College Football Preview: Stanford Cardinals regrouping for 2014 season

Over the better half of the last decade the Stanford Cardinals have proven themselves as a perennial powerhouse. Last year’s team may have underperformed at 11-3 (7-2 Pac-12), but Stanford coach David Shaw points to his former defensive standout as defining the Cardinal culture.

He said, “That’s what we talk about: Having a program, not a group of players. And the guys understand that, and they appreciate it. Trent Murphy, he’s excited that there’s not going to be a drop-off defensively with him leaving. Not just because he was a great player, but he played extremely well within the scheme on top of being a great player.”

With only 13 returning starters, Stanford will be introducing plenty of new faces this season. This is especially true with the offense, which boasts only four returning starters. The good news is the short list includes quarterback Kevin Hogan, who a year ago passed for 20 touchdowns with only 10 picks. He’ll be throwing to wide receivers Devon Cajuste and Ty Montgomery, with running backs Barry Sanders Jr. and Kelsey Young also playing a key role. The biggest question is the line, where only senior left tackle Andrus Peat returns.

As far as the defense is concerned, linebacker A.J. Tarpley and safety Jordan Richards will lead the team through its tough schedule.

Despite the Cardinals recent success, Stanford still appears to be an outsider when it comes to making the first ever College Football Playoff.

ODDS to win the National Championship: 35/1