[FarmBoy]

think Stanford has reached the point in its program's evolution that even if one year is disappointing, it isn't going to impact recruiting very much.  Not only can Stanford be forgiven for struggling a bit in the even years given the schedule, but now  - with football injury more of a concern than in the past, and the economic realities of the modern economy - more than ever before, the value of the Stanford education plays a major role in attracting top football talent to the program.  Most importantly, it has been proven that Stanford can win conference championships and be a playoff contender.

That seems reasonable. If we have a "down year" of 6-8 wins, we should be able to maintain recruiting momentum. We're now in year 7 since Toby's break out season in 2009. high school players don't really know a world where Stanford isn't a perennial top 25 player (the 2014 blip aside). I wonder what two down years in a row would result in.

[FarmBoy]

think Stanford has reached the point in its program's evolution that even if one year is disappointing, it isn't going to impact recruiting very much.  Not only can Stanford be forgiven for struggling a bit in the even years given the schedule, but now  - with football injury more of a concern than in the past, and the economic realities of the modern economy - more than ever before, the value of the Stanford education plays a major role in attracting top football talent to the program.  Most importantly, it has been proven that Stanford can win conference championships and be a playoff contender.

That seems reasonable. If we have a "down year" of 6-8 wins, we should be able to maintain recruiting momentum. We're now in year 7 since Toby's break out season in 2009. high school players don't really know a world where Stanford isn't a perennial top 25 player (the 2014 blip aside). I wonder what two down years in a row would result in.