Stanford over No. 7 Oregon

Last season, the now-No. 7 Ducks needed RB LeGarrette Blount to punch in a TD with six ticks left on the clock in Eugene for the win. While freshman LaMichael James has played remarkably in Blount's stead, the best running back in this contest isn't on Oregon's roster ... he's on Stanford's. The conference's leading rusher, Cardinal RB Toby Gerhart racked up 125 yards on the ground two weeks ago against Arizona State's No. 4 ranked rush defense. Six yards shy of 1,000 for the season, Gerhart should easily surpass that milestone vs. the Ducks and add to his total of 13 TDs on the season. Emerging Stanford QB Andrew Luck offers a great complement to the bruising back. Having thrown nine touchdowns against three picks this season, the freshman is the Pac-10's top-rated passer and sits behind only Washington's Jake Locker in total offense. Coming off of a bye and playing at home, the Cardinal could steal one from an unfocused Oregon squad. — Alex Dowd