Stanford Football: 10 Reasons Why Cardinal Are the Best Team in Country

The Stanford Cardinal pulled out a barn-burning victory over the USC Trojans on Saturday night.

Foreshadowing a future NFL matchup, two of the hottest quarterbacks in the country headlined a 56-48, three overtime instant classic.

The reward? A No. 4 rating in the latest BCS rankings.

Now that Cardinal fans can take a breather, it is time to assess Stanford's prospects at a National Championship run.

Specifically, let's analyze the impressive talent on the roster and why the Cardinal are graced with the best ability in college football.

Intrigued? Let's get started.

 

1. Andrew Luck

It helps Stanford's claim as the best team when the Cardinal have the best player in college football under center.

Andrew Luck is not only a Heisman favorite. Nor is he just a consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Luck possesses intangible qualities that are common in championship-caliber teams. He exhibited poise under pressure versus a talented USC, throwing for 330 yards and completing 73 percent of his passes.

Coaches around college football call Luck the best they have ever seen. Lane Kiffin called Luck "maybe the best quarterback to ever play college football."

Luck is the ace in the hole for Stanford. Neither LSU or Alabama has a quarterback that closely resembles the abilities of the future NFL star.

If any signal caller is capable of dissecting an SEC defense, it is Luck. Given the chance, there is reason to expect such to be the case. 

2. Offensive Line

How do you stop an SEC defense with NFL-caliber talent at every position?

An NFL-level offensive line. Stanford has that and more with one of the best lines in the nation.

Stanford's men up front are highlighted by a left side that will be drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Left tackle Johnathan Martin and left guard David DeCastro are slated to start on Sundays in the near future.

As a unit, the line has given up only four sacks for the ENTIRE season. Four. 

The Cardinal are also ranked No. 19 in rushing offense with 215.25 yards per game, a statistic sure to surprise opposing fans who view Stanford as a finesse team.

There's lies the challenge for a defense when game planning for Stanford. No defensive line will be able to stop the run and pressure the quarterback with just the front four. Defenses will have to bring extra pressure, thus opening up holes in coverage for Andrew Luck to exploit.

Sounds like a challenge for even the best of defenses.

 

3. All Stanford Does Is Win

The Stanford Cardinal have won 16 games in a row, dating back to 2010. 

Its last loss was against the Oregon Ducks in early October of 2010. Think the Cardinal may be motivated for revenge?

In the meantime, the Cardinal have accumulated 11 consecutive wins at home, a streak that dates back to the 2009 season.

Included in the 16-game streak are four wins over Top 25 opponents, including sound victories over Washington, Arizona and Virginia Tech.

Despite these impressive streaks and having the best player in college football, the Cardinal continue to fly under the radar.

Last year, it was as a one-loss team. Stanford responded by dominating the Orange Bowl.

This year, being overlooked comes in the midst of an undefeated campaign. Should Stanford run the table, look for a similar performance in the National Championship. 

4. Pick Your Poison

The Stanford offense has a plethora of methods to beat any defense.

Want to spread out and cover the pass?

Stanford has an underrated running back in Stepfan Taylor who is easily on pace to run for over 1,000 yards and averages nearly six yards per carry.

Against Washington, the Cardinal ran for 446 yards. Sure, numbers against the Huskies are to be taken with a grain of salt. Consider this. In the 2011 Orange Bowl, Stanford racked up 247 yards rushing against a stout Virginia Tech run defense. They did by overloading the line and opening up large gaps for huge chunks of yardage.

The Cardinal often instill the wildcat formation as well, with one example versus USC leading to a long pass play.

OK, so the run must be honored. However, a defense simply cannot load the box versus Andrew Luck. Therein lies the quandary.

The Cardinal offense simply cannot be stopped completely, no matter the approach.   

5. Oversized, Underrated Tight-Ends

The tight ends for the Cardinal present nightmare matchups for any defensive coordinator.

All three are 6'6" or taller and have been responsible for 14 touchdown receptions.

Levine Toilolo caught one Saturday night against USC in the waning moments of the game, helping to secure a crucial victory.

Coby Fleener is the second leading receiver on the team, catching 18 passes for 405 yards and a 22 yard per catch average.

Zach Ertz is not far behind, tallying 308 yards and 22 catches. It appears, however, that Ertz could miss significant time with a leg injury that occurred Saturday night.

Combined, the trio has accounted for 52 receptions and 923 yards. There is no defender on any roster that can reasonable match the height advantage for each of these monsters.

Defenses will have to designate their best athletes to guard the tight ends. That leaves plenty of open spaces for prominent receivers Griff Whalen and Chris Owusu.   

6. Defense

Despite giving up 48 points in a three-overtime marathon versus USC, Stanford has racked up impressive numbers on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cardinal are ranked No. 13 in scoring defense, allowing 17 points per contest. That Stanford as the best in that category in the Pac-12.

Stanford also rates sixth in the country in run defense, averaging just over 84 yards allowed per game. Considering LSU and Alabama are both top-notch running teams, the Cardinal's performance against the ground game bodes well in a possible matchup.

These impressive numbers are accrued despite key injuries to players such as linebacker Shayne Skov, who will miss the entire season.

The Pac-12's best defense has room to improve over the course of the last few games. They will specifically be tested against the Oregon Ducks.

Like Stanford's body of work and ranking, the Cardinal's defense is oft-overlooked. Stanford is proving the doubters wrong again, game by game. 

7. Red Zone Defense

Red-zone defense is a critical statistic, and one that Stanford excels in.

It finished the win against USC, too.

The Cardinal are ranked second in the country in red zone conversions on defense. Offenses are only scoring 63 percent of the time when threatening the Cardinal goal line. Thirteen percent of the scores happen to be only field goals.

More importantly, Stanford has only allowed 22 entrances into the red zone on defense. That is good for No. 21 in the nation and highlights the underrated defense that co-defensive coordinators Derek Mason and Jason Tarver put on the field weekly. 

8.Turnover Margin

Champions excel in protecting the football and forcing teams into mistakes.

LSU, Alabama, and Oklahoma State are all ranked in the top 17 in turnover margin. Stanford is right with them all, coming in at No. 12.

The Cardinal are plus seven on the year, with four interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. The 13 turnovers forced are the lowest among the top 20 best teams in turnover margin.

The offense simply does not turn the ball over. The Cardinal have lost only two fumbles and four interceptions through eight games this season.

The lack of mistakes makes opponents earn every yard against the Cardinal.  

9. Time of Possession

Two underrated statistics in a row, with time of possession being the second.

Ask Clemson how important time of possession is. When the Tigers got behind Georgia Tech, the game was all she wrote because the Yellow Jackets simply kept the ball for huge chunks in the second half.

Stanford similarly has the ability to run the ball and control clock when leading in the second half. The physicality of the offensive line wears down a defense, making the ground game stronger as the game progresses.

Against a quality defense in a National Championship game, look for Stanford to pass early to spread out the defense. If the Cardinal take an early lead, look for them to turn to the ground game to protect the ball and run clock.Stanford can then utilize the three tight end set to pound defenses into submission and eventually take home the crown. 

10. Stanford Is an SEC Team in Disguise

Let's review.

Stanford is a dominant run team with the tendency to load up in three tight end sets and run the football right at the defense.

The Cardinal defense is ranked No. 6 in stopping the run and 13th in total scoring defense.

Stanford is winning by an average margin of 32.5 points.

Sounds like a dominant SEC team, doesn't it?

While Stanford's defense cannot be considered as overpowering as the likes of Alabama or LSU, keep in mind that better offenses are prevalent in the Pac-12 than in the SEC.

The discrepancy in the defensive department is more than accounted for in the advantage Stanford has on offense. Andrew Luck's precision can overcome defensive lapses.

Hopefully the BCS will permit the Stanford Cardinal to show its stuff in the National Championship game against an SEC opponent or Oklahoma State. If so, look for opposing fans to be surprised at what Stanford is capable of.

And look for Cardinal fans to say I told you so.