"Let's just open it up to questions," was Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw's opening statement. He said it with a smile, but it was still the most David Shaw opener possible.
The storyline for Stanford is obvious -- replacing star quarterback and No. 1 NFL draft pick Andrew Luck -- but Shaw offered more, including a still-imposing offensive line, a defensive front seven that will include reinstated senior linebacker Shayne Skov, the return of exciting running back Stepfan Taylor ("the most underrated back in the country," Shaw said), the emergence of linebacker Chase Thomas and an offense that includes "a bevy of fullbacks" and a reshuffled tight end assortment.
But the questions came back to Luck anyway.
"Don't try to be Andrew Luck," Shaw said he told his many potential quarterbacks. "Because you can't. Let our playmakers make plays."
Stanford's time felt cut short by a lack of questions.
For more on Cardinal football, visit Stanford blog Rule Of Tree, plus Pac-12 blog Pacific Takes and SB Nation Bay Area.