ESPN analyst predicts Hawai'i will spoil Troy Taylor's first game at Stanford

The Rainbow Warriors were almost able to beat Vanderbilt in Week 1

With college football in full swing this week we will finally be able to lay eyes on what is the new era of Stanford football.

The Cardinal experience a decade of success under David Shaw that saw multiple Rose Bowl victories and Heisman finalists, but unfortunately the past couple years have erased that success from most people's minds. With Shaw no longer in power, Stanford turned to Sacramento State's Troy Taylor.

The offensive mastermind is set to lead the Cardinal into a brand new era of football with high octane offenses that push the ball down field with reckless abandon. However, while Taylor and his staff full of young coaching stars like Bobby April III are viewed as the perfect group to turn Stanford around, they did inherit a roster that was decimated by departures.

Last season, Stanford was one of the most experienced teams in the country so at the conclusion of the season they lost a handful of players to the draft and around 20 transfers to the portal. This has left Taylor with a roster full of inexperienced players that will now have a chance to prove themselves. However, that hasn't stopped people from doubting the Cardinal. They are widely viewed as the worst team in the Pac-12, and according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg will get upset by Hawaii (0-1) on Friday. 

Coach Timmy Chang's team already has played and held its own at Vanderbilt before a late interception ended an encouraging performance from quarterback Brayden Schager. Stanford is a big mystery as it makes its debut under new coach Troy Taylor with a long trip. Hawai'i rides the emotion of its first game on the island since the devastating Maui fire and beats Stanford on a late touchdown.

The Cardinal are currently favored by just 3.5 points, and based on the Rainbow Warriors' performance against Vanderbilt, their inexperienced secondary could be in for a difficult matchup.