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The 122nd Big Game:Cal 24, Stanford 20

A few years ago, in one of my favorite Big Game recaps, I half-jokingly predicted that Stanford's winning streak over Cal would extend to seventeen games. The only reason to suspect otherwise back in 2016 was the knowledge that things even out over time, but from a football point of view, it made sense. Stanford vs. Cal was beginning to look like Texas vs. Rice, and lots of Stanford fans were becoming bored with the rivalry.

And so Saturday's game proved a couple of things. One, Cal actually can beat Stanford, and two, the rivalry is certainly not boring.

Stanford 41, Arizona 31

What a difference ten days can make. If you watched the loss to UCLA last week, you endured one of the worst offensive performances of the David Shaw era. Led by a third-string quarterback, the Cardinal finished with only 198 total yards, earned just 11 first downs, and averaged a paltry 1.8 yards per carry. With Davis Mills declared out, and K.J. Costello ranging from doubtful to questionable throughout the week, it appeared Stanford could be without its top two quarterbacks once again as they face the Arizona Wildcats.

Stanford 23, Washington 13

In a blueprint game that could've been pulled from the 2013 Stanford Media guide, the Cardinal produced its best effort of the season with a 23-13 win over Washington and reminded fans that yes, this program knows exactly who they are.

The Cardinal took the field on Saturday night with few believers, and it wasn't hard to understand why. This was a team that had logged three consecutive losses for the first time in the David Shaw Era and then snapped that losing streak in rather uninspiring fashion with a narrow win over a perennial conference doormat. This was a team that had entered the season with only three sure things -- Walker Little, K.J. Costello, and Paulson Adebo -- and the first two players were injured while the third had fallen from grace. This was a team that ranked near the bottom of the conference in almost every statistic that matters. Things were so bleak that people were no longer just wondering if the season could be saved, they were questioning the direction of the program. Vultures were circling.

Oregon 21, Stanford 6

It was always going to be a challenge. When the dust settled after last season and fans began to look towards 2019, the opening four games of the schedule were daunting, to say the least. While most Power 5 teams spend September welcoming their local Directional States for a paycheck and an excuse for the alumni to tailgate, Stanford instead began with Northwestern, USC, UCF, and Oregon. Realistically, 3-1 would've been an excellent start, but there was a real danger that things could go bad -- and that's exactly what's happened. There was a promising win over Northwestern, but the Cardinal's 21-6 loss to Oregon on Saturday night was its third straight defeat. Stanford now sits at 1-3 for the first time since 2007. How in the world did this happen?

UCF 45, Stanford 27

Considering the 2,446-mile flight, the three-hour time difference, the ninety degree heat, and the ninety percent humidity, Saturday's game was always going to be a difficult challenge for the Cardinal. When you then consider that Stanford was already missing a few key players at kickoff and that an excellent UCF team was eager to bolster its résumé with a nationally broadcast win over a Power 5 team... Well, there were a lot of signs pointing in the same direction.

Even considering all of that, it was still stunning to see how quickly everything disintegrated for the Cardinal.

Stanford 17, Northwestern 7

With the August sun shining and a full season of college football stretching out before us, it was immediately clear that Saturday's game against Northwestern was not about revenge. It had nothing to do with the disappointing loss in 2015 and everything to do with the future of Stanford Football.

Rather than atoning for a bad loss in Evanston four years ago, Coach David Shaw instead seemed intent on erasing the bad memories from just last year, a season which saw the Cardinal lose sight of its run-first identity. Predictably then, the first play of the season was a simple handoff to Cameron Scarlett. Left tackle Walker Little and left guard Devery Hamilton each won his battle at the line, and Scarlett rushed forward for a modest six-yard gain. It was a simple play for a simple gain, but it was beautiful. It was Stanford Football.