Realistic Expectations for Stanford Football in 2025

Stanford football is ready for the upcoming season, but many are still debating what the realistic expectations should be for the program in 2025.

After a dominant run during the 2010’s, the Cardinal have struggled this decade, going 3-9 four years in a row. Many problems within the program, such as coaching, athletic directors, roster management, recruiting issues, and attendance have all been part of the fall, but Stanford looks like they have made strides in all of their areas of concern.

The head coach and general manager duo of Frank Reich and Andrew Luck lead a roster filled with continuity as well as new faces, all bought in for the rebuild of the Stanford Cardinal football program.

But what is the floor, the ceiling, and realistic expectations for Stanford this season? Let’s take a look at a possible disaster in Palo Alto, a step in the right direction, or even possibly an unforgettable season under Reich and Luck’s lead.

The floor for Stanford football

Stanford has a worrying floor. Playing Hawaii on the road in Week Zero, Coach Reich will be tested with his new pro style offense, and quarterback issues may make it a tough one on the road. Hawaii is no pushover, and could present enough problems for Stanford if they're not ready to hit the ground running.

However, Stanford should be favored against Bay Area rivals San Jose State and Cal, and should take at least one against Boston College, Pitt, and Florida State, all of whom they play at home.

It is fair to say the absolute floor of the Cardinal is 2-10, beating a Mountain West opponent and winning at least one conference game, or some combination of the two.

Stanford's ceiling

Stanford’s expectations may not be too high, but there certainly is potential in Palo Alto. The Cardinal will at least be in their games against Hawaii, Boston College, Virginia, San Jose State, Pitt, and Cal without speaking too crazy.

Also, considering Stanford’s history of a yearly upset against solid team, we can dream an upset win with the Cardinal taking down one of BYU, SMU, Miami, North Carolina, or Notre Dame. That puts their ceiling around 7-5, making a solid bowl game and truly proving that they deserve their spot in the ACC.

In order to reach that ceiling, they'll have to begin the season on a high note, and keep developing and evolving as a team the rest of the season.

Realistic expectations for Stanford

Realistically speaking, it is tough to give a super accurate prediction, but 5-7 seems reasonable. Beating Hawaii, Boston College, San Jose State, Pitt, and Cal are all very possible victories, and will be my personal prediction for Stanford’s season.

Stanford may be tough to predict, but it is fair to say they will finish somewhere between 2-10 and 7-5. Where they end up will depend on how they execute the little things game-to-game. In just two week's time, we will be able to watch them play, and begin to assess what their true talent really is.