Oregon vs. Stanford: 5 Things We Learned from the Cardinal's Loss to the Ducks

Stanford had so much to play for Saturday night, but it was Oregon who played inspired.

The Cardinal didn't play with the same emotion as the Ducks, and it showed in the final result (53-30).

Whether the loss cost Andrew Luck the Heisman Trophy remains to be seen, but it's clear the Cardinal were not ready for the prime-time game, and they didn't respond well to the challenge.

The loss also means Stanford won't get a shot at the BCS championship, and will likely not even play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Let's take a look at five things we learned about Stanford from Saturday's loss to Oregon.

Stanford Lacks Elite Speed

Stanford's defense is stout, but when Oregon's LaMichael James and De'Anthony Thomas got loose it looked like they were in a different gear than any Cardinal.

The Cardinal may be able to push around and bully almost any team, but Stanford lacks the elite speed to beat teams like Oregon.

Can you imagine how Stanford would fare against LSU's speed?

Andrew Luck Can't Carry Stanford in Biggest Games

This is the second straight year that Andrew Luck played well against Oregon, but he wasn't his best.

It looks as though Stanford's players are looking to Luck to pick them up when things aren't going well, but he only has so much magic in his arm and legs.

Luck may still get a Heisman Trophy, but the Cardinal won't be playing for a BCS championship.

Fourth-Down Conversions

Stanford converted a big fourth-down play late in the third quarter to keep a drive alive that eventually allowed the Cardinal to cut into Oregon's lead.

However, the Cardinal didn't have an answer for the Ducks when they went for it on fourth down twice, and both resulted in touchdowns.

On each play, Stanford looked flustered, while Oregon's Chip Kelly had a smirk on his face on the sideline.

Stanford Defense is Overrated

Stanford had been allowing only 16.6 points a game, but we learned the unit wasn't as good as the numbers.

Oregon's offense exposed the Cardinal defense.

Even as Stanford's offense tried to rally the team, the defense couldn't come up with a big stop or turnover in the second half.

If this defense plays like this against Notre Dame in the season finale, the Irish could pull off an upset.

Still Something To Play for in 2011

Stanford's perfect season and winning streak may have come to an end with the loss to Oregon, but all the Cardinal need to do is look at last season to see that a loss to the Ducks isn't a season-ender.

If Stanford can win out and finish at 11-1, there's still a good chance a BCS bowl might be in its future.