On a night when the Oregon Ducks were supposed to stake their claim on a BCS National Championship slot, the Stanford Cardinal came and took all of the Ducks' hopes away.

Ranked #2 in the BCS Poll entering their November 8 game in Palo Alto, California, the Ducks had one of the most exciting offenses in the Division I ranks, scoring 55 points or more in six 2013 games. The #6 Cardinal, on the other hand, had a defense that kept scores at a manageable level, although it was nothing to write home about.

Thus, when the two teams met, many predicted the Ducks to run the table. However, Stanford's coaching staff had figured out a way to stifle the Oregon offense.

They had to stop the Ducks' rushing attack.

Linebacker Shayne Skov had nine tackles, leading the Cardinal in holding Oregon to a scoreless first three quarters. The Ducks managed just 185 yards in that same span, a far cry from their 331.5 yard average. Even though Oregon was able to roar back with 20 points in the fourth quarter, it was simply not enough as Stanford ran out the clock.

The loss at Stanford dropped Oregon to #6 in the AP Poll, the spot formerly occupied by the Cardinal. The Ducks face three unranked opponents -- Utah, Arizona, and Oregon State -- leaving them with virtually no chance of regaining lost ground.

Stanford moved to #5 in the rankings, with three more games left, against USC, Cal, and Notre Dame, which moved out of the poll after a 21-28 loss against Pittsburgh.

It appears that the Pac-12 will not be represented in the BCS title game yet again as Alabama is firmly entrenched at #1, leaving #2 Florida State, #3 Ohio State, and #4 Baylor, all undefeated, to dispute the last remaining spot over the next three weeks. Stanford could have an outsider's chance of getting into BCS championship contention should the three other teams lose, which is highly unlikely as they will also face unranked opponents.