The Stanford Cardinal had a very favorable draw in 2015, with many of their toughest games at their impervious home field and a very easy October.
They will not be afforded that luxury in 2016. Until their season finale Thanksgiving weekend in Palo Alto, Stanford will have a nine game stretch that involves six road contests.
Stanford starts out with a home date with Kansas State on Friday night, which will be fun for neutral purposes but is hardly what the Cardinal want to draw a sellout in the Bay Area. After a bye week, they are given the gauntlet immediately with an early tilt with USC at home and then head on the road to Pasadena to battle UCLA.