Even though we're only a few days into summer, it's time to begin looking towards college football season and the 2019 Stanford Cardinal. Only a decade ago last season's 9-4 would've been cause for celebration, but the standard on the Farm is different now, and the hope is that the Cardinal will bounce back to a double-digit win total and contend for another conference championship. Head coach David Shaw enters his ninth season at the helm with three Rose Bowl appearances on his résumé, and he would be the first to tell you that every season now begins with that goal in mind. Yes, the Cardinal has earned a bowl berth in ten consecutive seasons (only nine schools in America can top that), but the bar is higher than that now, and that's a good thing.
If Stanford is to reclaim a spot among the nation's elite, however, they'll have to navigate one of the most difficult schedules in America. With that in mind, here's a quick look at this year's slate. I'll have the usual game previews during the season, but this far out it makes more sense to focus on the opponents rather than the matchups. In addition to a quick blurb about each team, I've included each school's 2018 record, recent history against the Cardinal, and a song you should have in heavy rotation during the week leading up to the game. Enjoy!
August 31 vs. Northwestern
2018 Record: 9-5, Big Ten West division champions
2018 Bowl Game: Defeated #17 Utah in the Holiday Bowl
Stanford vs. Opponent: 3-2-2
Song of the Week: "Redemption Song," Bob Marley and the Wailers
Without question, no team in the nation has a non-conference schedule that can match Stanford's. Most contending schools will open with a lower division school or a nearby Directional State, but the Cardinal opens with a team that played in the Big Ten championship game last season. While the Stanford players and staff will focus on the formidable opponent on the other side of the field, fans will be battling the demons from 2015, when an inexplicable opening week loss to Northwestern derailed a team that could easily have earned a spot in the College Football Playoffs. For the Cardinal to achieve redemption for that loss, the team will have to contend with a Northwestern squad that's probably down a bit from last season, but will feature one of the most talented quarterbacks in the Big Ten, former five-star prospect and Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson.
September 7 at USC
2018 Record: 5-7, 3rd place in Pac-12 South
2018 Bowl Game: No
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 33-62-3
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 6-4
Last Year: Stanford 17, USC 3
Song of the Week: "Los Angeles Is Burning," Bad Religion
Even as deep as we are into this current era of Stanford Football, it's still surprising to see that the Cardinal has enjoyed so much recent success against these rivals from the South. No opponent has piled up as many wins against Stanford as USC, but the Trojans have only beaten the Cardinal four times since 2007, and some of Stanford's victories during that stretch rank among the greatest in program history. I don't even have to read a preview to know all I need to know about the 2019 USC Trojans, because they're always the same -- they've got a future NFL quarterback behind center, game-changing talent at wide receiver, probably two or three good running backs, and an athletic defense. Again, I've done no research on this, but that's what they always look like so I assume this year will be no different. The good news is that we get them early.
September 14 at Central Florida
2018 Record: 12-1, American Athletic Conference Champions
2018 Bowl Game: Lost to #11 LSU in the Fiesta Bowl
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 1-0
Last Meeting: Stanford 31, UCF 7 in 2015
Song of the Week: "Swamp," Talking Heads
This game tells you all you need to know about the pitfalls of putting together a non-conference schedule. When the two schools scheduled this home-and-home series back in 2014, it seemed like a great deal for Stanford. The Knights were a quality mid-major team back then, but not good enough to pose much of a threat to any of the top Power 5 teams. Stanford handled UCF easily in 2015, and the return trip seemed to be nothing more than an opportunity to showcase the program in talent-rich Florida. But in between 2015 and now, the Knights somehow became one of the top programs in the nation. Former Stanford quarterback Scott Frost took over as head coach in 2016, and he transformed the Knights into an offensive juggernaut, leading them to an undefeated season in 2017 (and a self-declared national championship) before leaving for Nebraska, his actual alma mater. New head coach Josh Heupel took over in 2018, and the success continued. It will be interesting to see what this year's team looks like, but one thing's for certain -- this road game will likely be the Cardinal's toughest test of the season.
September 21 vs. Oregon
2018 Record: 9-4 (5-4), 4th place in Pac-12 North
2018 Bowl Game: Defeated Michigan State in the Red Box Bowl
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 49-32-1
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 6-4, including a three-game win streak.
Last Year: Stanford 38, Oregon 31 (OT)
Song of the Week: "Take Me to the River," Talking Heads
Let me say this again -- Stanford's 2019 schedule is ridiculous, but nothing is more ridiculous than the first four games. After Northwestern, USC, and UCF, the Cardinal plays the prohibitive conference favorites in Week 4. If this were the Oregon Trail, the Cardinal would get extra credit for fording the river instead of wasting money on a ferry. So what will the Ducks look like this year? After a couple of down years, they seem to be back, and they'll be riding with quarterback Justin Herbert, who could be the top overall pick in the 2020 draft. It's hard to know exactly how the first month of the season will shake out for the Cardinal, but right now it seems like 3-1 would be an impressive start, with 2-2 more likely. If they somehow run the gantlet at 4-0, make your travel arrangements for Pasadena.
September 28 at Oregon State
2018 Record: 2-10 (1-8), last place in Pac-12 North
2018 Bowl Game: No
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 57-25-3
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 9-1, including a current nine-game winning streak.
Last Year: Stanford 48, Oregon State 17
Song of the Week: "Easy Street," Thelonious Monk
Finally there's time to take a breath. I feel like Oregon State has the right coach in Jonathan Smith, who played quarterback for the best Oregon State team I've ever seen back in 2001, but the Cardinal should be able to stretch their winning streak over the Beavers to ten.
October 5 vs. Washington
2018 Record: 10-4 (7-2), 1st place in Pac-12 North
2018 Bowl Game: Lost to #6 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 42-43-4
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 7-3.
Last Year: Washington 27, Stanford 23
Song of the Week: "Everything's Jake," Sally Harmon
In the 1990s and 2000s the most popular name for baby boys born in the United States was Jake or Jacob. (I had three Jacobs in my seventh period English class last year, and it was confusing to say the least.) So it shouldn't be a surprise that there were two Jacobs and two Jakes in the quarterback room in Seattle last season. The good news for the Pac-12 is that Jake Browning has moved on to the NFL, but former top prospect Jacob Eason, who transferred from Georgia, is expected to start for the Huskies this season. Everything's Jake. Widening our focus beyond just Washington to take in the entire Pac-12 North, I think it's fair to say that this division is going to be an annual street fight for the foreseeable future. Washington State is a bit of a tightrope act, but Washington and Oregon appear to be here to stay.
October 17 (Thursday) vs. UCLA
2018 Record: 3-9 (3-6), 5th place in Pac-12 South
2018 Bowl Game: None
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 42-45-3
Last Eleven Games: Stanford leads, 11-0.
Last Year: Stanford 49, UCLA 42
Song of the Week: "All I Do Is Win," DJ Khaled
There was actually some suspense to last year's game, but only enough to make the loss more painful for the Bruins. Chip Kelly is probably going to build another juggernaut, but that probably won't be this year. UCLA is probably going to beat Stanford again someday, but that probably won't be this year either. This game will extend the streak to an even dozen.
October 26 vs. Arizona
2018 Record: 5-7 (4-5), 3rd place in Pac-12 South
2018 Bowl Game: None
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 16-14
Last Ten Years: Stanford leads, 5-1, including a current five-game winning streak.
Last Year: Teams did not play.
Song of the Week: "By the Time I Get to Arizona," Public Enemy
Arizona was off the Stanford schedule in 2017 and '18, which means the Cardinal defense didn't have to worry about the Wildcats and their game-changing quarterback, Khalil Tate, who ran for over 1,300 yards two seasons ago. Tate struggled through some injuries last season, but he appears to be healthy again, which makes this game kind of dangerous. This is a quarterback who rushed for over a hundred yards in six straight games in 2017, culminating with a record-breaking 327 yards against Colorado. If he's healthy on October 26th, this will be a dangerous game.
November 9 at Colorado
2018 Record: 5-7 (2-7), last place in Pac-12 South
2018 Bowl Game: None
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 6-4
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 4-1.
Last Year: Teams did not play.
Song of the Week: "Rocky Mountain High," John Denver
As hellacious as the start of the schedule might be for Stanford, it should be noted that the team won't leave Palo Alto during the month of October. During the 41 days between road trips to Corvallis and Boulder, the Cardinal will play only three games, and they'll only leave campus for occasional trips to In-N-Out. This particular trip to play the Buffalos in Colorado isn't terribly daunting. Yes, the Buffs have been near the top of the conference recently, but they're currently struggling.
November 16 at Washington State
2018 Record: 11-2 (7-2), 2nd place in Pac-12 North
2018 Bowl Game: Defeated #24 Iowa State in the Alamo Bowl.
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 40-28-1
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 7-3, including a current three-game losing streak.
Last Year: Washington State 41, Stanford 38
Song of the Week: "My Way," Frank Sinatra
You'd think his swashbuckling routine would eventually get old, but I will never, ever grow tired of Mike Leach and his My Way attitude. Sure, his ultra-aggressive approach has cost his team a game or two, but the game needs innovators, and Leach is nothing short of that. The game also needs characters, and no one fits that bill quite like Leach. Unfortunately, his swashbuckling persona obscures his coaching mind, which is sharper than any pirate's sword. As for the game, it'll be a tough one for the Cardinal. The quarterback position is a bit unsettled after the departure of last season's darling, Gardner Minshew, but the rest of the offense returns almost completely intact.
November 23 vs. Cal
2018 Record: 7-6 (4-5), 5th place in Pac-12 North
2018 Bowl Game: Lost to TCU in the Cheez-It Bowl
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 59-43-10
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 9-1, including a current nine-game winning streak.
Last Year: Stanford 23, Cal 13
Song of the Week: "All Right Now," The One, the Only, the Truly Incomparable, Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band
Intellectually I understand that a day will come when Cal beats Stanford again, just the same way that a theoretical mathematician understands that if you have a large enough room with enough monkeys and enough typewriters and enough time, eventually one of the monkeys will produce the collected works of William Shakespeare. Neither outcome is likely, but neither is impossible.
November 30 vs. Notre Dame
2018 Record: 12-1, Independent
2018 Bowl Game: Lost to Clemson in National Semifinal (Cotton Bowl)
Stanford All-Time vs. Opponent: 13-19
Last Ten Games: Stanford leads, 7-3.
Last Year: Notre Dame 38, Stanford 17
Song of the Week: "Light of a Fading Star," Flogging Molly
I don't feel sorry for Notre Dame, because they've created the scale by which they're measured. They're a national brand, so they can't be bothered with conference championships or moral victories. If the Irish don't win the year's final game, they've somehow failed, and that's a shame -- but again, that's by their own design. Regardless of all this, I'm glad that both Stanford and Notre Dame value this series as much as they do, because it's a game I always look forward to. This year's Irish will likely take a step back from the team that finished two wins shy of a national championship in 2018, but they'll still offer a stiff test and a national stage.
