24 Jan 11 Stanford-Oregon: College Football Lines Show Ducks the Favorites

Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesThe No. 9 Stanford Cardinal will face off against the No. 4 Oregon Ducks on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 8 pm ET, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.Both teams are 4-0 and are coming off big wins in Week 4 as they head into a game that could decide who will lead the Pac-10 by the conclusion of this weekend.The latest college football odds show the Ducks as -7 favorites over the Cardinal with a total of 65.5 points.The biggest question surrounding the Cardinal (4-0) coming into the 2010 season was whether or not it Baltimore Ravens jersey
could be a contender for the Pac-10 title without standout running back Toby Gerhart. The answer is yes.Meanwhile, the offseason tribulations surrounding the Oregon Ducks (4-0) camp had many doubting Oregonchances of repeating as Pac-10 champions. They are, of course, without heralded quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who is now plying his trade at Ole Miss after being kicked off the team before the start of the 2010 season.In last yearmeeting between these two teams, Oregon was coming off a big win over the USC Trojans but suffered its first conference loss of the season at Stanford, 51-42.It would be easy to get caught up in thinking that the Ducks will roll over Stanford when you look at the way they have outscored their opponents thus far, 231-44. In reality, both the offense and the defense have not really lived up to all the preseason hype, the latter of the two showing in last weekgame at ASU, where the Ducks gave up plenty of yards: 597, Arizona Statemost since 2000.While the Ducks have struggled against the run this year, Buffalo Bills jersey
their pass rush has been solid.With that being said, the run game of Stanford could give the Ducks defensive line serious problems all day. The Cardinal will likely set up in a big formation with a pair of tight ends and run it right at Oregon from the get-go.Stanford will also bring its 12th overall defense to Autzen, which is limiting its opponents to just 13 points per game. Now they will face the triple threat of Darron Thomas, LaMichael James, and Kenjon Barner. There arenmany teams that match up well with the Ducks' speedy rushing attack, and the Cardinal defenders will need to be on their toes.Where the rubber meets the highway is the passing attack, and it here that Stanford truly has the advantage with QB Andrew Luck.Mind you, Oregon has been getting solid play from their pass defenders, but they are about to see a quarterback unlike any they have seen all year. He is aided by a solid receiving corps with Doug Baldwin, Chris Owusu, and Ryan Whalen. All three have the potential to make big catches and stretch the secondary.The key to Lucksuccess will be the success of the run game. If Stanford can get the running game going, Luck will be able to go to play action and take his shots downfield.MattFree Football Picks: Stanford+7Oregon will have the advantage of playing at home, but that wonbe enough to capsize a Stanford ship that is driven by Luck and his supporting cast.If you are looking to beat the college football odds this season, be sure to make your way back for our expert college football picks each week from the best handicappers in the business.