Stanford Football: 3 Things the Cardinal Must Do to Avoid an Upset

The Stanford Cardinal are running the table right now and show no signs of slowing down. Coming off a blowout victory against Colorado, they head into Martin Stadium on Saturday to face the Washington State Cougars. 

The Cougars are coming into the game off an upsetting loss on the road to UCLA, and are extreme underdogs facing Andrew Luck and the Cardinal.

The game is supposed to be a blowout, and barring any mistakes on the part of Stanford, it should be. The Cardinal will have to buckle down and follow these rules to avoid an upset at Washington State.

Rule 1: Do Not Look at the Spread

Twenty-one points. Three touchdowns. That is the spread for the Washington State game. 

The Cardinal are expected to blow out the Washington State Cougars. The three-touchdown spread in favor of the Cardinal has upset written all over it, and that is why the Cardinal should avoid looking at it.

If the Cardinal believe that Washington State is a far inferior team, they will not try as hard to win the game, and the Cougars could use that in their favor for an upset.

The spread is there for a reason. The Cardinal should roll over the Cougars, but that doesn't mean that they do not have to try. If the Cardinal lose sight of themselves, they could be dealing with a poor performance on Saturday.

If the Stanford just plays the way it has been playing all year and avoids looking at the spread, the Cardinal will certainly take care of the Cougars.

Rule 2: Put the Ball in Andrew Luck's Hands

Believe the hype: Andrew Luck is the best quarterback in all of college football.

The underlying reason behind the Cardinal's 5-0 start and blowout victories is the fabulous and deadly play of Andrew Luck.

Luck will continue his path of destruction against the Cougars and the Cardinal should allow him to do so if they want to win on Saturday. The Cardinal are riding on the shoulders and arm of Luck and to avoid an upset, they should continue the trend.

Rule 2: A lot of Luck never hurts.

Rule 3: Keep the Defense Up

When you think about the Cardinal, you think about Luck and an offense that can score at any given moment of the game.

What you don't see is the conference's best defense and the sixth-ranked defense in the nation, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. 

This is the reason for the blowouts. Yes, the offense can score, but the defense holds opponents to a mere 10.6 points per game, aiding the routs of the opposition.

Stanford should walk out of this game winners, and whether it be by 50 points or three, the Cardinal will notch another victory in the win column. 

These three rules are more guidelines because Stanford can score at any second and buckle down defensively when they need to. If they go in to Saturday without overlooking the Cougars, they will come out victorious.