2016 CU vs Idaho State Football Teaser

You'll note that this is not titled as a 'preview.'  I'm trying to attune my football coverage to my style in basketball season, reserving full 'previews' for the games that matter.  While still counting full value in the the win/loss column, a game against a middling FCS program certainly falls short of that metric.  Accordingly, this 'teaser' will be more narrative and less formulaic than my typical pre-game fare... shorter, too.  So, without further adieu, on with the teaser...

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Hype Music for the Week: 'Walk Like an Egyptian' by the Bangles

I'll admit that it's a rather lame homophonic stretch to go from the Idaho State Bengals to the 80s pop group 'The Bangles.'  The other option, however, was 'Eye of the Tiger' from Survivor, which I thought was even lamer.  So, here you go; some of the worst pop rock to come out a decade known for terrible pop rock.

The Bangles, you might be interested to know, are still together.  They've put new music out as recently as 2011 (Sweetheart of the Sun), are are currently touring the East Coast (or so a quick Google search would reveal).  They was never my cup of tea, musically, but, then again, my most recent music purchase was a slew of prog-metal instrumental tracks, so what do I know?  Enjoy!

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Is there anything better than a late-summer afternoon in Boulder?  Kickoff from beautiful, sun-splashed Folsom Field is set for 3:30p on Saturday.  If for the setting alone, you won't want to miss this one.  For those poor souls unable to attend, coverage will be on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on AM 760.

Click below for the teaser...

2012 vs 2006

I saw an interesting question posed during yesterday's Kyle Ringo twitter chat: who would win a game between the 2012 and 2006 Buffs? For the record, Ringo responded that he thought the '12 iteration of the Buffs would win 6-3, but I think that question deserves some fleshing out.

Already you can see where this is headed, as I've invoked the seminal year of the Hawk error when discussing the current on-field horror.  I'm not doing this to be mean.  It just struck me, however, that after considering the question that I was looking back fondly on the 2006 season.  Such is the depths that this turd of a season has flung me into. 

The two squads are already kind of similar. Both lost to CSU and an below-average 1-AA school in consecutive weeks; each notched their first win against a Mike Leach lead team, causing the Dread Pirate to bemoan the effort of his players.  One thing '06 has, so far, over the current CU vintage: a second win.  Whether the 2012 Buffs can reach that mark is yet to be seen.  I, at least, think it would be an interesting game, and one that's fun to think about.

Accordingly, I'm going to give the scenario the full preview treatment, from stat breakdown to prediction. After giving it a moments thought, my conclusion might surprise you.

Click below for a look back at the year that was 2006...

Monday Grab Bag: The return of normal service

Now that the most boring week ever is behind us (a week so devoid of anything useful to watch that the country actually started paying attention to womens soccer and non-Tiger golf), we're back onto the summer grind for the next seven weeks.  Baseball!  Labor Disputes! Recruiting News!

Well, 1 out of 3 aint bad.

Today in the bag I'll be looking at what the hell happened to "Our Girls" in Germany yesterday afternoon, more shocking recruiting developments out of Texas, community roster updates for NCAA 12, and the light at the end of the NFL labor dispute tunnel.

Click below for the bag...

Hawk?

HE GONE!

Monday Grab Bag: In my time of ding

"In my time of dying, want nobody to mourn, all I want for you to do is take my body home." Just put this damn season out of its misery already. On with the bag...

I've seen some shit - Early in the KU game, we were joking at my house that our 4 score lead was a ruse, and that in reality we were losing and that Mark Johnson was just making shit up to lift the fanbase's spirits. If only it really was all some elaborate prank. Instead Buff Nation is smacked with the 2nd largest 4th quarter collapse in history. It's the 2-ton weight that broke the camel's back. There is nothing lower than this; we have reached the bottom of the bottom-less pit. Over the past 8 years I've seen some truly depressing CU performances: Washington St. in '03, Oklahoma in the Big XII championship in '04, Texas and 70-3 in '05, Montana St. in '06, and Missouri in '09 spring the easiest to mind. This loss, however, takes the cake. It is, by far mind you, the worst loss I've ever seen (heard) us take.

The loss broke my puppy picture finding skills - Kansas is so bad that they allowed a far below-average CU team to build a 35-10 lead at halftime. CU even lead by 28 points with just over 11 minutes left. You would think, with the recent road struggles and the season needing this win to retain it's pulse, that the game plan for the 4th quarter would've been conservative. Had they just sat on the ball, simple running plays and easy screen passes, CU would surely win, and the season could still have been salvaged. Instead, the team begins running trick plays and throwing multiple passes into a strong wind. No great comeback can occur without the other teams obliging actions, and this one was no different. Hell, had we just kneeled the damn ball for the entire quarter it probably would've ended in a Buffaloes victory.

(Speedy's awesome day was wasted because we wouldn't give him the ball in the 4th quarter: from KUSports.com)

This is a coaching loss - Hawk didn't even try to defend his actions. 10 seconds into a contractually obligated post-game interview with 850 KOA, Hawk cut the interview short rather than answer questions as to why he didn't just run the damn ball. There are 5 year-olds playing Madden who know how to sit on a lead, and Hawk won't even try to defend the game plan. Why? Because he knows there is no defense. This team needed that win, real bad, and Hawk did nothing to stop the oncoming collapse.

Hawk, and his coaching staff, let the team down. Sitting with a comfortable lead, they made no adjustments, and instead allowed a reeling Kansas to get back on their feet. It was instead the beleaguered first-year Kansas coaching staff who was making adjustments and fighting to the last whistle. They never gave up on the game, and it showed. The CU coaching staff just lay there like a beached whale, waiting for the coast guard to come by and push them back into the water. No one over there cares anymore; they're just going through the motions. It's fucking disgusting. The kids had their effort (Speedy and Paul Richardson had stellar performances) thrown away all because the CU coaching staff is acting like a bunch of seniors on skip day. If they don't want to coach anymore, then Mike Bohn should oblige them and send them all packing. (I don't really want the entire staff fired tomorrow, I just want them to realize that you can't just mark time and get this shit done. Regardless of what's happening in the near future, you still have to fucking work do your job!)

(Hawk and the coaching staff let this happen. From: KUSports.com)

Audio/Visual presentation - I came to class today prepared with an audio/visual aide! The following is my hastily thrown together tribute to the oncoming end of the Dan Hawkins era.

Listen, I don't really hate the man, or want to do him physical harm, but it's a visceral reaction to the depressing shit foisted upon Buff Nation each week. I'm sure over the course of his tenure with CU that DH has only done what he thinks is best, but it simply hasn't worked, and he needs to go. Honestly, the sooner the better.

What now - Alright, time to take a deep breath. We've known for weeks that CU is done with Hawk. They've even been silently fleshing out coaching candidates. Hawk will be fired by the end of the season; and even a victory Saturday wouldn't have changed that fact. The question is, and should be, does he get to coach the remaining 19 days. Mike Bohn has always been of the mind that you don't fire coaches in the middle of the year. He has his reasons, and some of them I even agree with.

In the wake of the KU debacle, the flames on Hawks hot seat were turned up to 5,000 degrees, and most everyone has demanded DH's head on a platter. Surprisingly enough, I don't think now is the time to fire him. However much firing Hawk this moment would make me feel better, there are only 19 days left. There is near nothing left to salvage this season, and firing him would not improve recruiting or team performance in any meaningful way. The only way to change things would be to get a full new coaching staff in here, and that can't happen until after the season ends on Nov 26th. 19 days.... it's not that long of a time, when you think about it. Having Cabral coach the final 3 games would make everyone feel better, but would it actually make a difference? I don't think it'll put butts in the seats, and I don't think it'll translate into victories, either. Vengeance can't be the only reason to make a decision, and I'm starting to come around to the idea of letting him stay; if you keep him after Cal, and Mizzou, and Baylor/Tech, and OU.... does firing him now to speed the clock up by 19 days make any difference?

Prudence and patience should be the order of the day; we shouldn't act like some unruly mob going after Frankenstein. The man deserves to be fired, and he will be... in 19 days. At this point all the damage has been done to CU and the only shit left to burn in Hawk's reputation and future employment opportunities. He's going off the rails; cutting off interviews early, showing poor class and effort in how he closes out his tenure. Really the only person he's hurting right now is himself. Who would hire a man who gives up and coasts through tough scenarios?

Why do they keep putting the Cowboys on National TV - In non-CU-Suckitude news... the Cowboys were in the national spotlight again last night. The only team in America who needs a new coach more than the Colorado Buffaloes is the Dallas Cowboys. They're fucking awful, yet the NFL keeps shoving them down our throats. I've never bought into the whole "America's Team" bullshit, but this is getting pathetic. The Cowboys were never going to be good this year, yet 5 of their 16 games will be on "national" TV (i.e. Sunday night, Thursday night, or Monday night). Now, they're abysmal and America has to suffer through games like last night. I couldn't even keep that game on in the background.

Basketball starts Friday - Basketball starts Friday (everyone in the Boulder-metro area should attend), and I couldn't be happier. Besides the fact that it gets my attention away from the pathetic football team, it's also my favorite winter past-time. I really wanted to go to the tip-off event this past weekend, but I was still too shocked by the KU loss to leave the house. I'll have the first part of my massive preview probably up tomorrow, and I'm simply bubbling over with excitement for Friday night.

(Tad Boyle greets fans at Sunday's tip-off event. From: The BDC)

Happy Monday (such as it is)!

Quick Post: Fuck My Life

While I didn't have the score even close, I said we'd beat ourselves and it'd be because we'd refuse to run the ball. Yeesh, was I on the money with that one. Had we run even a bit in the 4th, the game, while ugly, would've ended in a CU win. Instead we're running trick plays and putting our QB in a position to make mistakes. Did the refs maybe screw us? Sure, but that doesn't excuse the absolute failure to get our shit together. This is a coaches loss, and nothing else. No adjustments, no accountability.

In his post game interview with KOA (that lasted all of 12 seconds) Hawk said "We were just playing football." That wasn't playing football, that was allowing your kids to be robbed of a victory they truly deserved. Let me reiterate: Dan Hawkins and his coaching staff put the team and the kids in a position to fail in the 4th quarter. Welcome to the end of your career, Dan.

Fuck my life.

Kansas Preview

Now that everyone is resigned to their respective fates, I've been thinking recent Buff history; specifically '06. It's astonishing to look back on the past 5 seasons of Buff football and see the course of events. CU went out and got one of the premier up-and-coming coaching names in an attempt to reshape the program after the "scandal." Immediately, and most shockingly, the program was slapped in the face. With anticipation of things to come, and the possibility of 50+ points being thrown up against lowly Montana St., Buff fans poured in to see CU play its first D-1AA opponents in years. Instead of a rout of the Bobcats from Bozeman, the fans witnessed one of the most demoralizing performances in CU history. Unable to even crack 225 yards of offense, the post-Barnett era got off to the most embarrassing of starts as CU lost at home to a D-1AA team that would lose to a D-2 team the following week.

(Remember these guys? They started it all....)

I bring that-day-which-must-not-be-spoken-of up because the situation is eerily similar to that of Kansas. After a hastily reached decision to fire the previous head coach, the university (Kansas) goes out and grabs the hot, up-and-coming name from a non-BCS school (Turner Gill from Buffalo). After much hype, the team goes out and loses, embarrassingly, to a D-1AA school (North Dakota St., go Bison!) at home. The team then proceeds to win 2 games over the course of the season (fingers crossed on that one). Judging by the resulting 5 years of the Dan Hawkins coaching era, maybe Kansas should just cut it's losses after this year and hire Dave Logan.

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Sasnak

(Baby Mangino can't save you anymore, KU)

Oh, Kansas. You were good for exactly 2 months. I don't know how, or why, they were able to cobble together that talented '07 team, but they certainly have reverted to form recently. You would think that leading a traditionally abysmal football program to a one-loss Orange Bowl season would be enough to buy some leeway, yet KU fired the fat man for being overly aggressive. He yelled at kids during a practice... oooOOOOoooo.

(I'll miss you, fat man!)

Whatever. It's the start of basketball season; does anyone at KU really care?

It is what it is, and it's currently a disaster. After the aforementioned loss to NDSU, the Jayhawks rebounded to randomly beat Georgia Tech (who I'm sure prepared very hard), but have since struggled to even play competitively against a real opponent. The straits are so dire that Coach Gill even praised his team just for leading at half last week.

It's a simple equation, they give up too many points, and don't score enough. Red Zone efficiency is way down (only 68%) and they're getting less than 200 yards per game through the air. Only scoring 16.1 points a game isn't going to help anybody, and offensively, KU looks like they're straight out of the dark ages. While they do get over 320 yards per game from the offense, they don't really do any one thing particularly well, and are often stuck in neutral when they have the ball.

Offensively, the team is lead by... somebody. The team still hasn't announced a starting QB for this week's game. It could be Jr Quinn Mecham... or Fr Jordan Webb who's had most of the snaps this season.... or even So Kale Pick. Say what you will about Cody, at least we know who our starter will be Saturday afternoon. Whoever the QB is, I don't expect a lot of production from the position. When an offense is stuck in the mud, you can usually look at who's under center for the cause of the problem. The rest of the Jayhawks offense is a collection of could-be talent, but with no real go-to stars. WR Bradley McDougald (He's a Sophomore!) is struggling after a break-out freshman campaign. Other go-to targets for whoever the QB is will be Johnathon Wilson and converted DB Daymond Patterson. RB James Sims and the rest of the rushing attack are often just as ineffective as the passing attack. A lot of backs will see touches, and that's not necessarily a good thing...

(Webb, who's handled most of the snaps this year, may not be the QB come Saturday)

Defensively, the Jayhawks are a mess. In their 4 Big XII contests, they've given up an average of 47 points per game. They've given up over 450 yards of offense 3 times this season, and even allowed Baylor to crack them for 678 yards. This unit is porous, especially against the run where they allow 5.1 yards per rush. They only have 8 sacks on the year, so they don't really get after the quarterback, and they only have 2 picks on the year, which makes me think their coverage is soft. Sr Linebacker Drew Dudley, Jr LB Steven Johnson and Sophomore Safety Lubbock Smith lead the defense, such as it is.

Prediction Time
If a game isn't on television, does it really happen? As it is, these sort of match-ups often make for good games; two struggling teams facing off with nothing to lose, etc.

CU should win. Even Vegas agreed as the Buffs were installed at 9 point favorites earlier this week. The problem is that damn road game jinx. Hawk can't coach his way out of a brown paper bag when the game is played outside of Colorado; the team comes out flat, doesn't have the internal fire to kick-start the engines, one thing leads to another, and it's another Buffs loss.

I really want to pick CU to win this week. Even after all the jokes CU does have a shot at a Weedeater bowl, which is important to the kids on the field. CU needs this game for confidence and pride, unfortunately I don't think they'll get it done.


Yes, KU is awful this year, and yes they don't even have a QB, but even bad teams catch breaks once in a while, and this Buffalo program loves to give bad teams breaks. I expect an ugly game; turnovers, bad special teams, poor offensive efficiency, etc. I also expect CU to find a way to lose, as it has every time it's gone on the road the past 3 years. If we hadn't decided to abandon the run game, maybe I'd give us a chance, but the team is playing scared and lifeless, and I just can't overlook it.

But, don't worry CU fans, Hawk will still be employed come Monday morning, because of some nebulous "honor" concept. Sigh...

(At least he's happy...)

KU 19 - CU 12

GO BUFFS!

Monday Grab Bag: Well, it could've been worse

Halloween's over, which means we can move on to the 2 month's long Christmas season. Egg nog for all! On with the bag...

Buffs Lose: What did you really expect from this game? If not for us playing in prevent defense from the opening kickoff, and Bob Stoops displaying some mercy by calling off the dogs early in the 3rd Quarter, OU could've racked up 75+ points and 700 yards of passing. I'm not kidding, we're that much worse than they are. As it was, OU racked up 488 yards through the air and 635 yards overall. The Buffs seemed reluctant to try and stop the Sooner offense, instead preferring to sit back and try not to be broken over the top. Time after time to Sooners ran the same swing pass to the running back to keep drives moving down the field (OU RB's combined for 14 catches) wihtout an adjustment by the CU defense, and, when they grew tired of that, our 4 quarters of prevent defense couldn't keep All-World WR Ryan Broyles from getting 9 catches for 208 yards and 3 scores.

While the defense was looking tired and indifferent, the offense was looking impotent. Finding less than 300 yards of offense on the evening, the Buffs were inefficient and non-threatening against a Sooner defense that had been the team's lone weak spot. Rodney Stewart was a singular bright spot gaining 90 yards on 19 carries, even keeping drives alive on some nice runs between the tackles.

I guess my point on this game is that it could've been worse. We knew it was going to be bad, and were in damage control from the opening kickoff. From what I saw, our gameplan was not to even attempt to win, but to keep the Sooners from completely embarrassing us; such is the state of CU football. We know from logical assumptions, press insinuations, and information from reliable sources that Hawk is gone at the end of the year; the decision is already been made, and that we are just waiting for the clock to run out. At this point all we are doing by keeping him around is getting the program embarrassed and kids hurt. With firing him, I think it takes the weight of his impending doom away from the season, and allows the kids to handle their own destiny. If we're going to fire him in 26 days, what good does it do to keep him around any longer?

(Hawk, staring metaphorically at his bleak future. From: The BDC)

Coaching Situation: I'm told that by keeping Hawk we're preventing terrible things from happening; that firing Hawk today, and not November 27th, would damage recruiting, and end any chance of getting to a bowl game. I would respond by saying that as currently coached the team will lose at least 3 more games, if not all 4, and that recruiting is certainly not helped by a man who knows he doesn't have a job come two days after Thanksgiving (In fact he could permanently damage the current recruiting class, if it hasn't been damaged already). If Hawk was delusional, running to the press with hyperventilated rantings of turning the ship around, never say die and all of that, I might buy that there is something to be gained from his continued employment for one more month, if only from the power of crazy. As it is, he's a beaten man who can't even get through a press conference anymore. I think Hawk hurts, both for his situation and for his team. He cares, a little too much, about the kids he coaches, as has been evidenced by his sticking with Goodman yet being too worried to watch his kick Saturday. (He couldn't bear to watch another Goodman failure because he truly cares about the kid; he knows Goodman is not up to the job, but sticks with him out of loyalty.) The overall situation cannot be good for him; as it is he has a hollow look to his eyes. This needs to end now, for everyone's sake.

I know Mike Bohn dislikes the idea of firing coaches in mid-season; his perspective is that it hurts the kids, and part of me wants to agree with that. But, in my opinion, the kids are being done a disservice by their current head coach. The team is spark-less and directionless; like a 18th Century Frigate with no "wind in 'er sails." That "wind" isn't going to come from a head coach that has nothing to coach for. Perhaps an interim coach could spark something, possibly even a true effort to get to a bowl game. Perhaps an interim coach would fight to gain some attention for the talent there is on the team. As it is, the 2010 CU Buffaloes are just going through the motions, and that is doing no one any good, and is only going to result is more losses and injuries.

Bowl!? I just hope we can win another game...: Former NFL head coach Jim Mora once had a famous rant where he mockingly disagreed with the insinuation that his team could still make it to the playoffs. It's similar to this current CU team; we ain't making it to a bowl, and I mockingly scoff at any insinuations to the contrary. While I love the talk of a bowl game for the simple fact that it shows that the players and Buff nation still have spirit, the fact remains that this team is going nowhere. Yes, there is still something to play for, but do you really expect this team, coached in this way, to win 3 of 4 games against Big XII opponents? I think we still have one more win in our bag of tricks, but that's about the extent of the fight left in the dog.

Lebron James rethinks decision: Hey, look, Lebron James has finally conceded that he made a mistake in dedicating an hour-long telecast to ripping the heart out of an entire city. I'm honestly surprised it's taken him this long to admit his mistake in playing-up his vicious backstabbing of the entire city of Cleveland. He's a good marketer, and I know he's noticed the decline in his nation-wide favorability, but shouldn't he have noticed this right away? I'm sure "The Decision" sounded great to him at the time, but any non-biased entity would've told him that it was a bad idea. ESPN certainly wasn't going to tell him no since they would reap rewards regardless how it was perceived by the public. That Lebron admits his mistake is a good step, I just think that it's a little late and the the damage to his public perception has been done. Viciously tweeting about your retribution schemes certainly doesn't help, either. Expect an apology for his twitter account in 3-4 months.

World Series: I've been pleasantly surprised by the Giants play. Lincecum beat the suddenly mortal Cliff Lee in game 1, and, after the awesome performance of Madison Bumgarner (!) last night, they are one win away from walking off with the franchise's first title since 1954. Besides the good pitching performances, they've played good D and have hit very well. I thought the Rangers would win for sure, but, with the Giants on the brink of a title, I'm moderately happy for them.

(These Giants are one win away... From: Fox Sports)

The NFL and Suicide Pools: I was glued to the Chiefs-Bills game yesterday; weird, I know. Had the Bills pulled the upset, I'd be sitting quite pretty in my NFL Suicide Pool (In a weak week, Most people had the Chiefs as their pick); as it is I am one of 117 left out of the original 1500 entries in my pool (big prizes on the line, btw). I think NFL Suicide Pools are the best fantasy game available; it's all up to you. In regular fantasy football, if you have a bad draft, your season is essentially over. With suicide pools, it's all on your shoulders to pick a winner each week, while saving strong teams for the rest of the season. Strategy, football knowledge, week-to-week intrigue; it's all there. Best. Fantasy. Invention. Ever.

Happy Monday!

Oklahoma Preview

Yesterday, on 87.7, Joel Klatt reminded me what Cody Hawkins means to the game-plan: namely 50+ passes per game. That running game, which had brought the team it's only victories on the season, is now gone, forgotten because one play in the CU offense (the zone-read) can't be run by the current QB.

Playing just barely over half the game last week, Cody ended up throwing 43(!) times. Good gracious lord that's a lot of attempts. While I think we have the receivers to handle that many attempts, CU certainly doesn't have the QB or offensive scheme to handle that load. What's more is that drives are surely going to be shortened, leading to an already depleted defense being stranded out of the field for longer periods. Just look at last week: in the second half, with Cody slinging the ball all over the yard, CU scored points, but left the 'D' out to dry; the 10 minute Time of Possession advantage that had been built in the 1st half was flipped on it's head, and the game ended with a TOP tie. You want to know why the defense looked so gassed in the 4th quarter? It's because Cody threw the ball 34 times in the second half, and Tech was give an extra 10 minutes of possession.
(Lot's of Cody is never a good thing. From: the BDC)

CU cannot rely on it's passing game if it hopes to win (or really even compete) this weekend. The legs of Rodney Stewart got the Buffs 3 wins this year, I don't see any reason why they should be forgotten because of a change in QB. So the zone-read plays and pistol formations won't work with Cody in the game; just simplify the play-calling, and rely on more traditional runs. In the '07 game, with Cody at the helm, the Buffs ran more than they passed, kept the ball, and pounced when OU stumbled. That's what CU should rely on this weekend; give the OU offense too much time with the ball, and you'll never get up off your feet.

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OU Schadenfreude

I've said on a few occasions that I almost hate Oklahoma more than I hate Nebraska. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to Lincoln, NE I want the terrorists to win, but I've never had a good experience with Oklahoma fans. In '02, an OU fan kicked my tuba case as I was packing up after the Big XII championship, and would've busted my horn if I hadn't been quick on my feet. In '03, after nearly watching CU take down #1 OU in Folsom, a Sooner fan verbally assaulted me as I marched out of the stadium. In the '04 Big XII title game Sooner fans pelted the stadium with oranges as time expired, and I took one off the back of my head. All of that is after Sooner victories, mind you. In my experience these are not nice people; others may have different experiences, but that's where I'm coming from. That's why this picture from the '07 CU game makes me happy:


That shot, from version 2.0 of the "Dan Hawkins signature home win over a team we shouldn't beat," is all the good that has come out of the OU series for me. The rest is insults, physical pain, and emotional letdowns. I say good riddance to OU; I hope we never play them again, and I hope the State of Oklahoma is fraught with infertility, obesity, and economic hardships for the next 100 years.

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It's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only ... song we know!

I want to forget that this game is on the schedule. At least with the trip to Lincoln there's rivalry pride on the line. With this weekend's trip to Norman, OK there's only an ass-whuppin on the line.

Offensively, not only are the Sooners facing a depleted CU defense, but they bring one of the more impressive offenses in the conference to the field. Lead by starting QB Landry Jones (who coulda, shoulda been a Buff), the OU offense racks up over 450 yards and 35.7 points per game. They are explosive and dynamic, relying on a pro-style offense to get shit done. To date, they have passed for double their rush yards, but that doesn't mean their ground game is insignificant. RB Demarco Murray has set the all-time Sooner record for TD's, and kicks in just over 100 yards per game on the ground. He's just another in a long line (Griffin, Peterson, et al) of OU running backs who will give the CU defense fits. WR Ryan Broyles will be all over the field as well, and is by far the favorite target of the QB Jones. This is a well coached unit, and will be tough to defend in Norman.

(You can't forget Murray; he's the one putting points up on the board, afterall.)

Defensively, things get slightly better for CU. There are weak points that could be attacked. Their overall defensive numbers are slightly skewed by the game versus Air Force and their damn triple-option. While the Sooner D is only giving up 239 yards per game in the air, take the run-happy AF and inconsistent ISU offenses out and they're giving up 282 yards through the air per game. If you can pass the ball, just a little bit, they can be broken for some scores. The OU 'D' is lead by JR LB Travis Lewis, SR DE Jeremy Beal, and SR DB Quinton Carter.

As always, this is a well coached team. Bob Stoops isn't one of the most highly regarded coaches in the country for nothing; he gets good players to OU, and then gets the best out of them. They're everything you would expect in a Sooner team: talented, fast, dangerous. They may not be the best team in the country (*cough* Oregon *cough*) but they are more than good enough to take the Buffs back behind the wood shed.

Prediction Time

Kyle Ringo came out and said something stupid about having a "feeling" about this game, and went on to pick the Buffs to win. Some people are even jumping on the "we might just compete with them" bandwagon because of the '07 win, and the '06 "it wasn't so bad" loss. This is nonsense; we're getting rolled this weekend.

Yes, OU's 'D' may be susceptible to a persistent passing game, and CU does figure to throw the ball a lot, but Cody is not the QB to break them down. The weakness in the defensive backfield is a fool's gambit for CU, and, should we go chasing after it, we're in for a long afternoon. Cody may have a win over them under his belt, but that doesn't mean that he won the game. It was the CU defense who got the ball back in '07 enough times to give CU the game. With Perkins, Major, and every Nickel-back out, the current defense is tired, under-talented and playing out of position. Jimmy and Jalil won't be enough to keep the Sooner attack at bay, and if we spend all afternoon passing, they'll be left out on the field to dry.

In OU's non-conference tilts, 3 teams (Utah State, Air Force, and Cincinnati) gave them scares because they could move the ball and keep up with the OU offense. Do you really think CU's offense can keep up? I expect the OU offense to crack 40 (or more). Given that Hawk can't seem to even get 30 out of his offense on most days, CU doesn't even have a chance.

Add in the road-woes, and I expect the Buffs to get crushed. Get your board-games ready, 'cause, by half-time, you'll need them.

OU 47 - CU 13 (HEY, WE SCORED!)

GO BUFFS!

Lazy Tuesday

No one is getting fired today; I don't care what netbuffs poster says he has a "source" that says Hawk is gone. Along with that, Buff nation is kind of holding it's collective breath. With a near hopeless weekend road-trip looming, we're all on a pseudo-bye week; waiting to see if Hawk gets shit-canned next week. In that vein, I'm crazy lazy this morning, so I've compiled a set of links with comments. Enjoy my half-assed attempt at a post.

Ringo's column - It was nice today to see Ringo kiss and make up with Cody. It did not go unnoticed that it was Ryan Thorburn who wrote the weekend article bashing Cody for his post-game comments. Ringo's absolutely right, Cody should not be blamed for playing as hard as he can; that it's the coaches who should be blamed for having to rely on his sub-D1 talent. My whole point yesterday was that Cody is too emotional when he goes to the press, and that he needs to, for the sake of everyone involved, stay away from microphones. That some people are going onto twitter and attacking him on a personal level is just plain incorrigible.

Kiszla's column - I've always felt that Mark Kiszla is kind of a douche. He's Mariotti-esque in the way he pushes his agendas, and it just rubs me the wrong way. That's why it pains me to admit he's right. Bringing Mac in during the season would be a bad move; but I'm slowly coming around to the idea of Mac actually becoming the next CU head football coach. Kiszla makes the valid point that installing Mac (or any other new head coach) during the season would create an needlessly uncomfortable situation. I'll buy it. Regardless of how the coaching deal shakes out, I think Hawk needs to be fired come Sunday/Monday, and, considering his experience with the position, Cabral needs to be installed as the interim head coach. We still need to look for other candidates, but if Mac was the one who's name is called the day after the Nebraska game, I won't cry foul. In a perfect world, I would like someone from outside the program come in and right the ship. But, with Mac willingness to take the position, it might just be time to turn our lonely eyes to the past for future leadership.

Thorburn's column - I was wondering why one of the two practice interview videos was with Shane; it seemed like an odd choice... The long search for playable Buffalo big-man has filled many column inches over the past 6 years (since David Harrison left). Considering that it's no surprise that Thorburn has jumped on the Harris-Tunks hope; but doesn't this column sound eerily similar to ones written about Austin Dufault last year? Adding some weight onto a wiry frame? check. Subtle intimation that if he doesn't pan out there's not really another option? check. Throw in some comments about how poor CU is at rebounding and blocking shots, and you've got yourself an easy-ass column. I'd love to see H-T develop into a decent post player (I really like some of the offensive skill sets he brings tot he table), it's just that, much like the football team and their "best practices ever" every week, I've heard the story before.

Yahoo Politics Van story - I found this story interesting since I had a friend participate in this video (He got all the answers right... with a little help from yours truly). Listen, asking a bunch of drunk kids at a football game the answers to basic political questions is a sure-fire way to make people look dumb; but it doesn't mean that the student body at large is either uninformed or ill-taught. I love how Tom Lucero, the regent who constantly runs around screaming the sky is falling, took the bait and whacked the school as a whole over this stupid video. It fits his panicky M.O. to a 'T'. Look, they gave us pie, and asked how many members of congress there are (considering that we were 8-ish beers in the hole at the time, I'm glad we were able to stand up straight); you know that they attracted some idiots, but what you don't know is how many people got those questions right. I got a minor in poli-sci from Dear Old CU, and I'll state for a fact that not only could I answer all of that dude's questions without thinking, but I could've taught him a thing or two in the process. The education that CU provides is excellent and encompassing, and anyone who twists their panties over this video is a moron.

UPDATED: Monday Grab Bag: I ain't gonna work on Dan's farm no more

I woke up this morning, folded my hands and prayed for rain. I got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane. No I ain't gonna work on Dan's farm no more. Seriously, he has to go, NOW. On with the bag.

Buffs Lose Winnable Game... Again - The Buffs coulda, shoulda won on Saturday. Up 10 points at home at the end of the 4th quarter, you should never drop a game. (Bob Bell at TRR had nearly the same phrasing. Swear to God I didn't take that from him) Yet, with the injuries to Tyler Hansen and Jon Major, the Buffs just couldn't put enough talent on the field to keep the Red Raiders at bay. Surprisingly, Cody Hawkins entrance into the game also brought with it a momentary spell of vertical passing. Seriously, it looked like Bob Hodge to Jeremy Bloom on every play. However, that series of deep passes in the 3rd quarter would give way to offensive ineptitude in the 4th. After a promising drive ended on another Aric Goodman field goal miss (great to see him out there, btw), the Buffs went 3-and-out on their final 4 drives. The run game: forgotten. The defense: breathless, and left alone to defend the gates of Folsom. Cody: bravely screaming at freshmen wide receivers to cover up for his own ineptitude. It was a disaster, and one that drives the nail into Dan Hawkins coaching coffin.

(I hate Dan Hawk.... OMG THAT'S THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN)

I would've rather been beaten 59-14 over the weekend (I'll get to the Broncos in a bit) than lose a game like this at home. A shameful performance that proves the current coaching staff has no imagination or spark of life left in them, and no care for how the rest of the season plays out. If they have cared, maybe they would've tried adjusting to the 4th quarter defensive schemes Tech was throwing at them. If they cared maybe they would've tried to run the ball to keep the short-handed and exhausted defense off the field. If they cared maybe Aric Goodman wouldn't have been relied on to save the season. The rest of the coaching staff has checked out and is already thinking about their next job, and Hawk is an empty coaching polo as it is. Why are we keeping this guy around for another 45 days again? We might get 1 more win the rest of the way...

(He's got to go, now. From: the BDC)

Season's over *clap* *clap*, *clap*-*clap*-*clap* - The students couldn't even muster a half-hearted "Fire Hawkins" chant at the end of the game. No one cares, and the whole situation is starting to get damn depressing. There are 5 games left on the schedule, and no one gives a damn. Yet, I hear idiots like Neil Woelk telling me that we need to keep Hawk around for 6 more weeks cause it would would do no good to make a change now; that we owe it to the seniors to play it out as is. Horseshit. Not only would the jump start on the public coaching search be beneficial, but I know anecdotally that seniors like Nate Solder have already checked out and are focusing on life after Dan Hawkins. At least Neil, the man who repeatedly compared Hawk to Coach Mac, now admits that Hawk is surely fired.

As to recruiting, what difference does it make between recruiting with a coach who's surely fired and one who's non-existent (essentially the same thing?). Hell, how hard is Hawk really recruiting right now? We already threw away one recruiting class (last year's class when Hawk thought he was fired only to get a last minute reprieve from Oil-man Bruce), shouldn't we at least try and save this one? The thing is done, we need to move on; the sooner the better. (That's not an OU pun, but it's going to sting next Saturday... on national TV too.)

(That's the face of a man who knows his fate. From: The BDC)

Cody, just stop talking - Speaking of the problems with Boulder and the family Hawkins, Cody went and opened his mouth to the media after the game. I never want to criticize the kids who play; they're pouring their hearts on souls out for the paying customers, and deserve nothing but appreciation. (I bash Goodman from the perspective of why does Dan keep subjecting this kid to further humiliation, rather than a personal attack on him as an individual.) However, on Saturday Cody started throwing his teammates under the bus and whining to the media like a little school girl. His petulant temper tantrums on the field after 4th quarter incompletions pissed me off to no end. To make matters worse, he goes into media interviews with his "you're being mean to my daddy" attitude. I don't want to hear how mean the media is, and I don't want to see a senior QB throw his promising freshman receiver under the bus for miss-running a route (especially after he did such a good job earlier int he game). Freshman will make mistakes, the media is going to pile on a losing coach, and those same losing coaches will be fired; it's how this shit works.


Sometimes I feel bad for the kid; his father's success or failure at his job was partially resting on his young shoulders over the past 4 years. It's a heavy burden, and I've given him a lot of passes over the years (excusing him in the on-going feud with Ringo, supporting his a starting QB for far longer than I should've). A part of me even wants to let this weekends indiscretions slide; with his father's job on the line, Cody went 6-19 in the 4th quarter for 25 yards and essentially sealed his father's fate, that can't be easy to live with. However, I just can't excuse petulant attitudes in the face of necessary criticism. If he can't handle it, he shouldn't be on the roster. He needs to be quiet the rest of the season and understand that this is how the world works. Hell, since poppa Hawk is going to walk away with $2 million, the family Hawkins will walk away from this fiasco in decent shape. (speaking of being petulant... that's the last time I'm going to bitch about Cody)

M*A*S*H unit - As for on the field shit, with the injury total piling up (Major and Hansen are done for the season) it's starting to become difficult to field a credible team. With the injury to Hansen the Buffs are one play away from having to burn the redshirt on yet another promising young QB (Hirschman); they're so desperate to keep that redshirt intact that they are openly talking about using WR's Kyle Cefalo and Scotty McKnight as QB's in a pinch. Defensively, with Major out for the season, the Buffs are further short-handed. We'll have to rely on Liloa Nobriga and other young, untested LB's to fill Major's shoes. At least Terrell Smith looked good on Saturday (albeit with the usual spate of freshman mistakes).


(Update 10/25) I forgot to add my thoughts on the Hansen injury. After getting dicked around by the Hawkins family for 2 and a half years (burning his redshirt twice, and pulling him twice), I was happy to see him take over the team. It was his job, and he deserved it. Now he's done for the year. The kid doesn't deserve this. The football gods are spiting the hell out of the good people on this team, and it just aint fair.

The whole state sucks at football - Collectively, the State of Colorado (Broncos and the 3 D-1A schools) lost 183-51 over the weekend. Woof. The Broncos especially, who carry the hopes of everyone in the State, shit the bed. Rival in town, they lost 59-14, showing absolutely no fight. How long before McDaniels is seriously on the hot seat? Since starting his coaching career with 6 wins, the team has gone 4-13.... not good. Bad football all-around; maybe we should become a baseball state? How would that suit everybody?

(The natives are getting restless. From: the post)

Dolphins game - Interesting play in the fins game. With the fins leading late int he ballgame, Ben Roethlisberger dives for the endzone and gets awarded the touchdown. On replay it was shown that he actually fumbled before the endzone, but because the Dolphins didn't immediately recover the ball, the ref couldn't award them the ball. Instead the ball was placed at the half-yard line and the Steelers went on to win. I was actually impressed with the ref; it was a brilliant interpretation of the rule, regardless of the fact that it screwed over my team. I'm just frustrated with the linesman who originally called the play a TD; what was he looking at?

Bears also suck pretty hard - Jay Cutler's favorite target Sunday was DeAngelo Hall. Unfortunately, DeAngelo plays for the Washington Redskins. You would think that after the first 3 picks that Cutler would stop trying to force the ball into Johnny Knox, but nooooooo, he tried it again and got picked for a 4th time. Sigh... another team that I root for drops a winnable game; maybe I'm just a jinx.

("Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you. Fool me three time, shame on you. Fool me four times, shame on the Bears for trading a bajillion draft picks for me. From: the trib)

Happy (lol) Monday!

Quick-post: Bohn holds Hawk's future in his hands; Hawk is surely fired

Interesting article today in the Camera. Essentially, Mike Bohn will be the one deciding to keep or fire Hawk at season's end. This is a big piece of news because, as was widely understood, Hawk was only retained last year because Benson and DiStefano felt it was necessary to mollify politicians in Denver who were deciding CU's financial future.

Knowing how much the Bohn-Hawk relationship has soured over the past few year, I can say this with all certainty: Hawk is fired for sure.

Texas Tech Preview

There are two camps amongst CU fans. The first camp wants Hawk fired so badly that they will root against their own team. The other camp realizes that Hawk is probably gone regardless of how the final 6 games of the season go, and has no problem rooting for the kids who have sacrificed for their university. Count me in the latter camp; I find the very notion of rooting against the Colorado Buffaloes absolutely abhorrent. I cannot think of any reason why I would actively root against my alma mater, and if you hear someone spewing some crap about hoping the Buffs lose so that Hawk will be fired, I implore you to shut 'em up.

(Believe me, I want Hawk gone as much as anyone, just please support the team. -link)

Lost in the shuffle and excitement of the Pac-12 announcement this week has been the game prep for Texas Tech. Fans across Buff Nation have been focused on future matters, specifically because current matters are getting to be unbearable. The players however have sensed what is a key point: that this weekend's game against Texas Tech is a must win if they want to go to a bowl game of any sort. While I may not agree with any notion of there being the possibility of a "special season" left for the 2010 Buffaloes, I do agree that they players still have something to play for. Bowl trips are to be treasured (especially in the Dan Hawkins era), and I am certainly rooting for the players to earn one.

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Red Raider-Hater

(Anytime I hear about Red Raider football, I can't help but think about that dude)

Hating Raiders of any color (Red, Silver/Black, Blue) is a proud Colorado tradition. I find it amusing that both the Broncos and the Buffs are having their respective Raider-weeks at the same time; an interesting quirk of the schedule that only I would think about.

The Red, tortilla-throwing version of Raider Nation comes to Boulder from shitty Lubbock, Texas. Coincidentally, my only time spent in Lubbock was on a trip to Waco. From one shithole to another, I guess. We entered the town on a lark; I simply wanted to see the campus (and buy a shot glass). Driving on Main Street toward campus I came upon a torn down brick building with kids playing in the rubble. It was like a scene out of Somalia or Afghanistan... only in Lubbock... on Main Street ... on a school day. What a fucking shithole.

Tech has long been known for their passing attack. Formulated under Air-Raid genius Mike Leach, the Tech offense used multiple quick and undersized WR's to turn 5 yard out routes into 15 yard gains. They would do this all day, consistently throwing 50+ times a game. All of a sudden NCAA passing records were being shattered by the likes of Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie (had to look him up), Cody Hodges and Graham Harrell. These were not great QB's (outside of possibly Harrell), but the system allowed them to thrive. Quick passes meant they were never sacked and had relatively easy looks all day.

Offensively, the firing of Leach, and subsequent hiring of SEC reject Tommy Tubberville, has meant a slight change in offensive scheme. Don't get me wrong, Tech still slings the ball, it's just not the same offense as previous years. Instead of just completing the bubble-screens and short out-routes, they are a more vertical passing attack now; they have no qualms stretching the field with shots to the wide-outs on streaks and posts. They are still deadly through the air and behind QB Taylor Potts (who was Cody's housemate on ESPN's "Summer House;" Sadly, I watched every episode) Tech is throwing for over 315 yards per game. His main targets this year are the outstanding Lyle Leong and the above average Detron Lewis. The big difference in the current iteration of the Tech offense is the inclusion of a run game. In previous years the run game was just there to give the QB's arm a break. RB's would usually pose more of a receiving than a run threat; now they run with a purpose. RB's Baron Batch and Eric Stephens have helped the Red Raiders average over 114 rushing yards per game, which would've been unheard of under Mike Leach. This will be a tough unit to keep off the field, especially in light of last weeks difficulties with Baylor.

("Potts pass complete to Leong" is a phrase we're going to hear a lot of on Saturday)

Defensively, Tech is, as always, prone to giving up bunches of yards. It has always seemed to me that for all the yards they gain on offense, their defense is more than willing to give up just as many. On the year their defense is giving up more yards per game and per play than the offense is gaining for them. Overall, they've only scored 9 more points than their opponents, and are getting gashed on the ground to the tune of 142.5 yards per game. Any Big XII offense should be successful against this team, and were CU to struggle, the Buffs would only have themselves to blame. The Tech defense is lead by senior linebackers Bront Bird and Brian Duncan. Freshman Jarvis Phillips has a surprising 4 interceptions, but that may just be a case of offenses picking on him a bunch since he's a frosh.

Prediction Time

I still don't like Anthony Perkins being out, and I don't like the fact that Jimmy Smith is coming off of a concussion. The defensive backfield will be hard pressed to use freshmen and backups to cover what is always a strong Texas Tech passing game. I am, however, excited to see freshman DB Terrel Smith on the field. If you followed fall practices at all, you heard a lot of buzz about Smith, and while there are often flashes in the excitement pan of fall practices, I expect Smith to play well on Saturday (assuming he sees the field unlike Kirkwood last week). Overall, the unit needs to get off the mat after getting knocked around by the Bears last week. Facing a QB who's less inclined to run, and an offense that relies less on post-snap reads, the defense should be better in my estimation (I highly doubt Tech will be able to run for over 300 yards like Baylor did last Saturday). CU played a similar style offense earlier this year (Hawaii) and should feel more comfortable then they did against the read option. The Buffs defense is better than they showed last week, and I look for them to prove it this weekend.
(Freshman Terrell Smith looks to get his first action this weekend. From: the BDC)

Offensively, I think the Buffs will play well. I think the coaches realize they focused a little to much on running the football to keep the ball out of Robert Griffin's hands. Look for them to mix it up a little bit, and throw a little more this week. Paul Richardson showed he can play at this level last week, and, combined with Clemmons and McKnight, I think the Buffs would do well to air it out a little bit more this week. Additionally, Tech can be gashed with the run game, and I expect Speedy to have another big game on fewer carries than last week.

Since the formation of the Big XII, CU is 4-2 against Texas Tech, and 3-0 in Boulder. In fact CU has never lost to Tech in Boulder, having gone 4-0 all time against the Red Raiders in Folsom Field (even beating them solidly in 2006 for the first of 2 wins on the year). We always seem to play well against Tech; Hawk's last road win was even against the Red Raiders in '07 (remember those heady days?). Sometimes you just have a programs number. I don't expect the winning trend against Tech to end, and CU will beat Tech. It won't be pretty, and everyone in the stands may have to sweat it out, but CU will win this game to keep bowl hopes alive.

CU 32 - TT 23

GO BUFFS!

Monday Grab Bag: A whole lot of puppy pictures

I have seen CU play Baylor in football 4 times (3 times here and once in Waco). In those 4 games CU is 1-3. Sigh...

(Just think of the puppies and the pain of losing to Baylor slips away...)

Before I get started with the bag, I have to make an apology to Buff Nation; unbeknownst to essentially everyone else, I traded a Buff loss to the Football Gods for a UT win over the Huskers. I still think it was a good trade; Nebraska loses their shot at a national title, we were headed for a rough season anyway, and there's no way that Hawk recovers from this to save his job. Additionally, there's this guy:

"We're going to the Texas game because losing to Texas last year almost killed me physically, and emotionally. And so we're going to go and see the vengence that we so deserve. And so we basically are not paying any of our bills this month, and we are going to use all of our money to buy 3 different flights ..."

I wanted him to suffer the pain of having wasted his money, his time, and possibly his house on a crushing home defeat to an average Texas team. If you're unhappy with that deal, the best I can say is I'm sorry; I did what I thought was best in the long term interests of Buff fans everywhere.

On with the bag...

CU loses to Baylor... Hawk solidifies future unemployment status - All joking aside, while Baylor is better than they have been in past years, there is no reason that we should be losing to them at home. Hawk's tenure as CU head football coach, for all intents and purposes, ended Saturday night. Once again, CU found itself down 10 points at home in the 2nd half, however, unlike the previous 2 games, a comeback wasn't in the works. The season isn't over (though I'm really starting to like my 4-8 pre-season pick), but unless the team reels off 5 or 6 wins the rest of the way, I don't think there is any chance that Hawk is retained going into next year, regardless of the political and economic realities of the University as a whole.

Playcalling weirdness - I was as confused as anyone else that we went for 2 after the first touchdown. While I was less surprised the second time around, I remained perplexed over the idiocy of going for 2 twice (!) in the first half. This after we tried to go for 2 three times in the Georgia game (converting 1, and having play-reviews kill the opportunity for 2 others). I guess my question is; does Hawk even care anymore, or is he just trying to dick over as many CU fans as possible on his way out the door...

(I just can't feel sadness looking at that face)

On the final drive, I was upset that we didn't take a more vertical approach to moving the ball down the field. In his post game comments, Hawk talked about 10 yard chunks, but on the final drive, the Buffs had 5 plays go for 6 or fewer yards. All I was looking for was 15 yard passes up-field. You don't have to heave the ball; just don't throw it to the TE in the flat on 8 straight plays! A prevent defense does two things well; It stops the long ball, and keeps short stuff from breaking. The weakness is intermediate passes over the middle of the field. With just under 2 minutes left, passes over the middle for first downs would've been just fine. I was initially flustered over the final play-call, but, in retrospect, a jump-ball to Clemmons is acceptable since he was the best athlete on the field at the time; while I would've liked a more aggressive pass-route combination, I'll give it a pass.

(That's how close CU was to overtime... or a win had we not left two points on the board. From: the BDC)

Injuries - In last weeks preview, I worried about how the injuries to B-lock and Anthony Perkins would effect the game. Specifically Will Jefferson, B-lock's replacement, fumbled on what would've been a scoring drive (and that turnover lead to Baylor taking a lead they would never relinquish), and Jered Bell, while leading the team in tackles, helped contribute to Robert Griffin gashing the Buffs for 137 yards up the middle. Hey, if players are injured, I can't blame their replacements for not being as good as the original starter (see: Mahnke, Patrick), but those injuries probably cost CU the game.

(Have we thought about using Ozell as a RB? From: The BDC)

Baylor racked up 543 yards of offense - I was shocked to see this. The defense didn't seem capable of making adjustments to the read play that Baylor kept running (Yes, Dan, that was a read play. Just because it's not the West Virginia version of the read, doesn't mean it's not a read play), and we couldn't buy a holding call on the edge to save our lives. It certainly didn't help that Jimmy Smith went out with a concussion, but this was by far the worst defensive performance of the season. At no point did I feel the Buffs could stop the Griffin lead offense; case-in-point, their punter never saw the field. After all I've seen this year, I expected better, and I think Perkins absence had a lot to do with it.

(What defensive issues?)

Where was Kirkwood? - Last week Buff Nation was thrown the bone of having Aric Goodman benched for (essentially) a guy off the street. However, when the first kicking opportunity of the game comes up, Hawk decides to go for 2, and when the first field goal opportunity of the game comes along, Hawk sends out Goodman. We spend all week hearing about Kirkwood, and never see him kick (I feel bad for the kid). While Goodman made both of his kicks Saturday, his ass still belongs on the bench. Hawk chalked up the move to the distance of the kick and some other nonsense (Goodman made a 57-yard kick in pregame warm-ups). I guess I just feel if you bench a guy he should stay benched; Goodman has made plenty of kicks in practices and pregames before, how does that one 57-yard kick when it doesn't matter change anything?

Lol, the Bears are awful; Dolphins beat the Packers - I had been feeling that the Bears are an awful team disguised in division leaders clothing (They've played a weak schedule and have gotten lucky a few times); I was proved right on Sunday. While the Seahawks are better than they should be, a division leader shouldn't be dropping games like that at home. With a quarterback coming off a concussion, and with the offensive line looking like swiss cheese on passing plays, the Bears only ran 12 times (!). That is unacceptable.

(Aaaaand the Bears have been exposed. From: The Trib)

My Fins (Yes, I'm a Dolphins fan, get over it), beat the Packers to regain some momentum after 2 humiliating losses and a bye week. I really want to think that the team is good, but their two previous wins are over bad teams, and I'm not sold on the Packers. Looks like an 8-8/9-7 year for the Fins... still, it's a good road win.

Bulls preseason outlook - Finally, something positive to talk about! I caught a little bit of ESPN's NBA preview show last night, and it got me thinking on the Bulls. After an offseason where they failed to land the whales they were aiming for, I find myself liking the Bulls chances in the East. Barring an idiotic move for Melo, the Bulls have one of the most well-rounded lineups in the conference. They offer top flight offensive and defensive options in the paint (Noah and Boozer) they have one of the best young creators in the league (Rose), a legit outside threat (Korver), and I've always liked Luol Deng's versatility. What's more, there is set of defined roles on the team; you can't say that about Miami. The Bulls will not only be a good regular season team, but they will be a tough out in the playoffs; I think an Eastern Finals push is not out of the question. I even like the coach they hired to replace Del Negro (Thibodeau). Things are looking up for the Bullies...

Happy Monday!

Baylor Preview

Last weekend I threw my head up to the sky and rhetorically asked why we don't have a men's soccer team. With a men's soccer team, I figured, we could go and find someone, anyone, on campus other than Aric Goodman to attempt field goals. Apparently, the team was already 2 steps ahead of me.

Earlier this week it was announced that former soccer player Marcus Kirkwood would get the first kicking opportunities Saturday night. Kirkwood, a soccer player from high school, has never played a down of 'Murikan football in his life. He's also 6-6 and looks disturbingly like Lurch in his official CU photo.

(Not trying to be mean, just saying "hey, dude looks like Lurch." From: cubuffs.com)

It's hilarious to watch him answer reporters questions in the video on Buffzone; he obviously wasn't ready for, or expecting, the attention. He's absolutely surrounded by reporters in that video! That just shows the level of desperation the entirety of Buff Nation, including the media, feels towards our kicking situation. I don't know how the gigantor-lefty from Arvada will perform the first time he's in front of a football crowd; what I do know is that he can't be much worse than Goodman is/was. At least we're trying something new...

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Bear-ing Down


(Hey TubaJohn, you may not want to read the next few paragraphs; I'm going to whack your alma mater around a bit)

It's awkward that I'm looking forward to this game. Why should a CU grad give two shits about Baylor? CU has historically done 3 things well: 1) send shit into space 2)have hot girls on campus and (current difficulties aside) 3)play football. Baylor excels at precisely 1 thing: existing in an area full of crazies. When you think Boulder, CO you think mountains, hot chicks, all the marajuana you could possibly smoke, a general "librul" attitude, and a kick-ass school. When you think Waco, TX you think Dr. Pepper, one of the great shit-hole towns this country has to offer, and the ATF burning down those Branch Davidian people. You tell me who's got the better life?

Yet, here we are treating this game like a rivalry. It all stems from Baylor alum Buddy Jones getting his panties (little girlie pink ones too!) in a bunch over Baylor not being thought of in any conference realignment plan. In a series of emails Jones, a Texas lobbyist, whored himself and his school out to anybody and anyone who would listen in an attempt to keep Baylor significant. Buddy could see the writing on the wall. It's only by the grace of former Texas Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock that Baylor is even in the Big XII to begin with. He knew without immediate action, and without powerful friends in high places, that Baylor would've been left behind. So he decided to pick on the school with the fewest ties to Texas: CU.

Working behind the scenes, Mr. Jones, with the support of the Baylor administration, lobbied hard to keep the 6 Big XII South teams together. Jones goes and spins some bullshit (they pile it high in Texas) about how Baylor is better than CU in Women's Basketball (no one cares) and that Baylor's Baptist leanings should make them attractive to other conferences. (Baptist following? Did he honestly think the hippies in Berkley were going to think that was a selling point?) It was a lot of big talk coming from a school without a bowl appearance in the Big XII era. Additionally, somehow (*cough* Baylor *cough*), the news of our academic progress report got slipped to the press a few days early. Baylor was doing everything they could to stay remotely relevant (if you think being the local whipping boy is being relevant). They, along with the other small-fries of the conference, even offered larger cuts of the financial pie to UT, A&M and OU to stay.

In the end, UT decided to stay in the Big XII, and so the dissolution that Baylor feared never occurred. Let me make this clear: UT decided. This was about money and money alone. At no point in the process did UT ever consider Baylor's (or for that matter A&M or Tech) interests. What UT wanted, UT got; namely more money. I guess it worked out for Buddy, for now...

Still, fuck those guys. That piss-ant little private school can suck a bag of dicks. I thank God every day that I don't have to live in that God-forsaken shit-hole.

(TubaJohn gets a pass; he's the only cool thing to ever pass through Waco)

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The Game

Unfortunately for CU, in a game filled with prideful implications, we aren't playing your father's Baylor Bears. Somehow (I suspect with large bags of weed) Coach Art Briles has lured some talent to Waco. I watched them lose to Tech last week and saw a surprisingly big team with speed in a few key areas. This will not be an easy game for CU.

Offensively, Baylor relies on multi-talented QB Robert Griffin III. The kid is blazingly fast; he almost made the '08 Olympic team as a hurdler. Watching the Tech game Saturday, I was also impressed by his arm; much stronger than I had thought. RG3 can sling it with the best in the nation. He's improved dramatically as a passer from his freshman year; for the year he has 13 TD passes and only 2 picks. He is a special player, and can almost beat a team on his own. While CU has some speed in the linebacking corps that will help, no one is going to be able to keep up with RG3 on their own; it will take a team effort to keep him from busting the game open. If it's not Griffin, the Bears look to RB's Jay Finley and WR Kendall Wright to keep the chains moving; but, really, it's the Robert Griffin show.

(RG3 is legit. From: SI)

Defensively, the Bears can be gotten. In the two games in which they played offenses who knew what they were doing (TCU, Tech), BU gave up a average of 45 points. In that Tech game alone, they gave up 635 yards of offense (!). Tech hasn't even been Tech since the coaching switch, and they threw up those stats. You can find holes in Baylor's defensive backfield if you look for them. TCU and Tech QB's combined to complete 63 of 82 passes. As efficient as Tyler has been this year, he should be able to find open receivers all over the field. Safety Byron Landor, DE Tevin Elliot and LB Elliot Coffey make the Baylor defensive machine go.

Prediction Time
Speaking of Tyler, I think he will be real fired up for this game. Hawk slapped him in the face last week by pulling him for Cody, and I think Tyler is legitimately mad about it. I expect him to have a pretty darn good game; especially considering Baylor is susceptible to efficient passing attacks. You may not realize it, but Tyler is completing over 65% of his passes this year.

I also really like the way our defensive line is playing. Josh Hartigan is emerging as a good DE, and the boys up the middle, Pericak and Cunningham are playing really well together. Overall the defense has been good this year, and have been left out to dry by the special teams. Additionally, while Griffin has the potential to be an all-world QB, I think our fast defense has the potential to stunt him a little bit. Ron Collins is a good D-coordinator, and I'm excited to see what he has up his sleeves for this week.


(Puppies... that mean's there is depressing shit ahead...)

However...

I really don't like the injuries to Anthony Perkins and Brian Lockridge. Perkins would've been a huge help this week; keeping track of Griffin and helping in run support (whatever freshman ends up replacing him will struggle). Lockridge helps Speedy stay fresh and effective, and the move of Will Jefferson to RB isn't exactly making me do cartwheels in anticipation. CU needs that run game to keep the ball out of RG3's hands. Combine that with our piss-poor special teams, and I just don't like the Buffs chances.

You're not going to like this, but I think CU loses at home to Baylor.

Yes, CU plays better at home, and, yes, CU plays better in night games. But this won't be your typical night game. Usually CU plays marquee opponents under the lights who bring in large numbers of fans who would otherwise skip the game; for Baylor I'm expecting those fans to stay home and an otherwise under-whelming crowd. Additionally, expect a massive hangover from the Missouri game, and, unlike Hawaii, I expect Baylor to be able to capitalize on that hangover to put the Buffs in a deep hole early.

The chants of "Fire Hawkins" will be quite loud Saturday as the Buffs fall: BU 31 - CU 17.

I feel so dirty typing that...

GO BUFFS!

In defense of Mike Bohn.

Ringo had an article today that got me thinking about the awesomeness of Mike Bohn. In the article Ringo talks about the swirling rumors that Mike would take a potential job offer from his alma matter KU. I don't know if Mike will or won't take a probable offer from KU, all I know is that if Mike leaves it would disastrous for CU athletics. I have numerous thoughts on Mike and the job he has done here. I've thrown them into 2 different parts. The first is a standalone thought-piece on his efforts at CU, and his continuing value to the university. The second is in defense of his oft-maligned coaching hires.

I should say that I have a personal reason for admiring Mike. Beyond his work helping recover the athletic program after the Tharp years, he also revitalized the connection between the athletic department and the marching band. During my senior season he stepped in and made the band one of his focuses; improving relations, ensuring we had a voice on the Buff Club Board, and engaging the band members face to face. From my perspective, having been part of the institution when it was largely ignored by Dick Tharp and his cronies, Mike's involvement was a breath of fresh air. (Tharp can suck a bag of dicks) So yes, I am biased to like Mike and his efforts, but so what.

Pt 1. Mike Bohn has been awesome for CU, and I'd be sad to see him go.

Mike Bohn's leadership in a time of financial and political hardship for the University as a whole has been stellar. Think of this: despite all of the on-field losing, despite the financial hardships, despite the state of the athletic department when he took over, and despite the general apathy (even disdain) the State outside of Boulder has for this University, the Athletic department has vastly improved since Mike came to CU.

Throughout his tenure he's helped raise the level of donations, fill seats in what should otherwise be (and what historically has been) an empty Folsom Field, improve our football, basketball and volleyball facilities (Seriously, the spring teams used to practice in a high-school gym across town), improve relations with the City of Boulder, renew a focus on integrating past stars into current promotions to build a sense of history, and help the department recover from the taint of the football scandal (as bullshit as that scandal may have been). When you walk into Folsom 1 week after being blown out by Cal and see an almost full stadium, including a full suite section (which was once embarrassingly empty), to see CU play a no-name Hawaii team, you know how good Mike is at his job.

For further proof, just look at the Pac-12 situation. A university down on its on-field luck, strapped for cash because of the never-ending cuts from the stat's budget, and without a marquee following was at the forefront of conference realignment. It still amazes me to this day how Mike and the AD staff was able to pull this off. While ADs and Presidents at KU, Missouri and Baylor ran around like 3rd-rate whores, sniping at rivals behind their backs and prostituting themselves to big-brother UT, Bohn and CU were already 10 steps ahead, and continued to handle themselves with grace and professionalism when others couldn't be bothered. It was a master class in how to work a situation to your advantage.

(Wait, how did we end up in the Pac-12 again? From: TRR)

In the end, Mike Bohn has done his hometown proud. He has reinvigorated the CU fan base even when there has been nothing to be reinvigorated about. While I desperately want him to continue his good work here, should the offer from KU come, at this point I feel he has earned the right to call his own shots. If he wants to go to his alma mater, he's earned that right, and I'll do nothing but tip my hat to him for a job well done.


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Pt 2. On Mike's coaching hires.

Many people attack his high-profile coaching hires, but what else could he have done? Sure, Hawk and K-Mac have been awful, and the decision to let RP coach for one more basketball decision was semi-idiotic, but he was kind of set up to fail in each of those cases. While I don't believe you can really blame Mike for wins and losses on the field/court (his job is to market and fund-raise, not coach), it is a valid topic of discussion. Here then is my defense of each hire:

Hawk was a prime head coaching candidate in the winter of 2005; anyone suggesting that Mike should've seen that Pederson was the genius at Boise St. has their head up their ass. Boise gets by with big wins of shitty programs, and has produced a prime coaching candidate that had flopped before (Dick Koetter). I'm still not convinced that Pederson would succeed if he had been hired, and I imagine he'd be another Boise St. coaching flop if he left the Broncos (Which is why I imagine he's not going to leave). Hawk was a good hire; we got him relatively cheap he was excited to be here, and it was a nationally recognized positive step. To look back and say "Oh, Hawk sucks so obviously Bohn didn't do his job right" is a bullshit reconstruction of past events. Anyone who uses Hawks hire against Bohn is an asshole. (I'll even defend the extension, but that's a whole separate issue)

K-Mac was going to fail regardless of he on the court exploits. She was following the winningest head coach in CU Women's Basketball history. Ceal Barry is an institution in Western Women's athletics and following her would be like following Chris Rock in a comedy club. Absolutely, a .500 record in conference would've been nice, but I don't think anyone could've succeeded as a Ceal Barry followup. Furthermore, do you really care about the Women's basketball team? Be honest.... At least with Linda Lappe you have a direct line to the Ceal Barry days.

The end of the RP era was a legitimate disaster. Letting him coach in '06-'07 was a mistake that even Bohn would admit was egregious. Unfortunately I think he might've been forced into the situation through the financial distresses of the time. Hawk had just begun to lose (The decision came on the heels of the 0-6 football start), and I wonder if Bohn had the money to re-sign Patton. In that situation, Mike now realizes he should've just fired him, rather than let the situation play out. That decision ultimately set the program back 2 years. But look at his replacement; Jeff Bzdelik was an excellent hire. We got a high profile head coach, on the cheap, who helped turn the program around. The absolute worst thing you can say about Coach Bzdelik's time in Boulder is that he left the program in better shape than he found it, and that's a hell of a thing to say when you're talking CU Men's Basketball. Good hire there, and a potential good hire in Tad Boyle. Overall, from better coaching to a VAST improvement in facilities, the men's basketball program is where CU has seen the most progress under Mike Bohn's tenure (not surprising coming from a KU grad).

(Mike with KU buddy, and new CU head coach, Tad Boyle. That KU focus on basketball has really helped us out. From: The BDC)