10-02-2018, 08:07 AM
I already wrote on a different thread that I can predict our upcoming play almost 100% of the time, and if i can do that, opposing coaching staffs can do that.
That being said, this week is very similar to the week after the first USC game last year, when the consensus was that it was unlikely that we would ever win another game. The reality is that we lost to a very good team, on the road, and that team is playing much better than us right now. We got a very improbable win against a very good team on the road the week before, making the results for the two week period better than most pre-season predictions. Rather than falling apart last season, we improved and played USC much tougher in the second matchup.
Things are probably not as bad as they feel right now, but my question about the program as a whole is, why does it take us so long to hit our stride every year? It feels like it does not take one or two games, but half of the season for things to fall into place. If we were not ready at the start of the season with the large number of experienced players we have on the roster, we never will be. I don't know of any other school that needs 5 or 6 games for the offensive line to figure it out, but that is the norm at Stanford. I know we have had injuries, but everyone has injuries--the team that beat us on Saturday just changed their quarterback during the season and didn't miss a beat.
That being said, this week is very similar to the week after the first USC game last year, when the consensus was that it was unlikely that we would ever win another game. The reality is that we lost to a very good team, on the road, and that team is playing much better than us right now. We got a very improbable win against a very good team on the road the week before, making the results for the two week period better than most pre-season predictions. Rather than falling apart last season, we improved and played USC much tougher in the second matchup.
Things are probably not as bad as they feel right now, but my question about the program as a whole is, why does it take us so long to hit our stride every year? It feels like it does not take one or two games, but half of the season for things to fall into place. If we were not ready at the start of the season with the large number of experienced players we have on the roster, we never will be. I don't know of any other school that needs 5 or 6 games for the offensive line to figure it out, but that is the norm at Stanford. I know we have had injuries, but everyone has injuries--the team that beat us on Saturday just changed their quarterback during the season and didn't miss a beat.