Stanford is 4-4 with four games to play, putting the Cardinal in position to reach their first bowl game since the 2018 Sun Bowl. The goal now is to go at least 6-6 on the season to put themselves in bowl position. 

The Cardinal will be on the road for the next three games, going to Louisville on Halloween for a 12:15 p.m. start before getting a bye week ahead of their game in Blacksburg, Virginia to take on Virginia Tech on November 14. Stanford will then make the quick trip up to Cal on November 21 for the 129th Big Game.

The final game of the season will be against No. 23 SMU (6-1) at home, which is the toughest remaining challenge on the entire schedule. That will put extra emphasis on the three road games if the Cardinal want to reach the 6-6 mark, as they have been outscored 160-16 by ranked opponents (Miami, Wake Forest, Notre Dame) this season. 

Louisville (4-3) has won two straight, beating Florida State and Syracuse, but they have also lost to NC State, Ole Miss, and Wake Forest. That said, they played Wake Forest close, losing by just a field goal (30-27) at home, and the Cardinals are responsible for SMU's lone loss on the season. This doesn't figure to be an easy game for Stanford, but they did pull off a massive 38-35 upset against them at home in 2024. 

After facing Duke, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame on the road, Stanford will see Louisville as the easiest road opponent to date, but that's not to say Louisville isn't formidable. Stanford figures to be a heavy underdog on Saturday. 

To complicate matters slightly, Louisville had its bye week this past week, so it should be rested and prepared for the Cardinal. 

The Hokies are another program that's tough to pin down. While Virginia Tech is 6-2 on the season, they don't necessarily have a statement win on their ledger either. While Stanford has been beaten handily by ranked opponents, Tech has faced easier ACC programs like Boston College (4-3), Pittsburgh (5-3), and Clemson (4-3).

Their two losses have come against Pittsburgh and Cal, which makes this seem like more of a middling program than one that's in the upper echelon. While Stanford isn't a powerhouse, when they play their game, they're on the same level as the programs the Hokies have already lost to. 

Stanford will also be coming off a bye week, which will help with preparation, while Virginia Tech will be coming off a tough matchup with SMU. 

If Stanford is going to make a bowl game, this is the game they're going to have to win. Otherwise they'll be left needing a win against either Louisville or SMU. 

This is obviously one of the two games Stanford has to win to be in bowl contention. Cal (3-5) has been up and down this season, with its three wins coming against Syracuse, Wagner, and Virginia Tech. In the past two weeks they have lost 41-7 to Wake Forest at home, and 59-20 to SMU on the road. 

Cal is also giving up 190.5 rushing yards per game this season, and with Micah Ford looking to become the first 1,000-yard rusher for Stanford since 2017, the Golden Bears defense will provide an opportunity to reach that mark. 

This will be a huge rivalry game, but the Cardinal have looked like the better program this season. With something to play for, they'll need to come out on top.

Ideally Stanford will have reached six wins before this matchup, because the Mustangs have given the Cardinal fits the past two seasons. Last year SMU walked away with a 34-10 win at home, and in 2024 they beat Stanford 40-10. Neither game has been particularly close in score or by feel. 

That said, their schedule this season hasn't been nearly as difficult as Stanford's, with wins against UC Davis, Boston College, and Cal. The game before, SMU will be taking on Notre Dame in a contest that will likely determine each program's season as far as making the College Football Playoff. A win could bump SMU up into that mix, while a loss would keep them out entirely. 

The glimmer of hope for this one is that there will be so much build-up for that against Notre Dame that there will be some level of comedown for Stanford to take advantage of. Otherwise, the path of least resistance for the Cardinal will be beating Virginia Tech and Cal.