and key other pieces throughout the team. The good news is that they have a loaded recruiting class coming in and return eight starters on defense.

This team remains talented and could surprise some people, but it's all about how they handle the schedule they have.

As we get closer to kicking off the regular season, here is your 2012 Stanford Cardinal complete schedule breakdown.

Easiest Game

The first game of the season is usually the easiest game for most teams, and for Stanford it's no different. A game against San Jose State shouldn't be a problem at all. This is a team that's won a combined eight games in the last three years and hasn't reached a bowl game since 2006.

Andrew Luck or not, this game will result in a victory for Stanford.

Toughest Game

Stanford has won the last three games against the Trojans with Andrew Luck leading the way, but this will be a very difficult game for them.

USC doesn't have nearly the amount of questions Stanford has, as they return a majority of their starters from last year. They also have tons of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball that instantly makes them on one of the favorites to win it all this season.

The game will take place in Stanford Stadium, but that's about the only thing Stanford has going for them in this matchup.

Potential Blowout

Duke has one of the top basketball programs there is, but when it comes to football, not so much. Last year both their scoring offense and scoring defense was stuck in the 90s. They do return eight starters on both sides of the ball, but I'll say Stanford should be able to handle a team that hasn't reached a bowl game in 17 years.

Potential for Disaster

Speaking of the game against the Trojans, this really has the potential to get ugly and possibly be the beginning of a downfall season.

This game is the third game of the year for Stanford, and a blowout could really knock them down several notches in the rankings. The Cardinal have a lot to prove this year, and it's just hard imagining this team keeping up with USC offensively.

This is a contest that could really get ugly quickly if the defense doesn't get a few stops and Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor doesn't run like a mad man. Stanford will begin the season in the Top 10, but a loss by 20-plus points may knock them out for good, especially with some of the other difficult games they have ahead.

Most Intriguing Matchup

The California Golden Bears gave Stanford a great fight last season, putting up over 350 yards of total offense and only losing the game by three points.

This season the Bears may be even better as they return six starters on offense, including quarterback Zach Maynard. They also have a very talented recruiting class coming in, where many players may see playing time right away.

Stanford is expected to lower their expectations a bit, but will teams like Cal and possibly Washington jump ahead of them in the North Division? A talented Golden Bears team will help answer this question in the middle of the season.

Trap Game

Stanford has won seven of the last nine meetings against the Arizona Wildcats, including the last two victories by 20-plus points.

But this is an Arizona team that has an offensive genius as a head coach in Rich Rodriguez. During the recent spring game, they totaled nearly 600 yards of offense and scored 10 touchdowns. Sure, it's only a spring game, but that's pretty impressive nonetheless.

The Wildcats return 11 total starters, and this game could get tricky for Stanford, especially if they get caught looking ahead to the big matchup against Notre Dame in the next week.

Rivalry Game Prediction

Stanford has beaten the UCLA Bruins the last three matchups with Andrew Luck, but can they make it four in a row without him? I think they can.

Stanford may have several questions heading into the fall, but they don't have a new head coach like the Bruins do.

They also have a much better defense in place that didn't allow 31.4 points per game on average last year. And regardless of who wins the quarterback competition for the Cardinal, I think we'd all pick him over Kevin Prince who hasn't shown much improvement in his first three seasons.

UCLA could become a solid team in time with the recruiting job they're doing, but I'm going with Stanford in this one.

Stanford wins: 35-21

Upset Special

Washington has lost six of the last seven meetings against Stanford, including getting destroyed last year by a score of 65-21.

Things could now be a little different as Washington returns seven starters on both sides of the ball and has their star quarterback in Keith Price coming back as well. The game will also be played in CenturyLink Field, so you know the crowd will be loud and obnoxious.

The Huskies appeared to be coming together towards the end of the year and showed a bit of what they were capable of in the bowl game against Baylor. I don't know what to make of that defense that ranked 108th in the country last season, but I do know when you have an offense that can drop 30-plus, you have a chance to win ball games.

Heisman Highlight Game

Running back Stepfan Taylor did it again, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the second year in a row and will likely have to do it again for this team to have success on offense. With questions at the quarterback position, he'll be counted on to be the workhorse and help lead this team to the end zone.

A game he could really make a Heisman impact is the Week 3 game against the USC Trojans. The Trojans will be a Top Five team when these two squads meet, and a chance to put an end to their dreams is possible if Taylor has a remarkable day. In last year's meeting, he touched the ball 23 times, rushed for 99 yards and scored twice.

He'll have to have an even bigger impact if any of this is possible, but if he does, you will likely see him in New York at the end of the season.

Must-Win Game

We talked about this Arizona matchup being the trap game, but it's also the must-win for Stanford.

Cardinal plays USC and Washington before this contest, two games we also explained why Stanford could end up losing both. After the Cardinal play the Wildcats, they then go on the road to play Notre Dame and California. That looks like a bit of a losing streak if they can't manage to knock off Rich Rodriguez's club.

That doesn't even include the road game they have at the end of the year against the Oregon Ducks.

Stanford is going through a transition and still trying to find themselves, so it's important that they win the games against the teams they're more talented than, this being one of them.