ESPN College Football

2011 record: 11-2
2011 conference record: 8-1 (2nd, North)
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 7; kicker/punter 1

Top returners
RB Stepfan Taylor, OLB Chase Thomas, LB Shayne Skov, FB Ryan Hewitt, C Sam Schwartzstein, OG David Yankey, OT Cameron Fleming, DE Ben Gardner, TE Zach Ertz, TE Levine Toilolo.

Key losses
QB Andrew Luck, OL David DeCastro, OL Jonathan Martin, S Delano Howell, DE Matt Masifilo, WR Chris Owusu, TE Coby Fleener, S Michael Thomas.

2011 statistical leaders* (returners)
Rushing: Stepfan Taylor* (1,330 yards)
Passing: Andrew Luck (3,517 yards)
Receiving: Griff Whalen (749 yards)
Tackles: Jarek Lancaster* (70)
Sacks: Chase Thomas* (8.5)
Interceptions: Michael Thomas (3)

Spring answers
1. And then there were two: The pack of five has been funneled down to two quarterbacks competing to replace Andrew Luck, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. There are plenty of questions left (see below) but at least we know that it's not a three-, four- or five-man race heading into spring. Brett Nottingham and Josh Nunes clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack. That's a start.

2. Running back depth: In case Stepfan Taylor gets the flu, and Tyler Gaffney trips over his batting gloves, and Anthony Wilkerson stubs his toe, we know the Cardinal still have a viable running back option in Ricky Seale, who impressed Shaw this spring with his vision, quickness and elusiveness. Oh yeah, there's a Barry something or other coming in the fall whose supposed to be a pretty good running back. RB depth is not a concern.

3. Scary front seven: The Cardinal have so much talent and depth at defensive line and linebacker that defensive coordinator Derek Mason has to be scratching his head on how to get everybody in. Linebacker James Vaugthers is a star on the rise -- but that means taking reps away from A.J. Tarpley and Jarek Lancaster. Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy are two of the best at what they do. Stanford's run defense was really good last year. It could be great this year.

Fall questions
1. Who's the guy? Nunes or Nottingham? Nottingham or Nunes? That's the question everyone will be asking on the Farm for the next few months. This might be the most intriguing quarterback competition in the country. But the Cardinal don't need a 50-attempt guy. They need someone who can put them in the best play against the right defense and hand off to Stepfan Taylor. Then repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And then pop a play-action to Ty Montgomery, Zach Ertz or Levine Toilolo.

2. The Fleener factor: Much of Stanford's offensive success came from the three-tight-end formations, which included Coby Fleener, Ertz and Toilolo. In fact, about 35 percent of the offensive playbook is triple-tight sets. How much does that change with Fleener's departure to the NFL? Ertz and Toilolo are both outstanding tight ends in their own right. But the three of them together was something special.

3. Drop-off? Aren't you tired of reading about the drop-off Stanford is going to suffer with the graduation of Luck? Well, so are the players. Several have said off the record that it's a great motivational tool because they believe the defense and running game are stronger than they've ever been. Whatever the public thinks, it hasn't penetrated the locker room. Not yet, anyway.

Stanford's secondary is going to be young next season. Not exactly breaking news, but that's the reality when four seniors, three of them starters, graduate. But the players returning also have some experience and quality playing time, which should help compensate for their youth.

In other words, there no excuses.

"I think [defensive coordinator Derek] Mason might have been a little more tolerant with us last year, a little more patient," said safety Jordan Richards. "Not anymore. We've all been here and have a full season under our belts. This is on us -- and coach Mason is making sure we know that."

The back four -- two cornerbacks and two safeties -- have to be getting tired of hearing how good the front seven is going to be. They are so experienced. This guy is back and that guy is back. It gets old. And if the front seven is considered Stanford's defensive strength, by virtue of elimination, the back four can't be.

That perception is something the group is looking to alter. But first they'll need to settle some competition. Gone are safeties Delano Howell and Michael Thomas. Gone are cornerbacks Johnson Bademosi and Corey Gatewood.

Terrence Brown and Barry Browning are back at cornerback, along with the highly-touted Wayne Lyons who is returning from a foot injury. Usua Amanam should also be in the mix and don't be surprised if Alex Carter makes an immediate impact when he arrives in the summer. Also returning are Richards and Devon Carrington at the safety spot along with Ed Reynolds, who is also returning from injury. Kyle Olugbode has also seen reps this spring.

Richards was one of the true freshman called into action when Howell went down for several games with a hand injury. He started three games for Stanford last year -- the most brutal stretch of the season that included at USC, at Oregon State and home to Oregon. Tough detail.

"It was, at times, a blur," Richards said. "And other times, I felt like I was in control and the game slowed."

The telling part of that quote is the "at times" portion. Richards notched eight tackles in his first start against USC. Then a couple of games later he watched Oregon run all over the Cardinal. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. In his second year, he's striving for more consistency. And having had the chance to learn behind Thomas and Howell, he thinks he's found it.

"I learned how to see the game from those guys," Richards said. "As a freshman, you come in with tunnel vision. You need to learn to see how things move around. Now it's a transition. You've been here for a year, you learn to read formational cues and the game slows down a lot more. You know what the offensive tendencies are. That's the biggest difference. You're not a deer in the headlights anymore. You just go out and play and try not to over think it."

Brown has the most experience at cornerback, followed by Browning who started three games last season. According to Richards, Brown and Reynolds have taken on the leadership roles vacated by the departed seniors.

"As a group, it's been TB and Ed," Richards said. "Those guys have been around. But we all know what's at stake, and we're all trying to be leaders and be on our game as a group because we know that we are going to be young and people are going to try to come after us."

Like in Week 3, when the Cardinal host USC -- a pass happy offense with the Heisman front-runner at quarterback, the top wide receiving duo in the country and possibly the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. So this group is going to have to find a way to come together quickly.

"That's what the spring is all about," Richards said. "We're working hard to be a cohesive group. Coach Mason is pushing us and I think we're going to come together."

Some good news for fans of Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu. Evan Silva of NBC sports reported yesterday that Owusu has been medically cleared to continue his football career.

For many, the lasting image of Owusu's Stanford career will be a thumbs up as he was carted into an ambulance on the field at Oregon State. It was his second concussion of the season, his third in a 13-month span and one of the most chilling sights of the 2011 college football season.

Others, at least those who noticed, watched him play the final snap of the regular season finale against Notre Dame after missing the previous two games -- a subtle, yet classy gesture by head coach David Shaw to get Owusu on the field one last time on Senior Night.

But it now appears that Owusu is moving forward. No doubt, he's received the best medical advice -- the article states Owusu was looked over by an NFL doctor. And in this concussion-conscious world, chances are a doctor wouldn't clear a potential player if he didn't pass the strict tests with flying colors.

From the article:

Per [Owusu's agent], Owusu has been symptom free since November 6 of 2011, one day after his last concussion. A doctor with the NFL Head, Neck, and Spine Committee has diagnosed Owusu as “perfectly normal” and cleared Owusu “to play football now.” The doctor also determined that Owusu is not at greater risk of concussions due to his history.

Up until his injuries, Owusu had been having an average season at best. On several occasions, Shaw stated that he had hoped Owusu would be more productive. He finished the 2011 season with 35 catches for 376 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a couple of drops that led to interceptions.

In 2010, he saw action in only seven games because of assorted injuries.

Owusu has been training at the Stanford campus along with Michael Thomas, Coby Fleener, Johnson Bademosi and Griff Whalen. He'll join Fleener, Jonathan Martin, Delano Howell, Andrew Luck and David DeCastro at the NFL combine in Indianapolis later this month.

You can guarantee when he gets there, he's going to have a massive "Fragile" stigma that he's going to have to work off. Owusu has the speed to impress and his return skills make him more marketable. But just because a doctor says his melon isn't busted, doesn't mean that some teams won't be wary about taking a flyer on him. And that could hurt his draft stock.

The few times I spoke with Owusu this year, I really enjoyed them. He was charismatic, funny and always had something good to say about someone else on the team, even when the story was about him. There's something to be said for not letting anything get in the way of following a dream. Here's hoping the doctors -- and Owusu -- are making the right call.

It takes a quarterback to know when a quarterback will be missed. So it's no surprise that when looking at the teams with the biggest voids to fill, ESPN's Brock Huard started with schools losing elite quarterbacks. Stanford is among the top five schools that Huard examined as having the biggest offseason holes .

Huard on Stanford:

Stanford might be losing the most prolific quarterback in the program's history in Andrew Luck -- which is saying something, given that John Elway and Jim Plunkett once grazed on The Farm -- but the Cardinal clearly are not losing their ground-and-pound identity. Signing three of the top offensive line prospects in the country will pay dividends in the long term, but filling the enormous shoes of Luck and three other probable first-round picks in this year's draft (OG David DeCastro, OT Jonathan Martin and TE Coby Fleener) will be a mighty task for coach David Shaw.

As a fan, player and now analyst who has been immersed in the Pac-10, now Pac-12, for more than three decades, watching what Jim Harbaugh did to reverse the fortunes of the Stanford program was remarkable. He changed the culture, provided an edge and energy desperately needed on the gridiron, and did so with the help of a once-in-a-generation quarterback who was both brainiac and maniac.

Huard is right on by identifying more than just Luck who is gone. And I'll go a step further and say that losing Delano Howell and Michael Thomas at the safety positions could be just as difficult to overcome. The Cardinal have a lot of good athletes who could step in at the safety spots -- Jordan Richards and Devon Carrington both saw extended action this season. But both are still very raw and lack the experience the outgoing duo possessed.

Having that outstanding front seven should give the secondary a little cover -- at least in the first couple of games -- for the new starters to get acclimated.

I'm also curious -- and sort of excited -- to see who plays the Fleener role in the three-tight-end formations. Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo both bring different skill sets to the position, but neither has the burst of speed that Fleener brought going over the middle on those deep routes. Following the Notre Dame victory, Shaw said that he and his staff have been searching the country for a tight end who can do what Fleener can do. Not surprising, he said they haven't found anyone. I'm expecting Ertz and Toilolo to have very productive seasons -- particularly since they are the veterans of the receiving corps.

Perhaps with the ongoing development of Ty Montgomery and some of the incoming talent at wide receiver, the Cardinal won't have to rely as much on a tight end for a deep-threat option. But knowing Shaw's penchant for tight ends, you have to figure they'll continue to play a major role in the receiving game.

Michael Thomas is not one of them. He's one of those.

The former Stanford safety is one of those players spurned by the postseason bowl games and combines. Not one of them, the ones who get all of the draftnik attention and are perceived to be the next crop of elite NFL talent.

Thomas would be lying if he said that didn't bother him. And it should. Anyone who has spent 30 seconds with him knows he's a competitive guy.

"It was frustrating at first, waiting for invitations that didn't come," Thomas said. "Especially when you feel like you are on par with some of those guys who are going. I feel like I can compete with the best of the best. But you can only play the hand you're dealt. So I'm training hard. But I was disappointed that I didn't at least get the opportunity to showcase myself."

Instead, he's relying on his game film from 2011 as his résumé. On that film, scouts will see 66 tackles -- 41 solo -- three interceptions and a 62-yard pick-six against Washington. They'll see a savvy, four-year player sitting underneath on a slant route and then taking it back with a good burst of speed. They'll see good ball instincts, a team-high eight passes broken up, smart angles and above average tackling.

But what they won't see is the size. At 5-11, 185 pounds, Thomas might have a heart and a brain for the NFL, but his physique is working against him.

"The feedback I've gotten so far is that I'm an interesting prospect," Thomas said. "But because of the height, that's going to affect me in a negative way."

But Thomas has something a lot of other NFL hopefuls don't have; a pro day that includes one of the best quarterback prospects in more than a decade in Andrew Luck; three probable first-round picks with Luck and offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro; and a possible fourth in tight end Coby Fleener.

"My pro day is going to be my Super Bowl," Thomas said. "That's a good thing for guys like me because you know everyone is going to be at our pro day because of Andrew and those other guys. Hopefully it will be a great opportunity for me to improve my stock and draft status. If not, I'll hopefully be a priority free agent."

And if Thomas has to claw his way into the league, he said he's OK doing that. At least for a little while. He's given himself a timetable of about three or four years to put everything he has into making it as an NFL player.

Unlike a lot of prospects who like a change of scenery after the season and go to other parts of the country to train, Thomas is staying on campus. The sociology major will have a Stanford degree at the end of the year, and in the meantime he's working out with teammates Fleener, wide receivers Chris Owusu and Griff Whalen and defensive back Johnson Bademosi in preparation for the March 22 pro day.

"I've had a lot of success with our offseason training program here," Thomas said. "I feel like I've always gotten faster and stronger working with those guys.

"I'm open to taking whatever route I can to accomplish my goals. If I don't make an active roster after a few years, I'll hang it up and try to figure out life after that. I've thought about coaching and I'll always have my Stanford connections."

The 2011 season is over. That means report cards are due.

Up next: Stanford

Offense: The Cardinal had one of the most productive offenses in the country -- mostly because they had one of the most productive quarterbacks. Andrew Luck was efficient and potent orchestrating Stanford's pro-style scheme. He was brilliant in the red zone and proved his NFL-readiness with his play-calling. He also put Stanford's running backs in the best possible plays to succeed, and they did. Stepfan Taylor netted 1,330 yards and 10 touchdowns, sending him over the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year. The tight ends were the featured players in the passing game with Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo combining for 86 catches, 1,356 yards and 20 touchdowns. The offensive line matured quickly with three new starters and returners David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin were outstanding -- which will be reflected when they are taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Wide receiver Griff Whalen turned in a steady season and true freshman Ty Montgomery emerged late as a deep threat following a series of concussions to Chris Owusu. But for the most part, the wide receiver position was the one area that lacked significant production in an otherwise potent offense.

Grade: A-

Defense: Regular readers of the Stanford blog know that I reference this David Shaw quote from Week 1 a lot: "Missed tackles in the secondary lose football games." That was never more evident than in the Fiesta Bowl, where no one seemed to be able to bring down Justin Blackmon. Stanford's front seven was one of the best in the country -- and with six of the seven returning (plus the return of linebacker Shayne Skov from a knee injury) they should be even better. OLB Chase Thomas was one of the best pass-rushers in the Pac-12 and Ben Gardner emerged as one of the top defensive ends in the conference. Jarek Lancaster and A.J. Tarpley grew into their middle linebacker spots and were extremely productive. The secondary gave up a lot of yards -- though played pretty well against some of the top wide receivers in the country -- that is, until the Fiesta Bowl. Up until that game, they had not allowed a 100-yard receiver. Finding replacements for safeties Delano Howell and Michael Thomas will be a top priority.

Grade: B

Overall: For all of the hype surrounding the Cardinal in the preseason, it's pretty safe to say they lived up to it. Luck took a step forward in his maturation as a quarterback, they reached 11 wins in David Shaw's first year as head coach and the Cardinal returned to a BCS bowl game. For much of the season, they were major players in the national championship conversation and boasted the nation's longest win streak for a good chunk of the 2011 campaign. They are on the verge of signing a Top 20 recruiting class and though many are leaving, a lot of very good talent returns. But an extremely successful 2011 season will forever (or at least for a really long time) be overshadowed by the image of a wide-left kick.

Grade: B+

This one is going to sting for a long, long time. There is no 24-hour rule here, no chance to put this one behind you and focus on the next opponent. All there is is time to think, stew, marinate in a myriad of how-did-it-all-go-wrongs.

There are two ways the Stanford Cardinal can move on from a 41-38 overtime loss to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. They can slide back into Pac-12 mediocrity now that quarterback Andrew Luck and an amazing cast of seniors are leaving. Or they can learn from this loss and come back with a chip on their Luck-less, shoulder.

“We’re going to be back,” said a choked up defensive end Ben Gardner. “We’re going to be just fine. We’re going to be back next year with a vengeance and we’re going to be a strong program for years to come.”

That’s what the big boys do -- the established programs that season after season are in the top-10 conversation. They learn to take the sweet with the sour. And this group hasn’t had to swallow much sour over the past few years. A loss like this can numb the taste buds or accelerate the desire to get back to the sweet.

“If you dwell on the loss, you never get better,” said nose tackle Terrence Stephens. “If you keep dwelling on what went wrong, you’ll never be able to focus on what to do right.”

There will be questions. In the immediate future, most of them will swirl around a redshirt freshman kicker. Jordan Williamson missed three field goals, including a 35-yarder as time expired that would have given the Cardinal their second straight BCS bowl victory. He also missed a 41-yard field goal on Stanford’s opening possession and a 43-yard kick in overtime. Williamson did not address the media after the game.

There will be questions that head coach David Shaw played it too conservative on the final drive in regulation that set up Williamson’s miss – a straight shot up the middle that hooked left. Maybe. It’s worth noting, however, that Williamson was 6-of-7 this season on kicks between 30 and 39 yards.

But bigger questions loom after the missed-kicks fallout settles. Like finding Luck’s replacement; like filling holes on the offensive line for the NFL-bound Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro; like replacing veteran safeties Michael Thomas and Delano Howell; whether outside linebacker Chase Thomas leaves school or returns for another season.

Whatever the answers, Stephens believes the Cardinal will be just fine.

“That’s the best part of our program,” Stephens said. “We hold the word resilient very high. You have to be resilient in everything you do. You come back and you fight and you get better. That’s been the attitude since I got here and it will be the attitude far after I leave. I think that’s something the players instill in the other players.”

There’s no doubt that the departing players leave the program in much better shape than when they came in -- several of whom committed following (even during) Stanford’s 1-11 season.

Luck thinks the future of the program is in good hands.

“I think just keep getting better, put your head down and keep working,” he said. “A lot has been written about the seniors and the senior class and regardless of which guys stay and which guys leave, there are really good football players here. Obviously, you want to improve every year. But I think a very solid foundation has been laid with coach Shaw at the helm. I see a very bright future for the program.”

Still, it’s tough to see that through the haze of missed field goals, missed opportunities, missed tackles and Justin Blackmon's jet wash. The Oklahoma State wide receiver torched the Cardinal for 186 yards and three touchdowns on eight catches.

“He took advantage of our mistakes and that’s something that any good player will do,” said Michael Thomas. “You can’t afford to make mistakes against that guy. One missed tackle and he takes it to the house. Missed communication in coverage and you leave the best player on the team wide open. Just guys not taking advantage of the opportunities they had, but give credit to him. He made the plays and he exposed us when we made mistakes.”

Lost in the mix will be an amazing performance by Luck -- who was 27-of-31 for 347 yards, two touchdowns and an interception -- and a fantastic performance by the rushing attack. Stepfan Taylor pounded out 186 yards on 35 carries and two touchdowns.

“There’s an old saying that adversity reveals character,” Shaw said. “… Two real good teams come down to a few plays, not just that one (the field goal at the end of regulation) but a few plays that we could have all done something a little bit better.

“I have a lot of confidence in the guys we have in our locker room as individuals, but also what we’re capable of together; get through this together and coming back, fighting back strong and hard.”

Shaw and his players are saying all of the right things. Now the ball is in their court for the next seven months to back it up.

A healthy Stanford is a happy Stanford. And for the first time since about the midway point of the regular season, the Cardinal are as close to 100 percent as they are going to be.

When Stanford takes on Oklahoma State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, several key players will be moving quicker than they were in the final few games of the regular season. Understanding just how beat up his team was heading into the postseason, head coach David Shaw said repairs on both sides of the ball were a top priority.

"We've got to get healthy," Shaw said after the Notre Dame victory in the regular season finale. "We played with our three tight ends and two of them were probably 80 percent. Our backs have been beaten up and bruised all year. We have to get them fresh."

Injuries, no doubt, took their toll on the Cardinal this year. It all started in the third game of the season when middle linebacker Shayne Skov -- arguably one of the top run stoppers in the country -- went down against Arizona and was lost for the year with a knee injury. Suddenly one of the best run defenses in the country looked a little thin. A.J. Tarpley and Jarek Lancaster filled in admirably -- better, in fact, than most expected -- but neither is at the level yet of Skov.

Still, they have endured, ranking fifth nationally in rush defense, allowing just 90.3 yards per game.

Like all teams, the Cardinal fell prey to the typical bumps and bruises. But a critical bump occurred against USC, when tight end Zach Ertz suffered a knee injury on the opening kickoff and would go on to miss the next three games.

Why is Ertz so significant? About one-third of Stanford's offensive playbook involves three-tight-end formations. With Ertz, Coby Fleener and Levine Toilolo on the field at the same time, the Cardinal offense was able to exploit numerous mismatches. Ryan Hewitt split time between fullback and tight end during that stretch. But even then, quarterback Andrew Luck would lose Hewitt out of the backfield, one of his most reliable and productive receivers coming out from behind the line of scrimmage.

Ertz returned for the season finale against Notre Dame. Nowhere near 100 percent, he caught one ball for no yards. But the fact that he was even on the field was a morale boost for his teammates. He's expected to be near full-strength -- if not at 100 percent -- for the Fiesta Bowl.

"It's exciting to have the tight ends back together and ready to go," said Fleener, who was recently named to the AP All-America third-team offense. "I think it's just exciting to know that we have a lot of guys back at full strength and hopefully we can be as good as we were before a lot of the injuries. It can only make us better as a team."

Obviously, Skov won't be back. Neither will wide receiver Chris Owusu, who has suffered at least three concussions in the past 14 months -- the scariest (as if they aren't all scary) coming against Oregon State when he was taken off the field in an ambulance.

There was some hope for Owusu's return because he's a senior and one of the emotional leaders of the offense, but head coach David Shaw told reporters last week "it's not going to happen."

"He's just been one of those guys," Shaw said following a practice last week. "And he's gotten beaten up and knocked out, and he comes back. He's been beaten up and knocked out, and he comes back. And the players recognize that as the guy that they look to for courage."

In Owusu's absence, true freshman Ty Montgomery has been filling in, giving Cardinal fans a glimpse of the future. In the final three games, Montgomery caught 10 balls (on 16 targets) for 130 yards and a touchdown in the finale against Notre Dame.

Still, they have endured, ranking 11th nationally in total offense while averaging almost 481 yards per game.

Offensive linemen Cameron Fleming and Jonathan Martin also had lingering lower leg injuries that forced Fleming to miss time. Both are expected to be back at or near full strength.

Offensive lineman David DeCastro offered a more glass-half-empty view of the Cardinal injury situation.

"We're never going to be injury-free," he said, "that's just part of college football."

On the opposite side of the ball -- aside from Skov -- one of the biggest temporary losses was safety Delano Howell. While he convalesced his injured hand for three games -- only to re-injure it in the first half against Oregon -- Michael Thomas stepped in and split time between free and strong safety.

Youngsters Devon Carrington and Jordan Richards got lots of playing experience that will aid the Cardinal in years to come, but Stanford is clearly a better defense when Howell is on the field. He too is expected to be at full strength.

And yet throughout the injury-plagued season, the players have never used injuries as an excuse.

"I think what it comes down to is no matter who is available, the coaches did an awesome job putting us in the best positions to succeed," Fleener said. "Whether it was Zach or Hewitt in there, ultimately our identity is running the football and being a physical team regardless of who is on the field. That shouldn't change with the personnel."

STANFORD CARDINAL

Record: 11-1, 8-1 Pac-12

The 2011 Stanford Cardinal looked a lot like the 2010 team. Andrew Luck tossing touchdowns to Coby Fleener. An 11-1 record. Stepfan Taylor rushing for 1,000 yards behind Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro. Another BCS bowl game.

But the main difference this season was that expectation was higher, the spotlight brighter and every play over-scrutinized. David Shaw stepped in as head coach and calmed the seas. At times, the Cardinal looked perfect and unstoppable. Others, over-hyped and exposed. But through it all -- including the disappointing Oregon loss -- Shaw kept the team focused on whatever the next task was.

Luck turned in a Heisman-worthy season, throwing 35 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He was perfect in the red zone -- 26 touchdowns, zero interceptions -- and Shaw made the most of his cerebral quarterback by giving him control of the offense at the line of scrimmage. The tight ends were sensational and the running backs were consistent and productive, if not a little underrated.

Defensively, bright stars like A.J. Tarpley, Ben Gardner and Jarek Lancaster emerged, giving promise that even though Luck is leaving for the NFL, the Cardinal might be able to sustain some of the success from the last few years.

Offensive MVP: Luck, a Heisman finalist, performed wonderfully under the microscope. His interception total was a little higher and completion percentage a little lower because of sketchy wide receiver play, but the way he commanded Stanford's offense was brilliant. He broke John Elway's major touchdown records in three seasons and leaves Stanford as, perhaps, its most celebrated player.

Defensive MVP: Hard to pass on outside linebacker Chase Thomas, but it was safety Michael Thomas who held the team together during a rough patch midway through the year. He had a couple of off games, but when safety Delano Howell missed time with a hand injury, Thomas rotated back and forth between free and strong safety and coached up some younger players until Howell could return. He was second on the team with 61 tackles and provided three of Stanford's six interceptions.

Turning point: Luck announces last January that he's returning for another season. Those aforementioned expectations reach atmospheric heights.

Up next: Oklahoma State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. One last chance for the fourth- and fifth-year seniors, credited with turning the program around, to enjoy one last, well-earned game on the national stage.

STANFORD, Calif. -- On the volume meter, Stanford head coach David Shaw usually speaks at a three. On Tuesday, he spoke at an 11 (cue the “This is Spinal Tap” reference).

Shaw called for the national spotlight -- on his team, on his quarterback and on the entire Bowl Championship Series -- and, for better or worse, he got it.

The question, however, is whether a 28-14 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night at Stanford Stadium was enough to change anyone’s mind -- either the BCS pollsters or the Heisman voters.

“I wasn’t trying to change minds,” Shaw said. “I wasn’t bashing the BCS. I wasn’t bashing any other teams. Just the explanations that I kept getting didn’t make sense to me and I’m a common-sense person and I just don’t understand the whys of where we were.”

As for the Heisman -- as expected -- Andrew Luck said he doesn’t care. You’d sooner get Condoleezza Rice to spill state secrets than to get Luck to talk about Heisman aspirations.

“I don’t worry about what kind of impression I make on anybody,” Luck said.

That’s when tight end Coby Fleener interjected.

“Andrew Luck has my vote,” Fleener said, raising his hand.

“Mine too,” said safety Michael Thomas, raising his hand. “I think he’s the best player in college football.”

“Me too,” said linebacker Chase Thomas, raising his hand.

Luck laughed off the moment, even though it encompassed everything that matters to the quarterback: the respect of his coaches and teammates.

“I don’t have a vote,” Shaw said. “We’ll see what happens. I just know that he’s one of a kind. He’s one of a kind. It’s apples and oranges in my opinion between him and everybody else and I’ve seen a lot of the other guys and there are a lot of really, really good football players. There’s nobody like this guy.”

Luck threw four touchdowns against the Irish -- three in the first half to help the Cardinal build a 21-0 lead at the break -- before closing out with a 55-yard touchdown to Fleener. The tight end finished with four catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

All three of Luck’s touchdowns came against Notre Dame blitzes* and both of Fleener’s scores came off of play-action. Against the blitz, Luck was 7-of-8 with three touchdowns, no interceptions and an average of 15.4 yards per completion. He finished the game 20-of-30 for 233 yards and an interception.

“I think, one loss, that’s great,” Luck said. “We’ve done a lot of good things. Someone just mentioned that we’ve been on a 23-2 run. I think that’s very impressive. We put ourselves in position to be in a good bowl game and that’s something we wanted to do.”

Which bowl game remains to be seen. The Cardinal (11-1) needed this win to stay in the conversation for a BCS at-large bid. Stanford could climb into the top 4, assuring it a BCS berth.

“All we can do is play our butts off and prepare and let the voters or whoever else makes the stuff up choose,” Fleener said. “All I know is you gotta win. That’s all I understand. They want to see 12-0 and win out and that’s how you go to the national championship. Other than that, I don’t know how everyone else falls in the pecking order.”

Speaking of pecking -- the defense spent most of the game pecking away at Notre Dame’s quarterbacks. Chase Thomas led a relentless pass rush that sacked Notre Dame’s quarterbacks five times. Thomas accounted for two while forcing a fumble and Ben Gardner, Josh Mauro and A.J. Tarpley all added one. In all, the Cardinal had eight tackles for a loss, holding Notre Dame to 57 yards on the ground. Michael Thomas and Corey Gatewood also logged interceptions.

“We went out and tried to play our game,” Tarpley said. “Maybe [the voters] liked it. Maybe they didn’t. You never really know what to think the way those things are. We played a good game. We could have played better. But we got the win. That’s all that’s important.”

Stepfan Taylor turned in his steady-as-always performance, rushing for 118 yards on 20 carries as the Cardinal accumulated 429 yards of offense.

Notre Dame mounted a minor second-half comeback -- cutting the score to 21-7 after getting a 6-yard touchdown strike from Andrew Hendrix to Michael Floyd. Notre Dame’s big-game receiver had eight catches for 92 yards and the score.

Luck’s first touchdown came on a 3-yard jump ball to 6-foot-8 tight end Levine Toilolo. The second was a 28-yarder to Fleener -- who pulled his defender into the end zone with him, and Ty Montgomery added an 11-yard touchdown reception with 10 seconds left in the first half.

Shaw’s comments last week caused a national stir. The timing certainly seemed calculated. Whether his players’ actions backed up the coach’s words will linger until the BCS bowl games are announced.

“I’m behind coach Shaw 100 percent,” offensive guard David DeCastro said. “He knows what he’s doing. That’s for sure. We don’t care what anyone else thinks. We got the win. That’s all we care about.”

But was the win enough for the team and/or Luck? To be continued ...

*Courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information.

Kevin Gemmell talks with Stanford safety Michael Thomas following the Cardinal's victory over Notre Dame.

This was a pretty simple assignment. My editor asked for approximately 600 words on what the Big Game means to Stanford. But only one is needed: Everything.

In the interest of filling the other 599, though, here are some thoughts from Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

"They are a good team and I think they respect us as well," said Luck. "But that doesn't mean we have to like each other, per se."

That's about as close to smack-talking as you'll ever hear from Luck. And for him to stretch his personal limits of political correctness must mean this game is pretty special. And it is.

There is more at stake to the Cardinal than just their 57th win over Cal in the 114th Big Game. The Cardinal are still looking to advance to a BCS bowl game -- with all signs pointing to the Fiesta Bowl if they should close out the season with wins over Cal and Notre Dame.

But the big picture doesn't matter to Stanford players right now. Only the Big Game.

"It means everything," said Stanford safety Michael Thomas. "It means so much to our community and the people who played in it in the past. You realize you are part of something special.

"It's something that's been taught to you since your freshman seminar. And then you get that experience and play in a Big Game. You think you understand, but once you get in the game and see their fans and our fans, you didn't understand. My first Big Game was a loss. That's when I can truly say I truly understood what that rivalry was. I hated it. It was a horrible feeling. For a Stanford player, it means everything to us."

And this game means something to Stanford head coach David Shaw -- who played in the Big Game during his time as a Cardinal wide receiver in the 90s. His career numbers against Cal are five catches for 90 yards -- but it's career win No. 1 as head coach that he's looking for.

"The emotions are still going to be there for me," Shaw said. "I've had an introduction to this game, really since my junior year in high school. Every single year this game comes up, even when I was coaching in the NFL, I always found a way to watch it. I always found a way to talk to somebody before the game. Even I had little bets with [former Cal quarterback] Kyle Boller. The loser of the game had to wear the other guy's hat or jersey for one day in practice. It's an emotional game and it will be like that this week."

Running back Stepfan Taylor, who comes from Texas, said he wanted to go to a school that had a big rivalry game on its schedule.

"It's one of the first things I learned about when I got to Stanford," Taylor said. "In my first writing class, they were talking about the Big Game. Everyone on campus is excited ... it's always fun to have a rivalry game. There is going to be a great buzz. This is what college football is all about. "

While veterans like Luck, Taylor and Thomas have experienced the Big Game emotions before, it's the younger players -- the redshirts and true freshman who will be playing for the first time -- that Shaw is excited for.

"Some of the freshman who are playing in this game from different states and different cities, they are not going to understand it until that ball is kicked off," Shaw said. "When that ball is kicked off in the Big Game, it doesn't matter where you are from. It doesn't matter if you understand what's going on. You know this game is different."

STANFORD Calif. -- There was no shortage of inward-facing-pointed-fingers Saturday night following Oregon's 53-30 wallop of Stanford.

It was a mea culpa for the masses.

But there was also an understanding that Oregon was simply the better team.

"We knew we couldn't give up the explosive plays," said Stanford safety Michael Thomas. "One missed tackle in the open field is all it takes. That's all it takes with these guys. Give all the credit to them."

Stanford did exactly what head coach David Shaw said it can't do -- miss tackles and turn the ball over. All week leading up to the biggest game in school history, Shaw said one missed tackle will turn into a big play and even one turnover can be a game-changer. He was right, and Oregon actually turned missed tackles into three big scoring plays -- notching touchdowns of 58, 41 and 59 yards. And turnovers accounted for 21 Oregon points.

"I don’t think we gave them our best game and they took advantage of it," Shaw said. "They are a great team. They are well-coached. They did what they wanted to do.

"They are not a good team. They are a great team. That LSU game, I watched it probably about four times this week. They don’t turn the ball over against LSU, they might be ranked No. 1 in the nation right now. LSU is really good. LSU took advantage of their mistakes. Any time you play a team that is good, and you turn the ball over, it’s too hard to win."

And that's perhaps the most frustrating element of Saturday night's game for the Cardinal. They knew exactly what they had to do -- or in this case -- exactly what they couldn't do. Turnovers and missed tackles both doomed Stanford.

"They made adjustments like they do every game at halftime – switched up blocking schemes a little bit," said defensive end Ben Gardner. "For the most part, it was all stuff we’ve seen. Against a great team like this, you can’t make mistakes. You can’t have guys out of place. You can’t miss a tackle or else it goes for 60 and a TD. That happened too many times tonight."

Naturally, the loss of safety Delano Howell -- who was coming back after missing the last three games -- hurt Stanford in the secondary. He had five tackles -- all solo -- through the first 22 minutes of the game before forcing a fumble with his casted-hand and leaving for the rest of the game.

"His physical presence is much-needed," Thomas said. "It does something for our team. We have to have that mentality of next guy up. Next guy came in, we still made mistakes and that cost us."

There are plenty of what-ifs from Saturday night. But any football player or coach worth their helmet sticker will tell you what-ifs are worthless.

"We felt like we were prepared," said linebacker A.J. Tarpley. "But give credit to them. They are a great club and they have great players on that team. They just happened to make some plays. We came in confident with our game plan. We just didn’t play well as a team."

Tomorrow is the judgment day
Tomorrow we’ll discover what our God in heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more!
-- Ensemble, "Les Miserables"

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Even as the sweet and sticky nectar of orange was trickling down the bearded chins of Stanford’s football players, on their lips, they still had the sour taste of duck. The Ducks. It was the lone stain on an otherwise Clorox’d season. The black eye on their runway-model complexion.

Not even a victory in the Orange Bowl last season -- one of the prestigious BCS bowl games -- was enough to satisfy those who would return for another season and another chance to face Oregon.

So here we are. One year, one month and nine days later. Just 35 hours to go. One more day. One more day until we learn whether Stanford is truly ready to skyrocket itself into national legitimacy. Or whether the Cardinal are what the rest of the country thinks they are -- a cute little story with an overhyped quarterback that will get its comeuppance when it finally plays a "real" team.

"It's not just some pill that we are going to take or something that we listen to on an iPod that will all of a sudden get us pumped up and make us ready," said Stanford cornerback Johnson Bademosi. "This is all about preparations we've made throughout the offseason and in the preseason. We've been evolving. We're prepared for this."

Since David Shaw was given the keys to Stanford, he's been subtly directing his players' eyes on the biggest prize -- taking down the Oregon Ducks.

There are little things -- like during spring ball, when the team would break from a practice, in lieu of the usual "Team!" or "Stanford!" it would be "Beat Oregon!" During individual workouts, sometimes the defense would have the offense run a little spread-option, just to work on angles.

On more than one occasion during the course of his weekly meetings with the media, Shaw made indirect references to Oregon:

• "These are the sorts of things you have to do to beat the best team in the league."
• "This is what the best team in the league does, so it's what we have to do better."

We know Shaw can play chess and think moves ahead. He admitted as much following the USC game, explaining why he kept his starters in during some early-season blowouts. It was to prepare them in the event they play a physically and emotionally taxing game. The USC game was.

Tomorrow could prove likewise.

It's one of the reasons the Cardinal have a no-huddle, hurry-up offense of their own. Yes, they have the quarterback to run it in Andrew Luck. But it's also another thing Oregon has to prepare for. Stanford might never run a single no-huddle play the entire game -- but you know Oregon had to take time away from prepping for Stanford's base offense to study up.

Stanford might not run a single play out of the Wildcat this week. But you know Oregon had to dedicate time this week to preparing for the possibility that Tyler Gaffney will work at least a few plays out of the shotgun.

Same with the handful of gadget plays we've seen from the Cardinal's offense this year. The more there is on film, the more time someone has to spend studying it.

Shaw has been taking indirect steps every week to prepare his team for this game.

For the players, it's a relief to be able to say the "O" word.

"We finally get to talk about [Oregon]," said safety Michael Thomas. "We've been preparing for this since the last time we played them."

One year, one month and nine days to let anger and frustration marinate. Just one more day.

Always the image of poise, Luck said last year's game, where the Cardinal led 21-3 before falling 52-31, is not a factor for him.

"I try to put it out of my memory," Luck said. "To me, it was last year. Maybe some guys will use it as revenge. But last year really has no bearing on this year -- teams we beat, teams we lost to -- it's a new year and I approach it like that."

If that's true, he has even more poise than we thought. Some of his teammates weren't as composed.

"It left a bad taste in everyone's mouth," said running back Stepfan Taylor.

Added wide receiver Griff Whalen: "You don't ever want to feel like that."

Even the younger players who are expected to play big roles in tomorrow's game felt the charge this week in practice.

"The older guys are putting something out there -- I can't describe it -- but it's something," said linebacker A.J. Tarpley, who redshirted last season. "We're feeding off it. I don't know what it is, but you get it."

Tomorrow will be one year, one month and 10 days since the Stanford Cardinal last lost a football game. That's a long time. A long time to go undefeated. An even longer time to lament the mistakes of the past.

In just 60 minutes tomorrow, Stanford can erase 584,640 minutes of heartbreak. And change the opinion of a nation.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Let’s take a trip back to those carefree days between Week 1 and 2. Stanford was coming off its blowout win of San Jose State in the season opener and preparing to go on the road against Duke. Head coach David Shaw made a passing comment:

“Missed tackles in the secondary lose football games.”

It was logged and noted at the time. And in these tense days between Games 9 and 10, it’s gone from casual comment to paramount prophecy.

The Cardinal have fought their own tackling demons throughout this season. Part of it is losing one of their best tacklers in Week 3 -- linebacker Shayne Skov -- and losing another of their best tacklers for a quarter of the season -- safety Delano Howell.

Howell will return to the lineup this week for the epic showdown against Oregon, which begs the question: Is this the week Stanford’s defenders can put it all together?

“We get better every week,” said linebacker Jarek Lancaster. “Obviously this week with the explosiveness [Oregon has] we’re trying to wrap up more in practice, run our feet through contact. Anytime on defense, it’s something to worry about. I think we’ve gotten better and this should be our best tackling game.”

It has to be. Or the Ducks will run wild all over Stanford -- which they might do anyway -- even if the Cardinal are able to wrap up.

“You can play well against Oregon and give up 35 points,” said Stanford head coach David Shaw. “If one guy is out of position on one play, it’s a touchdown. That’s just the way it is.”

Too often this season we have seen big plays from opposing teams because they have broken a tackle, or tackles, and picked up critical third downs or taken it all the way to the end zone.

Safety Michael Thomas said it’s time for players to start taking it personally.

“There are going to be situations with one-on-one, with you and another guy in open space and you have to bring him down,” Thomas said. “It’s athlete versus athlete … we can’t miss tackles. These guys are too talented. They are fast, they run hard and we can’t afford to miss tackles.

“It’s a matter of will with that guy. It’s one-on-one with me and him in open space and I can’t miss."

Howell’s absence these last three games has been notable and his return gives Shaw a much needed veteran presence in the backfield. It takes a significant amount of pressure off Thomas to set the defensive alignments.

But then you have two young middle linebackers in A.J. Tarpley and Lancaster. Both have played very well since the Cardinal lost Skov. But neither has faced a team with Oregon's explosiveness.

“It’s not just being in a big game. It’s about playing these guys, specifically on defense,” Shaw said. “Chip Kelly says it all the time and he’s 100 percent right. Time of possession is overrated. It’s what you do with the snaps that you get. They are going to line up, run a play and run right back up and run a play again. You have to communicate quickly, especially from the safety position … I feel great being able to have Delano back this week.”

While Oregon has the ability to run between the tackles, they are at their best when they are running outside the hashes and using their speed to stretch defenses. That puts the onus on the linebackers and safeties to either take proper angles, or simply not allow Oregon’s speedy backs to get to the outside.

“We have to cage them,” Lancaster said. “Set the edges. Force everything inside. If we can keep them caged, we can do really well. We just can’t let them out.”