Each year in college football, teams around the country enter premier match-ups on a weekly basis and Week 11 of the 2013-2014 season is no different. With multiple top 25 showdowns on the schedule including a massive Big 12 battle between No. 6 Baylor and No. 10 Oklahoma as well as a throw down between No. 1 Alabama and No. 13 LSU in the SEC, this weekend could pan out to be one of the best overall slates fans of college football are treated to all year.
Another high profile contest set to take place this week pits the undefeated and No. 3 ranked Oregon Ducks against No. 5 Stanford. The Cardinal picked off Oregon in Eugene last season, ending the Ducks' perfect season and with both teams still in play for a possible appearance in the 2013-2014 BCS National Championship Game, the upcoming clash between the Pac-12 rivals may be the best game played all season. That's saying something considering the college football world has already been treated to fantastic showdowns between the Georgia Bulldogs and Clemson Tigers and Alabama/Texas A&M, just to name a few.
Though Stanford (7-1 overall, 5-1 Pac-12) continues to play solid football since a Week 7 loss to Utah, head coach David Shaw knows the task of upending the Oregon Ducks, even at home, will be extremely tough considering the team is extremely balanced on both sides of the ball. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota - perhaps the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy - will be a separate issue for the Cardinal as well, according to Shaw.
"I thought last year he was the best quarterback in the nation, and I feel the same way this year," Shaw said of Mariota. "I don't care about stats. Stats don't mean anything. You watch the film, you see a kid that makes every throw. Every throw is accurate. Twenty touchdowns and no interceptions? Every ball is perfect, every ball is in stride, every ball there's no wobble on it. Everything's pretty. As a former receiver, you always appreciate that, a guy that just throws a pretty ball. And then when nobody's open, he just takes off and outruns everybody. You're designing a quarterback, that's what you want."
Mariota's last interception came in the 2012 17-14 loss to Stanford and even though he hasn't given up the ball through the air yet this season, the Cardinal are certainly hopeful they're able to get to him Thursday night at Stanford Stadium.
Oregon Ducks vs. Stanford Cardinals: DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 7
TIME: 9 p.m., ET
TV COVERAGE: ESPN
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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