Radical behavior is more commonly associated with the folks across the Bay in Berkeley, not the wine-and-cheese crowd in Palo Alto. Indeed, some may expect Stanford behavior to be a bit more calculated and refined. But the Cardinal went off-script after last season when David Shaw, who had as much job security as a tenured professor even as football fortunes had sagged in recent years, decided he didn't need the aggravation anymore, sending Stanford administrators scurrying to find a new coach for the first time in over a decade. A lot has changed in college athletics, however, in that span, threatening to leave them behind in Palo Alto. Stanford continues to serve as a paradox, as the wealthiest athletic department and booster base in the country remains reluctant to participate in the NIL sweepstakes, perhaps because Stanford is like few other places, with rigid entrance requirements effectively removing it from becoming a player in the transfer portal. Because of that, there is always going to be more outflow than inflow on the Farm.
As for that roll of the dice as Shaw's successor, the Cardinal opted for of all things a Cal alum, former quarterback Troy Taylor, who enjoyed much success as head coach at nearby Sacramento State with a high-octane offense. But winning in the FCS and Big Sky is not like succeeding in the Pac-12, so the jury most definitely remains out on this hire in Palo Alto...
Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Stanford's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the Pac-12 season.
Pac-12 preview: Conference winner | Arizona | Arizona State | California | Colorado | Oregon | Oregon State | Stanford | UCLA | USC | Utah | Washington | Washington State
What do you need to know about Stanford before locking in your Pac-12 futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Pac-12 futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!
GET VEGAS EXPERT PICKS FOR NFL, MLB, NBA, CBB, GOLF, NHL, HORSE RACING AND MORE - PLUS ADVANCED COMPUTER SIMULATIONS, WINNING TOOLS, AND MORE!
