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16 college football greats who’d lead their former team to the 2017 title

By Zach Bigalke

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 14: Andrew Luck #12 of the Stanford Cardinal passes against the USC Trojans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 14, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Stanford won 55-21. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 14: Andrew Luck #12 of the Stanford Cardinal passes against the USC Trojans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 14, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Stanford won 55-21. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Last year, Stanford was knocked from its perch atop the Pac-12 North by Washington. The Cardinal still reached 10 wins, but it felt like a lost season in Christian McCaffrey’s final year on the Farm. That said, the running game should still be in great shape with Bryce Love taking over the backfield duties.

Where Stanford faltered last year was in its passing game. In 2016, the Cardinal finished 115th in the FBS in passing offense. Led by Keller Chryst and Ryan Burns, the team finished with just 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions in the air. Chryst and Burns combined to average less than 160 yards per game.

With a stout defense returning, and other Pac-12 teams either losing a lot on defense or still rebuilding more comprehensively, Stanford is not far from title contention. If they had the greatest quarterback in school history, they wold be in better shape to win their conference and get into the playoff. David Shaw’s crew would be title favorites with two-time Heisman runner-up Andrew Luck leading the Cardinal offense in the Pac-12.

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