Stanford Football

It is Thursday, which means it is time to dig in the mailbag and answer some college football questions.

Some fans are already thinking about the postseason.

It is hard to jump to December when one down of football has not been played. But since college football fans are suffering from the offseason doldrums, why not take a peek ahead right now?

Mandy Stuart asks a question via Twitter.

This is difficult to answer because I think there are five teams with a good shot to play in the Pac-12 Championship: Arizona State, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Stanford.

The South Breakdown

Arizona State has a brutal four-game stretch starting on September 14. It plays host to Wisconsin, goes to Stanford, comes home to face USC and takes on Notre Dame in Arlington, Texas. If the Sun Devils come out of that gauntlet unscathed, you can count on them representing the South in the Pac-12 Championship. A loss to USC gives the Trojans the edge.

USC's schedule is very doable, but it does play 13 games. That could be an issue for a team that is skinny on depth.

USC may suffer a hiccup against Utah State. The Aggies are a potential trap game for a team looking ahead to Arizona State the following week. USC avoids Oregon this year, but it does get Stanford. It also plays at Notre Dame and hosts UCLA in its final regular-season game.

Two areas of concern need to be addressed for USC to have 10-plus wins. The cornerbacks have to close the wide separation between themselves and receivers. In USC's spring game, the corners were playing too far off the receivers and giving up big pass plays.

Quarterback play has to be consistent. The starting quarterback has not been named, but Cody Kessler looks like the front-runner going into fall camp. Posting a 10-3 record should be good enough for USC to win the South.  

UCLA has been the South champion for two consecutive years. For this first time in what seems like forever, the quarterback situation is resolved without any debate. Brett Hundley is the Bruins' main man. If  he continues to mature, he has a shot at the Heisman. 

The concern with UCLA is two-fold. Its schedule is scary and the loss of defensive talent is widespread. 

The Bruins open with Nevada and then travel to Nebraska after a bye week. UCLA drew Cal, Oregon, Stanford and Washington from the North. To make things worse, UCLA travels to Stanford and to Oregon in back-to-back weeks. UCLA has dropped four straight in Eugene and is riding a five-game losing streak against Stanford. 

UCLA has plenty of young talent on defense, but there is a glaring deficit—edge containment. During the Bruins' spring game, the outside was wide open for big gains on sweeps and play actions. This should be fixed during fall camp. 

The defense returns only five starters. The losses of free safety Tevin McDonald and cornerbacks Sheldon Price and Aaron Hester were apparent in the Bruins' spring game. On some pass plays, the secondary was a major question mark. The defensive line and linebacker corps look very sharp.  

Who is the South Champion?

The champion will be the winner of the USC-Arizona State game on September 28. Because Arizona State and USC both avoid Oregon—UCLA does not—that big schedule break helps both teams gain an advantage over UCLA. The winner goes on to play the North champion.

The North Breakdown  

The North champion comes down to Oregon or Stanford. Oregon is the sexy pick, but I'm going with Stanford for two reasons. First, although running back Stepfan Taylor is gone, the Cardinal have rebounded very well after losing top-notch talent.

Remember when Stanford was downgraded after losing Heisman finalist Toby Gerhard? Andrew Luck? Head coach David Shaw reloads like Alabama head coach Nick Saban. There is no drop-off. Stanford's style of play is also strikingly similar to Alabama's. That's a winning formula. 

Second, new head coach Mark Helfrich is an unknown. He has no head coaching experience that we can use as a starting point. Helfrich was the Ducks' offensive coordinator, but Chip Kelly called the plays. 

Helfrich could have the same success as Shaw. When Jim Harbaugh left Stanford to coach the San Francisco 49ers, Shaw was promoted to head coach despite having no prior head coaching experience. Novice head coaches can be successful. Just don't bet on it. 

Who is the North Champion?  

Until Helfrich proves himself on the field, defending Pac-12 champion Stanford is the team that should be the favorite to win the North.

Final prediction:

Stanford beats Arizona State to win the Pac-12 Championship

Do you have a question for Lisa? Ask it on her Twitter account: @LisaHorne  

Josh Rosen, from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif., is one of the nation's best 2015 pro-style quarterback recruits.

Rosen is the No. 2 pro-style signal-caller, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, behind only fellow 5-star and state of California recruit Ricky Town of Saint Bonaventure High School. 

Rosen is also the No. 5 player nationally. 

With big offers from the likes of Cal, Michigan, UCLA, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia, among others, it's obvious that major programs have already taken notice of the rising junior recruit. He's already 6'3.5'', 200 pounds and runs a 4.55 40, according to 247Sports.

In a recent phone interview, Rosen talked to Bleacher Report about being such a highly ranked recruit. He also talked about which quarterbacks he watches most in the NFL and had a rather absurd story about an overzealous Michigan fan that's definitely worth checking out.

Bleacher Report: According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, you're the No. 5  2015 player overall, No. 2 pro-style quarterback and the No. 2 player from California. What's that like for you?

Josh Rosen: It's incredible to be in a position like that, especially the five overall, considering how many high school athletes are in my class. Not as happy about the quarterback rating being No. 2, but considering I don't get to face all the players in the country, it's an honor to be No. 5 overall. 

B/R: Ricky Town from St. Bonaventure is the No. 1 pro-style QB. Do you know him?

JR: Yes, I know him very well. I've been to a bunch of camps with him. I know his dad pretty well. We see each other here and there. It's a friendly competition.

 

B/R: So, is there a competition for the No. 1 spot?

JR: I don't think the competition is based on a rankings board. The competition is more at every single camp we go to, throw to throw and ultimately hopefully facing each other in the playoffs. 

It's about performing day in and day out whenever we see each other at the same camps, rather than sort of a rankings competition—even though that might play a little small role in it when you get to brag to each other and say 'I'm higher ranked than you.' But it's definitely more on the field than off.

B/R: Speak about your role on your team as a quarterback.

JR: It changed a little bit from last year. Last year I was a freshman going to be a sophomore. The leadership was more from a lead-by-example perspective. This year I would say I earned a lot of my team's respect, so the leadership is more from the aspect of just making sure everyone on the field is taking care of their responsibility...doing their job, as the famous Bill Belichick always says.

Being an example for the younger kids to aspire to and say, 'I wanna be like that kid, and I wanna do what he does and be recruited like he is, and handle himself like he does.'

B/R: Which NFL QB do you try to watch the most on a weekly basis?

JR: Year in, year out, Peyton Manning above all else, but I'm a huge Andrew Luck fan as of recently. I love what he did at Stanford, and I think he should get much more recognition than he already does for flipping a team that lost many of their best Pro Bowl  players. He flipped a team from a 2-14 record to a wining playoff team and actually won a playoff game.

But year in, year out, probably Manning because he's the best at what he does. Technique, his mind, feet, everything—hands-down he's the best.

B/R: Luck obviously went to Stanford. Is that one of the schools that you're looking at?

JR: It's probably one of the largest players in the whole process. Just considering what he did, John Elway, Jim Plunkett. It's so nice to have that from a school's reputation standpoint.

B/R: Have you received an offer from Stanford yet?

JR: No, I have not. I'm looking forward to one in the coming weeks, maybe even sooner. They liked me at the camp, and hopefully one will come sooner rather than later.

B/R: What other schools are on your radar? Who would you like an offer from?

JR: I'd like to run the Pac-12 and get some of the SEC schools to sort of get recognition as a hard-nosed QB who isn't afraid of competition.

It would be nice to get offers from the Arizonas, Oregon, the SEC schools just to acknowledge my versatility as a player.


 

B/R: As far as offers that you do have, which schools stick out?

JR: Stanford (No offer, yet), Cal and UCLA. USC may join the party.

B/R: Any crazy recruiting stories?

JR: Yeah, the Michigan fan that called me. He called me and he was yelling, 'Go Blue, Go Michigan, Commit,' then hangs up the phone.

Calls back about 10 minutes later and says, 'I'm sorry about that, but Michigan is a great school and I think you should go there. And you can take us to a national championship.' 

It was pretty funny.

He ended the conversation by saying, 'I'll never call you again.'

B/R: Did he sway you to check out Michigan?

JR: Not particularly. 

B/R: How did he get your number?

JR: He said off my freshman/JV highlight tape. I was going back and looking and there's my number. I went back and put an annotation on it to say 'don't call this number,' but I took pride in how many views it has. So I don't know if I'll take it down, unless it gets a little out of hand.

B/R: Do you know how many views it has right now?

JR: Upwards of 2,000 for now.

B/R: Which college coach have you connected with the most?

JR: Jim Mora from UCLA because we live very close to each other. I've had some run-ins with his family. I know his daughter pretty well, we're friends. We have some mutual family friends.

From Cal, Pierre Ingram, he's the one recruiting me. He's a 12-year-old kid at heart. He's a great guy.

From Stanford, Coach [Mike] Sanford. He's a great coach. Great intentions. I love how he carries himself. He's a young guy, so he can back up everything he says. Whenever he gives you a coaching point, he can demonstrate on the spot.

B/R: How much does UCLA's recruiting momentum play into your eventual decision?

JR: I think it plays a considerable amount. You can always go to a school that isn't doing so well and flip their program around, like many players have. But it will play a good role in how everything works out.

A bonus in starting the recruiting process so early is once you have your top schools in mind you can see how what they tell you when they're recruiting you carries over to how they play through the season.

For example, the Berkeley staff with Tony Franklin and Sonny Dykes, they're telling me about these tips and tricks that they're going to try in this coming season. We'll see how it works out.

It's nice to have two seasons to go 'till you actually have to make a decision on where you want to play.

B/R: Speaking of, do you have a timetable?

JR: I'm going to take it until senior year. I'm not going to fall in love before that.
 

B/R: Planning on taking any visits this summer?

JR: I'm pretty much done with visits. I've been up at Stanford for five days. I was up at Cal twice. I was up at UCLA, I was at USC yesterday. I'm pretty much done visit-wise this summer.

Five-star quarterback Keller Chryst has committed to Stanford University, according to ESPN's Blair Angulo. In a tweet on June 28, Angulo noted that Chryst's announcement came via text message.

247Sports also shows the 6' 3", 215-pound class of 2014 quarterback committed to Stanford. Chryst has received scholarship offers from Arizona, Georgia, Pittsburgh and USC and has taken unofficial visits to Alabama and USC.

Ten years ago, Stanford receiving a commitment from any 5-star athlete would have been headline worthy. In 2013, Stanford failing to land a 5-star, academically qualified student-athlete would have made headlines. Times have changed. 

Chryst lives in Palo Alto, Calif., the same city where Stanford is located. Elite programs are expected to keep the talent in their own backyard. Stanford was not considered an elite football program until three years ago—even then, the Cardinal's successes were considered an anomaly. 

Stanford football is not a fluke. It was not a fluke when Jim Harbaugh was the head coach from 2007-10. One Sun Bowl and three consecutive BCS bowls later, Stanford is showing no signs of a hangover despite losing Harbaugh and quarterback Andrew Luck to the NFL.

The Cardinal are set with sophomore Kevin Hogan behind center this year. He'll also be there next year. That gives Chryst a year to absorb the playbook and adjust to the tough academic rigors at Stanford. 

Stanford is a legitimate powerhouse and its future looks solid. The class of 2012 was ranked No. 7 by 247Sports. Two 5-star offensive tackles, Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy, were part of this star-studded class.

Murphy was nationally ranked second by position and 11th overall. He was courted by Oregon, Florida, Miami, Notre Dame and USC, among others. 

Peat was ranked fourth by position and 30th overall. Among the schools offering him scholarships were Nebraska, Florida State, USC, Miami, Texas and Tennessee.

Having an outstanding line to open up the running game and protect the quarterback have been a staple of Cardinal football. The commitment from Chryst shows there is no sign of Shaw losing his recruiting prowess or changing his game plan. He's also a winner.

Shaw is 2-0 against USC, 1-1 against Notre Dame and 1-1 against Oregon. His Cardinal lost 41-38 in overtime to Oklahoma State in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl and beat Wisconsin 20-14 in the 2013 Rose Bowl game.

This 5-star's commitment is just another day on the farm.  

Keller Chryst is widely considered the top quarterback of the 2014 recruiting class and one of the most sought-after prospects in the country. 

At least he was. Now, he's the latest player to sign with Stanford, according to reporter David Lombardi:

At 6'3" and 215 pounds, Chryst has the right build for the position, He finished the 2012 season with 2,489 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns and four rushing scores for Palo Alto High. 

Oh, and in case you were wondering what sort of athlete he is, he also plays for Palo Alto's varsity basketball team. 

According to 247 Sports, Chryst is a 5-star player and the site's 23rd-ranked prospect. ESPN Insider (subscription required) provided the following scouting report on the Cardinal's latest prized recruit:

Chryst is the son of a coach and it shows with his polish and poise as a pocket passer. Chryst will arguably be one of the more fundamentally sound quarterbacks in this class. He also has a quick release with very good arm strength and the velocity to stretch the field at the next level.

His father is Geep Chryst, currently the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers, so he'll hit college with a different grasp on the position than most players his age. And he just so happens to be named after a legend of the game, as well. From David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune:

Keller Chryst was born in Lake Forest Hospital. When it came time to name their first son, the Chrysts liked the idea of honoring a man who had meant so much to their family: Michael Keller Ditka.

"We just thought 'Keller Chryst' had a nice sound, and fortunately for him, he's continuing the name playing football,'' Chryst said. "Mike is phenomenal, a Chicago treasure and very special to me. He engenders loyalty.''

Geep Chryst got his first coaching gig at the NFL level in 1991 with the Chicago Bears on Ditka's staff. So yes, football is in Keller Chryst's blood. He grew up around the game, he has the right frame to play the position, is very poised and mature for a man his age, and should make a major impact fairly quickly on the college game.

And perhaps someday, he'll eventually join his father in the NFL, as well. 

As the Stanford Cardinal prepare for the 2013 season this summer, focus will invariably deviate to the team's Pac-12 Conference schedule during the meat of the regular season. 

The reigning Rose Bowl champions have lost some of their talent on offense, including standout running back Stepfan Taylor and tight end Zach Ertz, but will return undefeated quarterback Kevin Hogan and a number of contributors on the defensive side of the ball. 

Early word around college football circles also place the offense more in Hogan's hands than the coaching staff did at the end of the 2012 season, largely because they now feel he can handle the mental and physical load of the job, per Dave Miller of the National Football Post. 

Expectations are high for the Cardinal to repeat as Pac-12 North champions, and maybe even represent the conference in a BCS bowl again at the conclusion of the 2013 season. Better yet, the Cardinal are an early dark-horse candidate to make the BCS title game for the last time before the system changes to a playoff. 

As usual, Stanford will have its work cut out for it to accomplish those goals. 

For starters, the non-conference schedule is no joke. The team will take on an upstart San Jose State team with nothing to lose to open up the season, and then travel to Army for a day game before Pac-12 play begins. Stanford will close the season with Notre Dame, which will likely be a Top 10 team to open up the season if you listen to college football analyst Phil Steele. 

As Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com puts it, if Stanford escapes from this 12-game slate unscathed heading into bowl season, it will have truly earned it. 

Since Stanford will ride or die on its Pac-12 conference record this year, and college football fans everywhere are champing at the bit for the season to begin, here's a look at three can't-miss games both Stanford and college football fans in general should circle on their calendars to have something to look forward to in the coming months. 

2013 Stanford Cardinal Football Schedule

Date	Game	Time	TV
Sept. 7	vs. San Jose State	TBD	TBD
Sept. 14	at Army	Noon ET	CBS Sports Network
Sept. 21	vs. Arizona State*	TBD	TBD
Sept. 28	at Washington State*	TBD	TBD
Oct. 5	vs. Washington*	TBD	TBD
Oct. 12	at Utah*	TBD	TBD
Oct. 19	vs. UCLA*	TBD	TBD
Oct. 26	at Oregon State*	TBD	TBD
Nov. 7	vs. Oregon*	TBD	TBD
Nov. 16	at USC*	TBD	TBD
Nov. 23	vs. California*	TBD	TBD
Nov. 30	vs. Notre Dame	TBD	Fox Sports 1

*Denotes Pac-12 Conference game. Schedule via ESPN.com. 

Stanford's Can't-Miss Pac-12 Games

Oct. 19 vs. UCLA

Stanford has won five straight games against the UCLA Bruins, making this game somewhat of a farce if you buy into the notion that dominance doesn't make for an exciting matchup of teams in conference play. 

However, Jim Mora Jr. has UCLA headed in the right direction. The Bruins lost two straight games to close the regular season that would have otherwise led to a Rose Bowl bid for the team, and UCLA will feature a young QB of its own with Heisman hopes at heart. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-oAOLheX5w

Brett Hundley will be back under center for UCLA next season, and by Oct. 19 we'll know whether or not his freshman success will be curbed by the infamous sophomore slump. Either way, Hundley will be eager to atone for his zero-touchdown, one-interception performance in the air during UCLA's three-point loss in the Pac-12 title game. 

For Stanford, UCLA will provide the Cardinal with one of their first true tests of the conference slate. 

Returning home after facing Utah, Stanford will need to find a way to deal with UCLA's dual-option attack and find a way to slow down Hundley in the running game, too—he ran for over 80 yards and a touchdown the last time these two teams met. 

UCLA isn't expected to be a national championship contender after losing running back Johnathan Franklin and other supporting pieces on offense, but it is a capable young squad who took Stanford to the brink last season and is a program on the rise in the conference. If UCLA can equal its success on the ground from 2012, this could be Stanford's first close game and first true test of defensive fortitude. 

Nov. 7 vs. Oregon

Oregon and Stanford are turning into one of college football's premier rivalries. 

Chip Kelly will be gone from the Oregon sidelines, but the offensive minds for the Ducks will not, and Stanford didn't lose any muster after David Shaw took over for Jim Harbaugh once his move to the NFL became official. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv4yWeOyins

The clash of high-flying offense against stingy defense makes for must-see TV each time these two teams take the field in a battle of Pac-12 North rivals. 

Oregon, like UCLA, will feature a dark-horse Heisman candidate in sophomore signal-caller Marcus Mariota, who accounted for over 3,400 yards of total offense and 38 touchdowns (including a two-yard touchdown catch) during his freshman season. 

Stanford also holds the last victory over the Ducks, a 17-14 overtime thriller that ended Oregon's national championship hopes toward the end of last season. With those kind of stakes hanging over this game and Stanford given an extra few days to prepare for this Thursday night battle, it will be interesting to see how the offense-defense clash continues as the Ducks travel south to Palo Alto. 

Nov. 16 at USC

Stanford has also quietly won four straight games over the Trojans, including a 21-14 upset when Matt Barkley and company were the No. 2 team in the nation. 

Stanford can't afford to let consecutive win No. 5 slip away, especially if they hold an undefeated mark at this point in the season. 

It might be too early to start labeling games on Stanford's schedule of the "trap" nature, but traveling to USC late in the season after facing several other teams who will be nationally ranked at the time of the meetings (wishful thinking perhaps, but the Pac-12 has several who should be) makes this year's USC game just as interesting as last year's upset victory. 

With the Trojans reloading, there's little doubt the talent will be flocking to the program. It does each year, and USC finished in the top 20 in recruiting again, according to 247Sports' rankings. 

Like UCLA, USC will have revenge on the mind and maybe even a chance to upset Stanford's perfect season in this mid-November matchup. With Stanford bordering on being a national powerhouse for the next few years and USC always in games just on sheer talent, this is another can't-miss game on the current slate. 

All 12 of Stanford's games should be fun to watch, even if you're just a casual college football fan. With the team expected to contend this year instead of being an upset candidate on everyone's schedule, how Shaw's team responds will define where Stanford is playing in bowl season. 

Follow Bleacher Report FC Ethan Grant on Twitter:

The Stanford Cardinal are coming off a third consecutive BCS bowl game appearance and their first conference title since 1999.

Coach David Shaw has proven to be the perfect successor to Jim Harbaugh. Plus, Stanford didn't miss a step last season even though Andrew Luck was gone.

As for the 2013 campaign, Shaw brings in the No. 57 (Scout.com) and No. 63 (Rivals.com) ranked recruiting class. Even though that's not on par with conference foes Oregon, USC and UCLA, don't expect Stanford to just slide back this season.

To that end, let's check out how Shaw's crew can repeat as Pac-12 champs.

Note: Full view of Stanford's depth chart courtesy of GoStanford.com.

Rely on a dynamic ground game

With Stepfan Taylor out of the equation, Stanford has to keep its rushing attack moving.

Anthony Wilkerson must take the reins and simply attack the line of scrimmage. After averaging 4.5 yards per rush in 2012, Wilkerson briefly brought back the potential displayed in 2010. The Cardinal will need him to consistently produce as the season unfolds.

Elsewhere, Tyler Gaffney is back.

According to Kyle Kensing of SaturdayBlitz.com via Sports Illustrated, Gaffney was playing minor league baseball in 2012. Nevertheless, the guy accounted for 704 rushing yards and 11 scores between 2010 and 2011.

Feeding a sound mixture of Wilkerson and Gaffney allows the Cardinal to run a variety of plays geared toward controlling the trenches.

Defense...and more defense

There are three guys coach Shaw and Co. can always count on heading into the 2013 campaign.

First is linebacker Shayne Skov.

He logged 146 tackles through his first two college seasons, but then missed most of 2011 due to injury. Fortunately Skov returned nicely in 2012, recording 81 tackles, and Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com believes he is Stanford's most important player:

There is no debate, however, about what Skov means to this team. Before his season-ending knee injury at Arizona in 2011, he was slotted as a potential first-round draft pick. He returned in 2012 and was very good. But not quite back to where he was pre-injury. 

He is now. And that bodes very well for one of the top defensive units in the country.

The next guy that must keep producing is Ben Gardner.

Between 2011 and 2012 Gardner racked up 24.5 tackles for loss, 12 of which were sacks, and defended seven passes. His knack for disrupting the backfield is a great complement to Skov in the front seven.

Finally, there is safety Ed Reynolds, whose ability to change the field position on turnovers creates a huge competitive advantage.

Reynolds picked off six passes last season and returned them for 301 yards and three touchdowns. This ability to swing the momentum and instantly change any game gives Stanford a chance regardless of the second-half situation.

Turnover Minimization

Winning the turnover battle is one primary aspect that allowed Stanford to take the Pac-12 title.

Finishing the year at plus-nine, the Cardinal ranked No. 26 in turnover margin. Quarterback Kevin Hogan only tossed three picks the six games where he contributed the most, not to mention putting up a 71.7 completion percentage.

Provided Hogan continues to develop and set up the play-action, Stanford gains a favorable edge by establishing balance.

The pass rush will get pressure to force fumbles, and the coverage will make plays on the ball for interceptions. As a result, Hogan and Co. must capitalize accordingly or simply reduce turnovers to play the field-position game.

Regardless, sticking to a physical philosophy on each side of the line of scrimmage will propel Stanford ahead of its conference competition.

Stanford announced Monday that quarterback Josh Nunes has retired from the football program after completely tearing his right chest muscle during an offseason workout in February, according to an Associated Press report.

Nunes' father, Tim, said that his son ruptured his pectoralis major tendon while doing his normal bench-press routine during an offseason workout in February. He dropped the weights on his chest—though the tendon had already ruptured—and had surgery a few days later to reattach the tendon with screws.

No further damage was caused by dropping the weights other than some bumps and bruises. Nunes is expected to make a full recovery, which can take up to 12 months following surgery, but it's not worth risking an even more serious injury.

Nunes began 2012 as the Cardinal starting quarterback, but he lost the job to Kevin Hogan eight games into the season. Nunes threw for 1,643 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2012.

With his departure, Stanford's depth at quarterback just got a little thinner. Evan Crower is the official backup to Hogan, according to this updated depth chart, and Dallas Lloyd will likely fill in the third spot. 

Lloyd is a sophomore and has never thrown a pass in a college game. Crower is a redshirt sophomore and,  like Lloyd, has no game experience. There should be considerable concern, right?

That depends on Hogan.  

He sparked the Cardinal offense last season in part due to his field awareness. Hogan can dance around the pocket to buy his receivers time and can also gain positive yardage in a potential sack situation. But with those great attributes comes a great price—the risk of injury while running between tackles or pushing upfield while being chased by linebackers. 

The lack of experience by both reserves is concerning, but Hogan also had no experience when he was tabbed the starting quarterback last October. 

This is a team coached by David Shaw, the same man whose team went 12-2 last season, including a 20-14 Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin last January. This is the coach who inserted Hogan as his starting quarterback against Colorado despite Hogan having only one collegiate pass under his very green belt.

This is a quarterback who reeled off six consecutive victories, including an overtime win over Oregon at Autzen Stadium. He's gutsy and accurate: Hogan threw for 1,096 yards, completing 71.7 percent of his attempts while throwing nine touchdown passes and three interceptions. 

If Hogan stays healthy, the Cardinal's depth won't be much of an issue. If Shaw is pressed to call upon one of his few reserves, it'll be gut-check time for Cardinal fans.

But Crower will probably be ready to go. 

Because if there's one thing we've learned about Shaw, it's that he's an elite coach. He prepares his players well and has already proven to the college football world that losing a starting quarterback isn't necessarily bad luck—no pun intended.

 

Derek Mason is no longer the defensive coordinator for the Stanford Cardinal. Instead, he is now considered the Willie Shaw Director of Defense.

According to Go Stanford, the position has been endowed as a gift from an anonymous donor in honor of Willie Shaw, who is a former Stanford defensive assistant and the father of current head coach David Shaw:

"The honor of this endowed position is all about these kids, this staff and this program, with what we have achieved, worked toward and aspired to become: one of the best defensive units in the country," said Mason. "What our defense has been able to accomplish has been nothing short of a blessing. People are now starting to take notice that Stanford's brand means playing physical, unrelenting football on both sides of the ball."

This isn't the first time this has been done. Earlier this season, the offensive coordinator position was named after the legendary Andrew Luck. There is nothing like paying tribute to the guys that helped put this football program on the map.

Mason has been an assistant coach on the Stanford staff since 2010, taking over the duties as defensive coordinator in 2011. Since being the man in charge, the Stanford defense has made huge strides over the years, including finishing second in the Pac-12 last year and 20th in the entire country in total defense.

A physical and feisty bunch, Mason has helped take this unit to another level, which has played a big role in the Cardinal reaching three consecutive BCS bowls.

Receiving this honor is special to Mason, who has worked closely over the years with the older Shaw and has picked up many things along the way:

"The honor of being the Willie Shaw Director of Defense has special meaning to me because of how he has believed in and empowered me through a relationship of nearly two decades," said Mason. "Coach Shaw has profoundly helped foster my growth and understanding in what it takes to lead young men with lessons that extend to and far beyond the field of play. In the last two years, Coach Shaw has spent countless hours walking me through 40-plus years of experience and accelerated my development and leadership which has, in turn, translated into the everyday exhaustive progress and growth of our young men."

Shaw coached the Stanford defensive backs and linebackers from 1974 to 1976. He returned in 1989 to work with the secondary and later became the defensive coordinator, which is a position he held until 1991.

He is most known for the job he did in 1990, when he turned around one of the worst defenses in the span of one season. Shaw spent time coaching 14 different teams in his career, including various NFL franchises, but the time he spent with Stanford is what he remembers most over the years:

"It is hard to find the words to express how much I appreciate the Stanford experience which has changed my life and my family's life for nearly 40 years now," said the elder Shaw. "To be connected with Stanford Football into perpetuity like this is unbelievable. All of my associations and my family's associations with Stanford have made us complete and blessed."

This is a day to celebrate Stanford football. And if the head coach can continue to doing the job he has done in his first two seasons, something tells me another honor will be handed to the Shaw family later down the road.

Follow @Randy_Chambers

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is apparently one heck of a college football recruiter, and the Stanford Cardinal are benefiting from her prestige and knowledge on the recruiting trail.

According to a great piece by Jana Persky and Neel Thakkar of the Stanford Daily, head coach David Shaw uses Ms. Rice to his team's advantage:

Even so, in order to truly wow potential players with all that Stanford has to offer, Shaw often brings in the person he calls his “cleanup hitter”—former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Rice will even personally meet with recruits when she's on campus:

According to Rice, she became involved with the football program during the 1980s, when the coaches would hold faculty brunches with recruits. Since then, whenever she’s on campus, Rice finds time to meet with recruits from a variety of sports.

“I never say that Stanford is the only option, but Stanford is about excellence, and you should want to go to a place where excellence is appreciated,” Rice said. 

To make this story even more impressive, Rice has a great football mind as well:

Shaw said that he and Rice have drawn up some safety plays or considered ways to exploit the mismatches that Stanford’s tight ends have created in recent years.

“She loves that dynamic that we use to make big plays and also be big targets in the Red Zone,” Shaw said. “She hates prevent defenses. She loves defenses that are aggressive at the end of the game.”

What can Condoleezza Rice not do?

Don't be so naive to think that Rice's presence around the Stanford football program doesn't play huge dividends on the recruiting trail. She's one of the more influential political figures of our time and held one of the most prestigious positions in not just American politics, but the world. 

She's also a great person to seek advice from in regards to Stanford. Who better to talk to about the program than a current Grad School of Business professor and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution? That's not to mention the fact that she joined Stanford as a political science professor in 1981 and was the provost from 1993-1999 (all according to the Stanford Daily report).

As a diplomat, she needs to have the ability to communicate and interact well with people, so again, who better to have representing the Cardinal on the recruiting trail? Throw in a passion for the game, and Stanford seems to have itself a "secret weapon" for bringing in new talent. 

She's also willing to give recruits the inside scoop on Notre Dame (according to the Stanford Daily report):

According to Shaw, Rice is particularly helpful in talking to recruits who are also considering Notre Dame, where Rice earned her masters degree.

Asked to comment, Rice used her well-practiced diplomatic skills.

“They’re both great institutions, and I love both of them,” Rice laughed. “There’s never just one good place.”

Rice can use her political background in countless ways, so as a college football fan and writer, it's great to see her investing in a top program that pairs athletics with academics. 

The case could be made that recruiting is just college football's version of politics, so it's no wonder that Rice seems to have a knack for it.

Supreme diplomat or ace recruiter?

I'll let you be the judge.