[Goose]

While having a productive qb is important, in 2021 Stanford needs an offense that is efficient and one that controls the ball and the tempo. What we saw in 2020 was a defense that wasn't very good but that could deliver one or two stops a game. The trick was to make those few stops be enough. In 2021 we probably have a similar situation on defense. The DL won't be as good, probably, because of fewer bodies. We need an offense that scores touchdowns (not field goals) and that runs the ball effectively even when the opponent knows that is the plan. Most college teams stop themselves a few times per game. If our defense can deliver a couple of additional stops we can win most of the games on our schedule, but ONLY if we are offensively more efficient than our opponent. We have to limit the opponents number of possessions. If our defense spends lots of time on the field, we will be 4-8. If we dominate the TOP we can turn that around. If we dominate the TOP AND score on almost every possession we can be 10-2.

In order to be efficient we need a qb who can throw the deep ball when the defense is crowding the LOS to stop the run. If we can't run, even if we are successful in throwing the ball it will be hard to win. Our defense will wear down and that will create a situation where our offense has to score every time it gets the ball, because our opponent certainly will. I have seen that movie before. It is exciting at times, but in the end the record isn't good. Ideally, we could rely on our defense to save the offense when they aren't scoring on almost every possession. That won't be the case in 2021.

[Goose]

While having a productive qb is important, in 2021 Stanford needs an offense that is efficient and one that controls the ball and the tempo. What we saw in 2020 was a defense that wasn't very good but that could deliver one or two stops a game. The trick was to make those few stops be enough. In 2021 we probably have a similar situation on defense. The DL won't be as good, probably, because of fewer bodies. We need an offense that scores touchdowns (not field goals) and that runs the ball effectively even when the opponent knows that is the plan. Most college teams stop themselves a few times per game. If our defense can deliver a couple of additional stops we can win most of the games on our schedule, but ONLY if we are offensively more efficient than our opponent. We have to limit the opponents number of possessions. If our defense spends lots of time on the field, we will be 4-8. If we dominate the TOP we can turn that around. If we dominate the TOP AND score on almost every possession we can be 10-2.

In order to be efficient we need a qb who can throw the deep ball when the defense is crowding the LOS to stop the run. If we can't run, even if we are successful in throwing the ball it will be hard to win. Our defense will wear down and that will create a situation where our offense has to score every time it gets the ball, because our opponent certainly will. I have seen that movie before. It is exciting at times, but in the end the record isn't good. Ideally, we could rely on our defense to save the offense when they aren't scoring on almost every possession. That won't be the case in 2021.