(03-09-2017, 10:46 AM)OutsiderFan link Wrote:... you'd have to be wearing blinders to not realize Mills, Little, Sarell, St. Brown, Parkinson, and even Wedington are the "breed of cat" that Stanford hasn't historically had in meaningful numbers. So to assume Stanford will be playing the same style in the future with these types of athletic talents, as it did with lesser talents that won with scheme, and emphasizing one or two players, seems to me naive.
I am not quite sure what you are predicting/advocating for here.
I had previously tentatively agreed with your claim that "it seems highly plausible that there is going to be more emphasis on passing in the coming years", with the caveat that I agreed if you meant something like we're going to see a 2011 level of passing (in style and frequency) rather than a 2015 or 2016 level of passing.
If you meant some high percentage passing attack, like most of the Big 12, I don't think we'll see Stanford do that under Shaw unless we don't have the horses to mount a functional run game. It seems clear to me that Shaw does not consider that an optimal offense, and it also doesn't seem to be the kind of offense that usually wins the national championship.
But, in the quotation above you seem to be emphasizing something different. Scheme vs. freelancing and spreading the ball around vs giving most touches to just a few players.
The rigid scheme thing is really more of a basketball argument than a football argument. Most every football team tries to find a scheme that they think will give them an advantage, and the freelancing thing just doesn't work in football.
As to emphasizing one or two players, that's an interesting thought. I agree that Stanford has tended to emphasize just a few players getting touches on offense. What is unclear to me is if that is different than any other team. I suspect that is just what happens on most teams, but maybe not. I will be watching on that score going forward.
(03-10-2017, 06:15 AM)OutsiderFan link Wrote:How many national championships did these trip down memory lane teams win?
I'm not talking about a Top 10-level team. I'm talking Top 2-level and asserting that Stanford has never had so many elite players at these key positions all at the the same time before, in my memory. ...
If Shaw pulls in even one elite WR recruit in 2018, he will have the offensive firepower to compete for a national championship, is what I am asserting. A Hall or St. Brown would fit that bill, IMO.
At least if you believe the scouting services, then despite our recent very large uptick in recruiting, Stanford has not been one of the top two teams in recruiting - probably kicking around the teens in a 4/5 year span. That is okay though. I think you have to recruit well enough to give yourself a chance, and once you have met that floor other program issues matter more.
And, Stanford has clearly had the offensive firepower to compete for a national championship. In 2015 Stanford had the second most points per possession in the nation, and number one among Power 5 teams. In 2011 we were #2 and #2. What Stanford needs mostly is slightly better luck, then either the offense and defense having a peak year at the same time or somewhat lower valleys in performance so we can still win in a not-quite optimal offensive year.
And yes, I agree continued good recruiting should help enable that to happen.
