[winflop]

Isn't it interesting that Harbaugh now has Michigan where he had Stanford, and Stanford is now set to have its second not 10 win season in a row, and third in four seasons. The trend isn't good. If Shaw doesn't make some staff changes to bring new ideas in to strengthen his team, he's not going to be getting back to 10-win territory any time soon.

Or he could get back to 10 wins next season when he gets Oregon, UW, Notre Dame, Cal and UCLA all at home, and substitutes UA and Colorado for Arizona State and Utah. 

In every odd year since Coach Shaw took over in 2011, Stanford has either won the division (and in 2013, 2015 the conference title too), or in 2011, put up an 11 win Fiesta Bowl season. 

We have only won the division/conference title in an even year once (in 2012, when the conference was more strongly defined by the Oregon/Stanford rivalry, and the conference as a whole was far less competitive). 

If we struggle against an easier schedule next year, I think concern might be more warranted. However, there has been a pretty consistent pattern since 2012 in even seasons that the team has taken a step back (if on account of schedule alone).

Of course 2017 was not part of this analysis...

[winflop]

Isn't it interesting that Harbaugh now has Michigan where he had Stanford, and Stanford is now set to have its second not 10 win season in a row, and third in four seasons. The trend isn't good. If Shaw doesn't make some staff changes to bring new ideas in to strengthen his team, he's not going to be getting back to 10-win territory any time soon.

Or he could get back to 10 wins next season when he gets Oregon, UW, Notre Dame, Cal and UCLA all at home, and substitutes UA and Colorado for Arizona State and Utah. 

In every odd year since Coach Shaw took over in 2011, Stanford has either won the division (and in 2013, 2015 the conference title too), or in 2011, put up an 11 win Fiesta Bowl season. 

We have only won the division/conference title in an even year once (in 2012, when the conference was more strongly defined by the Oregon/Stanford rivalry, and the conference as a whole was far less competitive). 

If we struggle against an easier schedule next year, I think concern might be more warranted. However, there has been a pretty consistent pattern since 2012 in even seasons that the team has taken a step back (if on account of schedule alone).

Of course 2017 was not part of this analysis...