12/18/10
Not to keep beating a dead horse, but these Early Bird projections cannot take into account how players leaving early for the NFL affect the final order. Whether it is Cam Newton at Auburn, Ryan Mallett at Arkansas or Andrew Luck at Stanford, obviously their name being removed from the roster changes everything. Luck is set to begin his redshirt junior season at Stanford for now. Many NFL Draft pundits consider Luck, a Heisman Finalist; to be the top rated quarterback coming out if he chooses to do so. One aspect that could alter his decision is an offensive line that loses three of its main parts. This line yielded only five sacks all season. Their ability to give Luck time and Luck's ability to get rid of the ball and make the right decisions are the keys to the passing success. The top two receivers (Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen) are departing as well. The defense will fare somewhat better in the personnel losses category. While no All-Pac Ten selections reside on this side of the ball the progress made this fall, especially in the secondary, are some of the prime reasons Stanford was able to land a BCS bowl bid. Mr. Everything Owen Marecic who started at both fullback and linebacker will depart. So what exactly makes this Cardinal squad a Top 10 benefactor? That has to do with where this team finished the regular season, the job head coach Jim Harbaugh is accomplishing and the assumption that Andrew Luck returns behind center. No one really saw Stanford finishing a regular season with an 11-1 record and Top 5 billing. So it should be no surprise a gifted coach such as Harbaugh can continue to build on the foundation laid down these past two seasons. Stanford now plays a major role in the race for being the best of the west. That won't change, even if Luck moves on.