[teejers1]

[Note: 2013 was not a particularly great offense with respect to the Shaw HC years. 2011 and 2015 were much better, and a few others were similar. The issue for the post is strategy/style.]

----------
Another point I find interesting/weird is that at the time of Willingham's departure, Stanford fans were generally quite pleased with Diedrick and felt Kent Baer was an incompetent defensive coordinator ruining some all-time great Stanford offenses. At und, the fandom desperately wanted to run Diedrick out of town but felt Baer was the one competent coach they might keep on (Baer was named interim HC upon the firing of Willingham).

Presumably we really saw something more about circumstances than sudden changes in the basic competencies of the two guys.

My faith in the 1999 and 2001 offenses is also based on my belief that the talent on those rosters does not compare favorably to what Shaw has recruited generally (though things have been shaky lately, including on position distribution, according to the recruitniks).  As for Willingham, there is little question that he fled when faced with his own empty cupboard at OL (and big $$ from ND), which should NEVER happen at Stanford.  And because of that, Buddy was WAY behind the 8-ball when he took over (and we all suffered the consequences).

My lack of faith in Shaw as OC is further animated by my belief that, with the exception of the Iowa Rose Bowl year - when Shaw had a fifth year senior QB (Harbaugh recruit) and an abundance of NFL talent - the offenses have not looked good.  Handing the ball off to Love and hoping he breaks a 65 yarder for a TD is not a good offensive "scheme."  Ditto for "throwing the ball to JJAW and hoping he comes down with it."  The offensive failures of Love's senior year and this past year were so predictable, based on the O's successes the prior year being based on superior individual play vs. a superior offensive scheme that can get the ball to "lesser" players in space.  And I'll ask it again: when is the last time you watched Stanford on O and said "what a brilliant call - way to scheme that guy open!"?  You'd like to see it at least once a game.  We maybe see it once a season.  That's a big problem - there is no creativity at all on the O side of the ball.  

Lastly, and as noted above, it all starts with a sound OL - which should never be a problem for Stanford.  When it is, it typically is the result of recruiting negligence/failure.  So if you start with the baseline of at least a good OL, then you ought to be able to build an offensive scheme at Stanford that allows it to compete in every game.  Just don't think we've seen that much under this regime, and certainly not lately.

[teejers1]

[Note: 2013 was not a particularly great offense with respect to the Shaw HC years. 2011 and 2015 were much better, and a few others were similar. The issue for the post is strategy/style.]

----------
Another point I find interesting/weird is that at the time of Willingham's departure, Stanford fans were generally quite pleased with Diedrick and felt Kent Baer was an incompetent defensive coordinator ruining some all-time great Stanford offenses. At und, the fandom desperately wanted to run Diedrick out of town but felt Baer was the one competent coach they might keep on (Baer was named interim HC upon the firing of Willingham).

Presumably we really saw something more about circumstances than sudden changes in the basic competencies of the two guys.

My faith in the 1999 and 2001 offenses is also based on my belief that the talent on those rosters does not compare favorably to what Shaw has recruited generally (though things have been shaky lately, including on position distribution, according to the recruitniks).  As for Willingham, there is little question that he fled when faced with his own empty cupboard at OL (and big $$ from ND), which should NEVER happen at Stanford.  And because of that, Buddy was WAY behind the 8-ball when he took over (and we all suffered the consequences).

My lack of faith in Shaw as OC is further animated by my belief that, with the exception of the Iowa Rose Bowl year - when Shaw had a fifth year senior QB (Harbaugh recruit) and an abundance of NFL talent - the offenses have not looked good.  Handing the ball off to Love and hoping he breaks a 65 yarder for a TD is not a good offensive "scheme."  Ditto for "throwing the ball to JJAW and hoping he comes down with it."  The offensive failures of Love's senior year and this past year were so predictable, based on the O's successes the prior year being based on superior individual play vs. a superior offensive scheme that can get the ball to "lesser" players in space.  And I'll ask it again: when is the last time you watched Stanford on O and said "what a brilliant call - way to scheme that guy open!"?  You'd like to see it at least once a game.  We maybe see it once a season.  That's a big problem - there is no creativity at all on the O side of the ball.  

Lastly, and as noted above, it all starts with a sound OL - which should never be a problem for Stanford.  When it is, it typically is the result of recruiting negligence/failure.  So if you start with the baseline of at least a good OL, then you ought to be able to build an offensive scheme at Stanford that allows it to compete in every game.  Just don't think we've seen that much under this regime, and certainly not lately.