Two of the most academically prestigious schools in the country meet up in Australia to begin the If-this-was-a-speech-and-debate-platform-or-a-jeopardy-contest-this-would-be-an-intense-matchup game. Rice ended their 2016 season getting pummelled 41-17 against Stanford. Fast forward 10 months later, Rice has to open up their season against the Cardinal on national T.V. while playing on the other side of the globe. I do not sense any chances of revenge happening in Sydney since the Owls are 31 point underdogs for a reason.
New playmakers for the Cardinals are going to have to step in order to replace 6,191 all purpose yards McCaffrey has produced the last few seasons.  Despite losing McCaffrey, Stanford returns quarterback Keller Chryst and a talented receiving corps lead by tight end Dalton Schultz, pass catching machine Trent Irwin, and Isaiah Brandt-Sims. The Stanford offense will be able to start the season off with a bang against a Rice defense that gave up 500 yards per game and ranked 123rd in the country in overall defensive efficiency.

The biggest story to watch in this game will be watching the Stanford offensive line. Many people were deceived by the performance of Christian McCaffrey to notice that the Stanford offensive line was uncharacteristically and historically bad last year.  Last year Christian McCaffrey averaged 3.3 yards per carry AFTER contact which is pretty significant for a college back. Stanford’s offensive line was also pretty bad in pass pro and displayed inconsistencies in their abilities to protect the quarterback. However, the Cardinals o-line should return to traditional form after returning 4 starters, and adding the top two offensive line prospects in the 2017 class with tackles Walker Little and Foster Sarell. The offensive line won’t be tested by Rice’s defensive front, but it is important for David Shaw’s team that they show positive progression from last year.

If Stanford’s O-Line dominants like it should, Bryce Love will have a huge game and Stanford fans will quickly forget about Christian McCaffrey. Despite losing two time All American running back, the Cardinal will not see a major dropoff with Bryce Love filling in the role. Love has the potiential to be the next great Stanford running back and I believe he is a darkhorse Heisman contender. In his first two years at Stanford Bryce Love averaged 7.4 yards per carry and ran for 779 yards last year.  Love posses elite speed and should create a lot of explosive plays. Love ran for 111 yards on 7 carries in Stanford’s 44-17 win last year.

The only chance Rice has to win this game is for Keller Chryst and the offensive line to be horrible. Chryst is coming off knee surgery and has had limited reps throughout spring and fall camp. If Rice is able to force Stanford into tough passing downs, Rice may be able to turn the game around with creating turnovers driven from a defensive pressure. 

Predictions: Stanford runs away with this one winning 45-10, covering the over like PJ said.