When a team as hyped up like Stanford gets destroyed by Washington, a team they rarely lose to, you know the memes, whether it’s Crying Jordan or burning/chopped down trees, are going to pop up, and plenty of them.

The Cardinal didn’t see this coming. They’ve been a tough team to beat since the moment Jim Harbaugh took over the program, and David Shaw carried on with the great work. This wasn’t just a loss to a fellow Pac-12 team. It was a drubbing they haven’t witnessed in almost 10 years, losing by 38 points, which puts them a step behind in a division they were favored to win, and probably sliding down the rankings into the teens after heading into the game as number 7 in the nation.

As for Washington? This was their big test. They have good starts to the season before, but have often crumbled once Oregon and Stanford showed up. But no more. With this kind of defense, and an efficient passing and running game, there’s no reason to view Washington as anything but Pac-12 favorites, who are in an unfamiliar position more than a month into the season, but maybe finally, they’re good enough to live up to the promise and not let the pressure get to them.