STANFORD, Calif. — Andrew Luck insists his dorm room doesn’t have a calendar. He doesn’t wear a watch, and his outdated cellphone doesn’t even show the day of the week.
Luck needs no reminder about Nov. 12.
Since he announced in a one-sentence news release in January that he would return to school, Luck instantly put Stanford and Oregon on a collision course for that date.
Everything for both sides has been building toward the moment.
Finally, it’s here.
Luck leads No. 3 Stanford against lightning-quick LaMichael James and sixth-ranked Oregon in the Pac-12’s showdown of the season tonight, shifting attention to the West Coast for a game that could decide the eventual league champion and keep the winner in the national title mix.
“When you’re thinking about the upcoming football season, you’re thinking about Oregon,” Luck said. “If you want to do something on the West Coast, you’ve got to beat Oregon.
“They’ve been the best team the last couple of years.”
Luck should know.
Stanford is riding the nation’s longest winning streak at 17 games, with the last loss coming at Eugene more than a year ago. Oregon stifled Stanford’s offense in the second half in that contest, rallying from an early 18-point deficit for a 52-31 victory that helped carry the Ducks to the BCS championship game, where they lost to Auburn.
The implications this year loom large again.
Stanford can clinch the North Division crown and the opportunity to host the inaugural league championship game with a victory, while Oregon (8-1, 6-0) also would need to win one of its final two league games. The Cardinal (9-0, 7-0) have a chance to remain undefeated and stay in the top of the chase for a national title behind top-ranked LSU and No. 2 Oklahoma State.
“They love the challenge,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said of his players. “Andrew Luck is the best quarterback in the country, but I don’t think they ever think they’re in over their heads against anybody.”
The attention is almost unprecedented on The Farm.
The game is the first matchup of top-10 teams at Stanford Stadium and the first in the Bay Area since No. 3 Washington beat No. 7 California in Berkeley in 1991. About 400 media credentials have been granted — more than twice the usual.
