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Sep 1, 2015 at 2:26p ET

Sep 1, 2015 at 2:26p ET

Stanford took a step back in 2014 after the best four-year run in school history elevated the program into college football's elite.

The 21st-ranked Cardinal look to begin their march back to prominence Saturday at Northwestern in the schools' first meeting in 21 years.

Stanford won 46 games from 2010-2013, trailing only Oregon nationally in that span as it transitioned seamlessly from Jim Harbaugh to David Shaw. Shaw led the Cardinal to their first back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances in four decades after Pac-12 titles in 2012 and 2013.