Stanford @ Arizona State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 24, 2009 ) Arizona State 14, Stanford 33

In four years, Jim Harbaugh has built Stanford into one of the nation’s best offensive teams.

It doesn’t look like it’s going to be good enough to get the Cardinal into a BCS bowl, however.

Stanford, winners of four straight games, visits Arizona State in a Pac-10 game Saturday. Although the Cardinal continue to climb the polls, their conference title hopes are fading fast.

The Cardinal (8-1, 5-1 Pac-10) is ranked fifth in the nation in scoring (42.7 points per game). They’ve scored at least 31 points in every game this season, and have posted a pair of shutouts along the way.

Their lone loss, though, looks like the killer for the 2010 season. Stanford held a 21-3 lead at Oregon before falling 52-31. The No. 1 Ducks have gone on to become the talk of the nation, and appear headed to the BCS title game.

Stanford seems headed to the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29. Despite its No. 9 ranking in the poll, a number that is likely to climb again, the second-place finisher in the Pac-10 is slotted into that bowl against the second or third-place team from the Big 12. The Cardinal are No. 6 in the BCS standings.

That’s not nearly a good enough reward for an exceptional Cardinal team, which has pounded teams this season, including a 42-17 victory over Arizona last week in a game most figured would be a toss-up.

Andrew Luck continues his breakout season for Stanford. He has thrown for 2,213 yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions. Speedy back Stepfan Taylor scored four touchdowns last week. Taylor has 10 scores in his last five games, and a dozen this season.

The Sun Devils (4-5, 2-4 Pac-10) are coming off a gut-wrenching 34-33 loss to Southern Cal after they battled back from a 22-7 deficit to take a lead. Also, Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber sealed their fate when he missed a 42-yard field goal with 1:42 to play. Weber was the top kicker in the nation in 2007, but has missed seven of 17 kicks on the season.

Arizona State needs to sweep its final three games to become bowl eligible. It will be tough, though, with Stanford, UCLA and traditional season-ending rival Arizona remaining.

Steven Threet, who continues to throw interceptions at an alarming rate, also continues to pile up the passing yardage. Threet, who had three touchdowns and two interceptions against Southern Cal, has 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and 2,372 yards this season.

The home team has won nine of the last 10 meetings. Arizona State won at Stanford in 2008.