[BostonCard]

I don't think anyone disputes the epic experience that we Stanford fans have had over the last seven years.  Quoting the truly amazing statistics that the team accumulated over that period does absolutely nothing to assess whether the momentum has been leaking out of the engine.

Having experienced a period of euphoria, anxiety arises about the signs the period might be drawing to a close.  All we need to do is rationalize 8-5 w/ discussions of the impact of injuries and sophisticated statistics that put our frustrations at ease.  In the meantime, the TWU membership roll is empty.  There really is no Intellectual Brutality.  We do not Party in the Backfield with regularity.

We partied in the backfield 34 times this year, which is second  in the conference in sack rate.  That’s comparable to our 2011 and 2013 defenses which were averaging just over theee sacks a game (2012 was on another level at 4 sacks a game).  Considering the relative youth and lack of star power in our DL, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

BC

[BostonCard]

I don't think anyone disputes the epic experience that we Stanford fans have had over the last seven years.  Quoting the truly amazing statistics that the team accumulated over that period does absolutely nothing to assess whether the momentum has been leaking out of the engine.

Having experienced a period of euphoria, anxiety arises about the signs the period might be drawing to a close.  All we need to do is rationalize 8-5 w/ discussions of the impact of injuries and sophisticated statistics that put our frustrations at ease.  In the meantime, the TWU membership roll is empty.  There really is no Intellectual Brutality.  We do not Party in the Backfield with regularity.

We partied in the backfield 34 times this year, which is second  in the conference in sack rate.  That’s comparable to our 2011 and 2013 defenses which were averaging just over theee sacks a game (2012 was on another level at 4 sacks a game).  Considering the relative youth and lack of star power in our DL, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

BC

[CornFed]

I don't think anyone disputes the epic experience that we Stanford fans have had over the last seven years.  Quoting the truly amazing statistics that the team accumulated over that period does absolutely nothing to assess whether the momentum has been leaking out of the engine.

Having experienced a period of euphoria, anxiety arises about the signs the period might be drawing to a close.  All we need to do is rationalize 8-5 w/ discussions of the impact of injuries and sophisticated statistics that put our frustrations at ease.  In the meantime, the TWU membership roll is empty.  There really is no Intellectual Brutality.  We do not Party in the Backfield with regularity.

We partied in the backfield 34 times this year, which is second  in the conference in sack rate.  That’s comparable to our 2011 and 2013 defenses which were averaging just over theee sacks a game (2012 was on another level at 4 sacks a game).  Considering the relative youth and lack of star power in our DL, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

BC

The timing and regularity of sacks leads to a spirit of "partying in the backfield".  Like a baseball player that gets all his hits with the bases empty or a basketball player who seems to score only when the game is no longer at stake.  At the height (to date) of this renaissance of Cardinal football, the concepts of TWU, P in the B, and IB were interwoven into the overall outcome of a game.  34 sacks has no meaning in isolation.  Sure, it is better to have more than fewer.  But how many of those sacks were of the Solomon Thomas Sun Bowl variety?  That is, tough, critical and timely.  The bad news is those 34 sacks were not enough to keep us from potentially going 8-5 again.  And then we can discuss how many injuries we had, which is true.  Or how hard our schedule is, which is true.  I am just looking for the solid indicator that we are not winding down from this incredible ride we've had for the last 10 years.

[CornFed]

I don't think anyone disputes the epic experience that we Stanford fans have had over the last seven years.  Quoting the truly amazing statistics that the team accumulated over that period does absolutely nothing to assess whether the momentum has been leaking out of the engine.

Having experienced a period of euphoria, anxiety arises about the signs the period might be drawing to a close.  All we need to do is rationalize 8-5 w/ discussions of the impact of injuries and sophisticated statistics that put our frustrations at ease.  In the meantime, the TWU membership roll is empty.  There really is no Intellectual Brutality.  We do not Party in the Backfield with regularity.

We partied in the backfield 34 times this year, which is second  in the conference in sack rate.  That’s comparable to our 2011 and 2013 defenses which were averaging just over theee sacks a game (2012 was on another level at 4 sacks a game).  Considering the relative youth and lack of star power in our DL, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

BC

The timing and regularity of sacks leads to a spirit of "partying in the backfield".  Like a baseball player that gets all his hits with the bases empty or a basketball player who seems to score only when the game is no longer at stake.  At the height (to date) of this renaissance of Cardinal football, the concepts of TWU, P in the B, and IB were interwoven into the overall outcome of a game.  34 sacks has no meaning in isolation.  Sure, it is better to have more than fewer.  But how many of those sacks were of the Solomon Thomas Sun Bowl variety?  That is, tough, critical and timely.  The bad news is those 34 sacks were not enough to keep us from potentially going 8-5 again.  And then we can discuss how many injuries we had, which is true.  Or how hard our schedule is, which is true.  I am just looking for the solid indicator that we are not winding down from this incredible ride we've had for the last 10 years.

[d4cohn]

I am just looking for the solid indicator that we are not winding down from this incredible ride we've had for the last 10 years.

That we were three points away from playing in a fourth Rose Bowl last year, and likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

[d4cohn]

I am just looking for the solid indicator that we are not winding down from this incredible ride we've had for the last 10 years.

That we were three points away from playing in a fourth Rose Bowl last year, and likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

[slide]

... "likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

really?  I'd guess we'd be preseason #2 or #3 in the North in '19 if everyone comes back.

[slide]

... "likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

really?  I'd guess we'd be preseason #2 or #3 in the North in '19 if everyone comes back.

[BostonCard]

Yeah, you figure Oregon will be the favorites in the North now tha Herbert has chosen to come back.  Washington is no slouch despite a lot of departures on offense, and if WSU finds itself another Minshew, the pirate will have himself another great year.  If cal can find itself a semblance of an offense they will be dangerously too.  The North will once again be brutal.

I think we have too many questions at key positions: OL, ILB, Safety (to name a few) to be considered favorites.  Everyone will have questions, but we probably have too many, and that’s if there are no more unexpected departures.

BC

[BostonCard]

Yeah, you figure Oregon will be the favorites in the North now tha Herbert has chosen to come back.  Washington is no slouch despite a lot of departures on offense, and if WSU finds itself another Minshew, the pirate will have himself another great year.  If cal can find itself a semblance of an offense they will be dangerously too.  The North will once again be brutal.

I think we have too many questions at key positions: OL, ILB, Safety (to name a few) to be considered favorites.  Everyone will have questions, but we probably have too many, and that’s if there are no more unexpected departures.

BC

[Phogge]

I’d take Trevor Lawrence over Herbert in a heartbeat.

[Phogge]

I’d take Trevor Lawrence over Herbert in a heartbeat.

[BostonCard]

Newsflash: at some point, our incredible run will be over.  It May be next season, it may be in three or four years, it may be in over a decade, but some year we will stumble.

Enjoy this run as long as it lasts.  In the words of Baz Lehrman; “Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
Bubblegum.”

BC

[BostonCard]

Newsflash: at some point, our incredible run will be over.  It May be next season, it may be in three or four years, it may be in over a decade, but some year we will stumble.

Enjoy this run as long as it lasts.  In the words of Baz Lehrman; “Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
Bubblegum.”

BC

[Phogge]

I must have chewed a lot of bubblegum.

[Phogge]

I must have chewed a lot of bubblegum.

[d4cohn]

... "likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

really?  I'd guess we'd be preseason #2 or #3 in the North in '19 if everyone comes back.

Favorable odd year schedule (UW and Oregon both at home). Plus we have our own capable QB (and possible first round pick in 2020 draft according to Mel Kiper) returning with plenty of offensive targets. DL is improving.

Shaw has won the North the last three odd years. Until Oregon wins at Stanford Stadium, and is able to navigate the rest of their schedule without other blemishes, I like our chances. Washington State also has to prove it can actually win the conference or division for once before I will believe it (it is almost unfathomable how they blew the division this year, at home, against a UW team that underachieved on the whole this year, relative to pre-season expectations).

I also think Oregon's top 5 recruiting class really won't emerge on the field until 2020 and 2021.

[d4cohn]

... "likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

really?  I'd guess we'd be preseason #2 or #3 in the North in '19 if everyone comes back.

Favorable odd year schedule (UW and Oregon both at home). Plus we have our own capable QB (and possible first round pick in 2020 draft according to Mel Kiper) returning with plenty of offensive targets. DL is improving.

Shaw has won the North the last three odd years. Until Oregon wins at Stanford Stadium, and is able to navigate the rest of their schedule without other blemishes, I like our chances. Washington State also has to prove it can actually win the conference or division for once before I will believe it (it is almost unfathomable how they blew the division this year, at home, against a UW team that underachieved on the whole this year, relative to pre-season expectations).

I also think Oregon's top 5 recruiting class really won't emerge on the field until 2020 and 2021.

[JohnR34231]

... "likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

really?  I'd guess we'd be preseason #2 or #3 in the North in '19 if everyone comes back.

Favorable odd year schedule (UW and Oregon both at home). Plus we have our own capable QB (and possible first round pick in 2020 draft according to Mel Kiper) returning with plenty of offensive targets. DL is improving.

Shaw has won the North the last three odd years. Until Oregon wins at Stanford Stadium, and is able to navigate the rest of their schedule without other blemishes, I like our chances. Washington State also has to prove it can actually win the conference or division for once before I will believe it (it is almost unfathomable how they blew the division this year, at home, against a UW team that underachieved on the whole this year, relative to pre-season expectations).

I also think Oregon's top 5 recruiting class really won't emerge on the field until 2020 and 2021.

Given the weather conditions in Pullman when Washington and Wazzu played, I certainly didn't find it unfathomable. When you have weather like that anything can happen (things become "random" according to the Pirate in his post game debrief). Also conditions like that favor the running team over the passing team.
Washington does seem to have the Pirate's number, though. The Washington DC gave the Cougs a little bulletin board material for next year's game when he said he loves playing against them because they are so easy to defend. You know exactly what they are going to do; they have been doing the same thing for years.

[JohnR34231]

... "likely are the favorites to win the Pac-12 (or at least the Pac-12 North) next year?

really?  I'd guess we'd be preseason #2 or #3 in the North in '19 if everyone comes back.

Favorable odd year schedule (UW and Oregon both at home). Plus we have our own capable QB (and possible first round pick in 2020 draft according to Mel Kiper) returning with plenty of offensive targets. DL is improving.

Shaw has won the North the last three odd years. Until Oregon wins at Stanford Stadium, and is able to navigate the rest of their schedule without other blemishes, I like our chances. Washington State also has to prove it can actually win the conference or division for once before I will believe it (it is almost unfathomable how they blew the division this year, at home, against a UW team that underachieved on the whole this year, relative to pre-season expectations).

I also think Oregon's top 5 recruiting class really won't emerge on the field until 2020 and 2021.

Given the weather conditions in Pullman when Washington and Wazzu played, I certainly didn't find it unfathomable. When you have weather like that anything can happen (things become "random" according to the Pirate in his post game debrief). Also conditions like that favor the running team over the passing team.
Washington does seem to have the Pirate's number, though. The Washington DC gave the Cougs a little bulletin board material for next year's game when he said he loves playing against them because they are so easy to defend. You know exactly what they are going to do; they have been doing the same thing for years.

[winflop]

Newsflash: at some point, our incredible run will be over.  It May be next season, it may be in three or four years, it may be in over a decade, but some year we will stumble.

Enjoy this run as long as it lasts.  In the words of Baz Lehrman; “Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
Bubblegum.”

BC

I think it already has ended. I see a roster far more likely to win 7 or 8 games than 10+. Over the last few years I've set the bar at 9 wins for what I would consider a successful season. That bar will be 8 next year.

[winflop]

Newsflash: at some point, our incredible run will be over.  It May be next season, it may be in three or four years, it may be in over a decade, but some year we will stumble.

Enjoy this run as long as it lasts.  In the words of Baz Lehrman; “Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
Bubblegum.”

BC

I think it already has ended. I see a roster far more likely to win 7 or 8 games than 10+. Over the last few years I've set the bar at 9 wins for what I would consider a successful season. That bar will be 8 next year.