On Signing Day 2013

It's National Signing Day.  All across the country, college football fans are collectively drooling at the meat-market parade of new talent lining up to join their favorite programs.  In Boulder, however, the reception is, well, rather muted.

Not once since the rise of the recruiting age has the first Wednesday in February landed with such a thud in Chief Niwot's valley.  There will be no televised signing extravaganzas featuring Ralphie this afternoon, no Black and Gold hats being plucked off of tables on ESPNU.  A product of the program's declining fortunes, a harried transition class, and a lack of nationally ranked recruits, Signing Day has been reduced in the eyes of many in BuffNation to mild distraction worthy of only a shoulder shrug.

Coach Mike MacIntyre is expected to put the finishing touches on a class considered by most to be the worst in the Pac-12 by signing 17 or 18 kids today.  Of that group, none are rated higher than 3-stars by Rivals, and only three are nationally ranked amongst their position. The Buffs famously failed to even get a visit from a four or five star recruit this cycle, with even in-state talent taking a pass.  This underscores not only who was (or, more importantly, wasn't) listening, but who the coaching staff was targeting.

Coach MikeMac had precious few slots to fill, and few impact players would take his call.  From: the Post

Sure, recruiting services are in the business of selling an image circle-jerk, but image has an unhealthy habit of influencing reality over a large sample size.  If recruiting were fishing, this would be a haul of minnows and guppies.

That's not to say these bait fish can't eventually grow up to be whoppers.  Plenty of unheralded recruits have come to Boulder and done well in recent years - Scotty McKnight, Jordan Dizon, Rodney Stewart, Jalil Brown, David Bakhtiari to name a few.  I'd rather not have to depend on a diamond-in-the-rough crapshoot, but it is what it is.

Despite the lack of national attention, there are a few commits who catch my eye.  WR Devin Ross, QB Sefo Liufau, WR Bryce Bobo, DE Markeis Reed and OL Gunnar Graham all look promising on paper.   Local (Denver South) RB product Phillip Lindsay also intrigues me, and comes to CU after a record-setting high school career.  Unfortunately, an ACL tear has set his growth back.

Lindsay is a rare local star who will sign with CU.  From: Maxpreps

Additionally, Coach Mike MacIntyre lured former San Jose State commits/targets ATH Kenneth Olugbode, ATH Ryan Severson, and RB Michael Adkins to Boulder, beefing up the class over the last month.  Another, DB Chidobe Awuzie, made for a nice Signing Day surprise.  (Another SD surprise was the signing of safety Tedric Thompson.  Nice get for the staff)

I'm sure they're all great kids, and I'm proud that they've chosen to attend my alma mater, but I can't help but look at the group as gap-fillers, rather than impact players.  I wouldn't expect too many of them to contribute as freshmen, even with playing time available up-and-down the depth chart (Wideout and defensive backs are notable exceptions).

Outside of a few players, like QB Sefo Liufau, I'm unimpressed by this class.  From: TRR

Regardless of the success or failure of this group, both in the immediacy, and the long-term, I'm not going to hold it against MikeMac.  Transition classes are usually shaky, and, unlike Embree's transition, MacIntyre has had relatively few available scholarships to play with (He chose to honor the previous staff's commitments, eating many possible spots).  This class was, and is, mostly an Embree production.  I'll give him the credit/blame accordingly.

Next year will be far more telling in terms of Mac 2.0's recruiting skill, or lack thereof.

Quick Post: On Bakhtiari declaring for the NFL Draft

Fine, I'll talk about football.

The news has broken that CU's best offensive set-piece, David Bakhtiari, has decided he's had enough of this losing crap, and is turning pro.  In doing so, he'll forgo his final year of eligibility, and become only the 7th player in school history to leave early for the NFL.

Bakhtiari was the face of CU football, speaking for the team at Pac-12 media day last year.

The 6'4", 295lb redshirt junior was CU's best offensive lineman the last two years, securing back-to-back second team All-Pac-12 nods despite playing with a shambolic, and mostly ineffective group.  With his departure, CU loses not only their anchor, but a returning captain.  It's a big roster loss.

There's been a lot of resistance from the CU fan community to losing the biggest name on the O-line, with many questioning where he'll go in the draft, and if he wouldn't be better served staying another year.  I take the opposite view, and basically assume anyone questioning his decision is just selfishly bitter about losing the team's leader in the trenches.

Despite what some may think, Bakhtiari is a strong NFL prospect.  CBSSports.com tabbed him the 12th best offensive tackle available (essentially a 3rd or 4th round pick), and, according to this ESPN article, Bak was told by the NFL evaluation committee that he's considered a 2nd or 3rd round talent.  Considering how high the draft usually values offensive tackles, I don't find this out of the norm.  For the record, CU's last early departure, all-time badass and Husker-killer Chris Brown, went in the third round to the Titans in 2003, putting Bak in-line with history.  His draftability is not in question.

As to whether a return would help him, I'm not so sure.  From my perspective, it's all risk, no reward.  I can't imagine his stock really rising all that much higher with another year in college, while another season only offers more losses and a high injury risk.  With the change in coaching scenery (the third coach of his collegiate career) bringing yet another change in line scheme, now's as good a time as any for him to make the leap.

Go get that money, Bak.

Monday Grab Bag: Can football please just shutup?

Football just won't leave me alone.  I just wanted a few weeks of merciful silence to enjoy the start of basketball season, but no.

Today in the bag I'm talking Embree, the basketball win over Air Force, some heavies in the Pac-12 taking lumps over the weekend, and the strong start of the women's team.

Click below for the bag...

2012 Utah Football Preview: Cheer up! The season's over!

It's almost over!  I can't believe it's almost over!  This is the happiest I've been when thinking about football in months.

Just think, after Friday we won't have to pretend to care about the program for at least 8-9 months.  Sure, next season will be another bout with football-as-ebola, but we can all cross that bridge together when we get there.  For now, let's just celebrate the end of football season!  HAPPY DAYS!

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The season concludes Friday afternoon at 1pm.  TV coverage is set for FX (man, those guys are getting screwed), with radio coverage set for 850 KOA.  Conversely, it's the Friday after Thanksgiving, so you could go shopping instead.  Or sleep in, and do something else. 

Hey, would someone remember to turn out the lights in Folsom before they lock-up the stadium for the year?

Click below for the preview...

2012 Washington Football Preview

The 2012 football season lives for only nine more days.  After next Friday we can lay this horror show to rest, and never think about it again.

Kickoff from Folsom is set for 11:30 AM Saturday.  Since I'm assuming many would-be attendants are going to stay away from this one, I'll helpfully point out that television coverage of the game will be on FX.  Radio coverage can be found on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

2012 Arizona Football Preview: Some assembly required

This is the Buffs final road trip of the season; a fact only made notable by the implication that this death march of a season is finally drawing to a close. 

Maybe getting out of Boulder will do the team some good.  Maybe the 2nd and 3rd options at QB will prove more capable now that Jordan Webb has lost confidence.  Maybe the sieve that is the Arizona defense will ignite a fire in the beleaguered CU offense.  If I cared at all, those points might have been enough for me to plan on tuning in Saturday.  As it is, I don't, so I won't.

If you care - and I am by no means saying I think you should - kickoff from the desert is set for 11:30AM.  FX is, once again, ready and willing to submit your eyes to the horror of CU football should you be interested in watching the proceedings.  Radio coverage is on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Monday Grab Bag: Game Week!

WOOO!  GAMEWEEK!  Finally, after seven months of waiting, I'm about to get to see some actual basketball played.  I couldn't be more excited.

To further whet your appetite for the start of the season, I recommend heading over to AllBuffs where resident hoops guru Goose has been laying down some serious knowledge.  Through six editions, he's been taking a thorough look at the schedule, breaking down each opponent, and even inviting the thoughts of Pac-12 savant Adam Butler (better known as @pachoopsab).  It's well worth your time, and I may be making an appearance as the series reaches its conclusion later this week...

As for the here and now, in the bag today I'm talking more hoops, brushing off the football program, and briefly looking at the highlights from a packed football weekend.

Click below for the bag...

2012 Stanford Football Preview

This weekend is homecoming... which means... something.  Damn it, I swear I had something for this.  I'm sorry, it's just the haze of losing has stunted my memory.  Wait... it's coming back to me... 

In recent history, at least, homecoming has meant that CU is about to get their asses kicked.  Since squeaking by Oklahoma on Kevin Eberhart's last-second field goal in 2007 the Buffs have lost four-straight homecoming games by an average of 22.25 points.  Included in that is last season's 45-2 disaster against Oregon.

Don't mind him, he's just livin' the dream.

To be fair, you could pick any random game since that miracle over Oklahoma and have a 69% change of picking a loss (CU is 20-45 since that day), but they've been remarkably consistent in treating the returning alumni to shit performances.

Based on that open, I bet you can tell where this preview is headed... but don't forget to GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! :-)

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Kickoff from sun-splashed Folsom Field is set for high noon on Saturday.  Coverage can be seen on FX (I don't know why CU keeps getting the non Pac-12 Networks slots, but they do), and heard on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Monday Grab Bag: The Banana Stand is more dependable than gravity

I announced this Friday afternoon, but I'll reiterate today: the 2012-13 Massive Basketball Preview will be up tomorrow morning.  I'm in furious edit mode, as I desperately try to tame the 11,000 word beast, but I'm confident that it'll be ready for release within the next 24 hours.

May God have mercy on my soul.

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Today in the bag, I'm talking Cross Country, the basketball scrimmage with SMU, a 4th Buff entrant into the NBA, the happenings in Eugene, and my weekly notes from the world of football.

Click below for the bag...

2012 Oregon Football Preview

I'll be honest, I care a whole lot more about the basketball team's scrimmage against SMU, than I do about this game.  The scrimmage is in Dallas, locked safely behind closed doors, and very much secret (coaches, by NCAA rule, are not allowed to talk about these events).  The football game is in Eugene, but nationally televised, and openly discussed.  By Saturday evening I will know exactly how the scrimmage went, yet still sit in the dark about the football result.

I will not watch the football game, I will not listen.  I won't even check twitter to see how things go.  I so vehemently don't care about how many points Chip Kelly decides to have his team score on CU this weekend, that I'm unjacking from the internet, and doing other things.  I don't know, maybe a game of Monopoly.

15 days...

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Kickoff from Autzen Stadium in Eugene is set for 1pm MT.  Coverage can bee seen on Pac-12 network (if you get it), with radio coverage set for 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Monday Grab Bag: Down and out in the City of Angels

Another week, another Buff slaughter, another series of comments from players questioning the attitude of their teammates. Big shock.

Is anyone surprised that this program, saddled with (soon to be) seven consecutive losing seasons (and prospects as good as Betamax going forward), would have problems with players "quitting," and/or not putting enough effort into game prep heading into a game they had no chance to compete in?  I'm not.  I remember when I was 19/20; if shit wasn't going my way, I checked out real quick.  All it takes in one bad sequence (last week it was the TD return out of half, this week it was the opening 2-play TD drive followed by the Webb INT in the endzone), and they might as well kneel the rest of the game.

You can berate a kid, you can question his pride, you can essentially stick a cattle prod up his ass, but if there's nothing to play for, if there's no reward to strive for, then effort is going to disappear real fast.  It's human nature.

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Today in the bag, I'll throw garbage at the football result, discuss the rest of the athletic department's trip to Los Angeles, and take a trip around the world of football.

18 days...

Click below for the bag...

2012 USC Football Preview

I saw these in the "Official Online Store of the Pac-12 Conference:"

*sigh*

These shirts (on sale for $17.95 a piece) speak to the ongoing desire from the program to install USC as the main rival, a la the way Nebraska was installed as the main villain 30 years ago (There's also some CSU versions of the above, but I'll leave that for another day). The whole notion strikes me as a desperate shriek in the midst of a hasty retreat.  Nebraska in '82 at least made sense from a geographic, historical (CU had played games against them since the dawn of the program), recruiting, and fan base stand point.  Picking USC feels like it's coming out of left field.  Why not pick Alabama, or Ohio State?  They're good, so they're our rivals now *pounds table*.

Yes, you have to start somewhere (to be the best, you have to beat the best), and a rivalry with the LA schools would be ideal, but I don't feel it, SC doesn't feel it, and no one outside of Dal Ward takes this seriously right now (probably inside too).  USC will kick CU's ass for the next decade plus, and never think twice about it.  They've got a cut-throat regional rival (UCLA), a pair of bubbling conference rivalries (Oregon, Stanford), and a traditional rival (Notre Dame) that all take up far more of their attention, and will always take up more of their attention.

While CU recruits the SoCal area, there's just no overlap on the athletes the two programs are going after.  SC doesn't even care enough to swoop in and steal Colorado's best high school talent, such as it is (SC has more players from Alaska - one - then they do the Centennial State).  There's not even the chip of "hey, they take over our stadium every two years" to play, as USC's road section was no more prevalent in Folsom's bleachers than any other last season. Forcing USC as a rival is pointless.

I will never understand the program's refusal to go along with a revivication of the Utah rivalry.  It's historical, it's geographically convenient, the Utes are a strong program, and, as CU proved last year, are a beatable proposition.  Even the Arizona's would fit, as they recruit both Colorado and similar recruiting grounds to the Buffs.  Either of those three would make sense.  SC doesn't, other than through the lenses of a Napoleonic complex.

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Kickoff from Memorial Coliseum is set for 4pm MT.  Coverage can be found on Pac-12 Networks.  Since I STILL DON'T GET IT (Fuck you DirecTV), I don't have to watch Saturday (small victories).  I could listen to Mark Johnson's coverage on 850 KOA, but I would rather not live my weekend in a well of depression.  Rather I'm going to do something else.  I might even think about going up into the mountains.  Anything to get away from the dumpster fire taking place in SoCal Saturday afternoon.  22 days...

Click below for the preview...

Monday Grab Bag: The pseudo-start of basketball season

My sporting weekend was over before Saturday even rolled around.  Through the football game Thursday evening, and BuffsMadness Friday night, I had more than my fill of sports by Saturday morning.  That left plenty of time to pursue other leisure activities like playing video games, drinking beer, and otherwise rarely leaving my house.

*sigh*

In retrospect, I probably should've taken advantage of the open weekend.  My bad.

Today in the bag I'm talking BuffsMadness, the loss against ASU, and my typical trip around the world of football.

Click below for the bag...

2012 UCLA Football Preview

The Parade of Buffs is tonight.  If you weren't planning on going, you may want to rethink your decision.  Not only is it free (from parking to entrance to hors d'œuvres), but it sounds like a pretty cool event.  A bevy of Buff luminaries - including Coach McCartney, Coach Embree, Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook, Matt Russell, Coach Boyle, Emma Coburn (*swoon*), Cliff Meely, Cliff Branch, Bridget Turner, Alfred Williams, Tera Bjorklund (double *swoon*), Kami Carmann, Darian Hagan, Charles Johnson, Kelly Campbell, Billy Nelson, Emily Talley, Sean Tufts, Lisa VanGoor and Lucie Zikova - will be there along with many of the current athletes.

There's still time to register, and you can do so by clicking here.  It's not every day you get to see so many Buff greats in one room, so it's more than worth your time to head over to the First Bank Center this evening.

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This is a pivot game.  The team can go one way or the other.  Play with the passion, effort, and will to win that they showed Saturday in Pullman, and Folsom Field will roar once more.  Come out flat, and only the band and a few close friends will see the game to its conclusion as the score gets out of hand.

I want the roar.  It's been far too long since the student section was able to rush the field, after all...

Kickoff from beautiful Folsom Field is set for 4pm MT.  The broadcast is set for Pac-12 Network, which you may, or may not, get.  If you can't get it, or if you just like the radio broadcast, tune your dial to 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...