Stanford was ranked No. 25 in the preseason Top 25 poll released by the Associated Press on Monday. It marks the ninth straight season in which the Cardinal has started ranked in the AP Top 25, the sixth-longest streak in the nation.
The Cardinal, led by Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw, is the winningest Pac-12 program in the last decade. Stanford has won 82 games in Shaw's eight seasons at the helm, and 94 games since the start of the 2010 season. The Cardinal's 102 wins in the last 10 seasons is the sixth-most in college football.
Stanford finished the 2018 campaign at 9-4 overall, winning each of its last four games. The Cardinal has been to a school-record 10 straight bowl games, the longest active streak in the Pac-12.
Quarterback K.J. Costello returns after passing for 3,540 yards and 29 touchdowns a season ago. His passing yards were the second-most in school history, while his passing touchdowns were third-most, in a single season. Cornerback Paulson Adebo highlights the defensive returners. The junior led the nation in passes defended last season, with 20 breakups and four interceptions.
Stanford begins arguably the nation's toughest schedule when it plays host to Northwestern on Saturday, Aug. 31 inside Stanford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT on FOX. The Cardinal also hosts No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 11 Oregon and No. 13 Washington this season, while traveling to No. 17 UCF and No. 23 Washington State.