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Stanford crushes Oregon's title hopes with power football

Tyler Gaffney helps the Cardinal possess the ball for 42½ minutes with 45 carries (and one reception).
Tyler Gaffney helps the Cardinal possess the ball for 42½ minutes with 45 carries (and one catch). (USATSI)
STANFORD, Calif. -- That pesky Utah loss will probably prevent this, but Bama-Stanfordwould be delicious.
Until proven otherwise, power football still prevails. That Oregon's no-huddle attack, with its Hi-Liter uniforms, could translate record-setting offense into a national title is still a tease. The 26-20 loss to Stanford on Thursday's national stage took everything you think you knew about college football this season and torched all of it.
Get a nasty offensive line and move people until they can stop you, just like Stanford did with its slow Duck roast. The Stanford offense that once belonged to Jonathan Martin, whose face is emblazoned in Stanford Stadium as an All-American, milked clock for more than 42 minutes and converted 12 of its first 16 third downs with glass-chewing toughness.
Just how the SEC would do it, right, David Shaw?
Stop it.
As Stanford's leader left the stadium, still holding a colorful play sheet the size of a Denny's menu, he was asked whether he had an ounce of intrigue about what Stanford would do in a full SEC schedule.
He really doesn't like the SEC comparison, he reminds.
There's no tougher conference schedule to navigate than the Pac-12's, Shaw says, in part because of the SEC's November "cupcake" nonconference games such as FCS opponents.
"You can write that -- cupcakes," Shaw told CBSSports.com. "It's hard from here on out in our conference."
Comments like Shaw's deepen the cross-country curiosity for a fight that probably won't happen. Don't count on FSU, which won't play a team with a winning record the rest of November, to drop a game. And if Bama or FSU fall, Baylor or Ohio State might have the undefeated trump card.
But if you extract Stanford's curious 27-21 loss to Utah nearly a month ago, do you see a contender?
"I'll let the country see what we're all about," Shaw said.
This game was unfortunate. People came all the way to California to watch a light show. Instead, they saw one of the best offenses of the past few years relegated to garbage-time touchdowns. Oregon first scored with 10:11 left, a 23-yard strike from Marcus Mariota toDaryle Hawkins.
For all the talk of Oregon fans wanting Bama, the Ducks really wanted a nap through the first three quarters. De'Anthony Thomas wanted 40 points, but the Ducks barely got off 40 plays.
Stanford's game plan was clear-cut: keep Oregon on the sideline.
"We went to the locker room and I felt we hadn't even played yet," Oregon left tackle Tyler Johnstone said.
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Posted by: Tukiyooo Stanford Football Updated at : 8:52 AM
Saturday, November 9, 2013

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