Stanford football went from being picked to win the Pac-12 Conference to struggles with injuries and inconsistent quarterback play that led to the Cardinal dropping 3 out of 4 straight games. After a qb switch and players getting healthy the 4-3 Cardinal went on a 6-game winning streak. Stanford finished the year 10-3 capped off with a thrilling defeat of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sun Bowl. This performance was good enough for Stanford to finish 12th in the nation in the final College Football Associated Press Poll.

Elsewhere around the Pac-12 conference two teams finished in the top 4 with USC finishing 3rd and Washington finishing 4th. Utah finished 23rd and the Washington State Cougars also received a vote in the final rankings.

The Cardinal are 1-0 in the post- Christian McCaffrey era and with a 10-win season, a 6-game winning streak and a 12th-ranked finish expectations should once again be high for Stanford next season.

The full poll is below:

1. Clemson Tigers

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

3. USC Trojans

4. Washington Huskies

5. Oklahoma Sooners

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

7. Penn State Nittany Lions

8. Florida State Seminoles

9. Wisconsin Badgers

10. Michigan Wolverines

11. Oklahoma State Cowboys

12. Stanford Cardinal

13. LSU Tigers

14. Florida Gators

15. Western Michigan Broncos

16. Virginia Tech Hokies

17. Colorado Buffaloes

18. West Virginia Mountaineers

19. South Florida Bulls

20. Miami Hurricanes

21. Louisville Cardinals

22. Tennessee Volunteers

23. Utah Utes

24. Auburn Tigers

25. San Diego State Aztecs

Others receiving votes: Kansas St. 83, Georgia Tech 47, Nebraska 38, W. Kentucky 32, Air Force 30, Pittsburgh 21, Boise St. 19, Iowa 14, Minnesota 12, Tulsa 10, BYU 9, Temple 8, Houston 8, North Carolina 8, Navy 1, Washington St. 1.

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