This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be for Stanford or Oregon.
Two teams historically perched at the top of the Pac-12 standings, the Cardinal (6-3) and Ducks (3-6) each earned top-25 preseason rankings at the start of the year. Both teams were expected to contend for conference titles as per usual.
But things have been anything but ordinary out west this fall. The two teams that have captured the Pac-12 crown each of the past seven seasons are both all but eliminated from title contention with three games remaining on the teams’ respective schedules.
A game that would normally hold national title implications and draw primetime coverage, Saturday’s matchup between Stanford and Oregon has been relegated to a 1 p.m. kickoff time, which will mean very little in the grand scheme of things this year. Washington (9-0, 6-0) has become the bully of the Pac-12 North, while Oregon and Stanford are each fighting to save face amid similarly disastrous seasons.
“The records don’t matter,” Stanford coach David Shaw told the Mercury News. “These are two proud football programs. We’ve had some exciting games the past few years. There were some great players in those games, and there will be some great players in this year’s game.”
For all the differences that have hindered the two teams this year, Oregon and Stanford each carry several key similarities. Both teams’ passing offenses rank near the bottom of the conference as both have struggled to protect their quarterbacks. Both teams boasted a Heisman candidate at the start of the year who has seen their production decline from last year: Royce Freeman for Oregon, and Christian McCaffrey for Stanford.
Freeman and McCaffrey have each battled injuries this season. While McCaffrey still ranks seventh nationally in total yards, he hasn’t been the unstoppable force that many expected him to be. Freeman has rushed for just 86 yards in his last three games and saw his playing time take a hit last weekend.
McCaffrey has started to return to form over the past two weeks and is still the Stanford player that Oregon is most worried about heading into Saturday’s matchup.
“We know number five [McCaffrey] is the guy,” Oregon defensive line coach Ron Aiken told reporters on Tuesday. “They’re going to get the ball to him either by handing the ball off to him in the backfield, or putting him out at receiver and throwing the ball to him.”
Lack of production from respective star players has not been the primary issue for Oregon or Stanford, though. Oregon’s defensive struggles are no secret, and the Ducks’ inability to stop the run was further demonstrated by USC last weekend.
Stanford has been hindered by inconsistent play at the quarterback position. Keller Chryst, a 6-foot-5 junior, recently took over as Stanford’s starter but still has yet to solidify the position for the Cardinals.
“We’ve just got to make sure that when the opportunity presents itself, we can get after the quarterback and get him to the ground,” Aiken said. “The guy is big; he’s not a 6-foot-1, 185-pound quarterback. He’s, what, 235? 240? So he’s a big quarterback. We’ve got to maintain rush lanes.”
When Oregon and Stanford take the field on Saturday, the Ducks will be fighting to remain bowl-eligible, while the Cardinals attempt to keep their head above water in the Pac-12 standings. For the first time in recent memory, an Oregon-Stanford game will carry very little levity and won’t have any implications in the Pac-12 title race.
“This team right now needs to step up and improve, and compete like heck every single day.” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said of his Oregon team on Tuesday. “[Stanford] is playing a lot better than they have earlier in the year.”
Follow Jarrid Denney on Twitter @jarrid_denney