How Will Stanford Cardinal Football Fare According to the Analytics?

We are around just three months away from Stanford football season, but football spirits are already building.

Stanford football has seen a turn to mediocrity in recent years, following their immense success as a program before the 21st century. A poor coaching hire in Troy Taylor, and NIL issues have made the Cardinal strangers to the new ways of college football. This has been evident with their four straight 3-9 seasons.

However, going into 2025, things may be starting to turn around. A great coaching hire in former NFL head coach Frank Reich for the 2025 campaign, a few interesting transfers coming in, and a solid start on the recruiting side makes it seem as if Stanford could be turning around the ship.

Using Punt and Rally, a website that looks at predictions and projections for the upcoming college football season, we can take a look at where the analytics expect the Cardinal to finish. With so much change happening during the offseason, it's tough to get a grasp on just how the 2025 could play out, so the computers may be able to lend us a hand here.

In week one, the Cardinal take on Hawaii on the road. Although head coach Timmy Chang has been turning the Rainbow Warriors around, Stanford is favored by 3.5 on the island, with a 62% chance to win.

Stanford follows up the week 0 game with three tough tests: BYU on the road, Boston College at home, and Virginia on the road. The analytics give Stanford just an 11% chance against the Cougars, and 33% and 30% against the two ACC opponents. Four games in, the Cardinal are projected to be 1.3-2.7. In simpler terms, 1-3.

After, Stanford hosts San Jose State, where they have a 55% chance to take down the Spartans. However, after the Spartans, things get a lot more difficult. The final seven games of the season the Cardinal are underdogs, except against Cal for The Big Game, where they lay even. Analytics suggest Stanford wins just 1.3 games in this timeframe, finishing the season 3.2-8.8.

The oh so familiar 3-9 season may be looming.

Overall, the analytics seem pretty negative about Stanford football this upcoming season. They expect a decent start to the season before a grueling midseason crisis, but follow it up with a rivalry win over Cal. Even if Stanford went 3-9 for a fifth straight season, this is a year of change for the program, and a win against the Golden Bears would certainly help.

While the analytics aren't too high on Stanford football at the moment, there is still a lot of time for this team to grow and prepare for the 2025 campaign. They have a new coach, a new quarterback, and hopefully a new (and better) record than the previous four seasons.