[Farm93]

With Luck at the helm, each offensive play was anticipation of a good play and awesomeness happening.  With Nunes/Hamilton calling the shots, each offensive play is now fraught with dread about what could next go wrong.  A whole game's worth of solely either kind of offense is the difference in my enjoyment of last year's games vs. this year's games.  Wins would have taken the edge off of the pit in my stomach, but losses just kind of compound the cumulative pessimism like an ulcer.

In truth, we are NOW playing 80s style Big 10 football.  1st and 10, 2nd and 6, 3rd and 2...and then first down.  If at any moment the pattern is broken by a run for less than 4 yards, a dropped pass or a penalty then a punt will happen on 4th down.  Luck enabled Stanford to break beyond classic Big 10 football with his ability to convert 3rd and 6+ routinely.  It was a luxury that enabled all Stanford fans to be stress-free on most Saturdays.

In true Big 10 style back in the day, the offense can not commit penalties and the defense must help with the field position battle.  It is not Stanford football of the 80s to be sure.  Nunes could be playing better, but the offense has not exactly been on schedule with runs eithers.  Big 10 football meant we will run, we will run here and we will get 4 or 5 yards.  This Stanford run game is more like we will run, we will run here and we will get 2 yards now and maybe 3 or 4 yards in the fourth quarter.

But again, one really bad game against UW and decent execution in all other games.  That is IF you believe Notre Dame in South Bend plays defense like a top 15 team.

Stanford is on schedule for that 7-5 to 9-3 season.  The wins probably will be current SEC or classic Big Ten stressful where the D must do their game dominating thing all game long on every play and the team then wins by 3 to 10 points.  And FWIW - Giving up a TD on a 3rd and 18 play from outside the redzone is not THAT thing.

[Farm93]

With Luck at the helm, each offensive play was anticipation of a good play and awesomeness happening.  With Nunes/Hamilton calling the shots, each offensive play is now fraught with dread about what could next go wrong.  A whole game's worth of solely either kind of offense is the difference in my enjoyment of last year's games vs. this year's games.  Wins would have taken the edge off of the pit in my stomach, but losses just kind of compound the cumulative pessimism like an ulcer.

In truth, we are NOW playing 80s style Big 10 football.  1st and 10, 2nd and 6, 3rd and 2...and then first down.  If at any moment the pattern is broken by a run for less than 4 yards, a dropped pass or a penalty then a punt will happen on 4th down.  Luck enabled Stanford to break beyond classic Big 10 football with his ability to convert 3rd and 6+ routinely.  It was a luxury that enabled all Stanford fans to be stress-free on most Saturdays.

In true Big 10 style back in the day, the offense can not commit penalties and the defense must help with the field position battle.  It is not Stanford football of the 80s to be sure.  Nunes could be playing better, but the offense has not exactly been on schedule with runs eithers.  Big 10 football meant we will run, we will run here and we will get 4 or 5 yards.  This Stanford run game is more like we will run, we will run here and we will get 2 yards now and maybe 3 or 4 yards in the fourth quarter.

But again, one really bad game against UW and decent execution in all other games.  That is IF you believe Notre Dame in South Bend plays defense like a top 15 team.

Stanford is on schedule for that 7-5 to 9-3 season.  The wins probably will be current SEC or classic Big Ten stressful where the D must do their game dominating thing all game long on every play and the team then wins by 3 to 10 points.  And FWIW - Giving up a TD on a 3rd and 18 play from outside the redzone is not THAT thing.