Numerous online gaming sites have released college football wins totals for 2019 and — get ready for a shocker — those figures crossed our radar here at the Hotline.

Not that we’ve put our money where our interest is, but the totals are a fun topic for discussion and, like the preseason polls, help set expectations for teams and coaches.

Most Pac-12 totals are in line with the Hotline’s expectations (and will be addressed in coming days).

The exception is Stanford’s total of 6.5 wins in the regular season.

Not since 2008, the second year under Jim Harbaugh, has the Cardinal won fewer than seven.

Only once under Shaw has it won fewer than eight.

The number is undoubtedly based on the rugged non-conference schedule limiting Stanford’s upside.

But that total seems low, too low, for a program with stable coaching, a top-tier quarterback, seven home games and a knack for finding ways to win (i.e., not beating itself).

Were the Hotline to wager a nickel of our money and a dime of yours on any Pac-12 victory-total prop bet, it would be Stanford, over the 6.5.

Links to other installments at bottom.

STANFORD CARDINAL

Program trending: Neutral

This is a telling season for Stanford’s trajectory. The Cardinal isn’t the dominant force it was in the first half of the decade and hasn’t won the conference since 2015. But its position in the North has been fairly steady: Top half of the division in even years, four consecutive first-place finishes (outright or shared) in odd years. So here’s another odd year, with home games against Oregon and Washington — and no Utah, home or away — and an opportunity to fortify its position. By Thanksgiving, we’ll know if the Cardinal truly has lost ground within the North.

Coach: David Shaw (ninth season)

Shaw’s five-year win total: 8-12-10-9-9

Contract status: Signed through forever (actual terms undisclosed)

Seat temperature: Cryogenic

Shaw will leave when he’s ready to leave, which is sooner than it was a few years ago, when his name was attached to every NFL opening, but still years away. He hasn’t been linked to the NFL nearly as much of late because owners, agents and reporters finally got smart and realized he wasn’t leaving his alma mater. And he won’t depart, in our opinion, until his kids are out of the house and his wife, Kori, is ready for a change.

Key staff addition: None

The Cardinal experienced no staff turnover, which should serve it well with regard to cohesiveness of message and scheme: But the spotlight is on offensive coordinator Tavita Pritchard and offensive line coach Kevin Carberry to jump start the running game without an established star.

Breakout player: Osiris St. Brown

Not as well known as his brother, Amon-Ra (USC) .. or his other brother, Equanimeous (ex-Notre Dame/current Packers) … or his father, John (ex-Mr. Universe) … the redshirt sophomore averaged 25.5 yards on eight catches last season and possesses the speed to add a downfield dimension rarely seen in Stanford’s aerial game. And his quarterback, K.J. Costello, has the arm to take advantage of that speed. (And if not Brown, then sub another of the young WRs here. Stanford needs a dynamic wideout to emerge.)

Number crunch: 5.85

Number of tackles-for-loss allowed per game last season. In other words: Negative-yardage plays for Stanford’s offense (either sacks or runs stuffed by the defense). With its reliance on the running game and tight ends on short-and middle-distance routes, Stanford is built for grinding opponents on second-and-six, not slicing and dicing them on second-and-12. In its best seasons, the Cardinal has finished in the top 10 nationally in fewest negative-yardage plays. Last year, it was merely in the middle of the FBS.

Pac-12 recruiting ranking 2015-19 (per 247sports): 5-3-2-7-4

Returning all-conference players: left tackle Walker Little (first team), cornerback Paulson Adebo (first team), quarterback K.J. Costello (second team), kicker Jet Toner (second team), tight end Colby Parkinson (honorable mention), defensive lineman Jovan Swann (honorable mention)

Best-case scenario: The running game resurfaces with dominant play up front (hello, Foster Sarell) and a committee approach in the backfield, Costello meshes with the young receivers, the defense bends often but is opportunistic in the fourth quarter, the non-conference schedule isn’t as rugged as billed (especially Northwestern and UCF), the Cardinal rolls through the home schedule, drops two on the road, wins the North and returns to the Rose Bowl.

Worst-case scenario: The schedule is as daunting as it appears and Stanford exits September with three losses, the deterioration on the line of scrimmage (relative to North peers) continues, Costello stagnates, the search for a lead tailback proves fruitless, injuries pile up (as they did last year), the Cardinal staggers to its worst season in more than a decade and the need for an overhaul of the offensive coaching staff is undeniable.

Here we go …

Aug. 31: vs. Northwestern

Result: Win

Record: 1-0

Comment: Home team with experienced QB deals with inevitable Week One glitches better than road team with new QB.

Sept. 7: at USC

Result: Loss

Record: 1-1/0-1

Comment: Owner of the line of scrimmage wins the game in this series. USC’s defensive front takes charge.

Sept. 14: at UCF

Result: Win

Record: 2-1/0-1

Comment: Long trip following a punishing game against a conference rival is a recipe for defeat in sweltering Orlando, but Stanford rises to the moment against the less-than-advertised Golden Knights.

Sept. 21: vs. Oregon

Result: Win

Record: 3-1/1-1

Comment: In their heads.

Sept. 28: at Oregon State

Result: Loss

Record: 3-2/1-2

Comment: Mammoth trap game after the grueling quadruple-whammy. Beavers won’t spark a sense of urgency in Stanford and have two weeks to prepare. Also: It’s about time the Cardinal’s good fortune expires on the Oregon Trail.

Oct. 5: vs. Washington

Result: Win

Record: 4-2/2-2

Comment: After the high and the low and the highs and the low comes another high. Stanford grinds out a win against the Huskies, who will have just played USC, and heads into the break with an empty tank.

Oct. 12: Open

Result: N/A

Record: 4-2/2-2

Comment: With head-to-head wins over Oregon and Washington, the Cardinal is hardly out of the North race despite two losses. But it cannot afford a third.

Oct. 17: vs. UCLA

Result: Win

Record: 5-2/3-2

Comment: The winning streak extends to 12. But that’s where it ends: UCLA will beat Stanford in 2020 (mark it down).

Oct. 26: vs. Arizona

Result: Win

Record: 6-2/4-2

Comment: Dominant performance by the offensive line and running game against the weary Wildcats, who are coming off a trip to USC, set Stanford up for a meaningful November.

Nov. 2: Open

Result: N/A

Record: 6-2/4-2

Comment: Huge week for the Cardinal, and for the North: Washington hosts Utah, and Oregon visits USC.

Nov. 9: at Colorado

Result: Win

Record: 7-2/5-2

Comment: Combined score of Stanford’s two victories in Boulder in the Pac-12 era: 90-10. This is a struggle, but only for three quarters.

Nov. 16: at Washington State

Result: Loss

Record: 7-3/5-3

Comment: Key game for the Cardinal is another duel to the wire with WSU. Except nobody can see it because of the driving snow across the Palouse. Make it four in a row for the Cougars in the series.

Nov. 23: vs. Cal

Result: Win

Record: 8-3/6-3

Comment: More of the same: Stanford’s offense makes a few more plays in the second half than Cal’s offense. Which is to say it makes a few, and the Bears make none.

Nov. 30: vs. Notre Dame

Result: Loss

Record: 8-4/6-3

Comment: The Irish haven’t won in Stanford Stadium since 2007, but like last year, Notre Dame’s advantage on the lines of scrimmage is the difference.

*** Previous: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State

*** Next up: UCLA

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