How Did Stanford Football's Future Opponents Look in Week One?

We are now more than a week past Stanford football’s opening game last Saturday vs Hawaii, where they lost a tough 23-20 contest on the road. However, in perfect timing, the Cardinal got an early bye week that provided them to regroup and assess how to move forward.

While others had the stress of competing in week one, the Stanford program got to sit down, relax, and examine their future opponents, figuring out their strengths, weaknesses, and ultimately how to beat them in football.

All 11 of Stanford’s future opponents played in week one, so how did they do?

In next week's action, the Cardinal take the road, going to Provo, UT to play the BYU Cougars. Although they didn’t necessarily play a tough opponent, they slaughtered FCS Portland State 69-0 to open up the year. Former Stanford quarterback Bear Bachmeier went 7/11 for 97 yards and three touchdowns in his debut.

Next, Boston College, who Stanford plays in their home opener, looked good as well. They also played an FCS school, this time Fordham, and got a 66-10 victory on their home turf.

One of the more impressive performances of the week came from future Stanford opponent Virginia. The Cavaliers took down Coastal Carolina, a solid Sun Belt program, 48-7, starting off their season smoking hot.

Bay Area rival San Jose State had a poor Week 1 to the college football season, as they lost to Central Michigan 16-14, after two late field goals went wide right. For Stanford, this is huge as they now have a game scheduled that they should end up the solid favorites.

Somewhat shockingly, SMU wasn’t as strong as projected. Playing an FCS opponent in East Texas A&M, the Mustangs had high expectations, however a 42-13 victory wasn't exactly what was planned. Despite this, a win is a win, especially by nearly 30 points.

What was even more shocking was Florida State, Stanford’s homecoming game. The Seminoles beat eighth ranked Alabama in what was probably the most shocking upset of the week. What looked like a potentially winnable game for the Cardinal after Florida State went 2-10 last season now looks a lot tougher.

Two of Stanford's opponents this season, Miami and Notre Dame, matched up on Sunday night, in a top 10 battle with new look quarterbacks on each side. The Hurricanes prevailed, and now look like one of the top teams in college football, while the Fighting Irish still look solid.

Another Stanford home opponent, Pitt, played FCS Duquesne to open the year. A 61-9 victory on their home field is a great way to begin the season. North Carolina has yet to play, as they take on TCU on Monday night in Chapel Hill, NC for Bill Belichick's collegiate opener.

Finally, the Cal Golden Bears, Stanford’s rival, took on Oregon State to begin the year. A masterclass from true freshman quarterback Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele helped the Bears to a 34-15 opening week victory.

For Stanford fans, there was a lot of good and a lot of bad to take in this week. A couple of their more winnable games look to be even more winnable, while others look like they may be tougher than expected. Regardless, Stanford fans should continue to stay hyped as the Cardinal navigate through their 2025 campaign.