Life After Andrew Luck: Stanford Looks Ahead as Its Star Quarterback Moves on

In a college football realm that boasts so many stars, it's hard to believe that so many of those stellar athletes will be moving on to the big show: the National Football League. And for the Stanford Cardinal, just the mention of the NFL draft might just bring them to tears.

The draft marks the true end of an era. A couple years of football headed up by a kid named Andrew Luck.

And, despite that Fiesta Bowl loss, projected-No. 1 pick Luck still ended his college football career as Stanford's leader in total offense, pass efficiency, completion percentage and touchdown passes. Not to mention those two Heisman Trophy nominations and correspondence with football god Peyton Manning.

So the question stands: What will life be like after Luck?

The Cardinal offense will still have running back Stepfan Taylor, who posted a team-leading 1,330 rush yards for the season. Pair him up with a confident QB replacement, and Stanford's running game could be in good shape.

One of many things that made Luck such a hot commodity and valiant leader was his play-calling ability.

Aside from holding so many of the school's quarterback records, Luck had also been calling the offense’s plays pro-football style since the fourth game of this past season. Surely, nobody will be expecting Luck's replacement to start calling his own shots, which will give the team more time to focus on playing well together.

Their schedule won't hurt either; their first couple of 2012 games are at home, which could give the offense a little more time to gel.

It's also important to keep the incoming class in mind. Anyone else hear that the Cardinal might be recruiting Hall of Fame heir Barry J. Sanders? Put him together with returning WR Ty Montgomery and TE Coby Fleener, and Stanford's passing game has some major potential.

It is important to remember that there was a Stanford football team before Luck arrived on the scene, and there will still be a Stanford football team now that Luck has departed.

Potential for another winning season? Let's hope so.