[lex24]

Before listening, I want to submit "Intellectual Brutality" can mean a lot more than playing with 7 OL and running Power as the staple of an offense.

And I will submit that it always did.  Multiple formations.  Multiple player combinations etc.  Yet, nothing was quite so beautiful as watching a drive late third early fourth where they’d just run Power over and over. To the point where allegedly an SC player said- if you run Power again I’m leaving.  And (I was on the sidelines for this one) power is run about 10 straight times versus an Arizona squad whose hilarious coach (Mike Stoops) had indicated through the media that Stanford isn’t that physical. As they ran it down their throats, the sideline screamed - “Is that physical enough” It got louder every play. Until they eventually scored. (Both these were during the Harbaugh years. He was, after all, the guy that brought Big 10 football to Stanford).

Power football made Stanford more relevant than it has ever been during our lifetimes. The tunnel workers union. The mindset that we don’t care if you know what we’re going to run we’re still gonna do it we’re going to ram it right down your throat. Well that worked. It helped of course they had a physical and terrific defense to go with it. But part of that credit goes to the complementary style they were playing at the time.

One can bitch and moan over whether it was used too much or whether they didn’t do enough motion or this or that or the other thing. Or what they did on 4th and 1. Or had they only done two or three plays differently in various games they would’ve won national championships. Those are wonderful arguments. Because they can’t be defeated. Second-guessing always works. There has never been a play run by a second-guesser that wasn’t successful. Ever. I know all mine have worked.

But you really can’t argue about the success of the general philosophy employed, because it’s unassailable. It’s the most they’ve ever won. By a long shot. And of course, as they have been unable the last few years to play in that style they have suffered. Tremendously. Which they will continue to do if they can’t play power football moving forward.

[lex24]

Before listening, I want to submit "Intellectual Brutality" can mean a lot more than playing with 7 OL and running Power as the staple of an offense.

And I will submit that it always did.  Multiple formations.  Multiple player combinations etc.  Yet, nothing was quite so beautiful as watching a drive late third early fourth where they’d just run Power over and over. To the point where allegedly an SC player said- if you run Power again I’m leaving.  And (I was on the sidelines for this one) power is run about 10 straight times versus an Arizona squad whose hilarious coach (Mike Stoops) had indicated through the media that Stanford isn’t that physical. As they ran it down their throats, the sideline screamed - “Is that physical enough” It got louder every play. Until they eventually scored. (Both these were during the Harbaugh years. He was, after all, the guy that brought Big 10 football to Stanford).

Power football made Stanford more relevant than it has ever been during our lifetimes. The tunnel workers union. The mindset that we don’t care if you know what we’re going to run we’re still gonna do it we’re going to ram it right down your throat. Well that worked. It helped of course they had a physical and terrific defense to go with it. But part of that credit goes to the complementary style they were playing at the time.

One can bitch and moan over whether it was used too much or whether they didn’t do enough motion or this or that or the other thing. Or what they did on 4th and 1. Or had they only done two or three plays differently in various games they would’ve won national championships. Those are wonderful arguments. Because they can’t be defeated. Second-guessing always works. There has never been a play run by a second-guesser that wasn’t successful. Ever. I know all mine have worked.

But you really can’t argue about the success of the general philosophy employed, because it’s unassailable. It’s the most they’ve ever won. By a long shot. And of course, as they have been unable the last few years to play in that style they have suffered. Tremendously. Which they will continue to do if they can’t play power football moving forward.