I just don't see him going across the country to an academic school with an inept offense who doesn't have fans. I can see him going to ND after the gameday atmosphere + our offense + our school. I know nothing about his recruitment, but for an offensive super star, I just don't see Stanford as a threat here.
As long as Stanford can sell itself as a legit football school (those days may be waning), it can beat ND head-to-head in battles for kids who are focused in on academic ratings. Stanford is as elite as it gets. It consistently Top 5 and the only west coast school consistently in the conversation for all-around top undergraduate program. Almost everyone that gets in to Stanford could get into ND, but not vice versa (although ND does take sports and faith into account in its application process).
Stanford is also one of the most exclusive, and beautiful areas of the country.
Stanford's problems are:
- History of bad football
- fans that don't care
- insanely expensive location
- classes that are genuinely too hard for most players (maybe not Andrew Luck)
- a degree that is a little suspect for many players (the snobs at Stanford don't think Reymound Wright and Blake Lueders were real students)
ND, on the other hand, arguably offers the best actual education to its average football player, while giving the best balance of football and academics. It has that "family" feel, like a Clemson or Auburn (albeit different), and also has arguably the most loyal and widespread nationwide alumni network.
Plus, its supposed to be Christian, which is a big plus for some, neutral to some, and a negative to others (including some of our fans).
