Despite a loss to Oregon that seemed to peel away their shot at the College Football Playoff, No. 11 Stanford isn't out of this thing just yet. However, it's going to take a lot of luck - and a three-game winning streak that has to start on Saturday against California.
How to watch Cal vs. Stanford on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
No. 11 Stanford still has some very slim playoff hopes, but California QB Jared Goff is waiting to prove himself against the Cardinal defense.
The Cardinal will close out their season with three games against bowl eligible teams - this weekend against Cal, next week against No. 4 Notre Dame, and then in the Pac-12 Championship Game against either USC, Utah, or UCLA. Three wins there will be enough to put Stanford in striking distance of a playoff spot, but they'll have to hope that a wave of upset losses rocks the standings in front of them and puts them at the forefront of a cache of two-loss programs. If not, they'll have to settle for a Rose Bowl bid.
Cal can add an extra layer of spoiler sauce on top of the Ducks' season-breaking upset from last week, but they've got a tough task in front of them. The Golden Bears have had a turbulent 2015. After starting the season on a 5-0 run, they lost their next four games against some of the conference's toughest teams. They broke out of that slump by manhandling Oregon State last weekend 54-24, but a date with another Pac-12 titan could keep them from putting together another winning streak in the regular season. They'll need to their final two games to secure their first winning conference record since Shane Vereen and Jahvid Best manned the backfield in 2009.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (or ESPNU until the previous game ends)
Radio: Stanford, California
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Stanford is favored by 11 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Rule of Tree (for Stanford fans) and California Golden Blogs (for Cal fans).
Three big things to know
1. Christian McCaffrey's Heisman campaign needs a boost. The Stanford tailback has been spectacular in stretches this fall, but he's still behind other runners like Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliot on most pundits' ballots. After a slow start, he's rushed for over 100 yards in each of his team's last eight games, peaking with a 243-yard, four touchdown performance against UCLA in October. On Saturday, he'll face a Cal defense that's ranked 100th in the nation (out of 127 teams) when it comes to run defense. Another UCLA-ian showing could put him back on the Heisman map.
2. Jared Goff has one of the biggest arms in the NCAA, but Stanford shut him down last season in a 31-17 win. The Cardinal held the QB to his lowest passing yardage total since his freshman season. He'll be out to prove that he can handle David Shaw's defense this week, especially coming off of a 453-yard, six touchdown performance against Oregon State.
3. Is the Stanford defense vulnerable? Well, “vulnerable” may be a strong term, but this is relatively the worst Stanford unit since 2009. They rank 33rd in the NCAA in total defense after ranking third in 2014 and 16th in 2013. That could be the opening a high powered passer like Goff needs to break through against the Cardinal. They allowed Oregon to score 38 points and gain 436 yards last week, and now they face a similarly explosive offense in the Golden Bears.
See More:
