The question isn’t why Stanford ran the ball on its final 28 plays against Oregon State, including three take-a-knees to end the game.

That’s obvious: The Cardinal didn’t need to throw.

Rather, the question is this: Does Stanford need to throw a single pass the rest of the season?

Could it beat Oregon, Cal and Rice with 70 runs and zero passes?

If you think I’m joking, watch those three teams on film and get back to me.

Or don’t watch the film and, instead, consider the data: National ranking in yards allowed per carry.

116: Rice

120: Oregon

127: Cal

Stanford should walk onto the field in Autzen Stadium, hand the ball to Christian McCaffrey 30 times and Bryce Love 15 times, call a dozen designed QB runs … and then do it all over again in Berkeley and then in the finale.

It makes total sense given the caliber of the tailbacks, the porous nature of the opposing defenses and the sorry state of Stanford’s passing game …

Result: Beat Oregon State 26-15

Grade: C+

Comment: The Beavers have been terrible on the road, trotted out an inexperienced quarterback and are devoid of high-level talent at most positions.

And yet they were in the game in the fourth quarter after a touchdown cut Stanford’s lead to 23-15.

Good thing the Cardinal was playing OSU.

*** Two games into his tenure as the starting quarterback, Keller Chryst has yet to show why he’s the starting quarterback.

Chryst has faced far worse defenses than Ryan Burns did, has the benefit of McCaffrey and Love being at full speed … and yet has been just as ineffective as Burns.

Which means he has been less effective relative to the competition.

In two games, Chryst has completed 24 of 47 passes for 164 yards — those are his combined stats — and missed open receivers down the field, just as Burns did.

Clearly, he’s not fully comfortable with the offense, and the coaches aren’t fully comfortable with him.

But again, Chryst has the benefit of facing five of the worst defenses in the country, whereas Burns faced several of the best.

Can Stanford win out (and finish 9-3) with Chryst as the starter and an ineffective aerial attack? Absolutely, because the tailbacks are terrific and the defense is top shelf.

But does Chryst give Stanford a better chance than Burns to win in Eugene? That’s a tougher case to make.

And yes, I was joking about not attempting a pass the rest of the season.

Mostly.

*** Stanford in situational football:

Third-down conversions: 4 of 15

Third-down defense: 2 of 11

Turnover margin: +1

Red zone TDs: 1 of 6

Yes, the red zone struggles continued … one could argue they hit bottom: For the season, the Cardinal is converting just 42.9 percent of its RZ trips into touchdowns. That’s 126th nationally.

Again: Good thing the Cardinal played Oregon State.

*** There isn’t much else to say …

The running game is rounding into form with McCaffrey and Love healthy, the passing game is non-existent, the defense is very good (although perhaps not dominant), the conference title isn’t on the line, a second-tier bowl is assured … and the stretch run schedule is terrible.

The final five opponents (Arizona, the Oregon schools, Cal and Rice) have a combined record of 12-33.

It’s somewhat of an anti-climactic finish, the antithesis of last November.

Next up: at Oregon

The matchup: Not what it has been for so many years.

This is the first season since 2008 — one year before Oregon’s surge and two years before Stanford’s — that the teams haven’t collided with titles and trophies on the line.

The Ducks are assured of a losing record in conference play and must run the table to qualify for a bowl berth.

*** Stanford opened as a 1-point favorite, and the line has already ticked to 3.

I expect the outcome to be in doubt deep into the fourth quarter: Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert will feel comfortable at home and has enough playmakers to produce multiple touchdowns against Stanford’s defense.

The Cardinal should move the ball at will, or close to it. The Ducks will undoubtedly put eight or nine players in the box to stop McCaffrey/Love and dare Chryst to win the game through the air.

I’m not sure the ploy will succeed: Recall the 2013 game, when Tyler Gaffney had 45 carries and Stanford gained 274 on the ground.

We could see something similar this week.

*** The Hotline podcast is available on iTunes.

*** Here’s episode 7, talking Pac-12 playoff prospects with Fox Sports columnist Stewart Mandel. Would Washington get in with one loss? Which teams might block the Huskies’ path? Could Colorado or Utah make the semis with two losses? What will the Rose Bowl do if Washington jumps into the CFP? And when will the playoff expand to eight teams?