2020 Team Preview: Can Stanford Show It Has Not Deteriorated That Much?

It has been a tough pair of seasons for the Stanford Cardinal. The team which was used to winning the Pac-12 North Division – claiming titles in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017 – has gone two full years without a division championship. Stanford has lost the winning edge it used to possess under head coach David Shaw. The Cardinal look like a program in decline, and it is up to the players themselves to take ownership of their situation and prove to the critics that they can still perform at a very high level.

Offseason Changes

The Cardinal retained some of their offensive linemen, arguably the most important position group on any modern-day Stanford roster, since David Shaw builds his whole offense around the presence of a physical and powerful running game. It sets up everything Stanford wants to do on offense. The two linemen who will not return to the 2020 starting lineup for Stanford are Devery Hamilton and Henry Hattis. They both transferred out of the program before entering their final seasons of college eligibility.

Other key losses are quarterback K.J. Costello, who transferred out to Mississippi State to play for Mike Leach in the SEC, and tight end Colby Parkinson, who was a very reliable target for the Cardinal.

On defense, Stanford got hit hard by transfers out of the program. Inside linebacker Andrew Pryts, defensive end Jovan Swann, and defensive tackle Michael Williams all transferred out.

The Cardinal Will Succeed If…

Their offensive line can be brilliant. It’s true with every David Shaw team: If the offensive line is thriving, everything else comes together. It’s that simple. Stanford is built to win on the basis of its offensive line play. If the Cardinal can’t win a bruising, physical game, they don’t have a Plan B or another playing style to try out. Quarterback Davis Mills is an important player, but if asking for the scenario which will most fully shapes whether this 2020 team will succeed, it’s the offensive line. That is how it has been for this program in the recent past; dominant line play is how Stanford will score touchdowns and put its defense in good positions this season. Stanford can’t win unless its offensive line is dominating.

The Cardinal Will Fail If…

They can’t find a lot of depth up and down their roster. The numerous transfers out of the program, on both sides of the ball, will limit what Shaw can do. Especially in a pandemic, when players didn’t have the benefit of full spring practices, carrying a lot of untested players is going to happen. They have to learn more quickly. That’s not a fun reality, but it’s something Stanford and many other teams must face. If Stanford’s loss of transfers can be offset by freshmen quickly developing into key rotational players on the roster, the Cardinal can still make something of this season.

Prediction

The loss of bodies – and moreover, experienced players – on both offense and defense is going to be too much for Stanford to overcome. It’s going to be a painful season on The Farm.

Prediction: 4th in Pac-12 North