EUGENE, Ore. -- Another week, another tough test for the Ducks - this time on the road.

Oregon heads to The Farm in Palo Alto for a crucial game against the Stanford Cardinal.

After the Ducks took apart USC last week, there are lots of people out there wondering if Oregon is due for a letdown. But with the way the Ducks have gone about their business ever since the opening week, it seems that Chip Kelly will have his group focused and ready to play once again.

And the match-ups in this game truly seem to favor Oregon.

Stanford has been effective using its physical running game to pound away on opposing defenses, but when the Cardinal has fallen behind and had to throw the ball it has gotten into big trouble.

And the Stanford defense has looked shaky at times this season (see a 31-7 first half burst by Oregon State) which could spell trouble for the Cardinal if it can't shut the Ducks down right away.

The quick-strike nature of the Oregon offense - and the big edge in speed on both sides of the ball - will be tough for Stanford to adjust to.

THE PICKS:

Brian Elder - It's always dangerous heading on the road after a big victory against an opponent coming off a bye week. But with the way the Stanford defense has played, the Cardinal would need a month to figure out how to slow down Oregon. The Ducks are back to the level they were at in 2007, and that is a scary prospect for any defense. If Oregon scores right away to take the lead it's game over. The Ducks can take away Toby Gerhart - Stanford's biggest weapon - by getting up by a couple of scores to force the Cardinal to throw the ball and play catch-up. And with the huge advantage in speed, that's what I expect to happen. Stanford should keep it close for a half, before Oregon puts it away in the second. OREGON - 41, STANFORD - 17

Tom Ward - There isn't any reason to believe that Stanford breaks its seven game losing streak to Oregon after watching what the Ducks did to USC. And since Oregon torched the previously number one ranked defense in the Pac-10 for 613 yards, there's no reason to believe they can't put up at least some of that against the Cardinal - if not all of that. On a related note,  the new top ranked scoring defense in the Pac-10 is Oregon, and the Ducks should be able to hold down Stanford on the way to a convincing victory. OREGON - 34, STANFORD - 13

Nick Krupke - The Ducks are simply rolling. The players are truly in the mold of their coach, and there won't be any letdown in this team. Until a team proves that it can stop the Oregon offense the Ducks will score at will for the rest of the season. Stanford is certainly better than in years past. Toby Gerhart is an elite running back, and Andrew Luck is going to be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference soon - if he isn't already. But the Cardinal isn't good enough to hang with Oregon yet. OREGON - 38, STANFORD - 17

Dirk Weishaar - I just think Oregon will continue to do what it's been doing, and that's dominating in the second half. I think Stanford has what it takes to control the clock a bit and keep things close for a half by running Gerhart, but in the second half the Ducks have been great. Oregon has a lot of speed for the Cardinal to contend with, and I think the Ducks and their no-huddle attack will tire out the Stanford defenders. Look for Oregon to take the first possession it gets in the second half and stick in the endzone to start the route. OREGON - 37, STANFORD - 16

Oregon State Vs. Cal:

This is a very big game for both teams.

Cal and Oregon State both come in at 3-2 in the Pac-10, and the winner of this game has the inside track on an upper tier bowl game. That could include the Holiday Bowl if both Oregon and USC win out and claim BCS bowl berths.

Oregon State hasn't lost in Berkeley since 1997, stringing together four straight victories.

The last time these two teams met in Strawberry Canyon the Beavers shocked the second-ranked Bears 31-28 in 2007. In that game OSU linebacker Joey LaRoque tackled Cal quarterback Kevin Riley - who was making his first career start - as the clock ran out to seal the victory.

Now Riley and the Bears have a chance at redemption against an Oregon State team that has had as many ups and downs as Cal has.

The Beavers looked as though they had solved some of their problems on defense before USC put up 42 points in a loss two weeks ago. Then the UCLA Bruins exploded for 210 yards in the fourth quarter and nearly came back from a 19-3 deficit before eventually falling 26-19.

Cal had to survive a sub-par performance last week at Arizona State, but the Bears have won three straight since Oregon and USC crushed them by a combined score of 72-6.

THE PICKS:

Brian Elder - This is a tough one to call. But when in doubt, you've got to go with the home team - even if the Beavers have won four straight there. Cal seems to have rebounded from the games against Oregon and USC, and Kevin Riley also looks like he has righted the ship. Riley has thrown for 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions on the year, and against the ninth ranked pass defense in the Pac-10 I think he will have enough success to free up Jahvid Best. Sean Canfield and Jacquizz Rodgers will keep Oregon State in it the whole way, but I think the Beavs fall just short in the end. CAL - 35, OSU - 28

Tom Ward - Cal is number two in the conference in scoring, and the Beaver defense is struggling right now. In scoring defense OSU is giving up 25 points per game. But what this game will really come down to is which back has the better game - Jacquizz Rodgers or Jahvid Best. Quizz has been great again this year, but I just don't see any way that the Beavs stop Best from having a huge day. The teams will trade blows all night, but in the end I think it's Cal who is the one standing. CAL - 27, OSU - 20

Nick Krupke - The Bears were picked by many in the preseason as one of the top teams in the Pac-10 and the biggest contender to USC's streak of seven straight conference crowns. And after getting knocked around by the Ducks and Trojans, the kids from Berkeley have finally woke up again. Jahvid Best is always a breath away from breaking off a big play, and Kevin Riley should be solid against the shaky OSU secondary. The Beavers also can't get fierce enough in the red zone to finish drives. They just don't seem to have that killer mentality yet. Oregon State will plow through Washington and Washington State the next two weeks, but not Cal.  CAL - 24, OSU - 20

Dirk Weishaar - The streak is due to end. After putting up a couple of stinkers, Jahvid Best has figured things out, as has Kevin Riley. Those guys, and the Cal team as a whole, should be motivated and hungry to end the losing streak at Memorial Stadium. The Beaver defense doesn't look anything like the stout units that led those late season rallies in years past, and that will be why OSU falls short this week. CAL - 27, OSU - 24

Brian, Nick and Tom all improved to 8-2 last week, while Dirk is still bringing up the rear at 6-4.