Stanford Vs. Colorado: Cardinal Picked To Breeze Through

What is your score prediction for the Colorado game and why?

Scott Allen, Rule of Tree: Stanford 40, Colorado 13. I'm more confident about the 13 than the 40, but I think Hogan's increased playing time will help spark the offense and Stepfan Taylor will run wild against the nation's 103rd-ranked rushing defense.

Hank Waddles, Go Mighty Card: Stanford 31, Colorado 6. Judging by Coach Shaw's tone and demeanor during his post-game press conference, not to mention that of the players, I'm guessing this was a fairly focused week of practice. Everyone involved understood that last week's performance was unacceptable for this program, and I think the senior leadership on the team probably drove that idea home to the younger players. Last week the expectation was to win, but I think that lackluster effort places increased importance on Saturday's game. I think it's important for the Cardinal to do more than win; they need to dominate. I expect they will.

What were the most encouraging developments that Stanford can take as a sign of progress for the team going forward?

Scott Allen, Rule of Tree: The rushing defense was dominant (albeit against a team with no running game) and the school-record 10 sacks were great, but the most encouraging signs were that Kevin Hogan took a season-high four snaps and the play-calling was a bit more imaginative. Shaw said Hogan has earned more playing time and he'll get it against Colorado. That's a step in the right direction.

Hank Waddles, Go Mighty Card: Well, it's always nice to have a win going forward, but that's about it. The defense played well again, but this defense is so good that that's come to be expected. Quite frankly, there weren't too many positives coming out of the Washington State game aside from the victory.