I first became interested in Stanford football during the Plunkett years, as a young boy. Stanford football hadn't had a losing season since 1963. They were .500 or better for 18 consecutive seasons, with Walsh's two bowl games in the middle of my teens. I stayed a Stanford fan all the way through my freshman year in college. I thought Stanford had, if not a juggernaut, a solid program that basically finish between .500 and .750 every year.
Then the roof caved in. Stanford lost more than they won nine of the next ten years, until Green's final season and Walsh's first season. Walsh's final two get-me-out-of-here seasons were miserable, then came the Sheriff. And to be candid, I thought Stanford would be perfect for Willingham. He'd never have to talk to alumni, fans or media...not really, just in controlled doses. He went to bowl games four out of seven years and sure, he lost three of them, but he went to the first Rose Bowl in a few decades (under Perfect Storm conditions, granted) but he beat Cal every year. He wasn't a great recruiter, or great X's and O's guy, but his team had heart and there weren't any scandals, and frankly, TW seemed to be improving. He finished first or second in two of his last three years.
And then he took the ND contract. He failed, as I think we all knew he would. His strengths matched perfectly to Stanford and imperfectly to his new employer. No matter.
Buddy. Walt. 1-AA? Sounds good, especially since they hired that 1-AA guy, Harbaugh. Whoa, wait a second. This guy can coach. And recruit. And Shaw seemed even better.
We're in the golden age of Stanford football. 27 bowl games in 110+ years of football, including the last ten in a row. Who would have known at the end of a 1-11 tank season in 2006?
Now answer the question: when you woke up on October 6, 2007 and 1-3 Stanford was at the LA Coliseum playing #2 ranked USC as a 41 point underdog...did you think Stanford would win?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjvNzj7TobM
