[Goose]

Simple:  Using Alabama football as some sort of benchmark or comparison to Stanford football is as foolhardy as Alabama using Stanford institutionally and /or academically as a benchmark or comparison.  They are different universes.  


That’s all.  It doesn’t mean Stanford can’t and shouldn’t do better - recruiting and otherwise.

Agree they are very different universities, but they do exist in the same universe. I think it is fine to compare them academically, institutionally and athletically. We do aspire to be as good as Alabama in football. As somebody once said "We bow to no program". That said, there are big differences. Some of these differences are inherent and probably can't be altered. Some of these differences are a choice that the two universities make differently. We aren't Alabama, and they aren't Stanford. They don't want to be us and we don't want to be them. Neither of us could emulate the other exactly even if we tried. All  that is good. It is also true it's lots harder to win football games at Stanford than it is at Alabama because of the ways we differ. That is just a fact.

[Goose]

Simple:  Using Alabama football as some sort of benchmark or comparison to Stanford football is as foolhardy as Alabama using Stanford institutionally and /or academically as a benchmark or comparison.  They are different universes.  


That’s all.  It doesn’t mean Stanford can’t and shouldn’t do better - recruiting and otherwise.

Agree they are very different universities, but they do exist in the same universe. I think it is fine to compare them academically, institutionally and athletically. We do aspire to be as good as Alabama in football. As somebody once said "We bow to no program". That said, there are big differences. Some of these differences are inherent and probably can't be altered. Some of these differences are a choice that the two universities make differently. We aren't Alabama, and they aren't Stanford. They don't want to be us and we don't want to be them. Neither of us could emulate the other exactly even if we tried. All  that is good. It is also true it's lots harder to win football games at Stanford than it is at Alabama because of the ways we differ. That is just a fact.