Stanford vs. Oregon: Stanford Will Power Through Last Test of Greatness

Two offensive juggernauts will go to work on one another on Saturday, and I am confident Stanford will continue to make their claim as contenders for the BCS Championship. 

Forget the punt-fest that we saw among SEC powers last week, this marquee matchup pitting No. 4 Stanford against No. 7 Oregon will hardly feature any of that pesky defense that slowed Alabama and LSU. 

This game means no less than the BCS Championship. Sitting at No. 4, Stanford still needs a great deal of help to be considered for the all-important game in January. 

If either team has any delusions in going to that game or a worthwhile BCS bowl game, they must prove it on Saturday. Stanford can ill afford any misstep against a team that can put up numbers with the best of them. 

We saw how Stanford struggled against USC. Consider that Oregon is a far more battle-tested team with a more versatile selection of weapons. 

I still like Andrew Luck to play with an added comfort, as Oregon does not play any sort of defense that can stifle the Heisman candidate. If the Ducks are hoping to get an upset at The Farm, it will have to be by outpacing their opponent on the scoreboard. 

Luck said as much to ESPN in their coverage of the game. 

"

It's all about putting points up on the board. Our offense tries to do that and their offense does, too. It doesn't matter how you get to that point. So long as you score.

"

This is exactly what we fans need after seeing the game of the century last week turn into an exhibition of field goals. 

The Ducks have a refreshed LaMichael James in tow, and will exhaust the Cardinal with their no-huddle attack. I just don't see them making the crucial stops against the Luck machine. 

Stanford will control the time of possession and get their defense every last second of rest they can. This game will be close, explosive and the Cardinal's to own.