The other interesting aspect of this recent string is that with the exception of a 27-24 Stanford win in the 2012 Pac-12 Championship, these games haven't been close. Last season's game, a 31-10 drubbing in the Rose Bowl, dashed UCLA's Pac-12 and national championship hopes and showed Stanford fans how powerful the Cardinal offense could be. That same offense will take the field on Thursday night, but they'll face a Bruin team that's changed dramatically since last November.

That game was the last time Stanford has lost to UCLA, and during the Cardinal's seven-game winning streak, much has changed. Both schools have changed coaches, both schools have seen elite quarterbacks come and go (if Brett Hundley can be considered elite), and both schools have seen two full recruiting classes arrive and depart without seeing a break in the streak.

On October 18, 2008, more than two weeks before President Obama was elected to his first term of office, the Cardinal travelled south to the Rose Bowl and lost to UCLA, 23-20. It was only Jim Harbaugh's second year as head coach, but it was Stanford's fifth consecutive loss to the Bruins.

The most obvious change is at quarterback, where UCLA's last savior, Brett Hundley, has given way to the next Messiah, Josh Rosen. Stanford fans who follow recruiting will remember that when Rosen was one of the top two or three prep quarterbacks in the nation, he made it clear that he wanted to attend Stanford. The Cardinal coaching staff, however, chose not to offer him a scholarship, and Rosen ended up at UCLA. Rosen announced his presence immediately in his collegiate debut, lighting up Virginia for three touchdowns and 351 yards. His performance since then has been inconsistent -- he had only 106 yards passing two weeks later in a win over BYU -- but that's to be expected of a true freshman. It will be interesting to see what defensive coordinator Lance Anderson dials up for him.

Without question, the UCLA offense can keep defenses on their heels and scoreboard operators on their toes, but there are concerns surrounding the defense. The Bruins looked overwhelmed in their 38-23 loss to Arizona State eleven days ago as they gave up 192 yards rushing and allowed the Sun Devils to dominate time of possession, 37:47 to 22:13.

This is the formula the Cardinal will use to extend the winning streak to eight games. Minus perhaps their two best defenders, linebacker Miles Jack and defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, the Bruins are vulnerable to the run, and we can expect to see heavy doses of Christian McCaffrey, Remound Wright, Barry Sanders, and Bryce Love throughout the night. I have no doubt that McCaffrey will hit the century mark for the fourth game in a row, and we might even see Sanders top that number for the first time in his career. With all of that running, Rosen will spend a lot of time watching from the sidelines, which is always a good thing.

Look for dominance from the running game, cold efficiency from Kevin Hogan, and a 38-17 win for the Cardinal.

The folks on the other side of the field, however, may see things differently. For that UCLA perspective, here's Mike Regalado from GoJoeBruin.com. (You can listen to my thoughts on the game on their What's Bruin podcast; I join the fun at the 16:45 mark.)

Go Mighty Card:

Just two weeks ago many experts were picking UCLA to win the Pac-12 and secure a playoff berth, but after just one loss the Bruins are suddenly ranked #20. How are fans feeling about this team now?

Go Joe Bruin:

Frustrated. This is a pattern that has been going on for the last few years. The Bruins have a solid September then stumble into October with a two-game losing streak. And look at where we are now… coming off a loss to Arizona State and heading into a game against a team they have not beaten in seven games. Frustrated is the perfect word for how Bruin fans feel.



GMC:

The Cardinal has obviously played well against the Bruins for the last several years. How do UCLA fans view this matchup with Stanford? Aside from USC, is this the biggest game on the schedule?

Go Joe Bruin:

This and the Utah match-up are the two games that Bruin fans have UCLA losing. We just cannot beat Stanford, and Utah always puts up a good game against UCLA. Seeing how optimistic UCLA was going into the final regular season game of 2014 against Stanford, all they had to do was win and the Bruins would head to the Pac-12 Championship Game. UCLA lost big. If this is as big of a game as USC, I would say yes, but in a different way. UCLA has beaten USC three straight times, so there is no "can we win?" conversation with USC. They can. UCLA and Jim Mora just cannot beat David Shaw and Stanford.



GMC:

Coach Jim Mora was incredibly impressive at Pac-12 Media Day this past summer and struck me as someone who’s comfortable with not just his role as head coach but also his position as face of the program. Do fans love him as much as I think they should? Aside from wins and losses, what has he brought to the program?

Go Joe Bruin:

Mora is very loved. Fans scratch their head after losses like the one against ASU -- and there are even fans that are going so far to say "Fire Mora" -- but seeing as how he is a step up from the last two coaching regimes, UCLA fans would not give up Mora for anything… unless the losses start piling up.



GMC:

Okay, we should talk about Josh Rosen. The narrative that Stanford fans believe is that Stanford was Rosen’s dream school, but that the coaches decided they didn’t want him. His appearance on ESPN’s Elite 11 show seemed to support the idea that he was cocky and difficult to coach. Has there been anything to indicate that any of that might be true? Also, how would you evaluate the first five games of Rosen’s college career? How many Heisman Trophies are in his future?

Go Joe Bruin:

Honestly, we have specifically looked for any sign of that with Rosen, but he has kept a level head and said all the right words since he got to campus. Though as you know, a very tough game against BYU and the loss to ASU seem to have humbled him, as well as the other players on the team. Personally, I think he has done a great job, but he has also played like a freshman which has not helped the Bruins. Still, so far he has done a decent job replacing three-year starter Brett Hundley. As for Heismans, I would have said three at the beginning of the season, but now I am comfortable saying one.



GMC:

The Stanford secondary is talented, but extremely inexperienced. Tell me about the UCLA wide receivers. Is this a matchup you expect the Bruins to win?

Go Joe Bruin:

The Bruins are very effective in their spread offense when they get seven or more receivers involved. In the last few games, defenses have found ways to disrupt the UCLA passing game, rendering it ineffective. Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone had said that he was too conservative with the play calling which leads me to believe that he could have a few things up his sleeve against Stanford. That includes airing it out in several different ways to several different receivers.



GMC:

What’s the state of the UCLA running game? Paul Perkins had two huge games against UNLV and BYU, but he’s been surprisingly pedestrian in Pac-12 play, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Is this cause for concern, or just a couple bad games?

Go Joe Bruin:

The offensive line has had one bad game this season and in that game the run could not be established, and UCLA wound up losing the game to ASU. The Sun Devils had pressure, but it is different from what they have seen before. Against BYU, the Cougars had a very aggressive yet methodical defense, but UCLA was still able to move the ball on the ground. Paul Perkins, though not getting numbers like last year, is doing some amazing things and has carried this team on his back on several occasions. But Perkins cannot do it alone. From his running crew to the offensive line to the play calling, everything needs to be in sync for Perkins to work his magic.



GMC:

How has the UCLA defense been performing thus far? How do you expect them to attack the Stanford offense?

Go Joe Bruin:

For being on the field twice as much as the offense and losing five players/starters to injury, they have been doing a fine job. They have youth, which does not match the talent of the lost starters, but their tenacity is evenly matched which gives the Bruins an advantage in the present. Unfortunately, they will be going up against a well-oiled Stanford offensive machine and that usually does not bode well for the Bruins. UCLA will hang in there, but how much will they get beat down by the Cardinal offensive front?



GMC:

Finally, is this the year that UCLA breaks the streak? Give me your prediction of the final score and an explanation of how we get there.

Go Joe Bruin:

Streaks cannot last forever, and seeing how wackiness runs wild in Thursday night games, I am going UCLA 27-Stanford 26.