Stanford is the back-to-back Pac-12 football champion, and the Cardinal will defend those titles this Saturday at Husky Stadium.

Stanford has dominated the Pac-12 North with a punishing brand of football in recent years, bucking the trend of spread offenses and vertical passing games. Instead, the Cardinal value experience and size on their lines, jumbo running packages, and formidable linebackers.

While the Huskies know exactly what their opponent brings to Saturday's game, Stanford may be wondering what to make of this Washington team.

Join the club.

Washington's first four games under new coach Chris Petersen have been anything but consistent. In weeks one and four, UW's offense looked out of sync and sloppy. In week two, the Husky defense gave up 52 points at home to an FCS school.

Those performances are complicated by Washington's bright spots over those same four games: defensive linemen Danny Shelton and Hau'oli Kikaha are the nation's top two sack leaders; receiver John Ross has touchdowns of 91 and 75 yards; linebacker Shaq Thompson scored two defensive touchdowns in one half; and the Husky offense has averaged 49 points in the last three games, including 45 unanswered in the second half against Georgia State.

Even the brainiacs from Palo Alto will have a hard time predicting which Husky team shows up Saturday.

For Stanford, the key will be handling the raucous Husky crowd. Though Stanford has been an offensive line juggernaut in recent years, this season's roster has some inexperience that will be tested by the Montlake noise. Also, senior quarterback Kevin Hogan has been known to make poor decisions under constant pressure. UW's pass rush versus Stanford's offensive line will likely determine whether Hogan and receiver Ty Montgomery can exploit UW's young secondary.

For Washington, the focus needs to be on playing a complete game. The Huskies cannot afford to play like they have in the first four games, often struggling for long stretches before turning it on. A lot of that responsibility will fall on quarterback Cyler Miles, specifically how he reads Stanford's blitzes. Washington has the speed advantage in this game, and Miles needs to get the ball to John Ross, Jaydon Mickens, and Marvin Hall in space.

The Huskies are off to a 4-0 start, but many believe their season starts Saturday. For the first time in 2014, Washington will show the country how it compares to the Pac-12's elite.

Stanford will try to impose its identity on UW for four quarters, while the Huskies are still trying to figure out what their identity is. If the Huskies can finally put a complete game together, they should win a close one at home.

Anything short of their best game will lead the Huskies and coach Petersen to their first loss of the year.