For most of the past decade, lining up opposite Stanford's offense meant being demoralized and debilitated for 60 minutes.

America got very used to Stanford handing out carnage in every corner:

But through the first half of 2016, this has become closer to the norm:

Or this:

Two weeks ago, in an embarrassing 44-6 loss to Washington that showed how far Stanford was from even competing in its own division, the Cardinal gave up 10 tackles for loss and finished with 29 rushing yards.

Since 2008, Stanford has never given up more than 62 tackles for loss in a season. In 2011, it led the nation with just 41 allowed. Through five games this season, the Cardinal have already given up 30, despite having Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, a slippery, do-everything back who established himself as college football's best -- or at least most productive -- weapon a year ago.

Coach David Shaw calls it inconsistency, pointing to the Cardinal's ability to play its "brand of football" in a 27-10 win over USC in its second game. But in its two losses the past two weeks, Stanford has scored a combined 22 points in blowouts against Washington State and Washington.

The reasons?

"There are many," Shaw said with a chuckle. "Pick one and you'll have one of them. It's across the board."

The Cardinal are 102nd in offensive yards per play, behind one-win teams Kansas and Marshall and even an equally disappointing Michigan State team.

"They're doing the exact same stuff. They run the exact same plays. It's the same," Washington State coach Mike Leach said. "The biggest thing is just some new faces."

The next time you hear a Heisman-caliber running back deflect credit to his offensive line or his quarterback, don't brush it off as false humility. McCaffrey is living out a depressing test case for what happens when you remove everything around a player that contributes to his greatness

His quarterback -- Kevin Hogan -- is in the NFL. So are two of his offensive linemen and a tight end.

You saw Stanford's offensive line work earlier. Hogan has been replaced mostly by Ryan Burns with Keller Chryst spelling him when the Cardinal offense gets especially stagnant. Neither has been effective, not even enough to loosen up the box for McCaffrey to show the flashes of brilliance that were persistent in 2015.

A year ago, McCaffrey averaged 14 yards per catch and just under six yards a carry. This year, those numbers are down to just over eight and five, respectively

It could get worse before it gets better. McCaffrey is questionable for Saturday's game against Notre Dame after suffering an undisclosed lower body injury in the 42-16 loss to Washington State, in which he had only eight carries.

"What he did last year statistically had never been done before. Marcus Allen, Barry Sanders, Reggie Bush, nobody had done it before," Shaw said. "So to compare him to something he did that nobody has ever done before, was going to be difficult. We didn't expect the numbers to be back where they were, but that being said, we haven't had the offensive success this year so far that we wanted to have."

Everyone around McCaffrey is having to grow up and learn on the job with the spotlight shining bright on Stanford's biggest star ever. The growing pains have been predictable, but even worse and more frustrating than even Shaw could have expected.

"Just look at the first half against Washington State," Shaw said. "We didn't run the ball with any efficiency. Had one explosive run, which was just a phenomenal play by Christian McCaffrey. We threw the ball OK, but we dropped a touchdown pass, we missed another touchdown and we missed two field goals. So, you play against a good football team that doesn't make mistakes and you make mistakes? It's hard to win."

That's exactly what nearly every one of Stanford's opponents sounded like during the Cardinal's run of 66 wins in the past six seasons.

Stanford embraced that identity and grew into the Pac-12's resident bully, leaving behind bruised bodies and egos every week, making sure to remind you how much smarter they were than you while they pummeled you. This year, that is not Stanford's reality.

"For us, we've got to limit our mistakes, do the things we can do and do them well," Shaw said. "And our efficiency running and throwing the ball in the last two games in particular have not been where they need to be."

Shaw's history of development -- and ability to bounce back with 11 wins and a Rose Bowl in 2015 after an eight-win season in 2014 -- suggests an already disappointing year is mostly a youth-inspired hiccup.

But for now, get used to a new edition of Stanford's offense, desperately trying to improve on the way to a mid-level bowl game and a status in the second tier of the Pac-12 North.