First Look: Stanford at WSU

When/Where: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Martin Stadium, Pullman

TV: ESPN

Records: Stanford (6-1, 5-0 Pac-12), WSU (5-2, 3-1)

Line: Stanford by 12

Last time: Stanford defeated Washington State 34-17 in Palo Alto (2014)

What it means for WSU: If the Cougars beat Stanford, they and the Cardinal will be the only Pac-12 North teams with just one loss and WSU will own the tie-breaker. In other words, eight games into the season the Cougars will control their own Rose Bowl destiny. Also, toppling the No. 8 team in the country on a primetime, nationally televised game would be undoubtedly the biggest win in Mike Leach’s WSU tenure, and would drastically change the national perception of the Cougars. Oh, and a win on Saturday would give the Cougars a little thing called “bowl eligibility,” too.

What it means for Stanford: A Week 1 loss to Northwestern dropped Stanford out of the ratings, and, briefly, the college football playoff picture. The Cardinal have done nothing but win since then, and are now ranked No. 8 in the country. Stanford will make the playoffs if it wins out, but the Cardinal can’t afford even a single slip.

Key matchup: Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey vs. WSU

The Cardinal running back is on pace to break the single-season all-purpose yards record held by Barry Sanders, whose son, Barry Sanders Jr., is McCaffrey’s backfield mate. The Heisman Trophy candidate tears up defenses in both the running and passing games (last week he ran for 109 yards against Washington and caught 112 more) and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball on special teams.