EUGENE, Ore. -- Its safe to say neither Stanford nor Oregon thought either team would be where it is now when the season started.Stanford, with Heisman-hopeful Christian McCaffrey, was ranked No. 8 in the preseason and expected to claim the Pac-12 title. But now the Cardinal are 6-3 overall and 4-3 in the league.The Ducks, who played for the national title two seasons ago, are 3-6 overall (1-5 Pac-12) and facing the prospect they might not become bowl eligible.Either Stanford or Oregon had won every Pac-12 championship since the league expanded and a title game was established in 2011. Each time the teams had met since 2008, one or both were ranked.Certainly many had Saturdays game at Autzen Stadium circled on the calendar at the start of the season as a game that could have postseason implications. But now it looks like the norths biggest game will be the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State.Stanford coach Davis Shaw said the records dont diminish the importance of this game to both programs.Records dont matter. These are two proud football programs whove had very good football games the last four years, Shaw said. Its a tough play to play and a tough place to win.Stanford looks to have recovered with two straight victories after losses to the Huskies, Cougars and upstart Colorado. The Cardinal defeated Oregon State 26-15 last weekend.Oregon defeated Arizona State at Autzen two weeks ago, but fell to USC 45-20 in Los Angeles last Saturday.RUNNING BACKS: McCaffrey struggled at times this season and missed Stanfords victory over Notre Dame because of injury. But he looked to regain his form last weekend against Oregon State, when he ran for 199 yards and a touchdown.McCaffrey still ranks atop the league with an average of 122.5 yards a game, and hes 20 yards away from 1,000 for the season.Last year he set such a high bar that 1,000 yards is a shrug of the shoulders. But it is a big deal. Its a landmark for a reason, Shaw said. Hes a phenomenal football player that stats dont readily tell you.Oregon running back Royce Freeman was touted as a possible Heisman candidate at the start of the season, but he too has fought injuries. Hes only topped 100 yards twice this season.Two weeks ago after Oregons victory over the Sun Devils, Freeman insisted nothing was wrong. I feel like Im trying my hardest out there. Im going out there and putting it all on the line, he said.QUARTERBACKS: Both teams have freshman quarterbacks who replaced starters. Oregons Justin Herbert took over for graduate transfer Dakota Prukop and has shown promise, throwing for 1,158 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions in four starts.Stanford freshman Keller Chryst took over for Ryan Burns two games ago and helped guide Stanford to wins. But the Cardinal still ranks at the bottom of the Pac-12 for passing yards.INJUIRIES: Oregon doesnt discuss them, but Shaw provided a rundown for Stanford: Wide receiver Francis Owusu is questionable with an undisclosed injury. Offensive linemen Casey Tucker and Brandon Fanaika are doubtful. But sophomore fullback Daniel Marx will likely see playing time.One sad note for the Ducks: Sophomore defensive Canton Kaumatules career at Oregon ended this week because of injuries. The 6-foot-7 Honolulu native accepted a medical hardship, which will allow him to keep his scholarship.RUMORS EVERYWHERE: Oregon coach Mark Helfrich tried to make light of a post to Twitter that suggested Nike co-founder Phil Knight was willing to spend $10 million a year on a new coach to lead the team to a national championship.I take it that it wasnt me that was getting the 10 million? Helfrich asked.However, he also said: Thats the nature of the profession. And it would be cool if its that easy.SERIES: Stanford leads the all-time series, 46-32-1, but the Ducks have won 11 of the last 14 meetings. Last season Oregon linebacker Joe Walker tipped a game-tying two-point conversion attempt and the Ducks held on to beat then-No. 7 Stanford 38-36. Cheap Mariners Jerseys .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Wholesale Mariners Jerseys . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. http://www.cheapmarinersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-ken-griffey-jersey . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Cheap Mariners Jerseys China .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. Cheap Jay Buhner Jersey . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. What do you need to know about last nightss big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say Morning, Joe.Penguins doing it large: Captain Sidney Crosby continued his offensive prowess with a goal to help the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. He leads the league with 21 goals and extended his points streak to seven games with 13 points during that span. The real reason the Penguins find themselves atop the Metropolitan Division is their depth, and that was on display against the Coyotes, as seven different players scored for Pittsburgh. It also helps that goalie Matt Murray is 11-2-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. Another big reason for the Penguins success? Coaching. Monday was the one-year anniversary of Mike Sullivan being hired as coach of the Penguins. The team is 52-23-8 and won the 2016 Stanley Cup under his tenure.Chalk one up for Rask: The Boston Bruins 2-1 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens meant much more than two points. The win should serve as a major confidence boost for Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, who entered Mondays game with a terrible 5-15-3 record against the Canadiens. Actually, I was a bit surprised to see that he was starting, given his struggles against his teams historical rival. Rask responded wiith a 30-save performance to stop a three-game skid.dddddddddddd Hes already a Vezina Trophy candidate this season with a 15-5-2 record, including a 1.80 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and three shutouts. Currently, the Bruins are in the playoffs and Rask is the reason for the teams success. If the Bruins earn a playoff berth and face the Canadiens, Mondays win will serve as an important mental victory for Rask.Big backup battle: A battle between two of the top teams in the NHL heats up Tuesday when the New York Rangers host the Chicago Blackhawks. The Rangers are riding hot goalie Antti Raanta, who is 8-1-0 with a 1.65 goals-against average, a .943 save percentage and two shutouts. He has not allowed more than two goals in 10 of his 11 games. You know fellow Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist isnt happy to be relegated to the backup role, but hes handling it the right way for the betterment of the team. At some point, New York will need Lundqvist to be Lundqvist, and eventually he will find his groove. At the other end of the ice, the Blackhawks are without their top goalie Corey Crawford (appendectomy), but Scott Darling has been outstanding as the No. 1, going 2-2-1 while replacing Crawford. ' ' '