Oregon vs. Stanford 2011: Ducks Will Knock Cardinal Down a Notch

If Alabama vs. LSU was the most anticipated game in college football this year, Oregon vs. Stanford may be the runner-up.

As the No. 7 Ducks and No. 4 Cardinal get set to face off at Stanford Stadium on Saturday night, plenty is at stake.

For the Cardinal, it could mean the difference between going to the title game and being left out.

With a win over Oregon, they could jump Alabama for the No. 3 spot. If Oklahoma State then loses to Oklahoma in its last game of the regular season, Stanford could conceivably be ranked No. 2 in the BCS rankings headed into the BCS Championship Series.

But don't count out No. 7 Oregon.

Since a devastating loss to No. 1 LSU in their first game of the season, the Ducks have rattled off eight straight wins, including against then-No. 18 Arizona State, despite being without two of their stars, quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James, for most of the game.

Both offenses are explosive. Stanford is averaging 48.2 points per game, good for third in the nation. Oregon is averaging 46.0 points per game, fifth in the country.

It's safe to say that this one's going to be a shootout, folks.

But, in the end, I think Oregon's defense will limit the Cardinal enough to squeak by with a victory. While Stanford is allowing fewer points per game this season than Oregon (16.6 compared to 20.8), I still believe that Oregon has the better defense as a whole, evidenced by the Cardinal allowing 48 points to Matt Barkley and USC in Week 9.

I also believe that Oregon has the caliber to be a title team this season, but the loss to LSU was crippling to their BCS ranking.

Of course, home-field advantage could tip the scale for quarterback Andrew Luck and the Cardinal, but in the end I believe Oregon is a better team as a whole, with a ridiculous amount of depth.

Whatever the outcome, you can bet that Oregon vs. Stanford is going to be a great game.