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Justin Blackmon's athletic ability falls somewhere between brilliant and baffling. You know it. I know it. Stanford head coach David Shaw knows it. The Cardinal secondary knows it. Every NFL scout knows it.

So how do you stop Oklahoma State's prolific wide receiver? Ah ... a simple question with a nearly impossible answer.

That's the challenge facing the Stanford secondary when the Cowboys and Cardinal clash on Jan. 2 in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Consider Blackmon's résumé this season:

• Six times he went over 100 yards in a game.
• Six times he had double-digit receptions in a game (113 on the year).
• Five times he went for more than 120 yards -- including a 205-yard performance against then-No. 14 Kansas State.
• Five times he had multi-touchdown games.
• He scored at least one touchdown in 10 of 12 games.

Pretty daunting stuff.

Stanford's secondary gives up a lot of yards, about 241 per game. Blackmon gets a lot of yards, about 111 per game. He also finds the end zone, with 15 touchdown receptions this year. However, this is where Stanford's pass defense takes a significant turn for the better. The Cardinal have only allowed 15 passing touchdowns all year. Break that down even further and you'll see that of those 15, only eight touchdowns were caught by wide receivers.

Still, Stanford's secondary gets a bad rap for the yards it yields (the most overblown stat in football, by the way) and its lack of interceptions. Safety Michael Thomas said he and his teammates don't deserve the reputation of being the weak link in Stanford's defense.

"We're not OK with that at all," Thomas said. "At the same time, besides going out and playing, what more can you do? You can't change anybody's opinion unless you go out and play. We get one last shot going against a talented group of receivers -- especially Justin Blackmon -- and we're going to try to make a statement this game to show we can play with the best receivers out there."

If you were paying attention this season, they've already shown it. Stanford has already faced six of the top 20 statistical wide receivers in the country this year: Robert Woods (USC), Michael Floyd (Notre Dame), Keenan Allen (Cal), Marquess Wilson (Washington State), Juron Criner (Arizona) and Noel Grigsby (San Jose State). Against the Cardinal, five of those six performed below their season average. Only Floyd matched (but did not exceed) his season average. Wilson and Grigsby failed to score and Woods, Floyd, Allen and Criner were held to one touchdown each.

Stanford's secondary is also yet to allow a 100-yard receiver this season. That's a major accomplishment the Cardinal defenders are hoping to complete.

"If we stop No. 81, we wouldn't have allowed a 100-yard receiver this season, and I don't know how many other secondaries can say that," Thomas said.

"What's different about him is while he plays physical, he plays bigger than his size and he plays faster than his speed. We've played some very dynamic athletes. This cat brings a whole new dimension. We feel like he plays as fast as he needs to play. There is no flaw in his game whereas other guys we could find something. This guy doesn't have any flaws. But all we can do is prepare for him like we did the rest of them."

Preparation, therein lies another problem. The Cardinal have no one on their roster who can simulate the way Blackmon plays.

"We’ve got about four guys wearing the No. 81 jersey," Shaw said. "It’s hard because we’re trying to practice at game tempo for our team, but there are not many guys in college football that can run full speed eight plays in a row, deep routes, and still come back and not even be out of breath. We’ve been rotating guys in and out because that’s so hard to emulate."

The closest offense Stanford has seen this season to Oklahoma State is Arizona. That's the game the players are going back and watching.

"That's really the only thing we can compare it to," Thomas said. "It's high-tempo, but not like Oregon. But they are like Arizona in terms of depth at the wide receiver position, one stud quarterback who can sit in the pocket and make throws. We're treating them like we did Arizona, but making some tweaks."

Just as Stanford's offense isn't all about Andrew Luck, OSU's receiving game isn't all about Blackmon. Quarterback Brandon Weeden commands the spread offense with precision and efficiency. Tracy Moore has a pair of 100-yard receiving games and four touchdowns. Josh Cooper has gone for more than 100 yards three times.

"They have a bunch of guys who can make plays," Thomas said. "And we'll have packages in place for all of them. But no matter what, you always have to keep your eye on No. 81."

No doubt, Stanford head coach David Shaw is spending a great deal of time thinking about Justin Blackmon, the prolific Oklahoma State wide receiver who will be one of the biggest challenges for the Cardinal in the upcoming Fiesta Bowl.

The polished receiver, who has the size, speed and athleticism to make most defensive coordinators reach for the Pepto is unlike anything the Cardinal have seen this season. Shaw tried to compare him to some of the Pac-12 receivers Stanford has faced, but could only make the comparison by blending two of the conference's top receivers into one.

"He's not quite the size of [Cal's] Keenan Allen, but he plays big, like Keenan plays," Shaw explained. "That ball goes up, he's jumping over people. He makes the tough, acrobatic catches. He doesn't have the super speed of [USC's] Robert Woods, but he runs great routes like Robert does. He changes direction, so he's in the middle between those two guys probably."

As a former NFL assistant who spent years evaluating incoming draftees, Shaw said he knows what a can't-miss pick looks like.

"He's one of those guys that I know NFL scouts are just drooling over," Shaw said. "He's going to be an every-down, starting receiver very early in his career in the NFL."

STANFORD SELLOUT

Remember that bad rap the Cardinal kept getting about not traveling well or having complacent fans? Toss it out. Stanford sold its allotment of 17,500 tickets to the Fiesta Bowl within five days of the game being announced.

This comes on the heels of Stanford selling out six of seven home games this season.

"I think there is great enthusiasm for this team and the players who populate it," Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby said in an email to the San Jose Mercury News. "There is no doubt that the opportunity to see a great group of seniors play one more game was a big motivation."

STAY IN SCHOOL

Shaw said high school seniors graduating a semester early to come to college doesn't work at Stanford -- either academically or athletically. Shaw said he and former head coach Jim Harbaugh studied that scenario and how it would work at Stanford and it didn't add up.

"You have a lot of guys were getting hurt," Shaw said. "It's high school seniors playing college football in spring of their senior year, whereas, with us, those guys finished high school, start to work out and do the things we ask them to do and they get an entire summer to get bigger, faster, stronger, and there's six more months of body maturity, six more months of lifting weights, getting stronger and coming in to the fall ready to play college football."

He'd rather they complete their full high school term, participate in all of the postseason all-star games and make the most of the high school experience.

"I think [all-star games are] great," Shaw said. "I like the fact that the coaches have to stay away from them so they get to be pure. Our stance hasn't changed since we got here, which is enjoy the heck out of high school. Enjoy it. Take advantage of every opportunity. Play multiple sports. If you get into an all-star game, go play in that all-star game. You'll meet guys in an all-star game you are going to play against for the next four years and some of them in the pros as you get older. You can't pass up those opportunities when you're a high school senior. You have to take advantage of every single one of them."

EASY WEEK

With this week being finals, the Cardinal are taking it easy with just two practices before ramping up the practice schedule next week. The first few practices will focus on developing younger players with only a little bit of Oklahoma State. The additional practices are like an extra spring, Shaw said, and he's going to use that time to get younger players some live work.

"We've got to get those young quarterbacks and linemen ready and young receivers we're counting on next year," Shaw said. "They will get a lot of work."

The regular season is over, which means grades are due. Here's part nine of the ongoing regular-season report card for Stanford.

SECONDARY

Grade: C+

Summary: This was the toughest of all the grades to assign – and therefore deserves the most analysis and scrutiny.

On the surface, when you look at just receiving yards against, the Cardinal secondary was not very good. In passing defense, the Cardinal ranked 78th nationally, allowing 241 yards per game in the air. If that’s your only criteria for grading, then a "D" is justified.

Maybe you look at the interception total – just six. Only 10 teams out of 120 had fewer interceptions than the Cardinal. If that’s your main criteria, than a "D-, F" is justified.

But you have to look deeper. I don’t put much stock in the total receiving yards stat. I think it’s one of the most overblown numbers because it doesn’t take into account the flow of the game – or the fact that most teams were playing catch-up against Stanford and were more likely to throw the ball.

So let’s really break it down. Teams passed for an average of 48.8 yards in the first quarter, 83 yards in the second quarter, 41.9 in the third and 63.3 in the fourth. Most teams fell behind early in the first quarter, so they went airborne in the second quarter. They tried to re-establish the running game in the third, then went back to the air in the fourth – so it stands to reason that the Cardinal gave up the bulk of the yards in the air in the second and fourth quarters.

Stanford faced six of the top 20 statistical wide receivers in the country this season: Robert Woods (USC), Michael Floyd (Notre Dame), Keenan Allen (Cal), Marquess Wilson (Washington State), Juron Criner (Arizona) and Noel Grigsby (San Jose State). Five of those six performed below their season average against Stanford. Only Floyd matched (but did not exceed) his season average. Wilson and Grigsby were kept out of the end zone and Woods, Floyd, Allen and Criner were held to one touchdown each.

The Cardinal did not allow an individual 100-yard receiving game this year, and they had one of the best third-down conversion defenses in the country – traditionally a passing down.

Of the 15 passing touchdowns they yielded (that’s top 30 nationally, by the way), only eight went to wide receivers. The remaining seven went to tight ends (5) and running backs (2) which can fall on either the safeties or the linebackers.

A good friend and colleague suggested looking at the total quarterback numbers as a way to gauge the secondary: 249-of-409 (60 percent completion percentage), 2893 yards, 15 touchdowns, six interceptions. If your quarterback put up those numbers, you’d consider that sub-par production.

That’s a lot of information to digest. So what do we make of all of this?

Essentially, they bent, but didn’t break. The tackling in the secondary was suspect all year – and it got worse when safety Delano Howell missed some time with a hand injury. It was clear Stanford was a better secondary when he’s healthy.

Safety Michael Thomas was the glue that held the secondary together. He accounted for half of the team’s interceptions and provided stability and leadership.

Johnson Bademosi is a very good athlete and the best tackler of the cornerbacks. He also led the team with seven pass breakups. But he was flagged quite a bit for pass interference. Corey Gatewood and Terrence Brown rounded out the rotation at cornerback by the end of the season. Gatewood, who moved over from wide receiver, added some much needed depth and athleticism.

In summation, the secondary didn’t win any beauty contests or show much flash or panache. But, for the most part, the defensive backs made the plays when it counted most – in the red zone, on third down and against the toughest wide receivers in the country. They get knocked for the missed tackles and lack of turnovers. But when you really break down their performance, it’s better than most people probably give them credit for.

Backups: Devon Carrington and Jordan Richards both have very bright futures at the safety position. But it was clear they were a downgrade from Howell. That’s not a knock on them, but rather a compliment to how good Howell is. The playing experience they had (Richards appeared in all 12, Carrington in 11) will pay off immensely when they move into more prominent roles next season. The return of Wayne Lyons from a foot injury will also help with depth next season.

On Thursday, we'll be chatting up some college football award finalists in advance of The Home Depot College Football Awards show, which airs Thursday night (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

We'll be setting up shop, mingling with the finalists. So, check in to see who stops by to chat. We'll be grabbing some of the best players from the 2011 college football season, like Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, USC's Robert Woods and Boise State's Kellen Moore.

First thoughts ...

The 2012 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, aka the January NFL Combine, could have as many as five first-round draft picks on the field when the Stanford Cardinal and Oklahoma State Cowboys meet on Jan. 2.

Four of them come from Stanford: quarterback Andrew Luck, offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro and possibly tight end Coby Fleener.

Oklahoma State boasts – hands down -- the nation's best wide receiver in Justin Blackmon. He has 113 catches, 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Cardinal have seen Blackmon-esque wide receivers this season -- Juron Criner, Michael Floyd, Robert Woods, etc. Big, fast, physical wide receivers who can use their bodies to create separation. But seeing players like Blackmon isn't the same as seeing Blackmon.

“The first time I saw him getting ready for Arizona, I put on the Oklahoma State game,” Stanford head coach David Shaw explained. “I’m trying to watch Arizona’s defense but I kept watching Justin. I had to go back to the sheet that had all of the heights and weight on it. Is he really that big? Can he be that big and that fast and that quick? A guy that will catch a 50-yard post and then come back again on the next play and it doesn't look like he's out of breath. He's a phenomenal athlete and an outstanding football player.”

The Cardinal have seen Weeden-esque quarterbacks before -- Nick Foles, Matt Barkley, etc.; quarterbacks with arms who can deliver with pinpoint accuracy. But seeing quarterbacks like Brandon Weeden isn't the same as seeing Weeden.

Oh yeah … did I mention they have Blackmon?

“That guy wearing No. 81 is something special,” Shaw said. “And the combination of those two guys is formidable. It has been. They have other guys. They have good running backs and other wide receivers that make big plays also. But Justin Blackmon I think is a special, special player. Being who I am, that's where my eye gravitates towards when I watch a team like this. I studied receivers for so long in the NFL. This guy is ideal. He's what you're looking for.”

We have a month to pore over statistics, scrutinize every position and every individual battle. But my first thought is that this is an incredibly even matchup.

• Both teams have marquee quarterbacks.
• Both teams have strong passing games – a clear edge to Oklahoma State’s receivers and a clear edge to Stanford’s tight ends.
• Both teams have strong running games, though the Cardinal are a little more balanced and methodical.
• Both have defenses that have taken their share of criticism, but ultimately make plays when they need to.

Of all of the BCS bowl games, this is the headliner. It might not be for the national championship -- both teams had a shot at it, though Oklahoma State has the bigger gripe -- but at first glance this looks to be the most entertaining game on the docket. If my DVR has space for only one of the BCS bowl games, this is the one I'd record.

“I think this game is going to be great for college football,” Shaw said. “I think it's going to be exciting. It has a lot of what you're looking for ... You've got one of the best teams in the nation, won their conference. Have an outstanding quarterback, outstanding receiver and an outstanding system; an opportunistic defense that gets turnovers and plays at a fast tempo with a lot of speed.

“Then you have this little team from the West Coast that runs the football with a prototypical quarterback with a balanced offensive attack and attacking style defense. I think it's going to be exciting. I think it's going to be one of the best bowl games this year.”

Question from reporter: Do you think it will be better than the national championship?

Shaw, with a laugh: “I didn't say that.”

Question from reporter: Will it be higher scoring?

Shaw, with a bigger laugh: “I didn't say that, either.”

Shaw doesn’t have to say it. We’re all thinking it.

Just so we're clear, I'm not a fan of what-ifs. Never have been. But a lot of you are, and I can see the for-kicks value of asking what-if questions.

Over the course of the season, I've kept several of these questions in my back pocket. They were sent to me through email, mailbag and just general conversations with readers at games and around the stadium. These are composites of the most popular what-if questions I've been asked this season.

You guys wanted them, so here we go: Questions worth asking, the "what-if" edition:

• [+] Enlarge
  Matt Kartozian/US PRESSWIREHow would the Oregon game have turned out had Shayne Skov not been injured?
  What if Andrew Luck had left last season? Pretty safe to assume Stanford would not be going to a BCS bowl game. There would have been a quarterback competition, and since Brett Nottingham won the back-up job, let's assume he would have won the starting gig. First-year starting quarterbacks are exactly that -- first year-starters. He would have had some struggles. While the defense would have performed the same, the offense probably wouldn't have clicked as efficiently. With the talent at tight end and running back, plus with the same defense, I would confidently say nine wins. I think they would have dropped Oregon, USC and at least one other road game in which they were favored to win. It happens to almost every first-year guy -- that "one" game where nothing clicks.
• What if Jim Harbaugh was still the head coach? First off, I don't think the San Francisco 49ers would have nine wins. So as a Niner's fan raised in the South Bay during the Montana-to-Rice era, I'm happy he's there. But I think we'd still be looking at an 11-1 season. I don't think the result of the Oregon game would have turned out differently. David Shaw still would have set the general offensive game plan. Stanford has kept the essential defensive system that Vic Fangio installed, with a few new wrinkles. But for the most part, I think things would have turned out the same.
• What if Zach Ertz was healthy and played against Oregon? I like Ertz a lot. But as we saw in the Notre Dame game, the tight ends could use some brushing up on their tackling skills (great hustle by Coby Fleener, bad technique on the horse collar). What I'm getting at is Ertz doesn't play defense. When things became pass-heavy for the Cardinal in the second half against Oregon, another reliable option in the mid-range passing game would have helped. Would it have made enough of a difference to overcome a 23-point loss? I don't think so. Certainly, Luck and the coaching staff would have had more of the playbook at their disposal with the three tight-end sets. But I don't think one tight end would have been enough to make that significant of a difference.
• What if Luck had "marquee" wide receivers, ie. Robert Woods, Ryan Broyles, Justin Blackmon etc? I think they would make fantastic downfield blockers in David Shaw's pro-style offense ... But seriously, I hear this a lot. I think Griff Whalen has given every ounce of talent his body is capable of this season. But it's not like Luck has been throwing to Pee Wee League guys. Fleener is the most productive offensive tight end in college football. Ertz and Toilolo are probably NFL bound down the road. Would his numbers be better? Yeah, probably. But he's had some pretty good targets to throw at this season.
• What if Shayne Skov played the whole season? He would lead the team in tackles. I think we can all agree on that. This takes us back to the Ertz issue versus Oregon. Would Skov had made a difference? In this case, maybe. The Ducks got a lot of their production by running up the middle. You have to think Skov would have been in on at least half of those plays. Would it have been enough? Again, I don't know. I do know this, they won eight of nine games without him, and Stanford's middle linebacking corps looks filthy next season. Jarek Lancaster and A.J. Tarpley return with eight full games of experience under their belts -- plus Skov (not breaking any news here, just assuming he comes back).

So there you have it, your first and only what-if blog post of the 2011 season. The debating flood gates have been opened. The floor is yours ...

Stanford and Notre Dame are both moving on to bowl games -- but first they square off in the regular season finale for both teams. Notre Dame blogger Matt Fortuna and Stanford blogger Kevin Gemmell do their best to shake off turkey hangovers and bring insight into Saturday's matchup.

Kevin Gemmell: Happy post-Thanksgiving to you and yours, Matt. Seeing as Stanford and Notre Dame cross paths this week, it would stand to reason that the Stanford and Notre Dame blogs also come together the day before the game.

There are major bowl implications in this game for Stanford. What's the most important thing the Cardinal need to be on the lookout for when scouting the Irish?

Matt Fortuna: Kevin, same to you and your family as well. I think I'm still in a turkey coma from last night. Obviously, this is the biggest test Notre Dame will have faced all season long. Looking at the numbers throughout this season, I think the Irish's best bet for success is to move the ball through the air and take full advantage of Michael Floyd.

Jonas Gray's knee injury severely hampers Notre Dame's ground attack. The cast is largely unproven behind the smaller Cierre Wood, and Stanford's rushing defense is good enough to have seriously challenged the Irish backfield even if Gray took the field. The Cardinal's weakness, if they have any, would appear to be its pass defense. Tommy Rees will have to improve on his sub-par performance from last week and look more like the Rees from the Maryland game two weeks ago, when he completed 30 of 38 passes and sped up the tempo of the Notre Dame offense. If he can establish a rhythm early, I think we can brace ourselves for a pretty competitive contest.

I'd be remiss to not ask the Stanford blogger about Andrew Luck, so here we go: Should everyone in the Midwest believe the hype? I currently have him atop my ESPN.com Heisman ballot, but I'm wondering if things look as crisp up-close as they do from other parts of the country. What will Notre Dame's secondary need to do to contain Luck?

Kevin Gemmell: Well, if each player on the secondary can add four or five inches, that would be a good start. Luck is going to seek out his tight ends -- Coby Fleener (6-foot-6), Levine Toilolo (6-8) and possibly Zach Ertz (6-6) who hasn't played since the USC game because of a knee injury. Luck doesn't have the receiving corps to stretch the field, but he exploits his mismatches and if one of the Notre Dame defensive backs has one-on-one coverage with a tight end, look out, because Luck will find it.

As for believing the hype? Stanford head coach David Shaw believes it. He went on a pro-Luck tirade Tuesday, saying Luck is doing things no other college player has ever done. In that regard, then yes, believe the hype. Luck is the most intelligent and evolved college quarterback I have ever seen. He sets the formations and then calls the play. And he's good at it. The Cardinal are almost always running the optimal play against the optimal defense because Luck is calling it on the spot. It's pretty amazing to watch him orchestrate the offense.

I was just going over Stanford's record against marquee wide receivers and it's pretty good. They've slowed down Keenan Allen (Cal), Robert Woods (USC) and Juron Criner (Arizona). Since we're talking secondaries, tell me about Michael Floyd and what he brings.

Matt Fortuna: Allen had six catches for 97 yards. Woods had nine for 89. And USC's Marqise Lee added seven catches for 95 yards. I'm not sure if we have the same definition of "slowed down," Kevin. Michael Floyd is big (6-3, 224 pounds), fast and versatile. He has improved his downfield blocking this season, and he is lined up virtually anywhere on the field. Notre Dame likes to find him in the flat often and let him create. Look no further than early in the fourth quarter Saturday, when Floyd took a pass on the right side, did not get a proper block, reversed field completely and ended up with an 18-yard gain on the other end of the field. He is a first-round talent who may fall to the second round only because of his off-the-field history.

Looking at the offensive lines earlier in this week, I was surprised to see the combined weight of Stanford's starters (305 pounds) were only one pound more than Notre Dame's (304). The Cardinal obviously have a pair of first-rounders up front, but what is it about the unit that allows it to impose its will on opposing defenses?

Kevin Gemmell: Come on, Matt. You know better than to fall into the trap of looking at just final statistics. Allen had all six catches in the first quarter and then was blanked the next 45 minutes. Woods was kept out of the end zone until overtime. Pretty sure if Shaw had his choice, he'd prefer Floyd to do all of his damage in the first quarter and then be a non-factor for the rest of the game -- or to hold him without a touchdown for 60 minutes.

But I think we can both agree that getting the ball to Floyd is a priority for Notre Dame and stopping that is a priority for Stanford.

Stanford's offensive line likes to grind. They'll run the power to either side with Stepfan Taylor (who just went over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive year) and they'll rotate fresh backs in regularly -- Tyler Gaffney, Anthony Wilkerson, Jeremy Stewart -- and just pound away. What makes it fun to watch is they'll run essentially the same play out of a bunch of different looks. Sometimes they'll have a jumbo package with six or seven offensive linemen. Other times they'll have two fullbacks and three tight ends. They get funky with their formations and that allows them to lean on teams over the course of the game.

Speaking of offensive lines, Notre Dame is pretty good at keeping Rees' jersey clean. The protection seems solid. Is that a product of them, Rees getting rid of the ball quickly or a little bit of both?

Matt Fortuna: Both Rees and the offensive line have made strides throughout the season. The unit gave up five sacks in the month of September, two of which resulted in Rees fumbles, but the Irish did not allow a single sack from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, when they gave up three to Maryland. Even that seemed more like something that was bound to happen rather than a big breakdown in protection. Mike Golic Jr. has done a great job filling in for the injured Braxston Cave at center, and Rees has done a much better job of releasing the ball more quickly.

OK, Kevin, I don't know how much more talking I can do while still in this turkey-induced coma. Let's get right to it: Who do you got Saturday?

Kevin Gemmell: Well, because of the Thanksgiving week, we both posted our predictions on Wednesday, making this portion of our little chat a bit anti-climatic. And I am sure you got a laugh, as I did, that there was a (spoiler alert) one-point differential in our predictions. I have Stanford winning 31-21. I just don't see Andrew Luck losing (probably) his final home game at Stanford Stadium. I think the Cardinal are motivated to make an impression on voters -- in light of David Shaw's BCS comments on Tuesday -- and I think when you get right down to it, Stanford does a better job taking care of the ball and has more mismatches on offense. Notre Dame gets some points, but Stanford gets the win.

Before you attack the leftovers and fall back asleep, what's your take on why Stanford wins?

Matt Fortuna: Impossible to fall asleep with so many good games on today and tomorrow. The leftovers are only complementary pieces. Anyway, as you mentioned, I like Stanford as well, 31-20. I like the Cardinal for many of the reasons you do — Andrew Luck's last home game, David Shaw's edgier tone this week. But ultimately I think the Irish's young defensive line just won't have enough gas in the tank to hang with Stanford's offense for four quarters, at least not this early in most of their careers. Notre Dame's offense would have had a tough time keeping Stanford off the field as it was, but take big running back Jonas Gray out of the picture, and the situation becomes even less favorable for the road team.

Some thing to keep an eye on in Saturday's matchup between Stanford and Notre Dame.

• National spotlight: David Shaw's comments Tuesday about the BCS system reveals what we've known all along, but no one would say it -- the Cardinal are are ticked off. This is Stanford's last chance to make an argument for a BCS at-large berth -- or, with some crazy happenings over the next week and a half, maybe a national championship berth. Shaw knows what he's doing. A lot of voters who might have casually tuned in to the Notre Dame game will now be watching Stanford with a sharp eye. Shaw invited national scrutiny with his comments Tuesday, and he's going to get it. Question is, what does he do with it?
• Stay positive: While Stanford is one of the best teams in the country at avoiding negative plays, the past two weeks they've lost 25 yards rushing against Oregon and 27 yards against Cal — by far their worst totals of the season. Plus, quarterback Andrew Luck has been sacked five times in the past two games after going down only four times in the previous nine. Negative plays and sacks are drive killers and the Cardinal don't want to give Notre Dame's defense any extra help.
• Attack mode: Notre Dame is one of the best in the country in not allowing sacks. The Irish rank seventh nationally, allowing an average of .73 per game — which means they are good at picking up blitzes and getting rid of the ball quickly. Stanford has only been held without a sack once (against USC) and limited to only one sack once (against UCLA). The Cardinal have at least two sacks in every other game. That puts the pressure on Stanford's secondary. If the Cardinal hope to get to the quarterback, it will likely have to come through coverage sacks. Which leads us to...
• ... Stopping Michael Floyd: This isn't the first elite wide receiver the Cardinal have faced this season. They also know how to stop them -- after they've gone through the lineup one time around. Consider: Last week, Cal's Keenan Allen caught six balls for 97 yards -- all in the first quarter. No catches after that. Arizona's Juron Criner did most of his damage in the first half. USC's Robert Woods was kept out of the end zone until overtime. Stanford's secondary has a pretty good track record at keeping elite wide receivers at bay.
• Heisman push: This is Luck's last chance to win over (or win back) voters who might have strayed following the Oregon game. This is the perfect scenario for him to clinch. National game. Storied opponent. He doesn't need to put up mega-numbers. That hasn't been his game all year. He just needs to do what he does well -- which is clean, efficient football. He still has a second chance to make a first impression on a lot of voters. I don't see him squandering it.

LOS ANGELES -- Quick observations on an epic game in Southern California.

How the game was won: First, Stepfan Taylor scored from 2 yards out with 38 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 34-34. Then Taylor plowed in from 5 yards out in the third overtime period and Andrew Luck completed the 2-point conversion to Coby Fleener. USC’s Curtis McNeal fumbled to end the game.

Turning point: USC wide receiver Robert Woods failed to get out of bounds at the Stanford 35 as time expired. Despite two timeouts, USC was unable to get a field-goal attempt because Woods went for the sidelines rather than going down and taking a timeout.

Stat of the game: Two — the number of times Luck was sacked this game after being sacked just twice in the previous seven games. Both came on third down.

Best call: Stanford’s double-reverse, wide-receiver pass out of the wildcat. Running back Tyler Gaffney took the direct snap, handed off to Anthony Wilkerson on an end-around, who flipped it to Luck, who was lined up as a wide receiver. Luck then connected with Ty Montgomery for a 62-yard gain.

Unsung hero of the game: Cardinal linebacker A.J. Tarpley played his best game of the season, notching an interception in the first half and finishing the game with nine tackles. He also recovered McNeal’s fumble on the game’s final play.

Second guessing: With Stanford knocking on the door, trailing 27-24 in the fourth quarter, the Cardinal went back to the wildcat on third-and-8 on the USC 13 with 5:20 remaining. Gaffney took the direct snap and ran for just 2 yards. Eric Whitaker converted the 29-yard field goal to tie the game, but I wasn’t a fan of taking the ball out of Luck’s hands at a crucial point in the game.

What it means: The Cardinal are still in the conversation for a spot in the national championship game.

LOS ANGELES -- Couple of quick notes before USC and Stanford kickoff.

• USC injury questions: Wide receiver Robert Woods looks good to go, as does kicker Andrew Heidari. Running back George Farmer, however, is sporting a boot and won't play.
• Lots of future NFL players on the field. Seven NFL scouts on hand, including two from the Atlanta Falcons. Also with scouts in the press box: Green Bay, Houston, Cleveland, Philadelphia and the New York Giants.

My guess is that USC coach Lane Kiffin lets it all hang out Saturday night.

Expect to see some trick plays. Expect for him to go for it on fourth down a bunch. I expect the Trojans to come out goosed early. That might include an early lead.

Know what would be a big confidence builder? If the Trojans could get an early sack of Andrew Luck. The Cardinal has yielded just two sacks this season, fewest in the nation.

Further, with Stanford missing safety Delano Howell, it's hard to believe Kiffin isn't going to be looking for every way possible to free Woods up in space and see if he can make something happen in the Cardinal back half.

Friday's chatter heading into tomorrow's game against USC.

• Saturday's game will feature two very special quarterbacks.
• For all of the Andrew Luck hype, Stanford is built to be a running team.
• USC's Robert Woods wouldn't mind a repeat performance from last season.
• Saturday's game is likely to be another showdown of quarterbacks.
• With all of the quarterback hype, it's easy to forget about the two elite tackles in this game.
• USC should get its yards, but Luck will be too much for USC's defense.
• Four (not so) preposterous predictions for the USC-Stanford game.

Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller looks at two steps USC needs to take to upset the Cardinal. Stanford blogger Kevin Gemmell counters with two steps Stanford must take to avoid the upset on the road.

Ted Miller: There are two steps that USC needs to take to upset Stanford. The first is to at least approach a stalemate at the line of scrimmage. That's easier said than done. Seven previous opponents have tried, and all seven badly failed. The next step is for Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley to attack a Cardinal secondary that has shown some vulnerability at times and will be missing its leader, safety Delano Howell. Start with the line of scrimmage. Stanford faces another highly rated run defense in the Coliseum after it utterly trenched one a week ago. Before Washington gave up 446 rushing yards to the Cardinal, it ranked 17th in the nation in run defense, yielding less than 100 yards per game. Now it gives up an average of 147 yards per game. USC boasts the nation's No. 11 run defense, surrendering just 91 yards per game. How might that number look on Sunday? Forget shutting down the Stanford ground attack. But what about holding it to, say, 150 yards? Same thing on the other side of the ball. Stanford ranks third in the nation in run defense (75.6 yards per game). What if the Trojans, who showcased a suddenly potent running game at Notre Dame, can get at least, say, 125? That seems like it would be enough to slow down the Pac-12's best pass rush, which should give Barkley time to connect with Robert Woods and company. In last season's 37-35 loss at Stanford, Barkley outplayed Andrew Luck, throwing for 390 yards and three touchdowns. If he can be as efficient again Saturday, and the Trojans' lines hold their ground, USC has a chance to end the Cardinal's 15-game winning streak and national title hopes.

Kevin Gemmell: There are two steps that Stanford has to take to avoid the upset. And the first starts on offense. Trees Company, Tree Amigos, whatever you want to call them, the tight ends are the difference-makers in this game, as they have been all season for the Cardinal offense. USC has an athletic secondary, and maybe outstanding safety T.J. McDonald (6-foot-3, 34 tackles, two interceptions) can take one of the three tight ends out of a play. But what do you do when the other two are on the field at the same time? It's the formations with Coby Fleener (6-foot-6), Zach Ertz (6-6) and Levine Toilolo (6-8) that make the Cardinal so difficult to defend. And then when they motion fullback Ryan Hewitt (15 catches, 143 yards, three touchdowns) out of the backfield, the 6-4, former tight end gives Luck a fourth receiving option that towers above the rest of the USC secondary. Plus, USC has been susceptible to big games by other tight ends this season. That's a mismatch the Cardinal will likely exploit every chance they get. The second step should be fairly obvious to anyone who has watched a Stanford game this season. Defensively, it all comes down to tackling. Stanford head coach David Shaw said after Week 1 that missed tackles in the secondary is what loses games. His players haven't proven him right yet -- specifically because they have been able to make the proper adjustments mid-game. But USC is faster than any team the Cardinal have faced this season, so one or two missed tackles could quickly turn into seven or 14 points. Last week we saw the Cardinal miss several one-on-one tackles that led to big plays for Washington early in the game. The emphasis this week has been on gang tackling, wrapping up and not simply dropping the shoulder. USC's offensive skill players will just bounce right off of that. Wrap up on defense, wrap up the win.

A few things to keep an eye on as No. 6 Stanford heads south to face USC on Saturday.

• Running with confidence: Stanford running backs are coming off the greatest game in school history. Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney both went for more than 100 yards against Washington, Anthony Wilkerson put together his strongest game of the season and Jeremy Stewart got the job done with his usual short-yardage production. Plus fullback Ryan Hewitt, who hasn't logged a carry in back-to-back games, had his strongest blocking performance of the season. As we know, you can't run if you can't block, which leads us to ...
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Cary Edmondson/US PresswireAfter a field day against Washington, Stepfan Taylor and his fellow Stanford running backs face a stiffer test at USC.
• ... Offensive line play: Stanford ran wild on a top-20 rush defense last week, but USC's is better, coming in 11th nationally and allowing just 91.1 yards per game. This is the toughest defensive front the Cardinal have faced this season, so all the improvement we've heard (and seen) from the offensive line will be put to the test. Stanford's bread-and-butter running play is the power, and it's up to quarterback Andrew Luck to make the right call against the right defensive alignment. He's been nearly perfect this season, according to head coach David Shaw. He'll need to be perfect again.
• Wrap up: The cornerbacks have the unpleasant task of dealing with Trojans wide receiver Robert Woods, whom Shaw called the most developed player for his age he's ever seen. He had a monster game against the Cardinal last season, and tackling in the secondary has been spotty, to say the least. Woods will get his catches, but it's what he does after those catches that will make or break this game -- particularly with safety Delano Howell expected to be on the sidelines for the second consecutive week.
• Time for Trees: After a relatively quiet week against Washington, it's time for the tight ends to get involved in the game. Stanford isn't as likely to have the same success on the ground as it did against Washington. Stanford has the biggest advantage of any team in the country with its speedy, oversized tight ends. Look for them to exploit that every chance they get. If they are covered up, look for Hewitt out of the backfield to have a big contribution in the receiving game.
• The other line: Stanford's defensive line and linebackers are pretty good, too -- especially when it comes to getting after the quarterback. The Cardinal rank fourth nationally with 3.6 sacks per game. That creates quite the standoff with USC's offensive line, which is fifth nationally in sacks allowed. Part of it is good blocking, but part of it is quarterback Matt Barkley being efficient and getting rid of the ball quickly. If the Cardinal can get to Barkley, the numbers swing severely in their favor. But it's a really big if.

Stanford coach David Shaw doesn't want to "stop" USC wide receiver Robert Woods. Shaw knows better than that. He knows you can't devote the majority of your defensive resources to one side of the field.

"For a guy like that you don't say you're going to shut him out," Shaw said. "That's the one things you don't say. What you do say is you want to limit him. You want to make sure when he catches the ball you have guys around him, you gang tackle him. You keep him from making the big play and the momentum-changing play. You just try to corral and minimize the yards he gets after the catch because if you don't he can be special."

The sophomore sensation has been on fire this season -- particularly in the last three weeks where he's caught 31 balls for 410 yards and four touchdowns.

But that's not what concerns Shaw. He's more concerned with how USC has started to add a running game to a high-powered passing attack.

"They have run the ball better," Shaw said. "The quarterback has been playing on a high level all year. Woods is about the best route running receiver I've seen in college football in 10 years. The guy can run every single route and he makes it look easy. He's been playing at a high level.

"But as much as they get the ball to him, they have been able to spread it around. Other wide receivers have made plays, tight ends make plays, running backs makes plays. They've been more balanced. That's what makes them dangerous."

After starting their first four games averaging 33 rushing attempts per game for 142.5 yards, the Trojans have averaged 38 carries per game for 155 yards. In last week's win over Notre Dame, USC set season highs in rushing attempts (44) and yards (219).

But Stanford isn't just going to treat Woods like any other receiver. He'll get his share of bracket looks and leaning safeties with the hope that gang tackling will keep his yards after the catch down.

Last year Woods used the Stanford secondary as the welcome mat for his official coming out party, catching 12 balls for 224 yards and three touchdowns -- including a 61-yarder. And Stanford players vividly remember that.

"Let's be real, it's out there. He torched us last year," said safety Michael Thomas. "That did motivate us to play better. We want to think we're not the type of secondary to give up big yards and allows any type of receiver to come in and destroy us like that. It's motivation this week. We're going to game plan and work the plan the coaches give us to try to limit him from making those big plays. It's going to be a great challenge but I think we're up to it."

Added Shaw: "He's a guy that can take over a game. And you don't usually say that about a receiver. You say that about a quarterback. You say that about a running back. I'm a guy who spent nine years in the NFL evaluating every receiver that came into the draft every single year. He's as good of a route-runner at this age I've ever seen."

Stanford's up-and-coming safety talks about some of the challenges the Cardinal face this week heading south to take on USC.

First down: The defense is coming off a game where it allowed the most rushing yards of the season (172). What do you take from that?

Devon Carrington: It's something we have to correct. We went back in film and watched it and the coaches addressed it. The focus is on USC and they are very similar in their style as Washington. It's something we'll make the adjustments for and I think we'll be fine.

Second down: How does Robert Woods compare to some of the other wide receivers you've faced this year?

Carrington: He's an outstanding player, like all of the other receivers we've faced. We have to know where he is on the field at all times and make our adjustments accordingly and play our defense and just be aware that you might have to make a play at any time.

Third down: What are some of the other challenges USC presents on offense besides Woods?

Carrington: They are a very balanced offense. They have a great running game. So when a team like that runs the ball, it sets them up for the play-action pass. They have a great QB in (Matt) Barkley. They are good at establishing the run. We have to be on our Ps and Qs and stop the run first and go from there.

Fourth down: Coming off of a 44-point victory, what's the confidence level of the team right now?

Carrington: It was a great win for us. But ever since Monday, it's left our minds and we're trying to go 1-0 each week so we can accomplish some of our goals this year.