[BostonCard]

Skeleton crew for the bowl game. Love, Little, Irwin, Smith, Herbig, Jackson, Murphy all out. Toohill, Branch, and Pryts probable. No mention of Ben Edwards and Curtis Robinson. Wilson starting in Irwin's place, so we still intend to redshirt Wedington.

https://twitter.com/StanfordFball/status...3806795776

This list, in my view, is also an indication of how important this game is to Shaw.  Looking forward, he probably does not want to risk the health of Little, Herbig, Smith and Jackson (and probably a few others) for a Sun Bowl victory that will mean nothing when the 2019 season begins (assuming Herbig and Smith return).  Yes, the post-season is becoming a farce of insignificant contests overshadowed by the fates of four "important" teams.  The Washington-Ohio State game may be a wonderful contest, but it is all an exercise in consolation prizes with the CFP dominating the real interest of the football world.  Expand to 8, even 16 if necessary, but the post-season has devolved into a series of exhibition match-ups that are dwindling in significance.  If you have already made your mark on college football (McCaffrey, Love), you sit out; if you see the game as a chance to make a final statement, you play (Solomon Thomas).  It is no longer a given that players participate until the end (see Bosa at OSU).  And regarding Love, I back him up 100%: he came back because of unfinished business, which in his view was a Pac-12 championship and, at least, a Rose Bowl appearance.  The Sun Bowl was not part of that unfinished business.  He's already played in one and helped us win in 2016.

Do we have any reason to believe that Smith will return?  Or Herbig for that matter (other than his draft position has likely fallen due to his performance this year).

BC

---

FOCUS ON 2019 
Right -- Shaw & Co have painfully learned about injuries and healing time, A LOT the past two seasons. 
I agree the holdouts are Shaw looking ahead to 2019, when the home Schedule is SO MUCH more favorable, plus the second bye week now. 
He's got KJ running on all cylinders, and a load of targets, 7 or 8 deep.  We come out throwing next year. 
The RBs are decent, not McCaffrey, Gerhart or Love, but decent.  Let's see if "the next Bryce", Austin Jones, gets any playing time (?). 
Jones did not finish his senior season at B.O'Dowd with eye-popping numbers, but he rates real high, and his H.S. won the Div. II NorCal title. 
This continues a trend started in this Golden Era of not only getting 4-star+ talent, but getting guys who played on H.S. State Finalist teams.  

WASH loses Browning and Gaskin both.  Minshew at WAST graduates also.  RB Laird returns but Kal does not have a QB.  
Does Herbert at Oregon declare for NFL by Jan. 14 deadline?  Or return to play one season with his incoming brother? 
Scouts have him going in the first round as the top QB. Without Herbert, the Ducks will be good, but not great.  
U$C and UCLA are both still sputtering.  
I think Shaw smells another Pac12 crown in his sights with a lot of experience back and solid talent coming up at key positions. 
So he will use the Sun Bowl to give the "next up" guys some reps.  GOOD PLAN. 
A 12-1 Pac12 Champ makes the Playoff is the bet, if that includes a win on NDAM.  
(but the whole league needs to win some bowl games.  1W-8L hurts us)

Boy the pac-12 is going to be the red-headed stepsister of power five conferences.

BC

[BostonCard]

Skeleton crew for the bowl game. Love, Little, Irwin, Smith, Herbig, Jackson, Murphy all out. Toohill, Branch, and Pryts probable. No mention of Ben Edwards and Curtis Robinson. Wilson starting in Irwin's place, so we still intend to redshirt Wedington.

https://twitter.com/StanfordFball/status...3806795776

This list, in my view, is also an indication of how important this game is to Shaw.  Looking forward, he probably does not want to risk the health of Little, Herbig, Smith and Jackson (and probably a few others) for a Sun Bowl victory that will mean nothing when the 2019 season begins (assuming Herbig and Smith return).  Yes, the post-season is becoming a farce of insignificant contests overshadowed by the fates of four "important" teams.  The Washington-Ohio State game may be a wonderful contest, but it is all an exercise in consolation prizes with the CFP dominating the real interest of the football world.  Expand to 8, even 16 if necessary, but the post-season has devolved into a series of exhibition match-ups that are dwindling in significance.  If you have already made your mark on college football (McCaffrey, Love), you sit out; if you see the game as a chance to make a final statement, you play (Solomon Thomas).  It is no longer a given that players participate until the end (see Bosa at OSU).  And regarding Love, I back him up 100%: he came back because of unfinished business, which in his view was a Pac-12 championship and, at least, a Rose Bowl appearance.  The Sun Bowl was not part of that unfinished business.  He's already played in one and helped us win in 2016.

Do we have any reason to believe that Smith will return?  Or Herbig for that matter (other than his draft position has likely fallen due to his performance this year).

BC

---

FOCUS ON 2019 
Right -- Shaw & Co have painfully learned about injuries and healing time, A LOT the past two seasons. 
I agree the holdouts are Shaw looking ahead to 2019, when the home Schedule is SO MUCH more favorable, plus the second bye week now. 
He's got KJ running on all cylinders, and a load of targets, 7 or 8 deep.  We come out throwing next year. 
The RBs are decent, not McCaffrey, Gerhart or Love, but decent.  Let's see if "the next Bryce", Austin Jones, gets any playing time (?). 
Jones did not finish his senior season at B.O'Dowd with eye-popping numbers, but he rates real high, and his H.S. won the Div. II NorCal title. 
This continues a trend started in this Golden Era of not only getting 4-star+ talent, but getting guys who played on H.S. State Finalist teams.  

WASH loses Browning and Gaskin both.  Minshew at WAST graduates also.  RB Laird returns but Kal does not have a QB.  
Does Herbert at Oregon declare for NFL by Jan. 14 deadline?  Or return to play one season with his incoming brother? 
Scouts have him going in the first round as the top QB. Without Herbert, the Ducks will be good, but not great.  
U$C and UCLA are both still sputtering.  
I think Shaw smells another Pac12 crown in his sights with a lot of experience back and solid talent coming up at key positions. 
So he will use the Sun Bowl to give the "next up" guys some reps.  GOOD PLAN. 
A 12-1 Pac12 Champ makes the Playoff is the bet, if that includes a win on NDAM.  
(but the whole league needs to win some bowl games.  1W-8L hurts us)

Boy the pac-12 is going to be the red-headed stepsister of power five conferences.

BC