Week 13

SATURDAY, NOV. 25

NOTRE DAME AT STANFORD

THE ANNUAL MATCHUP is back in Palo Alto this year, and Stanford will likely still be in the hunt for the Pac-12 North title and a shot at the conference championship game. The Cardinal will almost certainly have an eye on the day's Washington--Washington State matchup.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, faces a greater degree of uncertainty after finishing 4--8 a season ago. With junior Brandon Wimbush taking over at quarterback and two new coordinators (Chip Long on offense and Mike Elko on defense), there's plenty of new perspective and fresh blood in South Bend to right the ship. And apart from DeShone Kizer, the Irish didn't lose a lot of high-level performers from their roster. Still, their defensive line was weak a year ago and doesn't look to have improved in a meaningful way, which will be a hurdle to any significant success.

Once the game is over, so is our road trip, although if you haven't had enough, you can hang around for another week and hit the Pac-12 championship game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Dec. 1. If you do, make a trip to wine country and visit San Francisco; you'll have no shortage of activities from vineyards to Alcatraz to a stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge. If you're looking for more outdoor activities other than imbibing, check out Muir Woods or one of the many beaches along the Bay. Better still, make friends with someone who owns a sailboat and cruise to Sausalito for lunch.