[ColoradoTree]

I was wrong on this prediction the first time against these guys, but it's not that the prediction was wrong so much as it was made for the wrong Stanford-SC game this year!  Here it (mostly) is again, with a few tweaks:

Stanford 34
SC 30

The running game plays out with Stanford having fewer big plays as SC responds to the first matchup by limiting Love's chances in the second level, but there are a whole lot of 4- to 6-yard runs as our OL generally wins the battle in the first level of the defense.  Our tight ends have a good day.  The game is tight the entire time, with SC actually leading going into the half, 20-17. SC extends the lead to 23-17 coming out of the break, but Stanford answers right back with a long touchdown drive to take a 24-23 lead.  SC is forced to punt, and Stanford is able to extend the lead to 27-23 on a drive that started explosively but stalled in the red zone, forcing us to settle for a 32-yard Toner FG.  We trade a couple of unsuccessful drives before SC retakes the lead 30-27 in the fourth quarter.  With the chips down, and the eyes of the nation turned to us, Costello leads a masterfully-called go-ahead drive where our game-long commitment to the run game pays dividends, with Love getting steady gains, Costello finding Irwin for key conversions, and ultimately, a go-ahead TD to Schultz on 3rd and 2 in the red zone (off play action, and out of a jumbo set, to our collective delight).  We're up 34-30, but there's a problem: we left too much darn time left on the clock, and Darnold has 1:30 (though no timeouts) to try and get a game-winning score.  He almost does it, moving the ball quickly to midfield and beyond to the point that SC has the ball at our 20 with 20 seconds left.  They spike the clock on first down to get a chance to talk over what to do next.  The pass is incomplete on second and 10 (00:15 remaining).  On 3rd and 10, Darnold floats a dime inside the 5 for a first down, but it's called back on a clear holding penalty to keep Phillips from sacking Darnold (SC fans whine about the call, but as the commentators point out on the replay, Phillips basically gets tackled--it's an easy call to make).  What looked to be 1st and goal is now 3rd and 20 on the 30 with 7 seconds remaining.  Darnold makes all of our hearts stop by first evading not one but two sacks, and then lofting a pass to the end zone.  It's on target to a WR crossing in the back of the end zone who has a step on Meeks, but the pressure means that Darnold doesn't see Justin Reid, who jumps in front of the pass and seals the win with the interception as the clock hits zeroes.

Onto the Fiesta Bowl!

[ColoradoTree]

I was wrong on this prediction the first time against these guys, but it's not that the prediction was wrong so much as it was made for the wrong Stanford-SC game this year!  Here it (mostly) is again, with a few tweaks:

Stanford 34
SC 30

The running game plays out with Stanford having fewer big plays as SC responds to the first matchup by limiting Love's chances in the second level, but there are a whole lot of 4- to 6-yard runs as our OL generally wins the battle in the first level of the defense.  Our tight ends have a good day.  The game is tight the entire time, with SC actually leading going into the half, 20-17. SC extends the lead to 23-17 coming out of the break, but Stanford answers right back with a long touchdown drive to take a 24-23 lead.  SC is forced to punt, and Stanford is able to extend the lead to 27-23 on a drive that started explosively but stalled in the red zone, forcing us to settle for a 32-yard Toner FG.  We trade a couple of unsuccessful drives before SC retakes the lead 30-27 in the fourth quarter.  With the chips down, and the eyes of the nation turned to us, Costello leads a masterfully-called go-ahead drive where our game-long commitment to the run game pays dividends, with Love getting steady gains, Costello finding Irwin for key conversions, and ultimately, a go-ahead TD to Schultz on 3rd and 2 in the red zone (off play action, and out of a jumbo set, to our collective delight).  We're up 34-30, but there's a problem: we left too much darn time left on the clock, and Darnold has 1:30 (though no timeouts) to try and get a game-winning score.  He almost does it, moving the ball quickly to midfield and beyond to the point that SC has the ball at our 20 with 20 seconds left.  They spike the clock on first down to get a chance to talk over what to do next.  The pass is incomplete on second and 10 (00:15 remaining).  On 3rd and 10, Darnold floats a dime inside the 5 for a first down, but it's called back on a clear holding penalty to keep Phillips from sacking Darnold (SC fans whine about the call, but as the commentators point out on the replay, Phillips basically gets tackled--it's an easy call to make).  What looked to be 1st and goal is now 3rd and 20 on the 30 with 7 seconds remaining.  Darnold makes all of our hearts stop by first evading not one but two sacks, and then lofting a pass to the end zone.  It's on target to a WR crossing in the back of the end zone who has a step on Meeks, but the pressure means that Darnold doesn't see Justin Reid, who jumps in front of the pass and seals the win with the interception as the clock hits zeroes.

Onto the Fiesta Bowl!