[Snorlax94]

First, a note on the anticipated record for 2023. The team should have a better record, if only because the schedule will be easier.

We swap games against BYU and Colgate with Hawaii and Sac State, which should add a win.

We swap games against Utah and ASU with games against Colorado and Arizona, which could add a win.

Then in even years we play Washington, UCLA, Notre Dame, Cal and Oregon at home, and have 7 home games to boot.

So even if Stanford had the same coaching staff and same players as in 2022, the 2023 team should have more wins.

I am not saying they go bowling in 2023, but it’s very possible the 2023 team has a better record than the 2024 team, and if it turns out the new S&C staff are able to make an immediate impact on injuries, then yeah, I do think a post season is possible. If the S&C imoroves, and the players are healthier and stronger, then I think there’s > 1/3 chance they go bowling this year.

And second, I disagree that the fluctuations in success necessarily reflect whether the university suddenly does or does not “care about winning.” Many many universities care about winning every single year, and yet they have up and down years — it’s part of college football. Notre Dame has had some similar downs (perhaps not as prolonged) and I can assure you, they care about winning every year. There was a deteriorating trend but I think it was reasonable that the university was a bit slow to respond due to Shaw’s previous success (the team narrowly lost a conference championship in 2017), and because the pandemic provided cover for the 2020-2021 seasons.

[Snorlax94]

First, a note on the anticipated record for 2023. The team should have a better record, if only because the schedule will be easier.

We swap games against BYU and Colgate with Hawaii and Sac State, which should add a win.

We swap games against Utah and ASU with games against Colorado and Arizona, which could add a win.

Then in even years we play Washington, UCLA, Notre Dame, Cal and Oregon at home, and have 7 home games to boot.

So even if Stanford had the same coaching staff and same players as in 2022, the 2023 team should have more wins.

I am not saying they go bowling in 2023, but it’s very possible the 2023 team has a better record than the 2024 team, and if it turns out the new S&C staff are able to make an immediate impact on injuries, then yeah, I do think a post season is possible. If the S&C imoroves, and the players are healthier and stronger, then I think there’s > 1/3 chance they go bowling this year.

And second, I disagree that the fluctuations in success necessarily reflect whether the university suddenly does or does not “care about winning.” Many many universities care about winning every single year, and yet they have up and down years — it’s part of college football. Notre Dame has had some similar downs (perhaps not as prolonged) and I can assure you, they care about winning every year. There was a deteriorating trend but I think it was reasonable that the university was a bit slow to respond due to Shaw’s previous success (the team narrowly lost a conference championship in 2017), and because the pandemic provided cover for the 2020-2021 seasons.