College football's unique in that a single loss could mean the difference between a conference championship (or the ultimate regular-season goal, a College Football Playoff spot) and becoming an also-ran in the FBS ranks. With that in mind, here's our list of Stanford Football's 4 Most Important Games Of The 2015 Season.
4. @ Northwestern Wildcats (September 5th)
A season opener some 2,161 miles away against a Northwestern team stocked with speed at all the skill positions? This game just smells like a trap. First impressions are usually the biggest impressions, and a Cardinal victory in Evanston could set their 2015 campaign up for success.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (November 28th)
The Cardinal's Pac-12 fate will likely be close to sealed by this time, so this late historic rivalry game loses a little bit of ground on the importance scale. However, it's still a game against Notre Dame with the advantage of playing at home. Regardless of records, this is a statement game for both sides.
2. @ USC Trojans (September 19th)
Stanford opens up non-conference play early with an absolute doozy. USC is the trendy pick to take over at the top of the Pac-12 mountain with former Ducks QB Marcus Mariota off to the NFL. Whether that's true or not, this is yet another USC game with blockbuster implications for the Stanford program.
1. Oregon Ducks (November 14th)
Mariota or no Mariota, the Pac-12 North still goes through the Ducks until someone proves otherwise. This could very well be a de facto division title game if the chips fall right for Kevin Hogan and the crew in red and white.
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