David Shaw believes Stanford just gained a huge recruiting advantage

During his nine years coaching in the NFL, Shaw was a part of three division winning teams that all had the same core element.

“They played great defense, they ran the crap out of the ball in between the tackles, and they made plays when we needed to in the passing game.”

“My background, playing for Denny Green and then Bill Walsh, a lot of people forget in the early 90’s when Denny Green started to turn around Stanford, we had the biggest offensive line in the nation. We ran the ball in between the tackles and that’s how we started to win football games. Bill’s ability to craft the running game was very underrated. People forget first Super Bowl came on the legs of the running game. Not only for yardage, but for the psyche of the team…it develops toughness.”

With Andrew Luck and a bevy of talented players returning this season, Stanford should compete for the PAC-12 title this season.

And the Cardinal are not going away, thanks in part to a recent and very important added recruiting tool…a nationwide television contract for PAC-12 football.

“It’s been the one thing that we have fought since we’ve been here, which is people that don’t have all the money and can’t travel across the country to see their young men play in Palo Alto. Now, we can tell them, ‘When you can make it out here, great. When you can’t, you will still be able to see every single game (on TV).’ That goes beyond words. That’s why I am so grateful to Larry Scott (PAC-10 commissioner).”

Stanford opens against San Jose State, at Duke, at Arizona. The season could hinge upon the final three games when Stanford hosts Oregon, Cal, and Notre Dame.