Harbaugh slipped down the road to the San Francisco 49ers, where he was named the head coach.

Shaw, just 38 years old, said he knew this was the job he wanted as soon as he started coaching.

He’s excited about the tough, talented football team that will return next season, knowing it could be another special year.

Shaw’s biggest challenge will be filling out his coaching staff, which took some hits when Harbaugh left for the 49ers.

There were rumors that Luck was leaning toward staying another year, but many felt he would ultimately have to declare for the NFL Draft.

Luck stuck true to his word, though, giving up the chance to take millions for one more year on campus.

The quarterback said he is on track to earn his degree in architectural design and wants to complete it before moving on to the NFL.

Luck has truly enjoyed the entire college experience and believes the NFL isn’t going anywhere.

Since falling to eventual national finalist Oregon in the fifth week of the season, there has been no stopping Stanford.

The Cardinal have not lost since that Oct. 2 game at Oregon, winning seven games in row by an average of 22 points per contest.

As a result, the Pac-10 runner-up have earned a BCS bowl berth. Stanford will take on ACC champion Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Jan. 3 at Sun Life Stadium.

Virginia Tech (11-2) overcame a horrid start, losing twice in the first six days of the season, and then running off 11 consecutive victories to claim the ACC title.

Offense won’t be a problem for either team; both are ranked in the top 20 in the nation in points scored and rushing yards. The No. 5-ranked Cardinal are averaging 40.3 points per game (eighth in the nation), while the 11th-ranked Hokies are scoring at a 35.5 point per game clip (19th in the country).

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Luck has completed 70.2 percent of his passes this season, totaling 3,051 yards through the air with 28 touchdowns. Luck also has 438 rushing yards, averaging 8.6 yards per carry. Running back Stepfan Taylor has 15 rushing touchdowns and 1,023 yards on the ground, averaging nearly five yards per carry.

Virginia Tech has a dynamic quarterback in its own right in Tyrod Taylor, who has passed for 2,521 yards and 23 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 637 yards and three scores. Running back Darren Evans has rushed for 11 touchdowns and 817 yards.

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Quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns in what may have been his last home game.

Running back Stepfan Taylor finished with 115 yards and a touchdown while wideout Doug Baldwin added two scores.

The defense held Oregon State to under 300 yards of total offense and also caused five turnovers.

The Cardinal is hoping that the impressive victory is enough to earn them a trip to a BCS bowl game.

In what was a highly anticipated battle of future first round draft picks, quarterback Andrew Luck embarassed Jake Locker.

It was one of Luck’s worst efforst of the season, as he threw for just 192 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

It was still much better than Locker, who threw for just 64 yards and two interceptions before being replaced late in the game.

Running back Stepfan Taylor lead the Cardinal with 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and the defense took care of the rest.

Stanford did an excellent job of quieting a raucous Oregon crowd, taking a 21-3 lead in the first quarter.

The Cardinal lost a lot of momentum in the second quarter and had to hold on for a 31-24 lead at halftime.

The second half was a forgettable one for Stanford, which did not score and surrendered four touchdowns.

Their physical style of play initially slowed down Oregon, but the Ducks athleticism eventually overwhelmed them.

Stanford struggled a little bit offensively in the first half but still managed to build up a significant lead.

They were eventually able to break things open in the second half as the Notre Dame defense started to crack.

Jim Harbaugh’s team always seem disciplined, prepared and ready to play, which is a testament to his coaching ability.

The Cardinal avoided a letdown by overlooking Notre Dame with No. 4 Oregon lurking on the horizon.

Last season’s Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year was a surprise pick by the New York Knicks in the second round; he went 39th overall. It was reported that Fields wasn’t on many if not all teams’ draft boards, and wasn’t even ranked in the top 100 on ESPN.com’s Chad Ford’s top 100 prospects list.

Still, Fields tested as one of the best athletes at the draft combine, and certainly had the credentials to support a draft selection. He led the conference in scoring in his final season at Stanford, averaging 22 points per game. He also was second in the league in rebounding at 8.8 per contest, making him a lock for First-Team All-Pac-10 honors.

Fields was taken higher than other big-name prospects, such as Florida State’s Solomon Alibi, who was taken with the 50th pick, and Cincinnati’s Lance Stephenson, who many expected the Knicks to draft due to his high ceiling and New York roots.