If there was any question about how Stanford would do without Andrew Luck at quarterback, last year’s Cardinal Team answered with a resounding “Just fine.” David Shaw improved on his first season as head coach in 2011 with a final record of 12-2 and a Rose Bowl win in 2012, Stanford’s first since 1972. Looking forward to this college football season, it appears Stanford hasn’t lost any steam and is #6 in ProjectCFB’s preseason Top Ten.
Contributing to that ranking is the playmaking ability of Junior QB Kevin Hogan who took over the reigns for Josh Nunes in the middle of the season last year. Hogan has been named to the pre-season watch list for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the nation’s top player and is looking to build on his short resume after last year’s late season heroics that saw him lead Stanford to three victories against ranked opponents and a MVP award in the Pac-12 Championship before their win against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
Several other Cardinal names have been appearing on pre-season watch lists. Safeties Eric Reynolds and Jordan Richards are being eyed as possible Jim Thorpe Award winners. Reynolds has also been listed on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy list. Also on the Nagurski watch list and the Bednarik watch lists are Ben Gardner, Trent Murphy and Shane Skov. Murphy, a semi-finalist for last year’s Butkis Award led the Cardinal with 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Standford leads the NCAA with the most pre-season selections for the Outland Trophy, presented to the best offensive lineman. Kevin Danser, Cameron Fleming and David Yankey are all on the list as well. If Stanford can live up to these pre-season accolades, the Cardinal could have college football’s best offensive line, making things very difficult for opposing defenses who attempt to get at Hogan and the Cardinal offense.
Coach David Shaw seems to be settling in nicely to his role as head coach after Jim Harbaugh’s defection to the NFL after the 2010 season. Shaw in his second year at Stanford was able to accomplish what Harbaugh could not, a conference championship. And if not for what some considered a controversial call to end the Notre Dame game, Shaw’s Cardinal team seemed to be on track for the BCS Title Game.
The Cardinal will have to deal with a stout schedule if they want to achieve what Coach Shaw says is their goal every year…winning the conference and the Rose Bowl “the only things they can control.” Stanford begins the season facing off with San Jose State, who almost upset the Cardinal last year in their route to a surprising 11-2 season. Stanford’s last half of the 2013 season is full of tough Pac-12 foes. The Oregon State, Oregon, USC and Cal games all lead up to the match-up with the Cardinal’s toughest non-conference opponent, Notre Dame. It is safe to say the Cardinal teams has had that game circled on their schedule, itching for the opportunity to take down the opponent who knocked them out of the BCS title dreams last year.
For many in the college football world, Stanford has the skills to do what no one else has been able to do for the past seven years: knock the SEC from the BCS title throne. They have the defense to take on the speed that typically defines teams in the Southeastern Conference and the Cardinal have the overwhelming offensive line to squelch the SEC’s hearty defensive lines. This 2013 Cardinal team is primed and ready to defend their Pac-12 Conference championship and possibly win their first BCS championship.
- Amy Norris
@amyjane72
amy.projectcfb@gmail.com
