Gap Down Backer.

[Soapy]

(12-4, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 6 CFP) (13-1, No. 2 CFP)
CFP 2031 Semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl - State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

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tOSU | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17
STAN | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38

Stanford tops defend national champion Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl to reach title game
Every time that Ohio State tried to creep back into the game, Stanford had an answer. Every time that the doubters, including the oddsmakers, had questions about Stanford's legitimacy as a championship contender, Stanford has answered. As Earl Nienhuis took a knee against his childhood team, it secured their second victory in four months over the defending national champions as the Cardinal beat the Buckeyes 38-17 in Glendale to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship against the winner of Missouri/Oklahoma.

Nienhuis, who grew up an hour from Columbus, said it was a dream come true to make it to the national championship.

"You always think about it when you're working with your teammates, putting in that work but to see it actually happen, it's crazy," said Nienhuis after the game.

Stanford leaned on their running game to jump out to an early 17-0 lead thanks to two touchdowns from Anthony Masifilo, who was the feature back this game after Rashawn Crouse's 230-yard performance in the Quarterfinals against Clemson. Masifilo finished with 145 yards on fourteen carries while Crouse added 43 yards in a complimentary role.

The game seemed to break open when Nienhuis found Rodney Cookus isolated up the left sideline, floating a ball into the endzone that Cookus came down with, securing with one hand to finish off the 52-yard score to take the 24-0 lead and put the Buckeyes on blowout watch. They would respond with a touchdown to end the half and another to open it but as they've done all season, Stanford responded.

First, it was the offense with a nine play drive that included a fourth and two conversion where freshman running back Trevon Winbush was initially forced to bounce the designed inside run to the outside and lost yardage but was able to capture the sideline and pick up the first down and nineteen yards. Another freshman back in Malik Marshall finished off the touchdown.

The defense then forced a punt on the next possession and then only allowed a field goal on the next two possessions as the Buckeyes started running out of time. Stanford then put the finishing touches with another nine play drive that culminated with a scrambling Nienhuis finding Sam Bootle for the 8-yard touchdown.

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Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
Brian Vallos, 37 Yd FG (6:56)
Anthony Masifilo, 5 Yd run (0:38)

Quarter 2
Anthony Masifilo, 16 Yd run (9:04)
Rodney Cookus 52 Yd pass from Earl Nienhuis (4:03)
Anthony Rossi, 16 Yd run (1:10)

Quarter 3
Kona Finau 8 Yd pass from Henry Delos (5:58)
Malik Marshall, 2 Yd run (2:40)

Quarter 4
Kevin Dumas, 40 Yd FG (7:51)
Sam Bootle 8 Yd pass from Earl Nienhuis (3:54)

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Player Stats
QB Henry Delos (R-Jr): 31-42, 298 yards, TD, INT, sacked once
QB Earl Nienhuis (R-Soph): 16-23, 206 yards, 2 TD, sacked once

HB Ian Gee (Sr): 4 carries, -10 yards
HB Anthony Rossi (Fr): 4 carries, 23 yards, TD, 2 receptions, 45 yards
HB Anthony Masifilo (R-Jr): 14 carries, 145 yards, 2 TD
HB Rashawn Crouse (Soph): 9 carries, 43 yards
HB Malik Marshall (Fr): 8 carries, 59 yards, TD
HB Trevon Winbush (Fr): 7 carries, 62 yards

WR Randy Rossi (R-Soph): 8 receptions, 133 yards
WR David Okuyemi (R-Fr): 6 receptions, 50 yards
TE Colt Mixon (Fr): 4 receptions, 65 yards
WR Rodney Cookus (R-Jr): 3 receptions, 76 yards, TD

S Dillon Strauss (Soph): 16 tackles, TFL
LB Clayton Dingle (R-Sr): 4 tackles, 3 TFL, sack
CB Kentrell Marvin (Soph): 10 tackles, 2 TFL
EDGE Percy Cadet (Soph): 8 tackles, 2 TFL, INT

[redsox907]

WE DONT WANT THE CHAIN BACK, PUT IT IN THEY COFFIN

could it be that Delos decision to choose Ohio State was a blessing in disguise?!

[Soapy]

WE DONT WANT THE CHAIN BACK, PUT IT IN THEY COFFIN

could it be that Delos decision to choose Ohio State was a blessing in disguise?!

The first time was so nice, we had to do it twice!

#nooticer

article soon on Delos

[Soapy]

Sports • Football
The Victory Lap: How Henry Delos led Stanford to the national championship

Stanford quarterback Earl Nienhuis throws a touchdown pass to tight end Sam Bottle. (Photo: James Sooner/DS Photos)
By Anthony Metcalf
Published Dec. 31, 2031, 09:44 a.m.

Stanford was dead in the water. They had gone all out to go after transfer portal quarterback Henry Delos at the risk of alienating returning starter Alex Rowe and in the end, looked like they were going to have nothing to show for it. Delos was trending towards Ohio State and Stanford's second option, Tyrone Sash, was leaning towards LSU.

finna have no QBs

Coach Mack got hoe'd out trying to upgrade his QB relationship, all along he was just an option

Flew a smidge too close to the sun with that QB situation. Boy about to be left at the altar.

That’s the Bubba Mack we know! No ability to recruit!

the portal giveth and the portal taketh away
trying to salve the wound with a 3*

The vibes were terrible as Stanford shifted to a three-star quarterback with a weird name that couldn't even get playing time at a school like Wake Forest. There some believers but not many as the narrative was that Bubba Mack couldn't recruit and once again, had fumbled the quarterback position. It might be the greatest fumble in program history as that weird quarterback not only beat Delos, he did it twice and has Stanford one win away from winning its first college football title in modern history.

This isn't the only happenstance that has propelled Stanford into the National Championship Game. Anthony Masifilo's mid-season injury proved to be a blessing in disguise, allowing more reps for freshmen Trevon Winbush and Malik Marshall who played a role in the win over Ohio State while keeping Masifilo fresh for the playoffs.

Prior to his injury, Masifilo never had a single game over 10 carries. Since then? 10 for 78 with two touchdowns against Notre Dame in the finale to clinch a playoff bye. 14 for 113 and two touchdowns against Clemson in the quarterfinals and most recently, 14 for 145 and another two touchdown performance against the Buckeyes.

[Soapy]

The Church of Mack: Stanford found its unlikely savior in Kennesaw
Kam Seidu-Harris
January 10, 2032

The first thing you notice when you walk the halls of Stanford football’s complex is what isn’t there.

No posters with slogans. No glossy mantras about grit or greatness. The weight room walls don’t scream “FINISH” or “Champions Never Quit.” They’re just walls: clean, quiet, undecorated.

It was one of Bubba Mack’s first acts when he took over the program four years ago. The banners came down. The walls were painted over.

"You can't catch phrase your way into building a successful program," Mack says, "The only way you build culture is through your actions, what you allow and don't allow. You don't set a culture by talking about it. It works for other coaches but for me, I was never into that kind of stuff. You do the work. You don't need all of that extra stuff."

Stanford’s athletic department, including general manager Andrew Luck, thought he was joking. Then, a week after Mack signed his contract, contractors showed up and started stripping the walls bare.

That was the introduction.

Mack didn't get into coaching as much as he was pulled into it. A ten-year NFL vet, Mack tried to occupy his time with various ventures, including starting a barbecue pit in his hometown of Kennesaw which is naturally what a 300-pound man from the South does with ample capital and free time. The business was mildly successful, as was the car wash and dry cleaning service but none of them kept Mack's interest for more than a month at a time.

Three years into his retirement, Mack spent the summer with the Seattle Seahawks as a coaching intern. His former head coach during his time with the Atlanta Falcons, Jim L. Mora, had just been hired by Seattle and Mack had remained in contact with Mora, who had been encouraging him to get into coaching.

"I freaking hated it man," Mack says of his time with Seattle that summer, "I just didn't really find any enjoyment or fulfillment from it. At the end of each day, I didn't really feel like I accomplished anything or felt good about any of the work that was being done."

Mack would quickly find himself coaching again but under vastly different circumstances. His oldest son, Darius, was a sophomore offensive lineman at Harrison High School and while Mack had taken a hands-off approach with his sons when it came to football, Darius was keen on making varsity as a sophomore and wanted to train with his dad. By the third workout, Darius brought a friend. By the fifth, nearly a dozen teammates were running drills across the lawn.

Mack’s wife, Rita, had plans for a garden. The workouts needed a new home. Mack went to the Harrison coaches to make sure he wasn’t stepping on toes by training some of their younger players. What was supposed to be a courtesy conversation turned into an impromptu interview. By the end of it, he was on staff.

It's at Harrison where Mack would find his passion for coaching, focusing on what he called his "mutts", young students that were passionate about football but lacked the ideal physical traits, whether too slow or too small, to play high level 6A Georgia football. There would be no storybook ending with one of them earning a scholarship to play Division-I football or even become a regular starter on the team but a few of them earned their varsity letter, which for Mack, that was a win.

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Nearly twenty years into his coaching career, and now four quarters from being a national championship head coach, Mack has still never formally interviewed for a job. UCLA had hired Mora to be the program's next head coach and Mora was looking to build his staff when he considered bringing in Mack in a developmental capacity for one of the behind-the-scene role.

"I just always thought he was a great teacher, even as a player," Mora recalls, "I always figured he'd be a really good coach someday and when I got back into coaching, I knew that he was someone I wanted on my staff."

The problem was moving across the country with Mack's three younger children so what was supposed to be an interview for an analyst role turned into a recruiting call for Mora, eventually offering Mack an on-the-field position as the offensive line coach which Mack, with some convincing from his wife, took. Mora and Mack had a successful run with the Bruins, winning twenty nine games in three seasons, including two bowl wins and a Pac-12 championship appearance.

Stanford's first practice for the upcoming National Championship Game against Oklahoma didn't take place until three days after their win over Ohio State. With twenty days between the games, Mack wanted his coaches and players to spend New Years with their families after having to play Clemson on Christmas Eve.

The midnight oil does not burn in Palo Alto. The facilities are closed at seven in the evening with lock and key. Football is important to Mack, evident by his 77 percent career winning percentage, which included having to turn around a two-win program at Kennesaw State. But family is the most important thing to him which is why he left UCLA in 2014.

His wife's mother was battling dementia so she had returned to Atlanta for the final months of the 2014 season to help take care of her. Mack spoke with Mora shortly after the season ended and re-signed, returning home to Kennesaw where the plan was initially for Mack to go back to coaching at Harrison, having fully caught the bug.

At the same time, Brian Bohannon was putting together Kennesaw State's first ever football team. Mack had donated to the school's effort to build a football program and had known of Bohannon from his time at Georgia Tech, where his son Darius played college football. What was supposed to be a booster call turned into Bohannon offering Mack a coaching advisor role, eventually becoming the associated head coach, offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator the next season.

Mack stepped away from coaching during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to be with his family, including his mother-in-law who would pass away later that year. Mack thought he was done with coaching, at least beyond the high school level, until Mora once again came calling.

"If you want to hire [Bubba]," Rita says with a smile, "Have [Mora] call him, he can't say no."

Stanford football have Mora, who coached the Cardinal for two seasons prior to Mack, to thank for their success under Mack in more ways than one. The two developed a close relationship when Mora, then a young head coach of the Falcons, leaned on Mack who was a team captain. Mack served as conduit between the coaching staff and the players, including star quarterback Michael Vick. Mack was a respected figure in the locker room, having signed with Atlanta in 2001 just as Vick was starting to develop into the star he would become.

Mack was the first coach that Mora called when he got the head coaching job at UConn. Mack wanted to say no, he practically did but he felt he owed his former head coach after his departure from UCLA and he took the job. It was a tough few years with Mack being separated from his family as they remained in Atlanta as the Huskies won nine games in the first two seasons but turned it around in 2024, winning nine games and a bowl.

Another friend would come calling in Milton Overton, Mack's teammate and roommate at Oklahoma. Overton was embroiled in controversy after the firing of Bohannon, which was poorly received by the fan base, alumni and boosters. Mack, a respected figure in the community, was about the only name that would ease tensions. Mack briefly considered it and spoke with Mora about it who told him that it would be a tough job but a rewarding one.

Mora had a similar pitch for Mack three years later when he was getting ready to retire, having spent the last two seasons as Stanford's head coach. Despite their lack of success, Mora felt that the program was on the verge of taking off under Luck's watch as general manager but needed a "kick in the ass" to take them to the next level into a legitimate contender in the ACC. Stanford considered a few names but the one name that Mora was adamant they should talk to was Mack.

"He knows how to pour into guys and get the best out them," Mora says, "He can get guys to believe in themselves because he knows what it's supposed to look like and he's not afraid to tell you that you're not it right now."

Despite being a former player himself, Mack isn't a player's coach. He’s not a rah-rah motivator. Players say his praise is rare and specific. His criticism is direct. He's not a brilliant tactician, by his own admission, either.

"I don't think I've ever drawn up a play on a board," Mack says with a hearty laugh, "If I tried, I wouldn't even know where to start."

Mack doesn't read leadership books or attend conferences, he finds them laborious but when he does come across people in leadership positions, whether fellow head coaches such as Dabo Swinney who he has a close relationship with or Stanford athletic director John Donahoe, who is the former CEO of Nike or prominent businessman which are plenty among Stanford's alumni, Mack is quick to pick their brains.

The change in scenery from Kennesaw to Palo Alto has helped morphed the coach that Mack has become and its reflected in the program he's built at Stanford. Mack inherited a program in disarray at Kennesaw State with a sloppy exit of his predecessor and a lost of faith in the program from the community and one of the smallest budgets in FBS. Mack had to build that back up with not just improvement on the field but community outreach, transforming the spring game into a fish fry and roasting a pig. Mack had an open door policy at Kennesaw State, allowing parents and fans alike to contact him during office hours, often over lunch.

Mack had to adapt when he got to Stanford. There were no more office hours. The players, for the most part, came from a different side of America. So were the fans and boosters. There would be no more fish fry. Still, Mack wanted to bring some of that Southern charm and hospitality to Palo Alto. He also wanted to change the culture at Stanford, a culture that many didn't realize needed to be changed.

"[Mack] kept bringing up about how we needed to be serious about football," Luck said of his initial meetings with Mack, "By the fifth time he mentioned it, as a Stanford alumni myself that's played and won things [at Stanford], I was getting a little ticked off, I'll be honest. I thought we were serious about football so I finally asked him like 'hey, what are you talking about?'"

For Mack, it meant a serious investment into the football program. Not just in facilities and support staff but in no uncertain terms, allocating resources towards NIL.

"People get really uncomfortable when you start talking about paying players," Mack says, "For a lot of different reasons, folks feel a lot more comfortable signing a check for a music program than signing a check for a defensive tackle."

Mack sought the advice of those aforementioned businessmen on the best way to manage the new influx of resources. So much of Mack's approach at Kennesaw State was a hands-on approach, being the face and boots on the ground of a program that needed it.

Instead of being the face of the program, he focused on building the machine behind it. He expanded the recruiting department by nearly 50 percent. He brought in consulting firms to streamline operations, from hiring practices to travel logistics. Stanford, with conference realignment, logged more travel miles than any program in the country over the past four years. Mack treated it like a business problem to be solved.

On a wall just outside Stanford’s offensive line meeting room, there is a single framed photo. No quote beneath it. No motivational phrase in bold lettering. Just an image of a muddy practice field in Kennesaw, Georgia, players in mismatched helmets pushing a blocking sled under gray skies.

Mack keeps it there as a reminder.

“I don’t need guys to run through a wall for me,” he says. “I just need them to show up every day and work towards being the men that they want to be."

That’s the culture now inside Stanford’s football complex. Quiet. Demanding. Unpolished in the way real work usually is. The walls are still bare. The facility still empties by nightfall. And there are still no slogans anywhere in sight.

Just a program that looks, more and more, like its head coach, uninterested in selling belief, only in building it.

[redsox907]

calling him a recruiter when he can't recruit, is a bold take

[Caesar]

Close to Dabo? No athlete should want to play for this bum ever again after hearing that

[Soapy]

calling him a recruiter when he can't recruit, is a bold take

He took a shitty Stanford team, no diss to Mora, to a 10-win+ team and consistently top 25 recruiting class so while there's been some misses, he's also raised the floor

Close to Dabo? No athlete should want to play for this bum ever again after hearing that

Man of God.

[djp73]

[Soapy]

thanks for the free