2007 Stanford Cardinal College Football Picks & Predictions


June 6, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

The Stanford Cardinal are in line to be the bottom feeder of this conference once again with a 1-11 showing last season. But the Cardinal returns a senior quarterback, its top two tailbacks, a veteran line and a good receiving corps. For most teams, that would suggest a productive season ahead. But that’s not necessarily so for Stanford. Stanford should be better than last year, but how could they not be? Senior T.C. Ostrander is an elite quarterback. Getting the majority of snaps in training camp should help his efficiency.

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The line has been awful for years. Just because Allen Smith, Alex Fletcher, Mike Brewer and Tim Mattran are back doesn’t guarantee they will be any good. Tailbacks Anthony Kimble and Toby Gerhart are solid players who obviously need holes to run through. They have not proven to be capable of making big plays on their own. Unless the line protects Ostrander, the talented receivers will languish. Sophomore Richard Sherman is the go-to guy with 34 catches a year ago and has been tagged as one of the best young wideouts in the Pac-10. Senior Evan Moore and Mark Bradford must stay healthy. If that is the case, the Cardinal will have enough playmakers to double its 2006 average of 10.6 points per game.

Eight starters return on defense. But as with the offense, that doesn’t necessarily mean much. The Cardinal defenders yielded 31 points and 388 yards per game last season. Part of the problem was the 3-4 scheme in which the unit lacked the personnel to be efficient. New coach Jim Harbaugh is switching to an attacking 4-3, which seems better suited for this talent. The entire line returns including the Udofia Brothers. These guys might be Stanford’s most-talented interior lineman since Willie Howard.

The biggest hole on defense is at linebacker. The Cardinal must replace its only all-conference player in Michael Okwo who posted 95 tackles his senior year. Clinton Snyder has playmaker potential on the outside, but there is not much optimism in the middle. There’s also a big hole to fill in the middle of the secondary. Cornerback has always been a touch position for the Cardinal to fill. Tim Sims, Nick Sanchez and Wopamo Osaisai have improved substantially. The just have to transfer this improvement to real-game situations, otherwise it will be another long year for the secondary.

With eight home games and anew intense and motivating coach in Jim Harbaugh, the Cardinal could reach four wins. But there are so many holes that a few key injuries or bad breaks could result in another awful season. Four wins may not seem like much, but it would be a big win in Harbaugh’s first season as the head man of Stanford football.

Odds to Win BCS:
Sportsbook:  50-1 (Field)
Bodog:          50-1 (Field)
BetUS:         +1200 (Field)

Odds to Win Pac 10:
BetUS:         +4000

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