[Austroturf]

First, I hope I am wrong about my prediction.  Stanford should regain the Axe, and there should be tumultuous scenes of celebration with cardinal-and-white-clad players and students rejoicing on the field.  We move to 4-7 and prepare for BYU.  

But, frankly, I have lost all faith in this team to win -- yes, even against a dumpster-fire program like Cal that just lost two key coaches on the offensive side of the ball.  The ability to win fled this program during the first quarter of the Wazzu game.  We close the season at 3-9 as in 2021.  

To be more specific, here is how I see the flow of the game.  In a low-scoring affair, we go up 10-3 against the Bears, but give up a late TD in the second quarter and go to the locker rooms tied at 10 apiece.  Karty gets a 3rd quarter FG to put us up 13-10.  At this point, our offense sputters, while our defense valiantly keeps Cal from scoring until their last drive, when the Bears go up 17-13 with less than a minute remaining.  McKee is then sacked on four successive plays on Stanford's final possession.  Shades of 2019, though each team managed an additional TD 3 years ago to make the final score 24-20 Bears.  

Any other takes?

My take is to take a break from Stanford football for the final two games. I've seen enough. It is the definition of crap football. Thanks to family and friends these next two weeks, I'll have better ways to spend precious time. In my view, to paraphrase Joe Starkey, 2022 was the dullest, worst, most soul-crushing, mind-numbing, exasperating mess I could have ever imagined. Who woulda thunk it would happen on the watch of the HC with all those championships. Life happens.

Well, since we will all have to take a break anyway eight days from today at the conclusion of the BYU game, I will continue to indulge my morbid curiosity regarding this team until the last whistle blows.  I frankly never figured things would get this bad.  I could see the decline, but I thought Shaw had the chops to stabilize things and at least deliver a few 6-6 and 7-5 seasons in the wake of his glory years.  But the rot was greater than I had anticipated.

[Austroturf]

First, I hope I am wrong about my prediction.  Stanford should regain the Axe, and there should be tumultuous scenes of celebration with cardinal-and-white-clad players and students rejoicing on the field.  We move to 4-7 and prepare for BYU.  

But, frankly, I have lost all faith in this team to win -- yes, even against a dumpster-fire program like Cal that just lost two key coaches on the offensive side of the ball.  The ability to win fled this program during the first quarter of the Wazzu game.  We close the season at 3-9 as in 2021.  

To be more specific, here is how I see the flow of the game.  In a low-scoring affair, we go up 10-3 against the Bears, but give up a late TD in the second quarter and go to the locker rooms tied at 10 apiece.  Karty gets a 3rd quarter FG to put us up 13-10.  At this point, our offense sputters, while our defense valiantly keeps Cal from scoring until their last drive, when the Bears go up 17-13 with less than a minute remaining.  McKee is then sacked on four successive plays on Stanford's final possession.  Shades of 2019, though each team managed an additional TD 3 years ago to make the final score 24-20 Bears.  

Any other takes?

My take is to take a break from Stanford football for the final two games. I've seen enough. It is the definition of crap football. Thanks to family and friends these next two weeks, I'll have better ways to spend precious time. In my view, to paraphrase Joe Starkey, 2022 was the dullest, worst, most soul-crushing, mind-numbing, exasperating mess I could have ever imagined. Who woulda thunk it would happen on the watch of the HC with all those championships. Life happens.

Well, since we will all have to take a break anyway eight days from today at the conclusion of the BYU game, I will continue to indulge my morbid curiosity regarding this team until the last whistle blows.  I frankly never figured things would get this bad.  I could see the decline, but I thought Shaw had the chops to stabilize things and at least deliver a few 6-6 and 7-5 seasons in the wake of his glory years.  But the rot was greater than I had anticipated.