Desperate times call for desperate measures. Cast about in a sea of road losses, I've turned to some admittedly extreme measures to help turn back the tide of losing.
Click below...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Season Schedule Breakdown
Plenty of virtual ink has been spilled over the brutally tough schedule the Buffs are about to dive headfirst into. Hell, Phil Steele even named it his toughest schedule in the nation. 13 games in 13 weeks, 8 to be played away from Boulder, against some of the best schools in the nation (and CSU). No one ever said this game was easy, but damn, that's some rough shit. CU has long held the perspective that they'll play anyone, anytime, anywhere. Unfortunately, that policy can get them into loads of trouble, like this year.
Opinions are all over the place: Thorburn likes us to sneak into a bowl, and some asshole at SI thinks the Buffs will fumble the season and go 2-11. In the end, I anticipate that CU will end up somewhere in the middle; that this strenuous series of 13 weekends will be too much for CU to handle, but not so terrible that I'll hide my face in embarrassment. A lot of it comes down to injuries; if a prime contributor goes down for a few weeks or more, it could get ugly.
That is not to slight the skill level of the squad. I certainly do think the Buffs are loaded at the top of the depth chart with the most talent the program has seen in years. Three high profile offensive seniors, a super-star in the making at wide out, and an experienced offensive line make for one hell of an offense. Combine that with a defense loaded with talent and toughness in the front seven and a defensive backfield anchored by a pair of veteran safeties, and you've got a hell of a team.
To be clear: this is not a push-over team, I just think the schedule is too much for any team, let alone this CU bunch, to handle. Give this bunch last year's schedule, and CU probably wins 8 or 9 games. But we in Buff nation can't cry over an over-stuffed schedule. Coach Embree has said all summer that he likes the schedule; while that is mostly coaching bravado, I know this coaching staff is going to see it as more of an opportunity than an obstacle.
In that vein I'm going to take a look at this bear of a schedule, and try and give my best pre-season guess how it's all going to go down. You won't find any scoring predictions, just how I feel about the game headed into the season.
Click below for the schedule breakdown...
Opinions are all over the place: Thorburn likes us to sneak into a bowl, and some asshole at SI thinks the Buffs will fumble the season and go 2-11. In the end, I anticipate that CU will end up somewhere in the middle; that this strenuous series of 13 weekends will be too much for CU to handle, but not so terrible that I'll hide my face in embarrassment. A lot of it comes down to injuries; if a prime contributor goes down for a few weeks or more, it could get ugly.
That is not to slight the skill level of the squad. I certainly do think the Buffs are loaded at the top of the depth chart with the most talent the program has seen in years. Three high profile offensive seniors, a super-star in the making at wide out, and an experienced offensive line make for one hell of an offense. Combine that with a defense loaded with talent and toughness in the front seven and a defensive backfield anchored by a pair of veteran safeties, and you've got a hell of a team.
To be clear: this is not a push-over team, I just think the schedule is too much for any team, let alone this CU bunch, to handle. Give this bunch last year's schedule, and CU probably wins 8 or 9 games. But we in Buff nation can't cry over an over-stuffed schedule. Coach Embree has said all summer that he likes the schedule; while that is mostly coaching bravado, I know this coaching staff is going to see it as more of an opportunity than an obstacle.
In that vein I'm going to take a look at this bear of a schedule, and try and give my best pre-season guess how it's all going to go down. You won't find any scoring predictions, just how I feel about the game headed into the season.
Click below for the schedule breakdown...
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
5 reasons to be excited this season
I've been accused, from time to time, of holding a pervasively pessimistic outlook on life. I would argue that I try to be realistic, but that's besides the point. In part to counter this spurious charge, and in part to pump myself up for the quickly approaching season, I present this list of my top 5 on-field reasons to be excited headed into the 2011 football season:
Click below for the list...
Click below for the list...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: Game week is here. Prepare yourself accordingly.
We've finally arrived at the home stretch of summer. Sure, the calendar may technically say that summer doesn't end for another month, but we all know that the return of football marks the real start of fall. Ready, or not, here comes 3 months of Buffs!
Today in the bag I'll be talking about game week prep, some discipline trouble for Hawaii, good news on the recruiting trail, and a brief departure into the world of My Sox.
Click below for the bag...
Today in the bag I'll be talking about game week prep, some discipline trouble for Hawaii, good news on the recruiting trail, and a brief departure into the world of My Sox.
Click below for the bag...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Quick-Post: Kenpom has a raging brainer for Andre Roberson
Ken Pomeroy, who has transcended into the ethereal in the eyes of many basketball junkies, devoted time on his blog this morning to the discussion of Buffs forward Andre Roberson.
Read it. Do it now. Like, right fucking now. Key quote: "His rebounding and defensive numbers almost certainly will be among the best in the nation." That's some pretty high praise from a guy who knows his stuff.
Kenpom's point on the relative anonymity of 'Dre is fair, to an extent. I'm sure that beyond us Buff nuts and a few frustrated K-State fans, few have put too much thought into #21. However, one group who do seem to know him and his capabilities are the crew at NBADraft.net, who think highly enough of the springy Texan to have him as high as 4th in their 2013 NBA mock draft (Assuming, of course, that there still is an NBA in 2013). The word is starting to get out. 'Dre is athletic, smart, and competitive... and a badass.
'Dre was the missing piece from the '09-'10 season that Coach Boyle plugged in to make the '10-'11 squad one of the best in school history. Think back to Bzdelik's final year; forget the "hyper-Princeton" and all of that, the one glaring weakness was a obscene lack of rebounding on both ends of the court. To combat this, the incoming Coach Boyle tasked the only holdover from Bzdelik's staff, Coach Abatemarco, with finding someone who could rebound. "A man he could trust" told Abatemarco that 'Dre was his guy. Sometimes it's just that easy.
Now, with a year of stunning production under his belt, the lanky San Antonio native is expected to expand on his "hustle" numbers, and to take on a much larger role in the offensive end to help replace the loss of Burks, Higgins, et al. From what I saw last year, I'm comfortable with these high expectations. Kenpom is too.
Read it. Do it now. Like, right fucking now. Key quote: "His rebounding and defensive numbers almost certainly will be among the best in the nation." That's some pretty high praise from a guy who knows his stuff.
Kenpom's point on the relative anonymity of 'Dre is fair, to an extent. I'm sure that beyond us Buff nuts and a few frustrated K-State fans, few have put too much thought into #21. However, one group who do seem to know him and his capabilities are the crew at NBADraft.net, who think highly enough of the springy Texan to have him as high as 4th in their 2013 NBA mock draft (Assuming, of course, that there still is an NBA in 2013). The word is starting to get out. 'Dre is athletic, smart, and competitive... and a badass.
 |
| Cue Michael Bay-esque sweeping shot and dramatic music. 'DRE: "Shit just got real." From: the Post. |
Now, with a year of stunning production under his belt, the lanky San Antonio native is expected to expand on his "hustle" numbers, and to take on a much larger role in the offensive end to help replace the loss of Burks, Higgins, et al. From what I saw last year, I'm comfortable with these high expectations. Kenpom is too.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Quick Post: Basketball Recruiting Rankings
Please, allow me to be a hypocrite for a few minutes.
I would usually never trumpet recruiting rankings, seeing as I feel the whole "recruiting thing" is a big pile of bullshit, but it's not everyday that CU finds themselves in the top-25 of basketball recruiting rankings. Both MaxPreps and ESPN have the Buffs in their current top-25 2012 classes, with CU being ranked 22 and 19 respectively.
Obviously, this is mostly due to the fact that current CU commit Josh Scott is rocketing up the national rankings lists, and he is universally regarded as a national top-100 prospect. Scott would be the first top-100 player to end up in Boulder since big Dave Harrison at the turn of the century. CU also currently holds the commitment of Scott's fellow Colorado Springs big man, Wesley Gordon.
Nothing is finalized, and both Scott and Gordon could eventually sign elsewhere (please, God, don't let this happen), but it's promising to see that Ralphie logo prominently featured in recruiting articles. Additionally, the 2012 class could potentially have two others in it by the time all is said and done as CU is projected to have four open scholarships after the 2011-12 season.
In summation, Tad Boyle is awesome.
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From ESPN's scouting profile of Scott - "Scott's versatility, length and athleticism add credibility to sound fundamentals which make Scott an intriguing prospect. He plays the game with a motor and is active on both ends of the floor. Even at his present skill level, Scott could be a good fit for Coach Tad Boyle's post play."
On Gordon - "With a limited amount of bigs west of the Mississippi, Gordon is an excellent pick-up for Colorado (oral commit). With his size (long arms) and blue-collar attitude, he should make an immediate impact for the Buffaloes."
I would usually never trumpet recruiting rankings, seeing as I feel the whole "recruiting thing" is a big pile of bullshit, but it's not everyday that CU finds themselves in the top-25 of basketball recruiting rankings. Both MaxPreps and ESPN have the Buffs in their current top-25 2012 classes, with CU being ranked 22 and 19 respectively.
Obviously, this is mostly due to the fact that current CU commit Josh Scott is rocketing up the national rankings lists, and he is universally regarded as a national top-100 prospect. Scott would be the first top-100 player to end up in Boulder since big Dave Harrison at the turn of the century. CU also currently holds the commitment of Scott's fellow Colorado Springs big man, Wesley Gordon.
 |
| Josh Scott's eventual presence in Boulder could make or break the future of the program. From: ESPN |
In summation, Tad Boyle is awesome.
--
From ESPN's scouting profile of Scott - "Scott's versatility, length and athleticism add credibility to sound fundamentals which make Scott an intriguing prospect. He plays the game with a motor and is active on both ends of the floor. Even at his present skill level, Scott could be a good fit for Coach Tad Boyle's post play."
On Gordon - "With a limited amount of bigs west of the Mississippi, Gordon is an excellent pick-up for Colorado (oral commit). With his size (long arms) and blue-collar attitude, he should make an immediate impact for the Buffaloes."
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
We've got the Jack: Are we really moving to the 3-4?
Beyond the small moves across the depth chart released yesterday, the big news was the informal launch of the 3-4 defensive era in Boulder. A whole set of DT's are now classified as DE's, and last year's sack king Josh Hartigan is listed at the top of something called the "Jack" linebacker position. Dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!
Buffnik at Allbuffs does do a good job at speculating what this switch may mean for the future. I'm not too sure about the Steelers free-association, as, while Dick LeBeau is the 3-4 guru, many styles of the 3-4 have been rolled out in recent years, but Nik gets his point across that recent recruiting moves are a good indicator of the coaches intentions. The talent lines up if the coaching staff wants to dive into this. Moreover, this change fits with the growing trend in college towards a 3-4 look on D. Gotta keep up with the times, man.
Additionally, a 3-front with a hybrid linebacker isn't wholly unprecedented in recent CU history. Remember, Super Bowl Champion Brad Jones played with his hand in the ground on a few occasions, and the Hawaiian ginger BJ Beatty also played in both the 3-point and 2-point. Sure, the Buffs often stuck themselves in a base nickel set, but there were some flashes of 3-4 every now and again.
The interesting thing is, despite all the eyes on practice and the microphones in the face of Coach Embree, no one really picked up on this until yesterday afternoon. But what will this really mean in terms of actual on-the-field change? I think in the immediate future, not a whole lot and that we're probably talking semantics. On your average down I think it will still look like a 4-front with Hartigan, et al, rushing from a 3-point stance. This is where Hartigan is comfortable and where he has had success in the past.
(Hartigan is going to pass rush no matter how he lines up, that's just what he does best.)
Specifically to this year, the semantic change to 3-4 may not matter much anyway.. It will get a little jarring if the 3-4 sticks, and the crew at "jack" starts moving around in pass coverage, but on the whole, regardless of what the linebackers are doing, this defense will still be made or broken in the defensive backfield. If the D requires a 5th DB to keep the lid on an inexperienced set of corners, any discussion of linebackers will fade.
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| All is well. |
Additionally, a 3-front with a hybrid linebacker isn't wholly unprecedented in recent CU history. Remember, Super Bowl Champion Brad Jones played with his hand in the ground on a few occasions, and the Hawaiian ginger BJ Beatty also played in both the 3-point and 2-point. Sure, the Buffs often stuck themselves in a base nickel set, but there were some flashes of 3-4 every now and again.
 |
| I'm going to miss BJ; he was fun to watch and a constant presence in the student section at basketball games. |
(Hartigan is going to pass rush no matter how he lines up, that's just what he does best.)
Specifically to this year, the semantic change to 3-4 may not matter much anyway.. It will get a little jarring if the 3-4 sticks, and the crew at "jack" starts moving around in pass coverage, but on the whole, regardless of what the linebackers are doing, this defense will still be made or broken in the defensive backfield. If the D requires a 5th DB to keep the lid on an inexperienced set of corners, any discussion of linebackers will fade.
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