[pefloresjr]

It sounds like this super conference stuff really is possible in the very near future.  I guess it would be good for the conference in terms of money, but I don't really think it is all that good for Stanford.  Despite our current status in the rarified air of a pre-season top 10 ranking, historically we are not one of the conference elite in football.  We have short spurts of good/great teams and if things break right for us and/or if the elite teams are having down years, we can get our Rose Bowl or other BCS bowl.  Our recruiting might improve with greater exposure, but we already recruit nationally and I don't think that extra money for facilities etc. will help us as much as it will help others.  We recruit based on the university and academic excellence with solid football, not facilities or pure football cred. 

I like the look of the Western Pac-8 part of the Pac-16, but if Stanford has things go right and wins the Western division, it would still have to beat the best out of the Central that includes Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State (among others).  The odds of all of those programs having down years or of Stanford getting the breaks to fall our way against them in the same year that we get those breaks against SC and the West are not very high.  I know I should be confident and seek to be the best by beating the best, but I know from many years of experience following Stanford that we will have plenty of down years.  It just feels like our chances of getting through a larger gauntlet of elite programs most years is pretty low.  Maybe a 16 team conference will end the traditional Rose Bowl affiliation and we'll just have to face the future and fondly recall the good old days.  It does make logical sense to go to a playoff system where all teams would have to face progressively better teams so let's get that Rose Bowl or National Championship this year and let the future take care of itself. 

Cheers,
Pete F.

[pefloresjr]

It sounds like this super conference stuff really is possible in the very near future.  I guess it would be good for the conference in terms of money, but I don't really think it is all that good for Stanford.  Despite our current status in the rarified air of a pre-season top 10 ranking, historically we are not one of the conference elite in football.  We have short spurts of good/great teams and if things break right for us and/or if the elite teams are having down years, we can get our Rose Bowl or other BCS bowl.  Our recruiting might improve with greater exposure, but we already recruit nationally and I don't think that extra money for facilities etc. will help us as much as it will help others.  We recruit based on the university and academic excellence with solid football, not facilities or pure football cred. 

I like the look of the Western Pac-8 part of the Pac-16, but if Stanford has things go right and wins the Western division, it would still have to beat the best out of the Central that includes Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State (among others).  The odds of all of those programs having down years or of Stanford getting the breaks to fall our way against them in the same year that we get those breaks against SC and the West are not very high.  I know I should be confident and seek to be the best by beating the best, but I know from many years of experience following Stanford that we will have plenty of down years.  It just feels like our chances of getting through a larger gauntlet of elite programs most years is pretty low.  Maybe a 16 team conference will end the traditional Rose Bowl affiliation and we'll just have to face the future and fondly recall the good old days.  It does make logical sense to go to a playoff system where all teams would have to face progressively better teams so let's get that Rose Bowl or National Championship this year and let the future take care of itself. 

Cheers,
Pete F.