Stanford Season Odds
STANFORD, CA (The Spread) – The Stanford Cardinal are out of luck, figuratively and realistically, heading into the 2012 College Football Season. Here is a look at their odds to win a title this year.
View Current College Football Odds
The Cardinal come into their first season without quarterback Andrew Luck, still with some high hopes, but it will be up to second-year coach, David Shaw, to really keep the team going. The team is coming off an 11-2 season with Luck, and will be seeking their third-straight 10-win season in 2012.
According to oddsmakers, Stanford has been given 60/1 odds to win the 2013 BCS National Championship, while they have been given 25/1 odds to win the Pac 12 Conference Championship, and 10/1 odds to win the Pac 12 North Division. The over/under for wins for Stanford this season has been set at 8.
Aside from losing Luck, Stanford also loses its three leading receivers from last season. One player that is back on offense is running back Stepfan Taylor, who rushed for 1,330 yards and 10 scores in 2011. He will be relied heavily on as sophomore quarterback Brett Nottingham attempts to replace Luck. Nottingham has seen very limited action, but will need to develop quickly if the Cardinal hopes to win a championship.
Defensively, Stanford brings back 7 starters, including six of the front seven that allowed just 84 rushing yards per game last season. The area the Cardinal will struggle with is the secondary, as they have just one starter back, and the defense allowed over 250 passing yards per game a year ago. Stanford will need great pressure on the QB this season, which was a strength last year, as they had 39 sacks as a team.
When looking at the schedule, Stanford opens with a pair of easy games in San Jose State and Duke, but things get real quickly as USC comes to town on Sept. 15. The Cardinal also makes trips to Notre Dame, California, Oregon and UCLA. With these tough road trips and an inexperienced quarterback, contending for the conference and for 9 wins could be a great challenge.
For total odds for the Stanford Cardinal for the 2012 College Football Season, see below.
2012 Stanford Season Odds
2013 BCS National Championship Odds: 60/1
2012 Pac 12 Conference Championship Odds: 25/1
2012 Pac 12 North Division Odds: 10/1
2012 Over/Under Win Total Odds: 8
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