Stanford – the in vogue pick. I admit that I became swept into the hype by putting them in high regard for a playoff position. Instead, a muggy day at Ryan Field became a potential Northwestern revival.
Game 229: #21 Stanford @ Northwestern
Game 54: #22 Stanford vs. #4 Wisconsin
At the close of September, the nation essentially had written off the Badgers for a Big Ten contender. Seven straight victories later, they land back in Pasadena for their second consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl. In addition, tailback Ron Dayne made history by eclipsing the national rushing record and winning the Heisman Trophy.
Game 22: Stanford @ Wisconsin
Stanford would be the first Pacific Ten Conference team that I would see play in Madison. This battle of identical team colors resulted in any Stanford fans blending into the crowd. I looked at this game like a mini Rose Bowl with the Pac-10 and Big-10 clashing. The weather offered up another sticky, sweaty, September Saturday afternoon.