08-13-2018, 01:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-13-2018, 01:38 PM by CardinalSagehen.)
I couldn't agree more. I haven't noticed the name-calling as much lately, which seemed to peak after the Northwestern game in 2015 and again during and after our disappointing 10-win season in 2016 (irony intended).
But I continue to hear, as you probably do, the common back-handed compliment of Shaw as a master "program guy" (recruiting and player development) who ostensibly sucks at play-calling and in-game tactics.
On one hand, hey, we're all fans and we're entitled to our opinions. There are MANY times when I question certain calls, such as punting on 4th-and-short in the opponent's territory. Without questioning, there would be much less to read and discuss here!
On the other hand, Stanford is a wildly positive outlier in all of CFB, and to me that means that Shaw must be performing well in every phase of the coaching game. We have top-5/10 multi-year win totals with top-20/25 talent. Player development alone does not explain that kind of over-performance. We start freaking out when we go 8-5 with a win in the Chicken Bowl, but just think about the 3 and 4-win years that blue-blood teams like ND, MSU and Auburn have experienced during our run!
If Shaw were an NFL QB, he'd have won more games with less talent around him than anyone, yet some would be labeling him a "game manager". But I'm with Snorlax - extremely thankful and a very devoted Shaw fan. I may occasionally question certain decisions, recognizing my limitations as a fan rather than a career-long football coach. But I wouldn't criticize any phase of Shaw's game, including play-calling, while the overall long-term results have been so improbably fantastic.
But I continue to hear, as you probably do, the common back-handed compliment of Shaw as a master "program guy" (recruiting and player development) who ostensibly sucks at play-calling and in-game tactics.
On one hand, hey, we're all fans and we're entitled to our opinions. There are MANY times when I question certain calls, such as punting on 4th-and-short in the opponent's territory. Without questioning, there would be much less to read and discuss here!
On the other hand, Stanford is a wildly positive outlier in all of CFB, and to me that means that Shaw must be performing well in every phase of the coaching game. We have top-5/10 multi-year win totals with top-20/25 talent. Player development alone does not explain that kind of over-performance. We start freaking out when we go 8-5 with a win in the Chicken Bowl, but just think about the 3 and 4-win years that blue-blood teams like ND, MSU and Auburn have experienced during our run!
If Shaw were an NFL QB, he'd have won more games with less talent around him than anyone, yet some would be labeling him a "game manager". But I'm with Snorlax - extremely thankful and a very devoted Shaw fan. I may occasionally question certain decisions, recognizing my limitations as a fan rather than a career-long football coach. But I wouldn't criticize any phase of Shaw's game, including play-calling, while the overall long-term results have been so improbably fantastic.