Stanford opens as a huge underdog against rival Notre Dame

Stanford's schedule has done them no favors at all this season, as after playing against Colgate they had the pleasure of taking on three AP Top 25 teams.

They lost all three of those games by double digits, but had a prime chance to bounce back against an Oregon State team who was without their starting quarterback. The first 59.5 minutes as well as it could for Stanford, as they even built a double digit lead at one point. However, their misfortune that has been plaguing them all year struck again, and they would go on to lose in the final 30 seconds of the game.

In terms of likeliness of winning a game, that Oregon State game was probably the best shot that Stanford had the rest of the way. Now, they are back on the road for the third time in four weeks to take on their hated rival Notre Dame.

The Irish got off to a slow start this season dropping games to Ohio State and Marshall, but have since picked up some major steam winning their last three games. Even without their starting quarterback Tyler Buchner, the Irish have hit a hot streak as of late which doesn't bode well for Stanford who seems to keep catching their opponents while they ascend. After a close win over Cal that came down to a Hail Mary attempt (not the prayer), the Irish were able to win a shootout in Chapel Hill against North Carolina, and pull off the upset against No. 16 BYU this past week.

The oddsmakers are clearly confident that Notre Dame will continue to trend upwards, as they are currently 16.5 favorites over Stanford, which is one of the largest lines of the season for a Stanford opponent. This is also the fifth straight game that the Cardinal have been underdogs.

This loss could end up being devastating for a Stanford team that seems to just be skidding through the season.