Of all the Pac-12 teams going bowling this season, Stanford is the biggest favorite. The Cardinal are two-touchdown chalk over fellow 7-5 contender Maryland. It's understandable, then, that the 2014 Foster Farms Bowl may not pack a whole lot of surface-level intrigue, especially for a program coming off four consecutive BCS bowl appearances.

But when it comes to Stanford, there's a deeper layer of uncertainty here that piques the interest: In what direction is David Shaw's program heading?

On that front, a critical variable remains in limbo and data points from opposite ends of the spectrum conflict with each other.

One can argue that Stanford's tumble to five losses was the telltale sign of a decaying powerhouse. The Cardinal's stale offense finished last in Pac-12 point production, after all. The train that was the offense had wobbled on the tracks ever since Andrew Luck's departure following the 2011 season, and it completely derailed here in 2014.

But then came the eyebrow-raising 31-10 road romp at UCLA to end the season, a finish that may suggest that the winds on the Farm are blowing in a completely different direction.

"We knew we had that potential all season long," receiver Michael Rector said. "We wish it would have been a little earlier in the season when we all clicked. Better late than never, I guess."

Not late would have been better, of course.

But here the Cardinal are, churning through December bowl practices, focusing on their team's next step with an unusual mixed feeling of disappointment and shining optimism. Dispiriting seasons capped off by statement successes tend to produce such conflicting emotions.

But bowl preparation is a valuable opportunity to build for the future, and Stanford is utilizing it enthusiastically: Veteran lineman Josh Garnett voluntarily stayed after practice earlier this week to share his tricks of trade with some of the Cardinal's green linemen.

"This time is about getting the young guys ready," Garnett said. "It helps me when I can teach someone, because that means I have to master it."

The zeal and gusto of a group once known for its "Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind" -- think the Jim Harbaugh era, which is seeing its final players finish their Stanford careers this month -- isn't dead yet. Garnett and his fellow offensive linemen, criticized for soft play at critical junctures of this season, admit they were frustrated by their play in 2014. They delivered a throwback manhandling performance their last time out, and that appears to have at least temporarily given the Cardinal a second wind.

"It had gotten to the point where we had to stop talking about being the best offensive line and actually put it on tape," Garnett said. "We had to start moving people again. We had to get back to that David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin, Cam Fleming, and David Yankey era of Stanford football. They taught us, and we have to teach it to the younger guys."

Of course, it's too early to tell if Stanford has permanently rediscovered the blue collar, chip-on-the-shoulder mentality that had fueled their extraordinary run of BCS success earlier this decade. For all that we know right now, the UCLA success might have just marked a one-game resurgence. But there's hope for the future now that the offense has finally flexed its muscles.

"All the units got better individually, and then we put it all together collectively," Rector said. "Our quarterback might have played the best game of his career."

Ah yes, quarterback -- if Stanford hopes to sustain its offensive success moving forward, that's likely the most important variable of all. Kevin Hogan delivered a sparkling 16-for-19, 234-yard performance in that UCLA win, setting up a fascinating future decision for Shaw at this crossroads.

Hogan struggled in parts of this season, leading many observers to wonder whether or not he’d be the Cardinal’s starting quarterback again in 2015, his fifth-year senior campaign. Touted prospects Keller Chryst and Ryan Burns are waiting in the wings. But Hogan's sensational performance to close the regular season prompted Shaw to hint that a run at the NFL is not out of the cards for Hogan yet. If the coach does indeed feel so strongly about his quarterback’s potential, one would think Hogan would be the favorite to start again at Stanford next season.

"I expect him to come back [next year]," Shaw said. "But I wouldn't be shocked if he left because I think he has the ability to play at the next level. I think that last game showed what his capabilities are. That's where his ceiling is. And if he plays like that for any stretch of time, I'm excited about him at the next level."

That's the confusion of this 2014 Stanford season, encapsulated in one quote. It's tough to know what to make of a quarterback -- and a team -- when their play over the course of a season resembles Dr. Jekyll on one end of the spectrum and Mr. Hyde on the other. But the uncertainty emanating from the Cardinal's play makes their next moves particularly intriguing -- even if their final game destination this season isn't as prestigious as in years past.