ESPN College Football

Stanford (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (8-5)

Who to watch: The running backs. Wisconsin’s Montee Ball -- the Doak Walker award winner -- and Stanford’s Stepfan Taylor -- a three-time 1,000-yard rusher -- are two of the best in the game. Both are the engines that make their respective machines go. Each team will work furiously to establish a running game. So while you are watching two of the elite running backs in the country, keep an eye on the lines as well -- because how each team’s big boys do will go a long way toward determining how the running backs do.

What to watch: For sure, the fourth quarter. These two teams have combined to play six overtime games, Stanford has had to overcome ties or deficits six times in the fourth quarter, and Wisconsin has lost all five of its games by a combined 19 points (four field goals and a touchdown). If this game is a microcosm of these teams’ seasons, then there should be high drama up until the final play.

Why to watch: Aside from the fact that it’s the Granddaddy, this game is oozing with subplots. You have Barry Alvarez making his return to coaching -- although for just one game. You have Stanford playing in its third consecutive BCS bowl game (Wisconsin as well, for that matter) even after the departure of Andrew Luck and a midseason quarterback change from Josh Nunes to Kevin Hogan. You have a Wisconsin team that some say backed into the Rose Bowl, and you have mirror teams with nearly identical philosophies.

Predictions: In case you missed it Tuesday morning, you can see the predictions from Pac-12 bloggers Kevin Gemmell and Ted Miller here. This is what the Big Ten bloggers are thinking.

The Pac-12 is 2-4 with two games -- BCS bowl games -- remaining this bowl season. My oh, my.

Both Ted & Kevin missed on the Sun Bowl with their USC pick. Ted fell to 68-28 this season. Kevin is 67-29. Both are whimpering home with their predictions, not unlike the conference they cover.

Kevin Gemmell: I think Wisconsin is a better team than the record indicates -- and the fact that the coordinators are sticking around despite already having other jobs will be a motivating factor for the Badgers to come out and play hard. That said, Wisconsin has nothing Stanford hasn’t seen already. The Cardinal have seen North-South, All-American running backs already and have gotten the job done. Wisconsin, however, hasn’t seen a defense like Stanford’s. The Cardinal will control the lines and therefore control the game. Stanford 28, Wisconsin 17.

Ted Miller: Is Stanford immune to the Pac-12's bowl malaise? Maybe.The Cardinal has won seven in a row since falling in overtime at No. 1 Notre Dame. The question is whether Wisconsin and Montee Ball can consistently run against one of the nation's top run defense. UCLA, which got bricked by Baylor, ran well against the Cardinal in the Pac-12 title game, so Stanford's run defense is not a sure thing. Still, Stanford is a well-coached team and the Badgers are dealing with a coaching change. Stanford 27, Wisconsin 24.

LOS ANGELES -- The two teams' records differ; fairly significantly as a matter of fact. At first glance, Stanford’s 11-2 mark seems far more impressive than Wisconsin’s 8-5 ledger. And it is. The Cardinal won the Pac-12 championship and knocked off the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the country in 2012.

But the same DNA that courses through the Cardinal also runs through the Badgers. As Stanford head coach David Shaw put it, Wisconsin was a “shoestring” away from having a significantly better record.

The Badgers lost five games this season, four of them by field goals and one by a touchdown. That’s 19 total points. Six of Stanford’s wins this year have been decided by a touchdown or less and their two losses are by a combined 11 points. In other words, neither team is particularly concerned with whether their respective fan bases have weak tickers. The teams have combined for six overtime games between them this year, with Wisconsin going 0-3 in overtime games and Stanford going 2-1.

So what does this tell us? Either it means Wisconsin is a much better team than their record indicates or it means they aren’t mature enough to win close games. On the flip side, either Stanford isn’t as good as its record indicates or it knows how to win -- cosmetically or otherwise.

“I would say we're a pretty good football team,” said Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez -- who didn’t coach the Badgers during the regular season. “We're a better football team. This is a group of young players that probably have persevered and are more resilient than any group I've ever been around. They've gone through an offensive line coaching change. They've lost three overtime games. They've lost two games where they've had a chance in the last possession to win, yet they came out the next week and played well.

“So, if you just look at our [record] -- how many losses we have, it's very misleading. I'm hoping Stanford's looking at that because we're a much better team, much better football team than a five-loss team.”

Hate to break it to you coach, but Stanford coach David Shaw said he’s not going to be fooled by the five losses. And let’s not forget, Stanford has needed fourth-quarter or overtime rallies six times this season.

There is also an emotional factor Shaw can’t control. Former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema split for Arkansas and all but two assistants Wisconsin assistants have already taken other jobs. However, Bielema is the only one who won’t be on the sidelines. All of the other coaches have agreed to stay on and coach their players through their third straight Rose Bowl.

“I don't say this lightly [so don’t] take it like I'm trying to butter them up, I do think it's commendable in this day and age that the coordinators have stayed on and they have other jobs,” Shaw said. “I think that's huge where coaches leave at the drop of the hat. And kids are left high and dry. And these kids have earned the right to go to the Rose Bowl. And it's great they have their coaches here to coach them. Sincerely, that's phenomenal in this day and age in our coaching profession.”

In other words, stick around till the clock reads zeros. Because this one probably won’t be over until it’s really over.

LOS ANGELES -- Before a Stanford offensive lineman ever sees the field, he must first negotiate “The Room.” And The Room can be tougher than any drill, any conditioning program or even any defensive end or linebacker he will face. Because it’s in the The Room where line coach Mike Bloomgren not-so-silently passes judgment on who does or doesn’t have the chops.

And it’s not just Bloomgren. It’s the veterans, too -- Sam Schwartzstein, David Yankey, Kevin Danser – who will self-police and critique those who desire more playing time.

“Everything those guys get in that room is earned,” said Stanford head coach David Shaw. “And it’s a tough room. You walk in that room, you better have thick skin. Cause it’s not just Mike that’s going to get on you. Sammy’s gonna get on you. David Yankey’s gonna get on you. If you can handle that room and come out and perform, you deserve to play.”

For as much credit as Stanford gets for overcoming the losses of Toby Gerhart, Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck over the past few seasons, forgotten is that the offensive line has had to re-invent itself several times over with multiple standouts leaving for the NFL. The philosophy remains the same. But the personalities of each line have changed throughout the years.

“It starts in recruiting,” said Bloomgren, who began his career as a graduate assistant at Alabama and cut his teeth for four seasons as an offensive assistant with the New York Jets. “We were fortunate to plug in the three new guys last year and have them grow (Schwartzstein, Yankey and Cameron Fleming). Then you lose David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin a year early and it’s like, wow, now we have to do it again. David Yankey comes around and wins the Morris Trophy (given to the Pac-12's top lineman) and is a consensus All-American. It’s a compliment to those guys and how they work and striving to get better. They call themselves the Tunnel Worker’s Union. Those guys buy into that stuff.”

Along with assistant Ron Crook -- who manages the tight ends and offensive tackles -- Bloomgren also coordinates Stanford’s rushing attack, which has produced a three-time 1,000-yard rusher in Stepfan Taylor. And like any good running back, Taylor knows where his bread is buttered. He’s rushed for 1,000 yards behind three very different offensive line units.

“They are a lot more goofy than last year,” Taylor said. “They are great guys. I wouldn’t want to be behind any other line. They are physical, tough, smart and athletic. That’s the thing. They are really big athletic guys running around. It all starts with them and to win games, they have to do their job. And we are winning games so they are obviously doing their job.”

Stanford’s downhill, power-running approach is appealing to prospective offensive lineman. And the fact that they have offensive packages that involve as many as eight offensive linemen at a time is also attractive.

“For us, we’ve played one true freshman on the offensive line, up until this year, during the last five years,” Shaw said. “This year we’ve played three. And those guys have earned that. Andrus Peat, Kyle Murphy, Josh Garnett. Those guys have earned that. And those guys have taken some beatings in that room. Some verbal assaults, if you will.

“… There are a lot of places that play five starters and the rest of the guys watch. They’ve had success and that’s great. But we’re going to play eight -- at least eight -- just in the Rose Bowl. And we’ve been that way all year. If we can play nine, we’ll play nine. A young guy comes in and knows he’s going to have a chance to play. That he won’t sit on the bench for three years. If he does it right. If he can survive in our room, he’ll get a chance to play.”

Danser -- who became a full-time starter this year after seeing lots of time the last couple of years as a reserve -- has seen some great offensive linemen come and go. And he’s witnessed each season how the line has rediscovered a new identity and how each group takes on a life of its own.

“It really comes down to the work we do in the winter, spring and summer,” Danser said. “It really forms this unit. It takes leaders like Sam and leaders in the past like Chase Beeler, James McGillicuddy, David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin, Andrew Phillips. It’s that leadership that makes this a great unit.”

And the trio of freshmen who have made their debuts this year know they are getting their trial by fire on the field -- and in The Room.

“The coaches and the older guys won’t let anything slide,” Garnett said. “They always find something. Yankey tells me you have to find something. You never do it right. Always be nit-picky and find something you did wrong. That’s what we’re all about -- getting to that next level, never being content. You are always looking for the perfect block.”

Kevin Gemmell talks with Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan about the upcoming Rose Bowl game.

Kevin Gemmell talks with Stanford center Sam Schwartzstein about the upcoming Rose Bowl game against Wisconsin.

LOS ANGELES -- In a sense, Kevin Hogan caught a break. He didn’t have to be the guy who followed Andrew Luck. Instead, he was the guy who followed the guy who followed Andrew Luck.

And while Josh Nunes helped the Cardinal to a fairly successful, albeit inconsistent 7-2 start, Hogan has stepped in as the starting quarterback and gone 4-0 against four ranked teams and was named the MVP of the Pac-12 championship game. And he's leading his team into the Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio against Wisconsin on New Year's Day. Not exactly a terrible start to a career.

“It’s helped him a lot [to sit early in the year],” said Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. “To have an opportunity to get those additional reps -- it’s been amazing to watch his evolution and development over a short time. The one thing, though, that I think is his best attribute is his poise. Nothing is too big for him. He’s very much even-keeled. He never gets too high with the highs and too low with the lows and that’s allowed him to make some big games in big plays.”

Both Nunes and Hogan started their careers 3-0, which hadn’t been done at Stanford since 1991 when Steve Stenstrom took over in the fifth game of the season and won seven straight. But the biggest difference between the two has been the Hogan’s mobility and efficiency in the red zone. Inside the 20 he’s completed 14 of 16 passes with seven touchdowns. He’s also averaging 7.1 yards per carry on his “non-sack” rushes and has picked up 15 first downs.

“Josh made a ton of big plays for us in the SC game as well as the Arizona game,” Hamilton said. “But I asked myself at times, man, if we had the ability to run more bootlegs and really open up the offense against a team like Notre Dame, would the result be different?”

Quiet and unassuming -- much like his predecessor’s predecessor -- the 6-foot-4, 225-pound redshirt freshman from McLean, Va., has led his team to wins over Oregon State, at Oregon and twice against UCLA. He understands that even though there is a Nunes-buffer between him and Luck, whose credentials need no re-hashing, there will inevitably be comparisons. He meets said comparisons with a good attitude and a bit of self-deprecation.

“I’ve heard it, but I try to stay away from that,” Hogan said. “We’re different players. He’s an amazing player. He’s like an idol. But I wouldn’t want to be compared to him. I don’t think that does him justice.”

Then again, Luck never led his team to a Pac-12 championship. Luck never won at Autzen Stadium. Luck never got his team to the Rose Bowl nor started his career 3-0. But Luck also didn’t have the luxury of watching half a season from the sidelines.

“It was the best case scenario for him as a quarterback to watch Josh and get a sense of what our identity was an offense before he became the starter and understand how important it is for our quarterback to be able to manage the offense,” Hamilton said.

When the quarterback competition started, there were five in the mix. When spring ball ended, head coach David Shaw had declared that Nunes and Brett Nottingham had separated themselves from the pack. And when he announced Nunes as the starter in the fall, there was also a bit of “look out for this Hogan kid.”

The tools were there. The concepts weren’t.

“I think my knowledge of the playbook held me back,” Hogan said. “It’s challenging. The coaches knew I wasn’t ready at the time. Just throughout the season, studying it more and more and knowing what I needed to focus on really helped.”

And now he’s had an additional month to get more familiar with the playbook, the process and the overall concepts. No player in college football may have benefited more from the time off between the end of the season and the bowl game than Hogan.

“It’s been big,” Hogan said. “It’s really allowed me more time to study film and be a better manger of the game.”

Second-year head coach David Shaw has repeatedly said he views Stanford as his destination job. After he signed what was termed a "long-term contract extension" Wednesday, perhaps more folks will believe him.

Of course, Stanford didn't provide any details about just what "long-term" means, or about how much Shaw is being paid, because it is a private school that likes keeping secrets. If it were a 10-year deal worth, say, $30 million we could conclude both parties -- Shaw and institution -- are fully invested in each other.

But even without the details, this feels like a reasonably solid gesture of mutual affection.

Shaw played for Stanford. He loves the place. He's also a family guy who's living in a great place to raise one (if you can afford it). He's got a good thing going, both on the field and with recruiting.

On the field? Stanford finished 11-2, won the Pac-12 title and is preparing for its first Rose Bowl in 13 years. It's won 11 games for the third consecutive season, which it has never done before. Stanford is one of just four teams from AQ conferences to win 34 or more games over the last three seasons, joining Oregon (35), LSU (34) and Alabama (34) in an exclusive club, though Stanford's SAT averages are a bit higher than that troika.

The Cardinal’s .872 winning percentage since 2010 is tied for third-best among FBS teams during that stretch.

Not too shabby, which is why Shaw, the two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year, is a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

When Jim Harbaugh left for the San Francisco 49ers after the 2010 season, some wondered if Shaw could maintain the Cardinal's unexpected rise in the Pac-12. Whereas Harbaugh was edgy and eccentric, Shaw was polished and articulate. And, perhaps, some might have fretted, a bit too mellow.

Yep, Shaw is a smooth dude. But he's 4-2 against USC, Notre Dame and Oregon and playing in another BCS bowl game with a team that appears to have a bright future.

Again, not too shabby.

We will humbly offer up a suggestion to both Shaw and Stanford, though we suspect Shaw is well ahead of us here: Take care of the Cardinal's nine assistant coaches. These guys deserve raises, too.

We've repeatedly lauded defensive coordinator Derek Mason and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. Both are strong head coaching candidates. But the entire staff, from veterans such as defensive line coach Randy Hart to youngsters like running backs coach Mike Sanford, have participated in creating an outstanding team culture.

And by "team culture," what we really mean is a team that is on the cusp of a third consecutive final top-10 ranking.

 

The Pac-12 was well-represented on the Walter Camp Foundation's 2012 All-America team, released Thursday.

USC sophomore receiver Marqise Lee, Stanford senior tight end Zach Ertz and a pair of running backs, Oregon senior Kenjon Barner and Arizona sophomore Ka'Deem Carey, were named to the first-team offense.

Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer, both seniors, earned spots on the first-team defense.

The conference got two players on the second teams, one on each side of the ball: UCLA senior running back Johnathan Franklin and Arizona State junior defensive tackle Will Sutton.

For the complete Walter Camp list, click here.

Stanford coach David Shaw is among nine finalists for the 2012 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on Dec. 13 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Of the finalists, only Urban Meyer previously has captured the FWAA coaching award, in 2004 during his final season at Utah.

Here is a look at the nine finalists, per the official news release:

Gary Andersen, Utah State (10-2): The Aggies set a school season record with 10 victories and claimed their first outright league championship since 1936 as Anderson guided Utah State to the Western Athletic Conference title. Included in the victories was a 48-41 overtime win over then-20th-ranked Louisiana Tech. Utah State lost only to BYU (by three points) and Wisconsin (by two).

Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois (12-1): After a season-opening 18-17 loss to Iowa at Soldier Field in Chicago, the Huskies have won 12 straight games and earned the Mid-American Conference's first Bowl Championship Series berth, a date with Florida State in the Discover Orange Bowl. The Hukies capped off the regular season with a 44-37 overtime victory over Kent State, another one-loss team at the time, in the MAC Championship game. The season catapulted Doren to accept the N.C. State job.

Brian Kelly, Notre Dame (12-0): The Fighting Irish finished a perfect regular season with a victory over arch-rival USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Notre Dame finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in college football in all the major polls and will face Alabama in the Discover BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7, 2013. Kelly was a finalist for the award in 2009 while at Cincinnati.

Urban Meyer, Ohio State (12-0): Despite being on NCAA probation because of violations from the previous staff and ineligible for the Big Ten title and postseason play, Meyer's Buckeyes completed the school's sixth perfect regular season in his first season at the school. Meyer won the award in 2004 at Utah and was a finalist in 2008 while at Florida.

Will Muschamp, Florida (11-1): Save for its only loss of the season to Georgia, Florida would have been in the SEC title game. Nevertheless, the Gators, in Muschamp’s second season, rebounded from last year's 7-6 record and made it to the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Florida's notable victories came over Texas A&M, LSU, South Carolina and Florida State.

Bill O'Brien, Penn State (8-4): O'Brien took over a tough situation at Penn State in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. While Penn Stated also suffered personnel losses and campus turmoil, the first-year college coach kept the Nittany Lions focused despite an 0-2 start. They capped the season with a 24-21 overtime win over eventual Big Ten champion Wisconsin.

David Shaw, Stanford (11-2): Shaw coached Stanford to the Pac-12 Conference title with back-to-back victories over UCLA. A 17-14 overtime road victory at Oregon proved to be the biggest victory of the season and unlocked the door to a Rose Bowl berth. Stanford lost only road games to Washington and to Notre Dame in overtime during the 2012 season.

Bill Snyder, Kansas State (11-1): The Wildcats have had a dream season, except for one nightmarish evening in Waco, Texas, that ultimately cost the Wildcats a spot in the BCS Championship game. Quarterback Collin Klein, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, has been the leader of the Wildcats, who have made it to a BCS bowl for the second time in their history as they will take on Oregon in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Snyder is a finalist for the award for a third time (1998 and 2011).

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M (10-2): In the school’s first season in the Southeastern Conference and Sumlin's first year in College Station, a magical season was hatched. Redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel put a bid in for the Heisman Trophy with a record-smashing season as the Aggies suffered only close home losses to SEC powers LSU and Florida, and upset then-top-ranked Alabama, the Crimson Tide's lone loss this season.

The depth and parity of the Pac-12 is a good thing.

This is it, the final helmet stickers post of the year. Let’s take a moment to reflect on all those whose helmets were stuck in 2012, and the ones we are honoring today.

• Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford: He’s 4-0 as a starter. He’s 4-0 against teams ranked in the BCS top 20. And now he has the Pac-12 champion Stanford Cardinal headed to the Rose Bowl after passing for a touchdown and rushing for another in the 27-24 title-game win.
• Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford: He picked up his sixth interception of the season, followed by a ridiculous 80-yard return. Probably should have been 81 yards for a touchdown, but replay said otherwise. Either way, heck of a play. It was the lone turnover in the game, and provided a huge momentum swing.
• Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA: He was outstanding against Stanford’s burly rush defense, carrying 19 times for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
• Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State: Became Oregon State’s all-time receiving leader after hauling in 12 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in the blowout win against Nicholls State. He also rushed for a touchdown in the 77-3 win.

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott talks about DirectTV, expansion possibilities, and the new college football playoff.

Stanford outside linebacker Chase Thomas talks about Stanford's win over UCLA and the program getting respect.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- It didn't matter to Stanford that everyone was handing the Pac-12 to either USC or Oregon in the preseason. But, of course, it did. It didn't matter to Stanford that many expected the Cardinal to take a significant step back after losing quarterback Andrew Luck, the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. But, of course, it did.

That's the twin engine that drives Stanford. It's contradictory only on the surface. Stanford doesn't pay attention to what you think because that chip is already on its collective shoulder. It's part of the program's culture. It doesn't care what you think but -- just in case -- it's certain you doubt them.

Yet here the Cardinal are, headed to the Rose Bowl as the Pac-12 champions after beating UCLA 27-24 on Friday, gutting out a victory over a foe that looked a lot tougher than it did six days earlier in a 35-17 defeat. The Cardinal is headed to a third consecutive BCS bowl game with a chance to finish a third consecutive season in the final top 10.

Surely that will convince the naysayers that the most elite academic institution playing FBS football is also elite on the gridiron?

"They probably still won't give us credit," outside linebacker Chase Thomas said. "They never have. They just don't get it. They counted us out before the season after Andrew left. They counted us out when [coach Jim] Harbaugh left. And when [running back Toby] Gerhart left."

While you might quibble with Stanford not getting credit -- it has finished ranked fourth and seventh in the final Associated Press poll the past two seasons -- you can't quibble with the facts: The Cardinal is now 11-2 and headed to the Rose Bowl after replacing one of the great college quarterbacks of the past decade, not to mention a handful of other early-round NFL draft picks.

This program has some legs.

But this one wasn't easy. The Bruins showed up for take two. It was only decided when Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 51-yard field goal attempt with 34 seconds left.

After rushing for just 73 yards and giving up seven sacks in game one, the Bruins rushed for 282 yards and yielded three sacks. They outgained the Cardinal 464 yards to 323.

Said Stanford coach David Shaw, "They just played better."

But two plays changed the game. First, with UCLA leading 14-7 and facing a second-and-16 from the Cardinal 36-yard line, quarterback Brett Hundley threw his only interception on the night, but it was returned 80 yards by Ed Reynolds to the Bruins' 1-yard line. A play later, it was 14-14, and the Cardinal quashed early UCLA momentum.

Then, early in the fourth quarter with UCLA leading 24-17, Stanford faced a third-and-15 from the Bruins' 26-yard line. The Cardinal sent out four vertical receivers, with tight end Zach Ertz cutting underneath in the middle. The safety followed Ertz. Quarterback Kevin Hogan saw receiver Drew Terrell get some space along the right sideline.

"The corner sat a little bit," Hogan said.

Hogan found Terrell for a 26-yard touchdown to tie the score.

Said UCLA coach Jim Mora, "We busted a coverage."

Hogan won game MVP honors, and Stanford's transformation can be traced to him. The redshirt freshman made his first career start Nov. 10 against Oregon State, but now he has beaten four consecutive ranked teams, including the victory at Oregon that keyed the Cardinal taking the North Division title.

"It's been a good month," Hogan said.

Hogan is already notorious for two things: poise and a desire not to talk about himself. It's better to have others talk about him, a signal-caller who can do damage with his arm and legs.

"He's an impressive kid," Mora said. "He's very poised. He's careful with the ball. He makes good decisions."

Shaw said Hogan's "ceiling is very high" and that his poise is "innate."

"You don't train a guy like that," Shaw said. "You find a guy like that."

Hogan completed 16 of 22 passes for 153 yards and rushed for 49 yards on 11 carries. But the biggest number is this: No turnovers for the Cardinal offense. On a day when UCLA was statistically superior, that might have been the difference.

"You're a freshman?" Thomas joked with Hogan on the podium during a postgame news conference, then turning back to reporters. "He sure doesn't play like one."

Stanford hasn't played in a Rose Bowl since losing to Wisconsin after the 1999 season. Shaw is the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. The Cardinal has won at least 10 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time in their history.

There are probably a few folks who don't believe they will do it a fourth time in 2013. At least, that's what they hope in the Cardinal locker room. Not that they care what you think. But they know you think that.

Remember: These guys are nerds. They know things.

Said Shaw, "We expect to be good again next year."