College Football Rankings, Week 4: Stanford Rises In BlogPoll Top 25

The Stanford Cardinal have risen to No. 8 in SB Nation's version of college football rankings, the BlogPoll Top 25. The Cardinal received lots of praise from bloggers, and were the only team outside of Alabama to garner a first-place vote.

With the upset of USC, the Cardinal also moved into the top 10 of the AP rankings.

There are four other Pac-12 teams in the BlogPoll Top 25. Oregon is the highest rated at No. 3. USC fell all the way to No. 16 after their loss to Stanford. UCLA moves up to No. 18 and the Arizona Wildcats sit in the No. 20 spot.

The Cardinal continue their conference schedule when they take on Pac-12 North foe, Washington, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle this weekend. The Huskies are 2-1 following a blowout victory over Portland State on Saturday.

For the complete BlogPoll, head over to SB Nation's Top 25 feature.

For more on Cardinal Football, head over to Rule of Tree and stick with SB Nation Bay Area.

Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor, DE Ben Gardner Named Pac-12 Players Of The Week

Two Stanford players are among the three Pac-12 Players of the Week, the conference announced Monday.

Running back Stepfan Taylor (offensive player of the week) and defensive end Ben Gardner (defensive player of the week) played key roles in the Cardinal's 21-14 upset of No. 2 USC Saturday in Palo Alto. Taylor, a senior, logged a career-high 213 all-purpose yards (153 rushing, 60 receiving) and two touchdowns. Those numbers included a 59-yard touchdown run and a 23-yard score on a screen pass to tie the game at 14 in the third quarter.

Gardner, a senior from Wisconsin, helped the Stanford defense hold USC to 26 total rushing yards. His six total tackles included 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback sack, as the Cardinal defense recorded 12.0 tackles for loss and four sacks against the Trojans.

Stanford's defense dominated USC after halftime, as the Trojans had minus-13 rushing yards and six scoreless possessions - including four three-and-outs.

California running back Brendan Bigelow was a nominee for offensive player of the week.

Stanford Vs. USC: Rule Of Tree Breaks It Down

Rule of Tree took the time to break down Stanford's upset over USC on Saturday into a string of moments. They really don't miss a thing in breaking down the biggest upset of college football's early season.

It includes the best and worst of the game. Best start? Ty Montgomery's opening kickoff of 64 yards to the USC 33-yard line. Best Heisman (Runner-Up) statement? That would go to the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week, Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor. Taylor amassed 153 yards on 27 carries, including a 59-yard touchdown scamper. His performance in such a big game puts him into early season discussions for end of the season awards.

The blog drops GIFs all over the place to provide visual proof to their listed greatness, even showing the disappointing actions of USC's Curtis McNeal, who stepped on Barry Browning's face early in the second half.

A favorite has to be the improbably run by Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes. A third and 10 from the 50 and he avoids three USC defenders like someone hit L2 on a PS2 (is that still the juke button?) Stanford and USC provided plenty of highlights and lowlights and Rule of Tree got it all.

For more on the Stanford Cardinal, join the discussion over at Rule Of Tree. For more on USC football, join the discussion over at Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

Stanford Vs. USC Injury Report: Cardinal Were Helped By Trojan Injury Issues

The Stanford Cardinal picked up a huge victory over the USC Trojans on Saturday night, helping them out quite a bit in the college football rankings. Stanford did get a bit lucky when it came to the injury report, however, as USC definitely left the game worse for the wear.

There weren't any injuries to report for the Cardinal following Saturday night's victory -- though offensive tackle Cole Underwood is still out for the season and fullback Geoff Meinken has yet to return -- but the USC injury report was quite extensive.

The Trojans lost running backs Silas Redd and Curtis McNeal during the game, which was obviously a point of emphasis on Saturday night. The Trojans were also missing centers Khaled Holmes and Abe Markowitz along with kicker Andre Heidari, tight end Christian Thomas. Yet another running back, D.J. Morgan, didn't play on Saturday either.

Considering USC's policy on injury updates, there's no reason to expect new news on these injuries anytime soon.

For more on the Stanford Cardinal, join the discussion over at Rule Of Tree. For more on USC football, join the discussion over at Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

USC Vs. Stanford 2012: Cardinal Fans Excited About Big Upset

The Stanford Cardinal were able to upset the USC Trojans on Saturday night for the fourth time in four tries and, as expected, the Cardinal faithful are pretty excited about once again taking care of business against their rivals. This time was particularly special, however, because the Cardinal didn't need Andrew Luck to do it -- and the Trojans still had Matt Barkley.

Stanford picked up the victory with first-year starter Josh Nunes at the helm of the offense, but our friends over at the Rule Of Tree were more excited about their ability to make USC's offense struggle.

For the first time in school history, Stanford has defeated USC four consecutive times. The Stanford defense played out of its collective mind in tonight's 21-14 win, sacking Golden Boy Matt Barkley five times, picking him off twice, and limiting his vaunted receiving duo to nine catches, 149 yards and zero touchdowns. USC was 1-for-13 -- 1 FOR 13! -- on third downs and managed only 26 yards rushing.

It was obviously a huge victory for Stanford -- they're now ranked ahead of USC in both the USA Today Coaches poll as well the Associated Press' weekly rankings -- and there will likely be even more celebrating coming from Stanford thoughout the early portion of this week.

For more on the Stanford Cardinal, join the discussion over at Rule Of Tree. For more on USC football, join the discussion over at Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

College Football Rankings, Week 4: Stanford Climbs To No. 9 After Upset Win Over USC

On the strength of their upset victory over the USC Trojans at home, the Stanford Cardinal enjoyed a 12-spot bump up in the AP Poll, climbing from No. 21 to No. 9 in the latest set of rankings.

Stanford's 21-14 victory over the Trojans also spelled a 11-spot drop for the formerly No. 2 USC, which falls all the way to No. 13.

Both teams continue to chase the SEC, which deposits four teams in the top 10 and three in the top five - the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, the No. 2 LSU Tigers and the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs.

The Trojans' and Cardinal's fellow Pac-12 combatant, the Oregon Ducks, move up to No. 3, taking over the spot from USC, but did not recieve any of the poll's 60 first-place votes. Alabama received 58 and LSU claimed the other two.

The Pac-12 also lands in the poll with the UCLA Bruins at No. 19 and the Arizona Wildcats at No. 22.

For more Stanford Cardinal coverage, check out Rule of Tree.

Stanford Slays No. 2 USC, 21-14

There is something about Stanford that USC just can't beat. For the past few seasons, it was because of quarterback Andrew Luck. Tonight USC's sloppy play would help a Luck-less Stanford eke out a win over the No. 2 ranked Trojans, 21-14. Thanks to Stanford, USC will no longer be No. 2 when the rankings come out Sunday night.

Josh Nunes had some big cleats to fill taking over at quarterback. Midway through the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 14-14. Stanford needed a touchdown because relying on kicker Jordan Williamson, who had two misses earlier in the game, would be a gamble. In what could be the biggest play of his young career, Nunes completed a 37 yard pass to Zach Ertz for a touchdown. After a made PAT, the score was 21-14 Stanford and that's how it stayed.

The Cardinal proved that Matt Barkley is human. He had two interceptions and threw for zero touchdowns. He wasn't helped by his offensive line either. Barkley was sacked five times.

To celebrate the Cardinal victory, rush on over to Rule of Tree or stick with SB Nation Bay Area.

USC Vs. Stanford Score: Sloppy Play Puts Cardinal Behind Trojans, 14-7

Entering the second quarter tied at 7, the Stanford Cardinal now find themselves down 14-7 to the USC Trojans after some sloppy play in the second quarter from both sides.

The second quarter opened up with a Trojans touchdown after USC converted a 4th and 19, putting the Trojans at the Stanford 1-yard line. As he did in the first quarter, Silas Redd powered his way into the end zone once again, giving the Trojans a 14-7 advantage.

Those would be the only points of the quarter, but that doesn't mean the opportunities weren't there for the taking. After Josh Mauro recovered a Redd fumble, the Cardinal were in good field position to get right back into the game. However, Jordan Williamson missed another field goal attempt, this time from just 23 yards out.

Towards the second half of the second quarter, each team's quarterbacks were turning the ball over at will. At one point, there were three interceptions in the span of three plays and Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley was responsible for two of them.

Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes has completed just six of his passes on the day for 78 yards and two interceptions. In addition, Nunes has rushed for 22 yards.

For more on the Stanford Cardinal, join the discussion over at Rule Of Tree. For more on USC football, join the discussion over at Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation’s college football hub.

USC Vs. Stanford Score: Cardinal, Trojans Tied At 7

The Stanford Cardinal and the USC Trojans went blow-for-blow in the first quarter, as the two teams find themselves tied, 7-7, after one quarter of play.

The game began with an electric 64-yard kickoff return by Ty Montgomery. However, the Cardinal were unable to put points up in that series, as Jordan Williamson missed a 47-yard field goal attempt that went off of the upright and gave the Trojans the ball at USC's 30-yard line.

The two teams then traded a pair of three-and-out drives before the Trojans answered on offense, largely thanks to a 48 yard gain from Matt Barkley to Nelson Agholor that put the Trojans offense at the Stanford 1-yard line. Running back Silas Redd punched it in (thanks to some help from the offensive line), giving the Trojans the early 7-0 lead.

It didn't take long for the Cardinal to respond and run off a big gain of their own, though. With the ball at Stanford's 41, Stanford captain Stepfan Taylor put on some moves off his own and the running back found himself in the end zone for a 59-yard rushing touchdown.

For more on the Stanford Cardinal, join the discussion over at Rule Of Tree. For more on USC football, join the discussion over at Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation’s college football hub.

USC Vs. Stanford 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread And More

The No. 2 USC Trojans travel north to Palo Alto this weekend to face off with the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal down on the farm, with both teams looking to remain undefeated and keep their BCS dreams alive.

Both squads handed out beat downs to Syracuse and Duke last weekend, though likely will be in for a much more tightly contested match this time around. They split their season series last year with one win apiece, including a 56-48 Stanford win in triple overtime.

Here is everything you need to know:

Location: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, Calif.

Time: Saturday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET

TV Coverage: Fox

Radio Coverage: Check stations in your area with tunein.com

Live Stream: USCTrojans.com

Odds: Trojans favored by 9

For more in depth discussion and analysis of the Stanford Cardinal, make your way over to Rule of Tree. For the USC Trojans side of the story, make sure to check out Conquest Chronicles. For everything Pac-12, head on over to Pacific Takes.

Stanford Vs. USC: Cardinal Defensive Backs Face A Big Challenge Against USC

If the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal are going to upset the No. 2 USC Trojans on Saturday they are likely going need a strong performance from their secondary. Stanford's defensive backs face the difficult challenge of trying to stop USC's wide receiver duo of Robert Woods and Marqise Lee.

Through two games this season, Lee and Woods have combined for 37 catches, 398 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Stopping them would be a challenge for any secondary, but Stanford won't rely on one or two players. Instead the Cardinal will rotate cornerbacks to keep fresh players on the field.

"You've got to go in with your guns loaded," said Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason, according to SFGate.com. "These guys are explosive. The games with SC have been long, so you have to make sure you stay fresh."

The Stanford defense is also putting an emphasis on gang-tackling this week in an effort to limit the yards Woods and Lee gain when they do catch the ball. Last season against Stanford, the USC duo combined for 16 catches and 183 yards.

Talk about the game with Stanford football fans at Rule of Tree, and USC football fans at Conquest Chronicles.

Stanford Vs. USC Picks: College Football Experts Taking Trojans

The Stanford Cardinal have beaten the USC Trojans three years in a row and four out of the last five seasons, but none of that seems to mean anything anymore with Andrew Luck and Jim Harbaugh gone. After a slow start to the season, Stanford finds themselves underdogs at home to USC, and not many people are willing to back them.

And by "not many", I mean no one.

USC is picked all across the board by everyone. Seven CBS Sports experts and the Predictor Machine all take the Trojans, both Pat Forde and Graham Watson of Yahoo Sports join the users in backing USC. Finally, Ted Miller and Kevin Gemmell of ESPN's Pac-12 blog take USC in a matchup that will be close to start things off, but then will see USC eventually pull away for a comfortable second half victory. You have to wonder if the Stanford team will feel disrespected and pull out a stronger effort than before.

What do our SB Nation experts think about this game? Bud Elliott of SB Nation has USC. Who does Dan Rubenstein have? Check out the video below.

Talk about the game with Stanford football fans at Rule of Tree, and USC football fans at Conquest Chronicles.

Stanford Vs. USC Injury Report: Ryan Hewitt Returns, Khaled Holmes Questionable?

Heading into their Week 3 Pac-12 meeting, the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal could be welcoming back an important cog in their offensive machine, while the No. 2 USC Trojans may be without one of theirs.

Cardinal fullback Ryan Hewitt is expected to return this week after missing the team's first two games with a sprained right ankle, according to the San Jose Mercury News' Jon Wilner.

Todd Hulak of Stanford blog Rule of Tree sees Hewitt's return as a huge boost for the Cardinal offense:

"In my opinion, he is one of the best FBs in the country and will do a ton for the team's ability to throw play action and he is a very good blocker. He touched the ball 44 times last year and produced 30 1st downs (25) or TDs (5). Not a bad TE recruiting class with Toilolo, Ertz, and Hewitt all the same year."

For the Trojans, the injury that starting center Khaled Holmes suffered during USC's 42-29 win over the Syracuse Orange may force redshirt freshman Cyrus Hobbi to take over his duties, according to Michael Lev of the Orange County Register.

Offensive line coach James Cregg noted at Wednesday practice that the team is "very comfortable" with Hobbi if he needs to take over:

"I feel real comfortable with him, knowing his assignments, what's going on," USC offensive line coach James Cregg said of Hobbi after Tuesday's practice. "He studies the game. We're excited about him."

Holmes exited last week's game on a cart after suffering an apparent right ankle injury in the fourth quarter. The Trojans' backup plan at center could also include starting right guard John Martinez, who was recruited as a center and took some snaps there in spring practices.

For more on the Cardinal, head over to Rule of Tree. For the Trojans side of the story, check out Conquest Chronicles. For more on the Pac-12 in general, please make your way over to Pacific Takes.

Stanford Vs. USC: Matt Barkley The Focus Of Cardinal Defense

The Stanford Cardinal have begun to show signs of the team that won 11 games last year and went to their second straight BCS contest. Stanford has shown they can move the football more effectively, as Josh Nunes did a better job connecting with his potent tight ends Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. With Ryan Hewitt supposedly coming back this week, Stanford's offense should be able to do a better job of moving the football through the air and get the run game going once again.

However, there are still definite issues with Stanford in the leadup to their game with USC, particularly with regards to stopping quarterbacks from passing on their teams. Despite still boasting a run defense that's conceded less than two yards per carry this year, the pass defense has allowed a 67% completion rate and 287 passing yards a game through two contests. Neither Duke nor San Jose State are known for their passing prowess, so it's a serious concern given that Matt Barkley, Robert Woods and Marqise Lee are coming to town this weekend.

How will Stanford stop Barkley? The answer might be pressure with their deep linebacking corps. Stanford radio announcer and former Cardinal player Todd Husak lays out his strategy at Rule of Tree.

When facing a great QB who has WRs that can beat 1 on 1 coverage, blitzes really expose the defense to big plays. I would stick with some zone blitz schemes that typically only bring 4 or 5 rushers but are designed to beat the pass protection. I do think that Shayne Skov and James Vaughters are excellent pass rushing LBs and would give them some opportunities to beat the young Center, but wouldn’t do it often.

Talk about the result with Stanford football fans at Rule of Tree, with USC football fans at Conquest Chronicles, and with Pac-12 fans at Pacific Takes.

BlogPoll 2012, Week 3: Stanford Cardinal Moves Up To 22nd

The Stanford Cardinal football team moved up three spots to No. 22 in SBNation's Week 3 BlogPoll after a convincing smashing of the Duke Blue Devils, 50-13.

The Cardinal face the toughest test of their young season when they host the USC Trojans in Palo Alto. The Trojans dropped down a spot despite winning, as the LSU Tigers won in a more convincing fashion with their 41-3 crushing of the Washington Huskies.

Five Pac-12 teams are ranked in the Top 25 by SB Nation, with the Oregon State Beavers and the Arizona State Sun Devils receiving a few votes. The Oregon Ducks are sitting at No. 4, the UCLA Bruins at No. 20, and the Arizona Wildcats nipping at Stanford's heels at No. 23.

Results for Week 2

#	School	Points/blog	SD	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide (88)	24.90	0.46	--
2	LSU Tigers (2)	22.93	2.33	1
3	USC Trojans (3)	21.93	4.41	-1
4	Oregon Ducks	20.89	4.16	--
5	Georgia Bulldogs	19.16	2.38	3
6	Florida St. Seminoles	17.45	6.06	-1
7	Oklahoma Sooners	17.00	5.38	--
8	Michigan St. Spartans	16.99	2.84	1
9	West Virginia Mountaineers	16.33	4.98	-3
10	Clemson Tigers	15.49	3.49	--
11	South Carolina Gamecocks	14.80	4.78	1
12	Kansas St. Wildcats	12.56	4.05	8
13	Ohio St. Buckeyes (1)	12.48	5.44	1
14	Virginia Tech Hokies	11.99	3.84	2
15	Texas Longhorns	11.01	4.25	3
16	TCU Horned Frogs	7.94	4.78	6
17	Florida Gators	6.77	4.55	10
18	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	6.66	4.71	3
19	Louisville Cardinals	5.98	3.80	4
20	UCLA Bruins	5.90	4.74	21
21	Michigan Wolverines	5.34	4.44	-2
22	Stanford Cardinal	5.07	4.85	3
23	Arizona Wildcats	4.90	4.99	--
24	Tennessee Volunteers	3.97	4.49	--
25	Ohio Bobcats	1.61	3.22	1
Others Receiving Votes: BYU Cougars | Oregon St. Beavers | Baylor Bears | ULM Warhawks | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | Arizona St. Sun Devils | Boise St. Broncos | Nebraska Cornhuskers | Northwestern Wildcats | Utah State Aggies | Arkansas Razorbacks | Iowa St. Cyclones | Wisconsin Badgers | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | Cincinnati Bearcats | Air Force Falcons | South Florida Bulls | Central Florida Knights | Texas Tech Red Raiders | Louisiana Ragin Cajuns | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Duke Blue Devils | Rice Owls | Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Miami Hurricanes | North Carolina Tar Heels | N.C. State Wolfpack
Updated: Sep 11, 2012 7:00 AM PDT

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Rankings 2011

Talk about the game with Stanford football fans at Rule of Tree. Talk about the game with USC football fans at Conquest Chronicles.

Stanford Vs. USC Betting Lines & Odds

The USC Trojans are eight-point favorites to beat the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday in a matchup of two ranked Pac-12 squads. The betting lines opened with USC as a nine-point favorite but that slimmed down after the second week of play.

The No. 2 Trojans (2-0) head to Palo Alto, Calif., after an underwhelming 42-29 win over Syracuse. USC allowed the unranked Orangemen to roll up 455 yards and 10 more first downs than its own offense.

That should give David Shaw's team hope they'll be able to move the ball. Ranked No. 21, Stanford (2-0) is coming off a 50-13 victory against the Duke Blue Devils. They intercepted three Duke passes and limited the Blue Devils to just 27 yards on the ground.

The over-under for the game is set at 56. While the Trojans have the clear offensive advantage with Matt Barkley tossing it to Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, the Cardinal have a better defensive resume early this season, allowing just 15 points a game compared to USC's 19.5.

Check out more on the Trojans at Conquest Chronicles or hit up Stanford's Rule Of Tree.

Stanford Vs. USC: Rule Of Tree Provides Keys To Attacking Trojans

The next team up to try and knock off USC from it's lofty perch at No. 2 in the country is the Stanford Cardinal. It's going to be a difficult task, and the Cardinal will need plenty to go right in order to win. Here's one key to an upset, provided by SB Nation's Stanford blog Rule of Tree. It involves making sure to limit yards after catch for USC receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods.

Tackling in the secondary. We all know Lee and Woods are incredible talents at WR and are responsible for nearly 75% of the passing game production (37 catches, 399 yards and 8 TDs combined through the first two weeks). Many of those catches are short routes in single coverage and they are able to break tackles and turn those underneath passes into huge gains. That means CBs Barry Browning, Terrence Brown, and the rest of the Cardinal secondary are going to have be sure tacklers and limit the yards after the catch.

The Stanford secondary played well against Duke on Saturday and did a decent job on Woods and Lee in last year's game.

Other keys include pressure on Matt Barkley, the USC quarterback, and scoring red-zone TDs on offense.

Talk about the game with Stanford football fans at Rule of Tree. Talk about the game with USC football fans at Conquest Chronicles.

Stanford Vs. USC: Cardinal Try To Topple The Trojan Empire Again

The Stanford Cardinal look to beat the USC Trojans without Andrew Luck after having won the last three games in the series.