Too good to be true?

According to a CBSSportsline article, the Pac-12 has updated its executive regulations, with the new rule stating that non-conference neutral site football games will no longer be permitted unless the conference gets their cut of the media rights.

The language of the new regulation: “No member institution shall enter into an agreement to play a neutral-site football game (except in circumstances where such neutral-site game is the away leg of a home-and-home series) unless such agreement provides the Conference with the exclusive broadcast rights and digital rights in all media, and copyright to such neutral-site game.”

Will this mean the end of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver?

Dare to dream.

But it may not work out that way …

First, it may be that the league will not enforce the new regulation upon existing contracts. The current CU/CSU agreement for Denver runs through 2019 (with the 2020 game, strangely enough, scheduled as a home game for CSU in Ft. Collins). Still, if Buff fans could see the writing on the wall for the end of the series in Denver, they may be willing to put up with the game at Mile High Stadium (okay – Sports Authority Field) for the next eight seasons.

Second, the regulation does not say that neutral-site games against non-conference opponents are prohibited, just that such a game would have to be a Pac-12 Network game, or be the back end of a home-and-home. Would the league will be willing to give some $$ to CSU in exchange for showing CU’s ”exciting” in-state rivalry game with the Rams? Would CSU be willing to give up the media rights in order to have a broadcast partner (note that the RMS for 2012 has been moved to Sunday, in order to try and find a network interested in showing a 3-10 team play a 3-9 team)? Would CSU be willing to play its future ”home” games against Colorado in Denver, and allow CU to play its “home” games at, well, home (which would satisfy the terms of the regulation) in order to preserve the series?

These questions will be ironed out over the next few months/years. Still, as it is right now, Colorado is getting hamstrung with its twelve game schedule. Colorado is bound to play nine Pac-12 games each season, and with a Big Ten opponent every year (in the not-to-distant future) creating a tenth prescribed game. With the CSU game on the calendar each season, Colorado will have only one non-conference game to work with after 2015.

If there are no changes, there will be a lot more Sacramento State’s and Central Arkansas’ in CU’s future.

Getting out from underneath the CSU game would certainly assist in allowing CU to schedule home-and-home games with more quality opponents.

Plus, it would get CU out of Denver …

February 4th

Pac-12 Network numbers keep getting better and better

While the Pac-12 facility arms race continues to heat up – with Colorado still urging fans to “stay tuned”, the chances of any Pac-12 team crying poverty any time soon continue to diminish.

We already knew that the $3 billion, 12-year contract the Pac-12 signed with ESPN and Fox would bring Colorado more than double what it was used to in television revenues. As a member of the Big 12, Colorado brought home $8-$10 million per year. Over the term of the ESPN/Fox contract, the average take will be around $21 million per year (starting out between $15-$18 million next year, and escalating from there).

What we didn’t know was how the Pac-12 Networks would work out financially.

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott and his team took a risk, at least compared to the model which was out there, the Big Ten Network. The BTN members took less revenue (51%) in exchange for Fox taking care of the setup costs and distribution issues.

The Pac-12 Network is wholly owned by the league, with the conference also taking on all of the costs associated with the start up and administration. Now, Scott and the conference did hedge their bets in owning the league, getting ESPN and Fox to agree to allow 36 football games (three per week, including some marquee games) to be shown on the Network, along with most of the men’s and women’s basketball games.

The thought was that retaining 100% of the rights would pay off … in the long run.

It now appears that the gamble will pay off handsomely, and even sooner than expected.

In an article in the Seattle Times, Bud Withers quoted A.J. Maestas, whose Chicago-based company, Navigate Marketing, does media research and measurement. ”Off the top of my head, four years from today, I would not be surprised if the Pac-12 schools saw $12-15 million distribution (each) from the Pac-12 Networks,” Maestas said. “The truth is, it could actually be 30-40 percent higher than that.”

That’s on top of the average of $21 million per year from the television package.

Bring on women’s lacrosse!

“In my opinion, it will be the most successful sports-network launch in history,” Maestas continued. “It’s an absolute home run, period.”

Why?

First, Pac-12 Networks lined up four partners – Comcast, Time-Warner, Cox and Bright House – that already reach 40 million homes. So if Pac-12 Networks launched today, it’d be No. 11 in the country in sports networks for distribution.

(According to Sports Business Journal, these were the top-10-distributed sports networks for June, rounded off: 1, ESPN, 100.1 million TV homes. 2, ESPN2, 99.9 million. 3, Golf Channel, 83.8 million. 4, Speed, 78.5 million. 5, Versus, 76.2 million. 6, ESPN News, 74.2 million. 7, ESPNU, 73.2 million. 8, NFL Network, 56.9 million. 9, MLB Network, 56.2 million. 10, NBA TV, 55.6 million.)

While Maestas says the 40-million start is a robust number, he adds, “In 12 months, I think they’ll easily pick up another 20-25 million households.”

All that would do is vault the Pac-12 Network saturation past any of the pro leagues’ networks. Remember, the conference hasn’t even gone to DirecTV or the Dish Network yet – or all the other cable carriers out there.

The figure behind the scenes in much of Scott’s blockbuster success in two years is Kevin Weiberg, who has been instrumental on at least two fronts – expansion and the Pac-12 Networks. Before Scott hired him as deputy commissioner 18 months ago, he was Big 12 commissioner, so he knew the sacred cows and vulnerabilities of that league (and boy, have those been exposed). But more recently, he had been with the Big Ten Network for 18 months.

Says Maestas, “I think what we’re seeing in the Pac-12 Networks is Kevin Weiberg’s education in the process from launching the Big Ten Network. I think he said, ‘We get to do it again; here’s the 2.0 version.’ ”

Will the new television and Pac-12 Network revenue fund all of the facilities upgrades Colorado wants to make? No.

Will the new television and Pac-12 Network revenue bring Colorado even with Oregon and USC in terms of revenue and amenities? Of course not – the Ducks and Trojans will also be seeing a financial windfall from these contracts.

But the extra money will make it possible for Colorado to remain in the upper echelon of college sports.

And that’s a good start …

February 1st

Colorado turns in Top 35 class despite 3-10 record

Imagine what these coaches might do with a winning record …

While Colorado undeniably got a boost in the national rankings from the sheer number of signings – the largest recruiting Class since 1978 – there is also something to be said for the job the CU coaching staff did overcoming the burden of six straight losing seasons and a 3-10 record in 2011.

Team Rankings (February 1st):

Rivals: 34th nationally / 8th in the Pac-12

Scout:  29th nationally / 6th in the Pac-12

24/7 Sports: 42nd nationally / 9th in the Pac-12

ESPN: Outside of the top 25 nationally

Where did other players end up?

While the list of Colorado recruits was pretty much a known quantity heading into Signing Day, there were a number of other players CU coveted this recruiting season. A list of some of the players who took official visits to Boulder, and where they wound up:

Linebacker Seth Jacobs – Oklahoma State

Tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick – USC

Offensive lineman Isaiah Folasa – New Mexico State

Defensive end Kyle Kelley – Arizona

Defensive end Morgan Breslin – USC

Offensive lineman Alexandru Ceachir – UCLA

Offensive lineman Steven Moore – Cal

Linebacker Deaysean Rippy – Pittsburgh

Offensive lineman Shane Brostek – Washington

Tight end Taylor McNamera – Oklahoma

Linebacker Rashawn Hooker – Utah

Former CU commits …

Running back Erich Wilson – Committed to CU August 13th; de-committed November 1st – Signed with Washington

Defensive back Ma’ne Manaea – Committed to CU September 14th; de-committed in November – Signed with Idaho

Defensive lineman Zaheer Webb – Committed to CU September 14th; but never qualified – remains unsigned

Defensive lineman Victor Irokansi – Committed to CU July 12th; de-committed July 28th – Signed with Oklahoma State

Running back Benjamin Catalon – Committed to CU March 14th; de-committed May 12th – Signed with TCU

Colorado high school top ten recruits …

Quarterback Cyler Miles – Washington

Offensive lineman Joey O’Connor – Ohio State

Offensive lineman Paul Thurston – Nebraska

Offensive lineman Shane Callahan – Auburn

Tight end Evan Bayliss – Oregon 

January 29th

New Pac-12 coaches having mixed recruiting results

Colorado faces six new head coaches in 2012, four from the Pac-12.

Buff fans are very familiar with a new coaching staff having to scramble to put together a recruiting Class, having lived through it just a year ago.

So, as Signing Day approaches, how are the new Pac-12 coaches doing?

Jim Mora, Jr. – UCLA

While Rich Rodriguez at Arizona and Mike Leach at Washington State were sexier hires, no one is doing as well as Mora in putting together a top recruiting Class.

When Mora was hired in early December, the Bruins had their fare share of commitments, with 12 verbals. Included on that list were two four-star players … but there were also five two-star prospects.

Since his hire, Mora and his coaching staff have been the talk of the recruiting world, with UCLA picking up one top-flight star after another. The Class is now up to 25, and Mora has added no player lower than three-stars, with three four-star and one five-star player giving their commitments to the Bruins.

With just a few days to go before Siginng Day, UCLA has the No. 18 Class in the nation, right behind rivals Cal (at No. 16) and USC (No. 17), and just ahead of Oregon (at No. 19). Scout is even more impressed with Mora’s Class, rating it the No. 10 Class in the nation, tops in the Pac-12.

Heady stuff for Bruin fans … Rick Neuheisel’s last recruiting Class was ranked 45th.

Rich Rodriguez – Arizona

When Mike Stoops was fired mid-season by Arizona, he was already well on his way to filling his recruiting Class. There have been some defections, but ten of Stoops’ verbal commits have stayed with the Wildcats. Of those, two were four-star players (including offensive lineman Kyle Kelley, coveted by the Buffs).

Rodriguez was a “splash” hire, with head coaching jobs at West Virginia and Michigan on his resume.

Has Rodriguez made a “splash” in recruiting?

Not really. Of the nine commits since Rodriguez was hired, none are higher than three stars, with two two-star players and an unrated player (wide receiver Clive Georges, with offers from Florida Atlantic and Western Michigan) added on Sunday.

Arizona has the 44th-ranked Class in the nation to date, with most of the “points” from the Class racked up by Mike Stoops recruits. Scout gives Arizona even less love, ranking the Wildcats’ Class 63rd in the nation; last in the Pac-12.

Mike Leach – Washington State

Former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach took over for deposed Washington State head coach Paul Wulff on November 30th.

At the time, Washington State had ten verbal commitments, including a four-star offensive lineman, Alex Mitchell, from Portland. The remainder of the verbal commitments were mostly two-star recruits (six in all).

And what has the mad scientist been able to put together in Pullman?

Not much.

Since his hiring, Leach has added 13 recruits, with one being a four-star wide receiver (Vincent Marks, from Venice, California – another Buff recruit). The remainder are mostly three-star prospects, with two two-star players and an unrated player (a defensive end from Pago Pago who had no other scholarship offers).

Interestingly enough, Leach has not added a quarterback to his list of recruits. The only quarterback who has given a verbal commitment to Washington State so far is Austin Apodaca, a two-star prospect from Longmont, Colorado, who gave his verbal commitment to Washington State last June.

Washington State’s Class does not crack the Top 50 in the Rivals rankings, with a No. 60 (11th in the Pac-12) mark from Scout.

Todd Graham – Arizona State

After a protracted – and messy – hiring process, Arizona State hired Pitt head coach Todd Graham to replace Dennis Erickson.

Before he left, Erickson had put together much of the recruiting Class, with 13 verbal commitments, including two junior college players. The list of recruits was mainly filled with three-star players, with one four-star recruit (offensive lineman Evan Goodman), and three two-star recruits.

Graham has pretty much continued what Erickson started. Of Graham’s eight recruits, one is a four-star player (athlete D.J. Foster), but five others (including two junior college players) are two-star prospects.

At present, Arizona State is tied with Washington for the 42nd-best Class in the nation. Scout, meanwhile, puts Arizona State at No. 46, 10th in the Pac-12.

Jim McElwain – Colorado State

Whether Steve Fairchild saw the writing on the wall, or CSU’s recruits did, there was little activity in recruiting in Ft. Collins before Jim McElwain was hired. Only three recruits – a three-star linebacker, a two-star linebacker, and a two-star kicker – had given Colorado State their verbal commitments by the time Fairchild was fired.

McElwain was also hampered by the reality that he was busy at his old job – offensive coordinator at Alabama – until after the BCS national championship game.

And since then?

Colorado State has acquired the verbal commitments from only eight more players (11 total as of Sunday), and, of the eight, none were accorded three stars. In fact, according to Rivals, four of the eight remain unrated.

Needless to say, Colorado State’s recruiting Class remains outside the Rivals top 50. As for Scout, the Rams come in at No. 113 (out of 120 teams nationally), last in the Mountain West Conference.

Tim DeRuyter – Fresno State

It’s always hard to be the guy who replaces “the guy”.

Fresno State hired Texas A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter to replace 17-year head coach Pat Hill. The news of Hill’s firing was something of a surprise, despite the overall decline in the program over the past few seasons.

Still, it shouldn’t have been that hard.

Fresno State had no verbal commitments when Hill was fired, and have picked up only nine since DeRuyter came to Fresno. Of the nine, only two have been given a three-star rating.

Rivals, of course, does not have Fresno State on its radar, but Scout, which does rank all 120 Division 1-A teams, has the Bulldogs coming in at No. 111 – two spots ahead of Colorado State.

January 25th

Oregon recruiting – no impact from Kelly’s trist with Tampa Bay?

Bring in the spin doctors.

You would think that the flirtation Oregon head coach Chip Kelly had with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have potential recruits thinking twice about committing to play for Oregon.

The impact of Kelly’s almost-departure on the 2012 signing class is probably minimal, said ESPN recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree. But in the long run, Crabtree said, the Ducks could be dealing with this for a while.

“It went from a story to a non-story in 24 hours, so it limits potential damage in the short term,” Crabtree said. “But in the long term, yeah, he’ll be sitting in living rooms with recruits and parents and that question will be brought up. He’ll have to address it.”

It’s also possible, Crabtree said, that opposing coaches will try to use this against Kelly in recruiting.

“Hey, all is fair in love, war and recruiting,” Crabtree said. “Sometimes coaches are not afraid to go negative and we’re talking about 17- and 18-year-olds whose emotions can be swung by the statement of an adult.”

It looks like the Ducks have lost at least one commit from the 2012 class, though it’s unclear what, if any, influence Kelly’s flirtation with the NFL had on the situation.

Jeremy Castro, a defensive end from Murrieta, Calif., on Sunday de-committed from Oregon and instead committed to UCLA, where he visited over the weekend.

Castro is a four-star prospect, and rated the No. 17 defensive end in the country by Rivals.com.

January 23rd

Chip Kelly staying at Oregon

After a brief flirtation with the NFL, Oregon head coach is staying in Eugene.  

“His heart is with college football and Oregon and he’s no longer being considered,” Mark Dominik, Tampa Bay’s general manager said Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Kelly and the Bucs had been deep in the process of finishing a deal Sunday night.

Kelly, who secretly interviewed with the Buccaneers last week, had been intrigued by the challenge of coaching at the highest level and not having to deal with parents and the NCAA oversights that are inherent to coaching in college, according to ESPN.

January 20th

Mister Jones returns to Colorado … State

Remember Mister Jones?

Mister Jones, from Littleton, Colorado, was a four-star running back prospect from the recruiting Class of 2010. He was considered by Rivals to be the 28th-best running back prospect in the nation.

Jones was also, for about six months in 2009, a Colorado commit.

Here is a look back at my writeup on Mister Jones in December, 2009:

“The recruiting class discussion (for the recruiting Class of 2010) began – and may end – with Mister Jones. The 6’2″, 200 pound prospect from Littleton, Colorado, committed to play for the Buffs back in June. Jones runs a 4.5 40, and is considered a four-star prospect. Jones indicated that he wanted to stay close to home and his ailing mother, who is battling cancer.

“Sounds great. There’s only one problem … Well, two numbers actually – three and nine.

“Colorado’s failure to improve in the win column (in 2009) has had an effect on recruits, and Mister Jones is no exception. After the Buffs opened with losses to Colorado State and Toledo, Jones indicated that he would take a look at other schools. Oregon, Michigan, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado State entered the picture. Jones took his official visit to Boulder during the Missouri game, after the announcement that Dan Hawkins is staying for the 2010 season, sounded more ‘solid’ than he did in September. ‘I’m still committed to CU,’ Jones told BuffStampede.com after the Nebraska game. ‘All around it is a perfect school for me and it is close to home.’

Then, on Sunday, December 13 (2009), Mister Jones changed his mind – again. ‘I committed to Texas A&M today,’ Jones told BuffStampede.com. ‘I had to call Colorado and tell them that I’m de-committing. I felt it was right to let them know.’ What about his solid commitment to Colorado, and wanting to stay close to home? ‘I’ve been thinking about it and I want to go out-of-state. I thought Texas A&M would be a better fit for me.’ Jones has cancelled other official visits, and now considers himself to be a ‘solid’ commit to the Aggies.”

Jones did sign with Texas A&M, while Colorado signed two other running backs named Jones as part of the 2010 recruiting Class of 2010 – Tony Jones and Trea Jones.

Fast forward two years …

Mister Jones red-shirted at Texas A&M in 2010, and did not play in 2011. Jones left College Station in September, after a widely reported incident in which Jones was caught smoking marijuana in the team hotel room before the opener against SMU.

Now, Jones is a CSU Ram.

January 18th

Washington takes Kiesau as well

The purging of the Cal coaching staff continues …

Former CU offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau is now also the former wide receivers coach at Cal.

In continuing the last-minute (in terms of the 2012 recruiting class) pillaging of the Bears’ coaching staff, Cal confirmed Kiesau’s departure with a short statement from coach Jeff Tedford and athletic director Sandy Barbour. It has been reported that Kiesau will be the Huskies’ offensive coordinator but it seems likely that head coach Steve Sarkisian will continue to call plays, as he did with former coordinator, Doug Nussmeier, who is leaving for Alabama.

Kiesau is the fifth new coach Sarkisian has hired this offseason. In addition to him and Lupoi, Sarkisian hired Justin Wilcox (defensive coordinator) and Peter Sirmon (linebackers) away from Tennessee and Keith Heyward (secondary) away from Oregon State.

What has become clear: Washington is willing to pay big money to stock a staff around Sarkisian. When the numbers are published, it’s possible that Washington could have the highest paid coaching staff in the conference in 2012, though USC doesn’t release salary information. It’s certainly clear that Cal couldn’t keep up, even though both schools will rake in big money from the Pac-12′s new TV contract. Simple fact: Washington is a wealthier athletic department.

January 17th

Pac-12 television money by season

As usual, Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News is the source for information about the upcoming Pac-12 Networks. In his latest article, Wilner notes that the Pac-12 Networks are still very much a work in progress, and details may not be known for months.

What we do know:

- Executives from the PacNetworkss are in the process of visiting the 12 campuses to assess the infrastructure — which stadiums, arenas, fields and gyms are properly wired for broadcasts and which need upgrades.

- That within Designated Market Areas — for example: Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake City, etc. — the PacNetworks will be shown on basic cable by the league’s four partners (Comcast, Bright House, Time Warner and Cox).

- Outside the DMAs but within the league’s footprint — for example: Sacramento, Medford, Walla Walla — the PacNets will be shown on digital cable. (In many places, digital cable and basic cable are the same thing.)

- The conference will almost certainly sign a distribution agreement with either DISH or DirecTV before the PacNetworks launch … but perhaps not both.

Wilner also speculated as to the value of the first-year payout to the conference from the new ESPN/Fox contract - $185 million – with an escalator clause which will call for a jump of approximately 4% per year.

That would make for the following annual payouts:

1st year: $185,000,000 (or about $15.4 million per team in the Pac-12)
2nd year: $192,400,000
3rd year: 200,096,000
4th year: 208,099, 840
5th year: 216,423,833 (now were up to $18 million per team per year)
6th year: 225,080,786
7th year: 234,084,017
8th year: 243,447,377
9th year: 253,185,272
10th year: 263,312,682 (now almost $22 million per team per year)
11th year: 273,845,189
12th year: 284,798,996 (almost $24 million per team per year)

You may notice that those payouts add up to less than the well-reported total of $3 billion — about $220,000,000 less, in fact. It’s possible that the total package isn’t worth exactly $3 billion … or that there’s some kind of lump-sum payment on the front or back end of the deal.

Bear in mind, this does not include revenue from the Pac-12 Networks (which, as you will recall, Larry Scott included as a very strong partner in the ESPN/Fox contracts, with premium football games and most of the men’s college basketball games reserved for the Pac-12 Networks).

Gentlemen, start your calculators!

January 16th

Cal defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi joins staff at Washington

While the timing – two weeks before Signing Day – would have raised eyebrows regardless, the move of defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi from Cal to Washington has caused quite a stir.

The reason?

Lupoi is considered one of the best recruiters in the nation.

Lupoi, 30, was the youngest coach on ESPN.com’s list of top 25 recruiters in 2011 and the youngest football assistant in the Pac-10 last year.

Why is Lupoi considered such a great recruiter?

“The kids understand when they talk to him, how much he cares about this place,” said running backs coach Ron Gould last spring. “Kids want to be around that kind of passion. You look in his eyes, and you see this guy has no quit. Listen to him for 30 seconds, and you feel his heart beat.”

Lupoi has helped Cal put together one of the best recruiting classes of 2012, with two five-star recruits and eight four-star recruits on their commitment list. Many of the top Cal recruits, including both five star recruits (defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy and defensive back Shaq Thompson) were Lupoi contacts. UPDATE: It didn’t even take 24 hours for Lupoi’s defection to take root. Defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, a longtime Cal commit, changed his commitment to UCLA on Monday night.

Several four star recruits of Lupoi, including wide receiver Jordan Payton and linebacker Michael Barton, had been targeted by Colorado coaches prior to their commitments to Cal.

Will Lupoi’s defection, basically on the eve of Signing Day, make Cal recruits wary of signing with the Bears? Will Washington target – and get – some of Lupoi’s recruits? Will some of Cal’s verbal commitments take a look at other schools between now and February 1st?

Hard to say. But it would be safe to assume that some Cal commits are getting contacts today which they probably hadn’t planned upon receiving …

Meanwhile, Washington loses a coach of its own …

ESPN is reporting that Alabama has hired former Washington offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier for the same position, a source with knowledge of the coaching search confirmed. Nussmeier, 42, has worked as Washington’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Steve Sarkisian since 2009. The Huskies ranked 25th nationally in scoring (33.4 points per game) and 38th in total offense (409.9 yards per game) in 2011.

Nussmeier was considered instrumental in the development of quarterback Jake Locker, and NFL first-round pick in 2011, as well as sophomore Keith Price, who ranked 13th in quarterback rating (157.9) and seventh in touchdown passes (29) in 2011.

Nussmeier is respected in the recruiting world. He helped reel in top 25 recruiting classes to Washington in 2010 and 2011, according to ESPN’s team rankings.

Nussmeier replaces Jim McElwain, who left to become coach at Colorado State after four seasons with the Tide.

Darron Thomas an unlikely addition to the NFL draft list

Oregon junior quarterback Darron Thomas announced Saturday that he will forgo his senior season to enter the 2012 NFL Draft. “I came to this decision on behalf of myself and my family,” Thomas said in a prepared statement released by Oregon. “I have a dream of playing in the NFL and I’m going to pursue those dreams.”

The announcement comes as something as a surprise, because Thomas, while an effective quarterack in Oregon’s offense, is not highly thought of as an NFL-caliber quarterback. NFLDraftScout.com rated him as the 12th best quarterback prospect for the 2013 draft class. (No rankings for 2012 have been updated to include Thomas just yet).

While the loss of Thomas might appear initially to be a blow to the Ducks, there is some speculation that Thomas might not have held onto his job in Eugene, even if he had returned. Sophomore Bryan Bennett will become the leading candidate for the starting position, challenged by red-shirt freshman Marcus Mariota.

–

Thomas’ announcement brings to ten the number of Pac-12 players who have declared for the NFL draft. The deadline for eligible underclassmen to declare for the draft is Sunday, January 15th.

Those players who CU will not have to face next fall include:

Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Brock Osweiller, QB, Arizona State

Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State

David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Nick Perry, DE, USC

Chris Polk, RB, Washington

January 11th

When 15 isn’t 15, and 75 isn’t 75

Now you count them, now you don’t.

According to penalties imposed upon USC, the Trojans are limited to 15 scholarships the next three seasons, and can only have 75 scholarship players on the team.

At last count, USC had 68 scholarship players on board, with a recruiting class of 12.

If you believe 68+12=80, however, you just aren’t paying attention.

How will USC get around the sanctions?

The way around the 15 player limit on scholarships, at least the Class of 2012, is to sign junior college players or have players grey-shirt (like offensive lineman Alex Kelley did for the Buffs this fall). In that instance, USC can have players who sign before February 1st count against the Class of 2011, when the Trojans were still entitled to sign 25 players.

A look at the USC 2012 commitment list shows that the Trojans have already signed four junior college players, so the commitment list for February 1st isn’t 12, it’s actually eight.

Still, the Trojans are adding more bodies to a scholarship base of 68, so the number – if nothing else changes between now and Signing Day – would still leave USC with a roster of 80 players.

Foul, you say!

Well, not really. The remaining members of the Class of 2012 who do not enroll early have only signed a Letter of Intent. Their scholarship doesn’t kick in until the fall. Then, and only then, will the Trojans have to be down to 75 players.

Which means that some players, currently on scholarship, will have to go.

Several players, running back Amir Carlisle (heading to Notre Dame) and Brice Butler (San Diego State), have already left. Several others, including wide receiver Kyle Prater and offensive lineman Armond Armstead, are also expected to transfer. USC will part ways – either on good terms or bad – with another half dozen or so players between now and August. If academics doesn’t force a few out, the coaches might have to make some tough decisions.

So, is this saying that the sanctions will not have an impact on USC?

Not at all.

It will just take time.

This fall, USC will play with 75. Injuries at key positions (see CU, cornerback, 2011) could cripple the Trojans.

Futhermore, on Signing Day, 2013 (and 2014, for that matter), USC will no longer have the luxury of signing any “look back” junior college prospects or grey-shirt holdovers.

USC will still have an elite team. The Trojans would be my pick to win the Pac-12 in 2012.

Still, the sanctions will hurt, if for no other reason than ten prospects per year, for the next three years, will sign somewhere other than with USC. Some, if not most, of those players will sign with teams which will play against USC, further leveling the playing field.

There will be a noticeable impact … it just won’t come on Februay 1, 2012.

(For a good story on the USC sanction math, including links to players who have left USC, and who may still leave the program, here is an article from the Orange County Register)

January 10th

Last poll of 2011; first poll of 2012

Remember the Big Two and the Little Six?

For many years, the Big Eight was looked upon as the Big Two – Oklahoma and Nebraska – and the Little Six – everybody else. In fact, in the 36 seasons of the Big Eight (1960-95), only Colorado, with three outright titles (1961, 1989, 1990) and two shared titles (1976, 1991), even came close to breaking the Sooner/Cornhusker logjam (only Missouri, amongst the other teams, had as many as two titles – one outright, one shared – and both of those were in the 1960′s).

It was Oklahoma’s and Nebraska’s world, and the Little Six were just allowed to play in it.

Fast forward to 2011.

The first season for the new Pac-12 is now in the books.

Big Three and Little Nine, anyone?

After the BCS title game, the final polls were taken, and the Pac-12 was well represented up top, with three teams in the top seven in the nation. Oregon finished the year ranked 4th. USC, not a part of the coaches’ poll as a result of NCAA sanctions, still came in at No. 6 in the Associated Press poll, followed closely by Stanford at No. 7.

After that? Crickets.

Not only did no other Pac-12 team receive a ranking, no other Pac-12 was good enough to be amongst the “others receiving votes”.

The Have’s and the Have Not’s.

And, if another “way too early” preseason poll is to be believed, the status quo will hold in 2012.

In an ESPN article, Mark Schlabach rates USC as his No. 2 team for 2012. Oregon is not far behind, at No. 4. The Andrew Luck-less Stanford Cardinal slip to No. 17 in this poll, but remain the only other team deemed worthy of mention.

So, what other Pac-12 team is ready to step up and join the national rankings?

Utah doesn’t leave the state for any of its non-conference games in 2012, with the toughest game being a home contest against BYU. The Utes – as was the case in 2011 – avoid Stanford and Oregon, and do get USC at home. With 18 starters returning, if Utah is going to make a case for being an upper echelon team in the Pac-12, 2012 will be the season.

Washington was a trendy pick for the next school to challenge the Big Three, at least until the Alamo Bowl. In losing to Baylor, 67-56, the Huskies surrendered as many touchdowns as Alabama did all season. Let’s try that one on again for size … Baylor, in four quarters, scored as many touchdowns against Washington as the Crimson Tide defense gave up in 13 games.

Cal and Arizona State always seem to be in the conversation about rising teams, but are perennial disappointments.

Arizona, UCLA and Washington State made good hires with their new head coaches, but time will tell. The Wildcats were 4-8 in 2011, the Bruins 6-8, and the Cougars 4-8. Not the stuff of a top 25 team, at least not yet.

Oregon State? The Beavers are still trying to figure out a way to adopt Phil Knight as one of its own.

Which leaves the Colorado Buffs.

No, the Buffs are not going from 3-10 to the Top 25 in one season. The pieces are not yet in place, but they are getting there.

So, for now, it will have to be the Big Three and the Little Nine. What is encouraging for the Buff Nation, though, is that there is not a great deal of distance between where CU is now, and No. 4 on the list.

Dare to dream.

January 9th

UCLA – Enforcing rules … or clearing room?

Jim Mora, Jr, the new head coach at UCLA, is taking charge … or taking inventory.

It may just be a coincidence, but there are several facts which just might have a connection to one another.

Fact 1: UCLA had only 17 seniors this past season, and had 16 verbal commitments when Jim Mora was hired on December 10th;

Fact 2: UCLA has received verbal commitments from six additional players since Mora was hired, raising the commitment total to 23;

Fact 3: Those numbers don’t add up; and

Fact 4: Three players – none of whom were major contributors – were dismissed from the team Monday for unspecified violations of team rules and academic shortcomings.

Tight end Raymond Nelson and defensive lineman Wesley Flowers for a violation of team rules while defensive back Randall Carroll was dismissed for failing to meet academic requirements, the school announced Monday after new coach Jim Mora met with the team for the first time.

“At UCLA, we have a high set of standards that we expect every student-athlete to adhere to,” Mora said in a statement issued by the school. “Unfortunately, these three gentlemen choose not to do so.”

Looking at the situation with black-and-gold colored glasses, there is potential good and bad to be seen from Mora’s actions.

The positive – Mora’s “no-nonsense” approach may be heralded in the short run, but will it take with a team used to playing at “Camp Rick”? While the three dismissed players may not have been the most popular players on the team, here’s guessing that they did have friends … friends who won’t much appreciate being treated as faceless uniforms.

The negative – Mora has assembled some well-respected recruiters to work for him, and since his hire, Mora has obtained commitments from several high profile recruits, including four-star cornerback Marcus Rios and junior college offensive lineman Alexandru Ceachir, both coveted by the CU coaching staff. Mora might be able, with time, to assemble a UCLA team capable of becoming relevant in short order.

If nothing else, it is interesting. Here’s betting that the CU coaching staff is looking through the list of commits given to UCLA prior to Mora’s hire, as well as other uncommitted players who were serious about UCLA, thinking that the Buffs’ chances on these players has just been enhanced.

January 8th

Pac-12 schedules – Notes on 2012

After taking a longer look at the CU schedule for 2012, here are some additional thoughts …

- Colorado does not have to face a team coming off of a bye week in 2012. Three times in 2011, the Buffs, who had no break in a 13-game campaign, had to play a team which had an extra week to prepare. That won’t happen in 2012 (unless you count Arizona State. Both the Buffs and the Sun Devils are taking off Saturday, October 6th, in anticipation of the game in Boulder on Thursday, October 11th). So CU will at least have a more level playing field in 2012;

- Five of CU’s first six opponents will be teams with new head coaches. Colorado State, Fresno State, Washington State, UCLA, and Arizona State will all have new men wearing the headset on the sidelines in 2012;

- v. CSU – September 1st – As is almost always the case, the Rams get to use the entire month of August to prepare for the Buffs (only once in the past 30 years has CU lost to CSU when the game was not the first game of the season, and that was in the ill-fated 2006 Dan Hawkins debut year). While the Buffs are taking on the Sacramento State Hornets in week two, the CSU Rams will also be facing a 1-AA school. The thing is, CSU will be taking on North Dakota State. The Rams might have to pay attention to the Bison, who won their first FCS national championship this season;

- v. Sacramento State – September 8th – -  The only team in the first half of the Buffs’ 2012 calendar which will not have a new head coach is Sacramento State, led by Marshall Sperbeck, entering his sixth season. At Sacramento State, Sperback is 24-32, including a 4-7 mark in 2011 (though the Hornets did upset Oregon State in Corvallis this past season);

- at Fresno State – September 15th – Fresno State, the Buffs’ third and final non-conference opponent, also play a Big Sky team, Weber State, early in the season. After taking on the Wildcats, though, Fresno State will travel to Eugene to face Oregon before heading home to challenge the Buffs. After playing CU, Fresno State is back on the road to face a Tulsa team which went 8-5 in 2011, including a 24-21 loss to BYU in the Armed Forces Bowl. For new FSU head coach Tim DeRuyter, the home games against Weber State and Colorado might look to be the best bets for September victories;

- at Washington State – September 22nd – Washington State had some momentum heading into the Pac-12 opener in Boulder last fall, coming in with a 2-1 non-conference record. That might be the case in 2012 as well, when CU plays in Pullman for the first time (the other two “road” games against WSU in CU history were played in Spokane and Seattle). Heading into the Pac-12 opener this fall, Washington State plays at BYU (not easy), at home against Eastern Washington (easy), then on the road agaisnt UNLV (easy). While UNLV can be decent at home, the Rebels were 2-10 in 2011, including a 59-7 loss to Washington State. Look for “Leach Mania” to be in full swing when CU heads off to play Washington State on September 22nd;

- v. UCLA – September 29th – In Colorado’s Pac-12 home opener, the Buffs take on UCLA. The Bruins new head coach, Jim Mora, has hired some good recruiters, but there will be questions about how quickly he can revive the program (witness the bowl loss to a hordid Illinois team). UCLA opens against Rice (4-8 last season) before heading home for three games in the Rose Bowl. First up: Nebraska; followed by Houston and Oregon State. The Bruins might be good in the near future, but they might also be 1-3 coming to Boulder to close out the September calendar;

- v. Arizona State – October 11th – Arizona State ended the 2011 season on a five game losing streak, ending 6-7 after a Las Vegas Bowl blowout loss (56-24) to Boise State. After opening the 2012 season with a laugher against Northern Arizona (this just figured out: Pac-12 teams like to play Big Sky teams about as much as Nebraska and Kansas State liked to play Sun Belt directional schools) the Sun Devils have four games which are all question marks. Arizona State could be 5-0 coming to Boulder for a nationally televised ESPN Thursday night game … or 1-4. The Sun Devils play four 2011 bowl teams in succession – Illinois; at Missouri; Utah; and Cal – before playing Colorado. You could make an argument for Arizona State winning all four games … or losing all four (my guess: ASU will be a 2-3 team when it plays Colorado);

- at USC – October 20th – Hope here is that the Buffs have stock-piled some early season victories, as the USC game begins a three-game gauntlet which will likely resemble the scores of late October, 2011. The CU/USC game will represent the only home game for the Trojans in a four game stretch, as, after a bye week to end September, USC will face Utah and Washington on the road before playing Colorado.

- at Oregon – October 27th – The Buffs may as well stay on the west coast after playing in Los Angeles, as the next game is in Eugene against the Ducks. Oregon may have lost out on a chance at playing in the BCS title game by agreeing to play LSU in the 2011 season opener. That mistake won’t be repeated in 2012, as it would be a major upset if Oregon is not undefeated and ranked in the top five in the nation when Colorado comes to town. The toughest non-conference game might be against the same Fresno State Bulldogs the Buffs will play, and even that game is at home. The other non-conference games are also both at home, against the Red Wolves and the Golden Eagles. Not sure of the opponents? They would be Arkansas State and Tennessee Tech. The only factor which might keep the CU/Oregon game from being a complete rout is that the Pac-12 Game of the Year – Oregon at USC – will be played the following weekend in Los Angeles – so the Ducks might pull back in the second half to keep stars from getting unnecessary injuries.

- v. Stanford – November 3rd – It just doesn’t get any easier for the Buffs, as Colorado plays a third straight team which finished in the top ten in 2011. At least the final game in the three game run is at home. The Cardinal get two of its rivalry games – Notre Dame and Cal – out of the way in October, so by the time the Buffs face Stanford, the Cardinal will be in a ho-hum stretch bracketed by games against Washington State and Oregon State. Perhaps the USC/Oregon game will be scheduled at the same time, so that the Stanford players will be scoreboard watching, instead of paying attention to the Buffs …

- at Arizona – November 10th – There was a great deal of buzz associated with the hire of Rich Rodriguez as the new Arizona head coach. Still, the Wildcats finished the 2011 season with a 4-8 record, and has some work to do. The non-conference schedule includes two probable victories (Toledo and South Carolina State, both at home) and a probable loss (Oklahoma State). Arizona opens Pac-12 play with its first road game of the season against Oregon, and will have also played Stanford (on the road) and USC and Washington (at home) before facing Colorado. The CU game is sandwiched between road games against UCLA and Utah, so there will be no great excitement surrounding this game in Tucson. Unlike the games against the other five new head coaches on the 2012 schedule, though, which are all played early, the Buffs will have a pretty good idea of how Rich Rodriguez has fared in his first year by the time this game rolls around.

- v. Washington – November 17th – Colorado in 2011 finished with two road games; in 2012 the Buffs get two home games to finish out the regular season. The Huskies will be a known quantity by the time they get to Boulder in mid-November, as Washington has the challenge of playing four top ten teams this fall, including a road game against LSU in September. After a bye week in late September, the Huskies face the same three-team march as Colorado – Stanford; at Oregon; USC. By the time Washington lands in Denver, the Huskies will be done with their home schedule, with only the Apple Cup game at Washington State left on the calendar.

- v. Utah – November 23rd – Utah once again avoids both Stanford and Oregon in 2012 (though there is some consolation that that break in the schedule won’t happen again until 2019-2020). The non-conference schedule includes a rout of Northern Colorado to open the season, followed by games against in-state rivals BYU and Utah State. The same weekend Colorado hosts Washington, Utah will also be at home, playing Arizona. Both teams will have the six day week to prepare, but that is going to be the norm for the foreseeable future.

 Overall … The 2012 season can be divided into four quarters. There is no question that the schedule is more manageable than the one the Buffs faced in 2011. There is also no question that expectations will be raised. Anything less than a 3-0 start to open the season will put bowl hopes in jeopardy. If the Buffs stumble against in any of the games against CSU, Sacramento State or Fresno State, then the second quarter of the season will decide the Buffs’ fate. A 2-1 run in the first quarter will require a 2-1 run in the second quarter – at Washington State; UCLA; Arizona State.

If Colorado can reach the midway point no worse than 4-2, a bowl is still available, but a 5-1 record would be much preferred, as the Buffs will be heavy underdogs in the third quarter, with games against USC, Oregon, and Stanford. If the Buffs hit the midway mark at 3-3 or worse, a bowl bid is likley out of the question.

Assuming the Buffs can emerge from the three loss stretch in the third quarter without significant injuries (or bruised psyches), the fourth quarter could be interesting. You could make an argument for Colorado defeating all three teams – at Arizona; Washington; Utah – or a case for losing to all three teams. Arizona is an unknown, but Washington and Utah were both bowl teams in 2011.

Earliest of early predictions (subject to much revision after Signing Day, Spring practice, and fall practices) … 5-7. Better, but this is still a team which finished with a 3-10 record in 2011, and loses most of its star power in the offense. If a quarterback (Connor Wood?) makes a splash, the prediction could be revised upward, but if the Buffs can’t find a star at quarterback, a replacement for Rodney Stewart, and a partner for Paul Richardson at wide receiver, it could be another long year …

January 4th

Colorado releases 2012 schedule

It took awhile, but now we finally know how the Buffs’ 2012 scheudule will unfold …

Sept. 1 – vs. Colorado State

Sept. 8 – SACRAMENTO STATE

Sept. 15 — at Fresno State

Sept. 22 – at Washington State*

Sept. 29 — UCLA*

Oct. 11 — ARIZONA STATE* (Thu.)

Oct. 20 — at Southern Cal*

Oct. 27 — at Oregon*

Nov. 3 — STANFORD*

Nov. 10 – at Arizona*

Nov. 17 — WASHINGTON*

Nov. 23 – UTAH* (Fri.)

First reactions …

1)  The Buffs had better start off 3-0.  This, as we have known for some time, will be a precursor for a bowl berth in December. With the lack of depth on the Buffs heading into 2012, especially in the skill positions on offense and along the defensive line, coupled with the five bowl teams on the schedule from league play, a fast start is the only option;

2) The great unknowns. We knew that six teams on the Buffs’ schedule in 2012 would have new head coaches. What we didn’t know until now is that CU would face five of them in the first six weeks of the season. Other than the game against Sacramento State, the Buffs will square off against a new head coach each week through mid-October. This could be considered a positive or a negative. On the positive side, the Buffs will get to take on these new teams before they will have had much chance to gel under their new coaches’ systems. The negative – there won’t be much film on these new formed teams, so Colorado will be more susceptible to new schemes and formations;

3) Splitting up the bye week. With the Thursday night game against Arizona State, the Buffs will have extra time to prepare for both Arizona State and USC. Extra time might not help with finding a great game plan for the Trojans, but the extra time to prepare for the Sun Devils, at home, in a nationally televised game, can’t hurt.

4) Sheild the children’s eyes … for the late October, early November gauntlet of USC, Oregon, and Stanford. All three will finish 2011 in the top ten, and all three will likely be there at the start of 2012. It will be one of those stretches where the Buff Nation may just have to grin and bear it, and hope that ther are not a significant number of injuries, as the Buffs get ready for …

5) The big finish. Even with all of the turmoil of the past few seasons, the Buffs have been able to finish stong in November, finishing with 2-1 records both years. With a road game at Arizona, followed by home games against Washington and Utah, the Buffs should be in position to be competitive in each of those games. Hopefully, a bowl bid will also be at stake, providing even more motivation for the CU players to finish strong.

January 2nd

Washington’s top running back opts for NFL

We knew that Washington would be a question mark on defense in 2012, with a team ranked 94th in total defense and 99th in scoring defense before giving up 777 yards and 67 points to Baylor in the Alamo Bowl.

But the Huskies appeared set on offense, with quarterback Keith Price returning, along with 1,488 yard rusher Chris Polk returning.

Not so much anymore.

Polk, the second-leading rusher in school history, is heading for the NFL.

“I’m ready to move on to the next phase of my life,” Polk said in a prepared statement. “I may not be the biggest or the fastest but I will do whatever it takes to win.”

Polk rushed for 4,049 yards on 799 carries over 40 games at Washington. He ends his college career just 57 yards shy of Napoleon Kaufman’s school rushing record. He ran for 1,113 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2009 and 1,415 yards in 2010.

“Chris had a terrific career at Washington and deserves the opportunity to move on to the next level,” Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said in a prepared statement. “We wish him nothing but the best in what I’m sure will be a great professional career.”

Washington scoops up two Tennessee assistants

In the wake of firing of defensive coordinator Nick Holt, linebackers coach Mike Cox and safeties coach Jeff Mills, Washington acted quickly to find replacements.

Tennessee is losing two key members of its defensive coaching staff, as coordinator Justin Wilcox and linebackers coach Peter Sirmon have agreed to join Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Washington.

Wilcox and Sirmon were teammates at Oregon, and Wilcox was the defensive coordinator at Boise State for four seasons before joining coach Derek Dooley at Tennessee two years ago.

Wilcox, 35, has been a hot commodity since his red-hot run at Boise State. He was wooed by Texas last season, but elected to stay at Tennessee.

Sirmon, a Wenatchee, Wash., native, played seven seasons with the Tennessee Titans as a linebacker. He spent the 2009 season as a graduate assistant at Oregon before coming to Tennessee in 2010 as a grad assistant working under Wilcox. In addition to being one of the Vols’ top assistant coaches, Sirmon also was one of the program’s best recruiters.

December 31st

Washington out-scored by Baylor in wild Alamo Bowl

When the calendar turned to November, Washington was sitting pretty, with a 6-2 overall record, 4-1 in Pac-12 play. The Huskies’ only losses were to nationally ranked Nebraska and Stanford. Washington had been ranked as high as No. 21, and, with a win at home over nationally ranked Oregon, would be in the conversation for the Pac-12 North title.

A 34-17 loss to the Ducks, though, put in motion a 1-3 November, including losses to USC and Oregon State. Instead of competing for a title, Washington was left to take on No. 12 Baylor in the Alamo Bowl, limping in with a 7-5 record.

The record-setting 67-56 bowl game set numerous records, including the most total touchdowns (17) and most total combined yards (1,397) in bowl game history. On the positive side, Washington sophomore quarterback Keith Price had a monster game, throwing for 438 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for three more scores. Still, it had to be painful for Washington fans, as Heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III led the Bears to 777 yards of total offense – and wasn’t particularly effective. Three Baylor running backs ran for over 100 yards, including Terrance Ganaway, who had 200 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

While Keith Price may be on the short list of candidates for the Heisman trophy in 2012, there will be little national championship talk in Seattle until the defense makes some positive strides. The Huskies were 94th in total defense, 99th in scoring defense, and 116th in passing defense before Baylor went for 777 yards and 67 points against them. Overall, Washington’s 2011 defense was the worst statistically in school history.

It was not a huge surprise, then, when Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt and two other defensive assistants were fired two days Saturday.

The school announced the firing of Holt, linebackers coach Mike Cox and safeties coach Jeff Mills on Saturday. The university says all three had contracts for the 2012 season that will be honored. Holt was scheduled to make $650,000.

Washington will have two winnable home games in non-conference play next fall, hosting San Diego State and Portland State. Between those two home games, though, is a trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU (which could get ugly). In Pac-12 play, Washington will get Stanford and USC at home, but will have five league road games, including trips to Oregon, Colorado, and Washington State.

A total of 19 seniors played their last game against Baylor in the Alamo Bowl, including the team’s top two wide receivers, Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar. With Price returning, Washington will be able to continue to score.

The question will be whether the defense can keep the opposition from scoring.

December 29th

Cal falls to Texas in Holiday Bowl, 21-10

The Cal Bears fell to 0-5 all-time against Texas Wednesday night, falling 21-10 in the Holiday Bowl.

The loss left Cal with a final record of 7-6, 4-5 in Pac-12 play.

Cal’s season was much like its record suggests – mediocre and unbalanced. The Bears raced out to a 3-0 record, including a 36-33 non-conference overtime win over Colorado. The Bears then lost their next three games to the Pac-12 heavyweights, Stanford, Oregon and USC.

Cal then fought back to win three of their next four games, only to lose two of their final three to finish with a 4-5 conference record, good enough for fourth place in the Pac-12 North.

The Bears will have a number of stars returning next fall, including quarterback Zach Maynard, who finished the 2011 season just ten yards shy of becoming the first Cal quarterback not named Aaron Rodgers to pass for 3,000 yards in a seaason. However, Maynard will lose some of his star power at wideout, as Cal loses three senior wide receivers, including Marvin Jones.

Cal also graduates, amongst a senior class of 21 players, three offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, and four defensive backs.

The 2012 non-conference schedule has Cal traveling to the Horseshoe to take on Urban Meyer and Ohio State, with a home game against a decent Nevada squad. The third non-conference game has yet to be announced, but look for the opponent to be along the lines of 2011 foe Presbyterian College (a 63-12 walkover).

In Pac-12 play, Cal gets the three top teams in the North division – Oregon, Stanford, and Washington – at home. The bad news is that Cal will not likely be able to keep up with any of the three, which means that Cal, if it is to go bowling in 2012, will have to win a few games on the road.

Look for Cal in 2012 to be much like Cal of 2011 – hovering around the .500 mark, with a chance to go bowling with a few lucky bounces.

December 28th

Pac-12/Big Ten reach agreement on non-conference games

Just when you thought you were done with Nebraska …

It was announced Wednesday that the Big Ten and Pacific-12 are extending their partnership well beyond the Rose Bowl, that they’ll step up interconference scheduling, cross-promote on their respective television networks and even set up academic and cultural exchanges.

According to a USA Today article, by 2017, each team’s nonconference football schedule will include one game against a team from the other league. One could be featured annually as a preseason kickoff event, perhaps staged at the Rose Bowl. Others could be played in neighboring NFL stadiums, including the planned Farmers Field in downtown Los Angeles, the San Francisco 49ers’ new facility or Chicago’s Soldier Field.

Basketball games similarly could land in such NBA arenas as Los Angeles’ Staples Center or Chicago’s United Center, four teams sometimes gathering for doubleheaders.

Many sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, are expected to start bumping up interconference scheduling as soon as 2012-13. Football’s schedules typically are built years in advance and would require a ramp-up to 2017.

Officials are to start working out details.

“This makes a lot of sense,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said, “in terms of continuing to broaden our exposure and improving programming and improving the caliber of our schools’ matchups.”

He and Delany said they’ve had preliminary discussions with current TV partners ABC/ESPN and Fox. They’d carry football and basketball matchups while non-marquee sports would be on the 4-year-old BTN and a Pac-12 network to be launched in August.

With the additional one-game-a-season commitment to the Pac-12, Delany said the Big Ten — which added Nebraska as a member this year — likely will rethink its move to a nine-game conference schedule in football in 2017. Scott said his league will stick with nine.

From the Pac-12 press release …

“Through numerous conversations over the past several months with stakeholders from the Big Ten and Pac-12, we decided there would be great value in building upon the history and collegiality that exists between our member institutions, by initially committing to an increased frequency of play between our schools in all sports,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott.

“In football, the objective is to create an annual 12 inter-conference game schedule between the two conferences by the 2017 season. The plan calls for each school to play an opponent from the other conference every year with some flexibility built into the process to respect existing post-2017 FBS non-conference match-ups. Additionally, more inter-conference games are expected to appear sooner based on schedule openings. Many sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, could see an increased level of inter-conference competition in the near term, possibly as early as the 2012-13 academic year. Over the coming months there will be a series of detailed scheduling planning meetings among administrators of both conferences to work out exact details.
 
“The Big Ten and Pac-12 share culture, tradition, values and a rich history of intercollegiate competition, dating back to the inaugural Rose Bowl Game in 1902. The two conferences have met in Pasadena on 62 occasions, including 55 consecutive meetings from 1947-2001. Both the Big Ten and Pac-12 have strong commitments to diversity, gender equity and the sponsorship of broad-based programs, with over 17,000 student-athletes competing on more than 550 teams between the two conferences.”

First reaction … I don’t mind the concept, but I see two issues with implementation:

1) I don’t like the idea of neutral site games. If I am going to see CU play Michigan, I want to go to Ann Arbor and be in the “Big House”. Detroit’s indoor stadium? Not so much;

2) With the Pac-12 sticking with nine conference games, the addition to the Big Ten game, plus the annual game v. CSU (contract runs through 2020), that would leave the Buffs with only one non-conference game to schedule each season. In order to not have the possibility of the seven road game / five home game scenario of the 2011 season, it would be difficult to schedule a home-and-home with a decent BCS team (not to mention making another extremely difficult schedule), so the Buffs would almost be forced to do a “pay-for-play” deal with teams willing to play CU in Folsom with no return date (translation: be prepared for more September games versus the Sacramento States and the Central Arkansas of the college football world).

We’ll see …

December 27th

Oregon still waiting for NCAA investigation results

While Oregon fans are all abuzz about the Ducks’ new Rose Bowl uniforms, there is an undercurrent in Eugene.

The headline in the Oregonian Monday inquired as to whether this year’s Rose Bowl could be last for the Ducks for some time.

Not that the top-five Ducks are in any danger of not qualifying for a bowl game in 2012, but that the NCAA might step in to ban Oregon from bowl participation.

USC received a three-year loss of scholarships – ten per year – plus a two-year bowl ban for all of its issues. Ohio State lost a handful of scholarships for its transgressions, and will sit home next year during the holidays.

Where will Oregon’s penalties fit in?

Probably somewhere in between.

According to the Oregonian, Oregon hired the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King last March to conduct an internal investigation into the matter. According to a heavily-redacted invoice released after a records request from the Oregonian, the firm was still conducting interviews and conferencing in November.

This has been going on since March, so clearly there has been plenty of ground to cover, possibly involving more than Houston-based talent scout Willie Lyles.

Remember, the allegations first surfaced about Lyles’ mentorshiup of five-star recruit Lache Seastrunk. Seastrunk, from Temple, Texas signed with Oregon in 2010. Shortly thereafter, Oregon purchased a $25,000 national recruiting package from Complete Scouting Services, which was owned and operated by Lyles.

The materials received for the 25-grand were revealed to be largely outdated and useless. Lyles since has suggested that perhaps the Ducks were paying more for his access and influence than for his scouting service.

As it turns out, he had advisor/mentorship roles with a number of Texas prep players who turned out at Oregon, including Seastrunk, LaMichael James, Dontae Williams, Tra Carson and Marcus Davis. Lyles’ connections with other schools, such as LSU and California, have also been called into question.

Documents made public by Oregon in response to records requests reveal a number of phone calls between Lyles and coaches and employees of the UO football program, particularly around important dates on the recruiting calendar. So there is plenty of smoke surrounding the Lyles-Oregon relationship.

But the documents, which include email exchanges, also reveal a cordial working relationship between the Bond, Schoeneck & King attorneys, UO administrators and the NCAA investigators. It appears from what we’ve been allowed to see, that Oregon is cooperating completely with the NCAA.

This is important. Greg Sankey, associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and a member of the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions, said Ohio State “met its obligation to cooperate” with the NCAA.

By contrast, former USC athletic director Mike Garrett thumbed his nose at NCAA investigators.

In the end, the NCAA hit Ohio State with the charge of “failure to monitor” Jim Tressel’s football program. USC was hammered with the more serious “lack of institutional control.”

So Oregon has – at least – cooperation with the NCAA helping to bolster hopes that it will not be the Ducks turn to miss the Pac-12 title game next fall.

December 26th

Arizona State ends season with five game losing streak

Just like Arizona last season, Arizona State ended the 2011 campaign with a five game losing streak, including a devastating loss to the in-state rival.

Unlike Arizona last season, Arizona State didn’t wait to fire its head coach.

The Wildcats fired Mike Stoops in October, after Arizona followed up its five game losing streak to end 2010 with five losses in six games to open the 2011 campaign.

The Sun Devils, though, has already fired its head coach, Dennis Erickson, and replaced him with former Pitt coach Todd Graham.

Arizona State had a chance to send Erickson out a winner, but were dominated by Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl, 56-24.

To give the Sun Devils some credit, they did not quit on their former coach, even after falling behind, 21-0, early in the second quarter. Arizona State had it back to 28-10 early in the third quarter, and had a first-and-goal against the Broncos. On fourth-and-goal at the one, though, Brock Osweiller threw an interception which was returned for a touchdown. Instead of 28-17, the score became 35-10, and the rout was on.

Erickson finished his tenure at Tempe with a 31-31 overall record, and new head coach Todd Graham was certainly not the first choice of many Sun Devil fans.

So, what do the Sun Devils have to work with in 2011, coming off of a 6-7 season and carrying the burden of a five-game losing streak?

Well, like Arizona this season, Arizona State faces the distinct possibility of opening Pac-12 play with a losing record. The Sun Devils face Northern Arizona from the Big Sky Conference (the only team Mike Stoops was able to defeat before being fired at Arizona this past fall), but also play Missouri and Illinois, both bowl teams this past year (though Illinois has its own problems, having also fired its coach after finishing the regular season with a six game losing streak).

In Pac-12 play, Arizona State does miss Washington and Stanford from the Pac-12 North, but must travel to Cal, Arizona, USC, and, of course, Colorado.

The Sun Devils will have talent returning, including junior quarterback Brock Osweiller, who threw for over 4,000 yards this season. However, Arizona State was billed as the 2011 preseason favorite to play in the USC-less Pac-12 title game, in large part due to the significant number of senior starters and contributors who were coming back.

As a result, look for Arizona State to be picked to finish in the bottom half of the Pac-12 south next fall. The reasons which will be given in the preseason magazines:  1) five-game losing streak to end the 2011 campaign; 2) new (and not particularly popular) new head coach; 3) tough schedule; and 4) significant senior losses.

Still, before Buff fans can plan on posting CU’s first-ever victory against Arizona State (0-3 all-time), there is this sobering fact …

Arizona State not only finished the 2011 season with a five-game losing streak, the Sun Devils in fact lost six of their last seven games.

The only victory?

A 48-14 thrashing of Colorado …

December 25th

Merry Christmas!

Leach opting out of scholarship offers to Wulff recruits!

Scrooge …

New Washington State head coach Mike Leach has made it clear that some of the 19 players who received scholarship offers from the Cougars, and had given their verbal commitments, will not be invited to be a part of the new program.

Leach said he wouldn’t put a number on how many of those 19 would be honored, but he answered “no question” when the Seattle Times asked about the notion that the new staff is setting its own course to some extent.

A whole bunch of players have kind of opened their minds and listened to our message,” Leach said. “They’re excited about the Cougs and what we have to offer.”

Last December, new Colorado head coach Jon Embree did not fact a similar dilemma. The 2010 lame duck season under Dan Hawkins only saw verbal commitments from a handful of players, with all of those commitments honored by the new regime.

Utah may not make a splash with new offensive coordinator hire

When Kyle Whittingham, Utah’s head coach, picked up former BYU, USC, and UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow last off-season, it gave the Utes some instant credibility.

The Utes were stepping up into a BCS conference, and now had a coordinator who was a proven success at the BCS level of competition.

A year later, with Chow off to coach at Hawai’i, Whittingham is again in search of a new offensive coordinator. This time, though, the new name might not be as familiar to football fans.

Some options, according to the Deseret News:

Aaron Roderick: Currently coaching wide receivers at Utah, Roderick was the co-offensive coordinator and play caller for a season before Chow’s arrival.

Advantage: Knows the personnel and is familiar with what Whittingham wants, worked closely with Norm Chow this season.

Disadvantage: Was replaced a year ago in the same position.

Dave Schramm: Currently coaching the running backs at Utah, Schramm was the co-offensive coordinator with Roderick for a season before Chow’s arrival.

Advantage: Helped to coordinate and develop the running game that was the cornerstone of Utah’s offense this season.

Disadvantage: Was replaced a year ago in the same position.

Dirk Koetter: Currently the offensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Koetter helped build the Boise State football program from 1998-2000. Has been an offensive coordinator at UTEP, Missouri, Boston College and Oregon.

Advantage: Knows the region, having grown up up in Pocatello, Idaho. Has run successful offenses just about everywhere he’s been.

Disadvantage: Currently in the NFL and might not want to return to college as an offensive coordinator.

Seth Littrell: Currently unemployed and the former offensive coordinator at Arizona, Littrell was on Mike Stoops’ staff at Arizona for three seasons and before that he was on Mike Leach’s staff at Texas Tech.

Advantage: Helped to coordinate one of the top offensive attacks in the Pac-12 last season at Arizona. Tight with Mike Leach, who is good friends with Whittingham.

Disadvantage: Littrell is a spread offense guy. If Utah plans to stay with a pro-style attack he may not fit.

Not exactly a marquee list – but we’ll see what Whittingham comes up with …

December 23rd

Remember …

Alexandru Ceachir? He was/is the junior college offensive lineman who took an official visit to Colorado in early December. Here was his bio from a few weeks ago …

Alexandru Ceachir - OL – Just the facts … Ceachir is a junior college offensive lineman from Santa Monica Junior College. Ceachir is 6’5″, 300-pounds. Ceachir is considered a three-star prospect by Rivals, but a two-star prospect by Scout. Ceachir has other offers from … several other schools, most notably Utah and Arkansas. After visiting Colorado this weekend, Ceachir will take an official visit to Utah next weekend, and then likely Arkansas the following weekend. “I know on December 2nd I am probably going to go to Colorado, then on the 9th I am probably going to Utah, and I definitely want to visit Arkansas,” Ceachir told HawgSports.com. “We are planning but it’s not sure yet. My semester ends on December 20, so after then I am going to be good to go. I want to sign as soon as possible because I want to start lifting and learning the playbook. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff to do.” Rivals bio  Scout bio

Well, Ceachir loved his trip to Boulder, but his ability to transfer in right away kept him from becoming a Buff. Ceachir wanted to enroll in January, but some of his credits would not count by CU standards, forcing Ceachir, if he wanted to become a Buff, to take more classes in Santa Monica this spring, and then enroll next summer. Not wanting to do that, Ceachir gave his commitment to Utah.

Which lasted a little over a week …

On Thursday, Ceachir de-commited from Utah, and commited to UCLA. The Utes loss of offensive coordinator Norm Chow to Hawai’i reportedly played a role.

Jake Heaps?

The No. 1 quarterback recruit from the Class of 2010 committed to BYU, but decided to transfer at the end of the 2011 season after failing to crack the starting lineup.

Now Heaps has landed at …

Kansas, with former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis.

In 2010, Heaps took over as the starter after Riley Nelson suffered a shoulder injury. The Cougars won four of their final five regular-season games and the New Mexico Bowl. Heaps was the MVP of the bowl game.

He set BYU freshman records for passing yards (2,316), attempts (383), completions (219), passing touchdowns (15), wins (six), games started (10) and games played (13).

He was the Cougars’ starter to open the 2011 season, throwing for 1,452 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games. However, he struggled early in the year and lost his starting job after Nelson led a late comeback against Utah State.

Heaps will have to sit out a year, and then will compete with former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist, who also announced Thursday that he was transferring to Kansas.

Rock chalk, Jayhawk!

December 22nd

UCLA down four for bowl game

UCLA Bruins backup quarterback Richard Brehaut has been suspended for the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, and three others have been ruled academically ineligible, the school announced Wednesday.

Starting free safety Tony Dye, starting offensive lineman Albert Cid and backup linebacker Isaiah Bowens will join Brehaut on the list of players who will not make the trip to San Francisco for the Dec. 31 bowl game against Illinois.

“The only thing I’m going to say with Richard is that he’s going to be suspended because of a violation of team rules,” Johnson said. “Richard is not going to be here, he’s going to be suspended and therefore I’ve got to move on and go to the next guy.”

Kevin Prince will be the starter, and either Nick Crissman or Darius Bell will be the backup.

Mora ditches UCLA senior “ditch day”

Incoming UCLA coach Jim L. Mora on Wednesday blasted the team tradition of going “over the wall” to ditch practice as the Bruins did on Tuesday, calling it “completely unacceptable” and “disrespectful,” and vowing to end the practice during his tenure as coach.

“I can tell you in no uncertain terms that that tradition will not be part of tradition going forward,” Mora said when he stopped by practice for about 15 minutes Wednesday afternoon. “My general feeling is that if they want to skip out on practice and jump over a wall, then they might as well keep going because they are not a part of what I want to be a part of.” 

UCLA’s seniors organized what amounted to a ditch day Tuesday, running off the practice field and hopping the wall that surrounds the facility just after the team had completed pre-practice stretching. It is a decades-old tradition for the Bruins, but one that didn’t go over well with some players and definitely didn’t go over well with Mora, who will not begin coaching the team until after the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Dec. 31.

“I’ve never heard of anything like it in college football and I don’t ever want to hear about it again here,” Mora said. “I’ve never been around anything like that and nor will I ever be around anything like that.”

December 21st

Who is next in line at Utah?

With Utah offensive coordinator Norm Chow in line to become the next head coach at Hawai’i (story under December 20th, below), the question becomes: Who will take over for him at Utah?

According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, since offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig departed after the Sugar Bowl in January 2009, the Utes have had three play-callers — Dave Schramm, Aaron Roderick and Chow — over the past 38 games. Coach Kyle Whittingham claimed he demoted Schramm and Roderick only because Chow was available last winter. So will he promote one of them again, or go outside the program for another high-profile coordinator, having recognized what it takes to compete in the Pac-12?

One of the calling cards for the Utes, as new members of the Pac-12 conference, is that they had Norm Chow, fresh from UCLA and USC, to guide their offense. It gave Utah instant credibility in recruiting battles for quarterbacks and skill position players. Now that advantage has been lost, or at least mitigated.

So, here is how the Pac-12 South lines up for this recruiting season:

USC – Still the 200-pound gorilla in recruiting, the Trojans are still limited to 15 scholarships, while every other school has 25 (or more, counting gray-shirts) to work with;

Arizona, UCLA, Arizona State – New head coaches, new coordinators, new schemes; and

Utah – New offensive coordinator to hire, with only a month to go  before Signing Day.

It would be difficult to imagine a scenario for the future in which Colorado would have an advantage – in one form or another – over every other team in the division when it comes to recruiting.

Strike while the iron is hot, gentlemen. The opportunity is there …

December 20th

Norm Chow hired as head coach at Hawai’i

The good news is that Colorado will not have to face a Norm Chow offense at Utah ever again.

The bad news is that Colorado will have to face a Norm Chow offense against Hawai’i in 2014 and 2015.

According to the Hawai’i Star Advertiser, The University of Hawai’i administration has authorized athletic director Jim Donovan to negotiate a contract to make Norm Chow the next Warriors football coach. Chow emerged as the top choice from three finalists after a meeting of key UH officials Monday night, according to an official familiar with the situation but not yet authorized to speak publicly.

A press conference could be held Thursday, depending on negotiations and Chow’s travel availability.

The 65-year old Chow, who is the offensive coordinator at Utah, could receive up to a five-year contract. Salary figures and other details remain to be worked out.

Chow, a graduate of Punahou School in Honolulu, has spent 38 years in college coaching at Brigham Young, North Carolina State, USC, UCLA and Utah, but this will be his first head coaching job. He has also been an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

December 16th

Pac-12 Underclassmen start to make declarations

According to draftcountdown.com, 13 players are going to forego 2012 eligibility and declare for the NFL draft. Of the 13, five are from the Pac-12:

Andrew Luck – quarterback, Stanford

LaMichael James – running back, Oregon

Matt Kalil, offensive tackle, USC

David DeCastro, offensive guard, Stanford

Nick Perry, defensive end, USC

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft is January 15th, so there will be many more early entries to list over the next month.

December 15th

Report: LaMichael James to declare for the NFL draft

The Oregonian is reporting that Oregon junior running back LaMichael James will declare for the NFL draft after the Ducks play Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl January 2nd.

UPDATE: James issued a statement through the Oregon athletic department on Thursday denying that he has made a decision as to whether or not to enter the 2011 draft.

UPDATE II: The Oregonian is sticking by its story. “It was reported (Wednesday) that Oregon running back LaMichael James, a fourth-year junior, will forgo a fifth season to enter the 2012 NFL Draft,” writes Aaron Fentress. “Allow me to repeat: A fourth-year junior running back will forgo a fifth season to enter the NFL Draft … We stand by the reporting and the source, who has not retracted the original statement.” 

James, who will finish his career in Eugene as the team’s all-time leading rusher and scorer, could have declared for the NFL draft as a red-shirt sophomore after last season, but chose to return to play in 2011. James was injured mid-season, and missed several games, taking him out of the race for the Heisman trophy (though he was still named 2nd-team All-American). Fear of additional injury could certainly have played a role in the decision to go pro.

While the loss of James will certainly have an impact on the Oregon offense, the Ducks are still stock-piled with talent. Kenjon Barner, who had almost 1,000 yards rushing in 2011, will likely return for his senior season. And then there is DeAnthony Thomas, who made every freshman All-American team. Thomas had only 53 carries this fall, but they went for 440 yards (a nifty 8.3 yards per carry average) and five touchdowns. Thomas also led the team in receptions, with 42 catches for 571 yards and another nine touchdowns.

Pac-12 defensive coordinators are certainly ready to wish James well in his NFL career, but the Oregon offense will not likely miss a beat.

December 14th

Arizona State hires Pittsburgh coach

In the “from out of nowhere” department … Pitt coach Todd Graham is going to become the next head coach at Arizona State.

“I have resigned my position at Pitt in the best interest of my family to pursue the head coaching position at Arizona State,” Graham said in a text message sent to players on the Pittsburgh team. “Coaching there has always been a dream of ours and we have family there. The timing of the circumstances have prohibited me from telling you this directly. I now am on my way to Tempe to continue those discussions. God Bless. Coach Graham.”

Thanks, coach, for the one year of undying loyalty …

Graham spent just one season in Pittsburgh, where he led the Panthers to a 6-6 mark and a tie for second place in the Big East. He took the Panthers’ job on Jan. 10 and pledge to be in the job for the long haul. He left after just over 11 months.

“I take a nap for 2 hours, wake up to find out my head coach is gone,” backup quarterback Trey Anderson posted on his Twitter feed.

Graham, a Mesquite, Texas native with a background as a defensive coordinator but who has built his head coaching resume at Rice, Tulsa and Pittsburgh with what he calls a “high-octane” offense. Graham was 43-23 at Tulsa after going 7-5 in his one season at Rice.

Graham’s system worked with the Owls and the Golden Hurricane but not at Pittsburgh. The Panthers were tabbed to finish second in the Big East in the preseason but found a way to let winnable games get away while quarterback Tino Sunseri struggled to grasp the complex system.

Pitt let double-digit second-half leads get away three times, most painfully in a 21-20 loss to rival West Virginia the day after Thanksgiving. There was no word on who would coach Pitt in their bowl game.

Graham joins three of his assistants who are also heading west. After the last Pittsburgh game, three coaches — Calvin Magee, Tony Gibson and Tony Dews — left to join new Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez. Magee will be Arizona’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach.

The Arizona/Arizona State game just got a little more interesting …

“Doing it the Graham way”

With the way Graham left Pitt, after only one season, it is not surprising that Graham is not very popular in Pittsburgh right now.

ESPN blogger Andrea Adelson has an interesting article  on the subject …

“Todd Graham arrived in Pittsburgh talking a big game, throwing around his ideas for a high-octane offense, for doing everything the Pitt way, for making the city and its fans get behind him and his players with the special brand of football he had to offer.

“But from the start, it was obvious Graham did not do anything the Pitt way.

“He did it the Graham way.

“Graham took a sledgehammer to Pitt football in every way imaginable, gutting the true essence of what this program represented. He was flashy. Self-absorbed. Concerned for his own advancement. When his high-octane offense looked as exciting as a jalopy riding in a NASCAR race, he blamed his players — not himself.

“And when his first opportunity came to bolt, he did, taking a page out of the Randy Edsall Book of Class to deliver the message to his players via text message. Graham lasted less than a year at Pitt, compiling a 6-6 record after setting preseason expectations so high, the Panthers were picked to finish second in the conference.

…

“So in came Graham, who professed his love for Pitt, for this being a dream opportunity, for all the amazing things he could do to get this team back into a BCS game. I sat down with him for the first time during the Big East spring meetings last May, and he went over all his talking points when I asked him why he wanted to coach at Pitt.

“I’ve spent my whole life working to get this job,” he said. “This is the best job I’ve ever had. To get an opportunity in a conference like this in a place like Pitt where you can compete to win it all … our goal is to win championships. We’re extremely motivated.”

“Not motivated enough. In hindsight, perhaps Pederson should have seen the signs. Graham now has two one-year tenures on his résumé, a man so completely consumed with finding a bigger, better opportunity that he has no sense of loyalty, relationships or how to tell the truth.

“Just ask Pitt receiver Devin Street, who took to Twitter on Wednesday to deliver one harsh message after another:

“I feel like dirt and I was just abused. For a year”

“I’m literally sick. That man pulled me in his office one on one and lied to me”

“He’s an actor he did it to rice then us now he’s gonna do it to ASU… That energy is fake he has them fooled”

“Or defensive end Brandon Lindsey, who tweeted, “For someone who said they read the bible everyday, he must’ve missed the pg that said ‘thou shall not lie’”

“It is understandable for the players to be reacting this way. They are going on their fourth head coach in a year. But we all know coaching changes are a necessary part of college football. Coaches lie to advance themselves. None of this is new to Pitt or to the sport itself.

“What is so unsettling about this situation is the way Graham went about leaving. He asked for permission to interview at Arizona State but was denied. So he resigned anyway, after 11 months on the job and a .500 record to show for all his bravado. Whatever his reasons, his final day proved to fit Graham to a tee:

“He did it the Graham way.”

Ouch.

Welcome to the Pac-12, Todd Graham.

Texas A&M defensive coordinator in line to become next head coach at Fresno State

Sorry, no Dan Hawkins …

Even though Kyle Ringo at the Daily Camera hinted that former Boise State and Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins might be interested in the head coaching vacancy at Fresno State, it doesn’t sound like that is going to happen.

The next head coach at Fresno State, who will take on the Buffs next September, is going to be …. Tim DeRuyter.

Okay, I wasn’t familiar with the name, either.

Here is a brief bio for Tim DeRuyter:

December 13th

Larry Scott in China

One of the goals of Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott for the new Pac-12 Network was to broaden the league’s influence in the Pacific rim. With the Pac-12 Network beginning to take shape, Scot is on the road.

Scott will give a keynote address this week on The Structure and Business Model of Intercollegiate Athletics in the United States at the 2011 China International Sports Leadership Forum, an annual summit that featuressome of the most significant developments in sports from around the world. Scott joins a roster of speakers that includes Wei Di, General Secretary of the China Football Association, Sun Daguang, General Secretary of China’s Sports Culture Development Centre, Sir Dave Richards, Chairman of the English Premier League and Sir Rodney Walker, Chairman of the British Sports Council.
 
Scott will also meet with government officials, Chinese and U.S. sports leagues, event promoters and media companies interested in partnering on events and sports and culture exchange as well as distributing Pac-12 content.
 
“This is an important priority for our universities, as world-renowned research institutions located in the West, representing the gateway to the Pacific Rim,” Scott said. “We are uniquely positioned as a Conference, given the international makeup of our student body, the international brandrecognition of our schools, and our geographic location, to make a big impact in Asia. This is our first step in pursuing new frontiers.”
 
“We prepare our students to compete and connect globally through our international exchange programs and recruitment of international students and faculty to our campuses,” said Ed Ray, President of Oregon State University and Chairman of the Pac-12 Board.  “The Olympics demonstrate the power of athletics to open gateways to competition as well as culturalexchange and understanding. We believe international activities by Pac-12 in athletics can enhance the effectiveness of many of the programs our individual institutions already have in place with China and other Asian nations.”

Scott said in a telephone interview with the New York Times Saturday that he expected the Pac-12 to play games in China in the next three to five years, and that he hoped the league’s cable network would someday be available there.

There have been college football games played overseas, and dozens of colleges have sent teams in other sports on foreign tours, but the Pac-12’s initiative to become more involved in China is believed to be the first concentrated effort by a league to establish itself overseas. Pac-12 presidents and athletic directors say there is a strong desire for the results to transcend sports, hoping that an increased presence in China will lead to recruitment of future students and positive cultural experiences for their athletes who travel there.

Notre Dame and Stanford have discussed playing their 2013 football game in China instead of in California. Oregon, with its strong Nike ties through the company’s chairman, Phil Knight, also has a strong interest in China, a focal point for Nike.

The future of football in China is not as certain as that of other sports with more traditional ties to the country. Scott said he was optimistic that sports like men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball could be played in China soon because there is plenty of infrastructure to accommodate them. Scott said that the relationship would probably begin with off-season tours and lead to regular-season games.

Bob Bowlsby, Stanford’s athletic director, said: “It’s an emerging market educationally as well as athletically. It seems to me that international strategy is good for Stanford and the Pac-12 universities in general. All of them, especially along the West Coast, are heavily engaged in the Pacific Rim.”

Go get ‘em, Mr. Scott!

December 12th

Mountain West Conference wants automatic BCS bid

Can’t blame a girl for tryin’ …

The Mountain West Conference will ask for an automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series for the 2012 and ’13 seasons.

The MWC announced Monday that its board of directors approved making the request.

The BCS rules allow a league without automatic qualifying status to request an exemption for the next two seasons if its teams met certain performance standards from 2008-2011.

The MW met those standards, with the help of TCU earning bids in 2009 and 2010. The Mountain West was also aided by Boise State and TCU’s performances this season.

Of course, all of the teams mentioned are no longer part of the conference. In fact, the only teams which will be a part of the Mountain West Conference in 2013 which are going to bowls this season are …

… I’ll give you a second on this one …

Wyoming (8-4)  and Nevada (7-5).

Yeah, let’s put the Cowboys in the Fiesta Bowl against those other Cowboys – from Oklahoma State.

Remember the 1988 Holiday Bowl?

I won’t make you look it up … Oklahoma State 62, Wyoming 14.

December 10th

UCLA hires Jim Mora, Jr.

Jim L. Mora, who spent the last two years as an analyst with NFL Network, will be the new head coach for UCLA.

This is the first college head coaching job for Mora, who spent the 1984 season as a graduate assistant at the University of Washington, where he played football. The rest of his experience is in the NFL, as an assistant with the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and the San Francisco 49ers, and as a head coach with the Falcons and Seahawks.

Mora was 26-22 with the Falcons from 2004 to 2006. Atlanta reached the NFC championship game in 2004. The Seahawks had a 5-11 record in 2009 in Mora’s only season as head coach.

“As someone who has been around the game of football my entire life, I have always held the UCLA job in the highest esteem,” Mora said in a statement. “Given its location and its tradition, UCLA is truly a sleeping giant and I realize that an opportunity of this magnitude doesn’t present itself more than once in a career, so I jumped at the chance to be a Bruin.”

Mora takes over a UCLA program that has wallowed in mediocrity since the Bruins’ last Rose Bowl game appearance following the 1998 season.

The 13 seasons UCLA has gone without a Rose Bowl appearance is the longest in school history. The Bruins have not been ranked for 75 weeks, also the longest stretch in school history.

UCLA has won more than eight games only once in the last 13 seasons, leading to the firings of head coaches Bob Toledo, Karl Dorrell and Rick Neuheisel.

Before deciding on Mora, UCLA officials approached Boise State Coach Chris Petersen, who turned down the job. They also reached out to Miami Coach Al Golden, who told them he was not interested.

What to make of the hire?

According to ESPN blogger Peter Yoon, Mora is a step in the right direction …

“Making the outside-the-box hire of Mora (Mora is the first head coach at UCLA since 1957 without ties to the program) is only the first step in the culture change needed at UCLA if the Bruins are to again reach national prominence, but Mora will need help. Toledo, Dorrell and Neuheisel were hampered by a lack of commitment from the administration to make UCLA a nationally prominent football school.

“The school has to allow boosters to pump money into facilities upgrades so potential recruits don’t get turned off by the 80-yard practice fields currently used by the Bruins. The administration needs to pony up the cash for elite assistant coaches so game planning and technique improve, and also needs to relax admission standards a bit more for football players so that UCLA isn’t turning away potential recruits based on GPAs and test scores.

“Surely Mora asked for these things before signing his contract because these are the types of things that have kept big-name coaches away from UCLA in the past. Athletic director Dan Guerrero has promised that some of those things are changing in order to get UCLA on a level playing field with other elite football schools.

“If Mora gets those things, he has a head start on his predecessors. That, and the change of pace he brings, will give UCLA football a new business model, one that is current with the modern college football landscape.

“And one that breaks the recent Bruins tradition of mediocrity”.

My take?

Not overly impressed.

Mora has no coaching experience at the collegiate level, save one year as an assistant 27 years ago.

And Mora is expected to take on USC in recruiting? At least Rick Neuheisel was familiar with the NCAA rules when it came to recruiting – I didn’t say he always followed them, but at least hewas familiar with them.

It will be interesting to see what assistant coaches are retained/hired by Mora, and what type of offense and defense he plans on implementing. If Mora goes with the “pro-style” NFL offense, then Colorado and UCLA will be going head-to-head for recruits.

UCLA fans were looking for a “splash” hire. Chris Petersen would have been a splash hire. Kevin Sumlin would have been a splash hire. Mike Leach, Al Golden … splash hires.

Instead, the Bruin Nation gets a coach who has been out of coaching for two years. A coach who had moderate success in the NFL and has no experience coaching in college.

I may be proven wrong here, but of the three Pac-12 hires to date – Mike Leach (Washington State), Rich Rodriguez (Arizona) and Jim Mora (UCLA) – the least imposing of the three is certainly Mora.

Fresno State down to final two candidates

Colorado takes to the road next September to face the Fresno State Bulldogs. For the first time in 15 seasons, the opposing coach will not be Pat Hill.

It appears now that Fresno State is down to its final two candidates to replace Hill.

According to the Fresno Bee, Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain and Oakland Raiders assistant coach Kelly Skipper were interviewed by Fresno State administrators on Friday in Dallas. That’s according to two prominent boosters who are close to the search but asked not to be identified because the school has not provided official updates on its finalists.

“We need a coach with a fresh view of the game – a good, quality coach who knows how to coach football,” one of the boosters said. “I know Thomas and his people are working hard to get the best man for the job.”

An annoucement is expected this upcoming week.

December 8th

CSU no closer to a hire

New Colorado State athletic director Jack Graham came back to Ft. Collins with no experience in running an athletic department …

We’ll just leave it at that.

Graham is paying a national executive search firm, Spencer Stuart, $250,000 to assist with the coaching search. Graham wouldn’t say where he was yet in his plan to identify 50 to 70 initial candidates, pare that list down to 30 or 40 that he hoped to actually talk to and then to four or five finalists, from which he would decide who to bring to campus for additional interviews.

“We’ve been at work since Sunday night, so a lot of progress has been made,” Graham told the Coloradoan. “I think we have a great story to tell, and a number of quality coaches would love to be here, in my opinion.

“And I could fall flat on my face, too, but that’s not my intention.”

Graham reiterated his desire to find a new coach quickly to minimize the effects on recruiting. Mid-year junior college transfers can sign beginning Dec. 19, and the signing period for high school seniors begins Feb. 1. CSU students begin final exams Monday, but Graham said he didn’t feel it was necessary to name a coach before students head home for the holidays.

“We want to complete this as rapidly as we can, without compromising quality in any way.”

With a number of other schools looking for coaches, including other mid-majors, it will be interesting to see who ends up in Ft. Collins.

But the clock is ticking. Colorado State has exactly two commitments for the Class of 2012.

December 6th

June Jones to Arizona State – on again; off again

It appeared earlier on Wednesday that former Hawai’i and SMU head coach June Jones would become the next head coach at Arizona State …

Now it appears to be off again.

According to AZCentral.com, a source close to the negotiation said that talks between Arizona State and June Jones broke off Wednesday afternoon, there is no plan to talk again anytime soon.

This came after multiple national and local outlets reported that a deal was done. Some reported that a press conference announcing Dennis Erickson’s replacement would take place Thursday or Friday.

“We’ve had a lot of good conversations with a lot of good candidates,” said a source with knowledge of ASU’s position. “The process is on-going.”

A source confirmed that both parties were in the process of finalizing the contract’s final details when ASU President Michael Crow ended the discussion.

Earlier, Dallas media reported that Jones had called his assistants off the recruiting trail to meet with him back in Dallas.

Arizona State fans are a fickle bunch. Here is an interesting column by Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley, entitled, “ASU Post is no dream job“. Bickley concludes:

“The anger is palpable because ASU fans expect the unrealistic. Old-timers resist new logos and pine for the good old days under Frank Kush, forgetful that it was a different time and a different country back then. The younger generation is impatient and half-vested. A school official sagely says ASU leads the nation in fans who scream their dissatisfaction from the couch.

“Together, they are an impetuous lot that loved the idea of Kevin Sumlin until they actually saw his team play. When Sumlin’s defense was shredded in the Conference USA title game, many jumped off that bandwagon so fast you could hear ankles snapping.

“That’s the essence of Crow’s statement. He’s reminding everyone that this short-term, reflexive mind-set is no way to build a football program or for the program to live .

“We all agree: The Sun Devils need a charismatic young coach who can recruit with the big boys, creating a winning brand that attracts the fickle masses, helping ASU finally turn the corner, overcome its recruiting disadvantages and make an occasional run at the Rose Bowl.

“Until then, let’s forget about the sleeping giant, the one that doesn’t exist.”

And the latest from UCLA ….

According to the LA Times, UCLA has now turned its attention to former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr.

Mora, 50, had a record of 26-22 with the Falcons from 2004-06. During his first season, Atlanta reached the NFC championship game, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10. Mora had a 5-11 record with the Seahawks in 2009, his only season as coach before he was replaced by Pete Carroll.

Just to recap – UCLA is 0-3 so far in its choices to replace Rick Neuheisel, having been spurned by Boise State head coach Chris Petersen, Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin, and Miami head coach Al Golden.

Golden, who was a team captain at Penn State, also coached for the Nittany Lions and at Virginia before breaking in as a head coach at Temple. In five years at Temple, Golden’s records improved from 1-11 to 4-8 to 5-7 and then 9-3 and 8-4. He was 6-6 this season in his first year at Miami, and the school recently rewarded him with a contract extension through 2019.

People with knowledge of UCLA’s actions in its search said the school reached out to Golden, though Guerrero denied it.

Miami President Donna Shalala told the Miami Herald, “Of course UCLA and other schools are going to call … When you’re really good, you get phone calls.

“This guy wants to be with the University of Miami.”

But not with UCLA …

Stay tuned.

December 5th

Arizona down to one quarterback

Good thing the Buffs have their quarterback recruits, Connor Wood and Shane Dillon, lined up … because new Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez will be in the market for quarterbacks this recruiting cycle.  

The Wildcats announced Monday the transfer of two quarterbacks, freshman Daxx Garman and junior Tom Savage, who just a year ago transferred from Rutgers.

While senior Matt Scott was expected to win the 2012 starting job — even more so now that new coach Rick Rodriguez brought a spread-option to Tucson — there are no scholarship quarterbacks on the roster behind him. This year’s starter Nick Foles and backup Bryson Beirne are both out of eligibility.

Andrew Luck heading to New York, Barkley staying home

As expected, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will be heading to New York this weekend for the unveiling of this year’s Heisman trophy winner. The front-runner for most of the season, Luck’s stock fell after the Cardinal fell to Oregon. Odds-on favorite for the No. 1 pick in next spring’s NFL draft, Luck was very good, but did not have many spectacular plays or signature victories (other than the three-overtime victory over USC).

Up against Luck are two players who will be participating in the BCS national championship game, LSU cornerback Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. The other two attendees are Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and the late-season dark horse, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin, III.

Not invited to the Downtown Athletic Club from the Pac-12 were USC quarterback Matt Barkley and 2010 Heisman finalist, Oregon running back LaMichael James.

UCLA 0-3 in head coaching search

Maybe Rick Neuheisel is still available …

For most of the 2011 season, with Bruin head coach Rick Neuheisel at the top of most “hot seat” lists, there has been speculation as to Neuheisel’s replacement.

When Neuheisel was dismissed after losing 50-0 to rival USC, attention focused on Boise State head coach Chris Petersen. Whether Petersen was not interested, or Boise State told UCLA to back off, the end result was the same – Petersen was not moving to Westwood.

Next up was Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin. Again, whether Sumlin wasn’t interested, was more interested in Texas A&M, or UCLA couldn’t afford him, Sumlin appears to be off the table as well.

On Monday, the Bruins’ third choice, Miami head coach Al Golden, took his name off the list.

Next …?

SMU’s head coach June Jones, former Seattle Seahawk head coach Jim Mora, Jr., and former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz.

Mora may be the current front-runner.

Mora, 50, had a record of 26-22 with the Falcons from 2004-06. During his first season, Atlanta reached the NFC championship game, losing to the Philadephia Eagles, 27-10. Mora had a 5-11 record with the Seahawks in 2009, his only season as coach before he was replaced by Pete Carroll.

Mora’s only college coaching experience was as a graduate assistant with Washington in 1984.

December 4th

Reports: Fairchild out at Colorado State / Hill out at Fresno State

Okay, who had six?

Fully half of the teams Colorado will play in 2012 will take the field with a new head coach.

On Sunday, Steve Fairchild of Colorado State and Pat Hill of Fresno State joined Mike Stoops (Arizona), Dennis Erickson (Arizona State), Rick Neuheisel (UCLA) and Paul Wulff (Washington State) on the unemployment line.

While the ouster of Steve Fairchild, who led the Rams to three consecutive 3-9 seasons, was not a surprise, it was a mild surprise that Pat Hill, who has come to represent Fresno State, was let go after 15 years.

Hill built Fresno State into one of the top programs outside the major conferences early in his career with the mantra of playing anybody, anywhere, anytime. But he struggled to maintain that level of success in recent years. He had a 40-41 record over his last 81 games, beginning with a 50-42 loss to then-No. 1 Southern California in 2005.

Hill finished his tenure with a 112-80 record and went to 11 bowl games.

Latest Arizona State and UCLA rumors …

June Jones to Arizona State? … KTAR radio personality Paul Calvisi, citing multiple sources, reported that ASU had spent “a good part” of Saturday meeting with Jones.

December 3rd

Sumlin out – who’s next for Arizona State?

With the Texas A&M job opening up, it appears that Arizona State is out of the running for Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin. College Station is just a short drive from Houston, and Sumlin is certainly the leading candidate to become the new head coach for the Aggies.

So, who is left for the Sun Devils?

One of the top candidates, as is turns out, is the Southern Mississippi coach, Larry Fedora, who made Houston’s Kevin Sumlin look bad in the Conference USA championship game.

ASU likes Fedora, according to azcentral.com . Problem is, everyone does. Over the past few weeks, Fedora has been linked to openings at Ole Miss, North Carolina, Kansas and Illinois. Reports surfaced Friday that he will interview with North Carolina. Entering Saturday, Fedora, 48, had led the Golden Eagles to a 10-2 record this season. In four seasons at Southern Miss, he was 32-19 with three bowl appearances.

If not Fedora, there are several other names being bandied about, including SMU head coach (and former Hawai’i head coach) June Jones. In four seasons in Dallas, Jones is 23-28, including a 7-5 record this season.

How about Oregon offensive coordinator – and former Colorado offensive coordinator – Mark Helfrich? Or Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn?

With the big splashes being made by Arizona and Washington State, in hiring Rich Rodriguez and Mike Leach, respectively, would Arizona State be willing to settle for an internal hire, Noel Mazzone, the offensive coordinator?

Time will tell …

What about UCLA?

The Bruins thought they were going to get Boise State’s Chris Petersen, but either the Broncos said “hands off”, or Petersen said, “no thanks”. In either event, Petersen is off the table for the Bruins.

Second choice?

Names being mentioned include Houston’s Kevin Sumlin, who is apparently mostly interested in Texas A&M. Next in line might former Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti or former UCLA assistant (and former Buff assistant) Tom Cable, most recently the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Other names, according to ESPN, includes two coaches with ties to the Cincinnati Bengals, Butch Jones and Jay Gruden.

Perhaps Washington State and Arizona got the best of the hiring frenzy … at least in terms of name recognition.

December 2nd

Petersen not interested in UCLA … Sumlin to Arizona State?

Well, at least someone is not interested in joining the Pac-12 list of Who’s Who of coaching.

Boise State’s Chris Petersen was apparently UCLA’s first choice to replace ousted head coach Rick Neuheisel, but Petersen isn’t interested.

According to ESPN, UCLA inquired about Boise State coach Chris Petersen, but the school has been told he will not be a candidate.

Petersen would have been the first coach UCLA approached about their vacancy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Newly hired Boise State athletic director Mark Coyle made it known in his introductory news conference Thursday that keeping Petersen was one of his top priorities.

“My No. 1 goal is to keep Chris Petersen at Boise State University,” Coyle said. “He’s raised the bar. How do we help him move the needle and take it to the next level?”

Meanwhile, in Tempe …

Report: Mike Leach to be hired at Washington State

Mike Leach has reached agreement to become the new football coach at Washington State.

Washington State athletic Director Bill Moos said Tuesday he wanted a guy who produces “”flashy offenses.” Leach is among the flashiest. Oregon’s Chip Kelly now has two guys — Leach and Rodriguez — who want to match the Ducks ludicrous speed approach.

Said Pac-12 defensive coordinators: “Drat.”

Leach’s contract is for five years and will make him the third-highest paid coach in the Pac-12, CBS Sports reported, citing an unnamed source. That means he will eclipse Washington’s Steve Sarkisian, who makes $2,250,000 annually.

Wulff was the Pac-12′s lowest paid coach at $600,000 … leaving Colorado’s Jon Embree, at $750,000 per year, as the lowest paid coach in the Pac-12 (and by a wide margin).

The hiring of Leach signals a big transformation in thinking in Pullman. And an expectations of big results.

According to ESPN’s Ted Miller, the job sets up well for Leach, too. He’s got two quarterbacks, junior Jeff Tuel and redshirt freshman Connor Halliday, who might be more talented as passers than any of the QBs who put up big numbers for Leach at Texas Tech. Leach also has an A-list receiver in Marquess Wilson. The Cougars lose their Nos. 2 and 3 receivers, but there are a handful of promising young receivers on the roster.

The offense Wulff ran wasn’t that different than what Leach does. The transition should be smooth.

The Buffs’ trip to Pullman next fall just got that much more difficult …

November 29th

Paul Wulff becomes fourth Pac-12 coach to lose his job

According to the Spokane, Washington, Spokesman-Review, Paul Wulff has been relieved of his duties as head football coach at Washington State. He was told in a meeting with Bill Moos this morning.

Moos and Wulff met this morning, the final discussion in talks that began Sunday evening concerning Wulff’s status as head coach at his alma mater, a position he’s held for four years.

During that time the Cougars posted a 9-40 record, including a 4-32 mark in Pac-12 Conference play. They were 4-8 this season.

“Paul and I met at length Sunday, and then spoke again this morning, after which I determined the best path for Cougar football moving forward is to have a change of leadership,” said Moos. “I appreciate all that Paul has done for Washington State football. He was hired with the objective of rebuilding this program and establishing a solid foundation. For that I thank him.”

Wulff had one year remaining on his contract and was guaranteed a year’s severance pay of $600,000 if he was let go before the end of the five years.

“We will begin the process of naming the next head coach immediately,” Moos said. “I will not be discussing details of the hiring process, only that I expect to name a successful candidate as soon as possible.”

Wulff joins Mike Stoops (Arizona), Dennis Erickson (Arizona State), and Rick Neuheisel (UCLA) amongst Pac-12 coaches who will not be returning in 2012.

Neuheisel calls out UCLA administration

What, you thought Rick Neuheisel would go quietly?

Neuheisel, who went 21-28 in four seasons with UCLA, likened his battle against cross-town rival to “taking a knife to a gun fight”.

“I think every program across the country has to make a determination as to what their expectation level is and then finance that expectation level, and in some places those numbers don’t jibe,” Neuheisel told ESPN.

Athletic director Dan Guerrero said Monday that UCLA is “in a different league” financially for hiring its next coach. Neuheisel made $1.25 million a year and UCLA is expected to go beyond $3 million a year for Neuheisel’s successor.

Guerrero also said that upgrades to UCLA’s practice facility, where currently there is no 100-yard field, are in the works.

Said Neuheisel: “You want to make sure you are getting the same things that those teams where the expectation level lies are getting so that you can compete at that level.

“I would tell you that the needle needs to be moved for the next guy. He’s going to ask for some things that certainly (former Bruins coach) Karl Dorrell asked for and that I asked for, and certainly the next guy will need to get to where they want to go.”

Too bad no one informed Neuheisel four years ago about what he was getting into, taking on UCLA with big, bad USC across town. Too bad Neuheisel was uninformed about the status of his new station, when he agreed to become the head coach …

… at his alma mater.

November 28th

Rick Neuheisel out as head coach for UCLA

Rick Neuheisel will not return as UCLA football coach next season, but will coach in the Pac-12 title game, the school said Monday.

Offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Mike Johnson will take over as interim coach after Friday’s title game, while a national search for a permanent replacement will begin immediately, the school announced.

“I have a great deal of respect for Rick Neuheisel and the manner in which he has run this program,” UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a prepared statement.

“Decisions such as this one do not come without a great deal of heartache. However, it is apparent to me that a move was necessary at this time in order to give UCLA the best chance to enjoy the success that we all desire,” Guerrero said.

“Rick Neuheisel’s strong personal values, integrity and tenacity made this decision extremely difficult for Dan Guerrero and the University. We wish Rick the best in his future endeavors,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “UCLA’s athletic program has built a rich and proud legacy throughout the years, producing student-athletes who are winners on and off the field. While we insist on emphasizing academic performance by all students – including our student-athletes – we also have a strong commitment to ensuring our athletic programs are successful overall. I have complete confidence in Dan’s ability to recruit and hire a head coach who can revitalize UCLA’s football program, and have pledged my full support in this process.”

A lawyer to the end, Neuheisel, who was 21-28 in his four years at UCLA, made this closing argument: “I was told that we need to move the needle and if the needle moved that we would be fine and I’d get to continue along my five years of my five-year contract,” Neuheisel said. “We have won five conference games as opposed to three last year. We have won the right to represent the South in the conference championship. We’ve certainly had some unfortunate evenings where things haven’t gone our way, but I think the program is headed in the right direction.”

The only sorrow for many Colorado fans today will be that the Buffs did not play a role in the dismissal of Rick Neuheisel. Not only will the Buff Nation have to live with the fact that Neuheisel was 3-0 against his former team (with his Washington teams beating the Buffs in 1999 and 2000), but there is also this …

… barring a major upset in Eugene this weekend, Rick Neuheisel’s final victory as a collegiate head coach will have come against …

Colorado.

Dennis Erickson out at Arizona State

And another one’s gone ….

According to ESPN, Arizona State has fired coach Dennis Erickson after five mediocre years in the desert.

Athletic director Lisa Love made the announcement on Monday, saying the 64-year-old coach represented the university with dignity, even in tough times.

Erickson will be allowed to coach the Sun Devils in their bowl game, which will be determined on Sunday.

Arizona State became bowl-eligible for the first time in four years after starting 6-2, but lost its final four games to miss a shot at playing in Friday’s Pac-12 championship game.

The Sun Devils won 10 games in Erickson’s first season in 2007, but no more than six in each of the four years that followed. He was 31-30 at Arizona State.

November 21st

Rich Rodriguez to Arizona

Mike Stoops of Arizona was the first Pac-12 coach to get the pink slip, losing his job last month.

His job has now been filled.

Arizona has hired former West Virginia and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez as its next football coach, as athletic director Greg Byrne made the news official with a photo posted on Twitter.

Posted to Byrne’s Twitter page on Monday was an entry that read “And the new Arizona football coach and his family is…….”

The post included a link that, when clicked, led to a photo of Rodriguez with his family.

Byrne will officially introduce Rodriguez at a news conference Tuesday at the McKale Center, the school said. He replaces interim coach Tim Kish.

Rodriguez coached Michigan from 2008-2010 and West Virginia from 2001-2007. Rodriguez posted a 60-26 record at West Virginia, finishing first in the Big East four times.

Rodriguez was 15-22 at Michigan, including 6-18 in Big Ten play, before being dismissed.

During Rodriguez’ tenure, the school acknowledged that it was guilty of four NCAA violations. It was put on three years of probation, though Rodriguez and the school avoided major penalties in part because the NCAA agreed that the coach didn’t fail to promote an atmosphere and compliance in his program.

Rodriguez has been working as an analyst for CBS Sports this year, but had made it clear he wanted to get back into coaching as soon as possible.

Byrne fired Stoops on Oct. 10, two days after the Wildcats lost to Oregon State. The team was 1-5 at the time, with the only victory over FCS member Northern Arizona, and 10 straight losses to FBS schools.

Kish, the team’s defensive coordinator, took over as interim coach and the team won two Pac-12 games, over UCLA and last Saturday 31-27 over rival Arizona State. The Wildcats conclude their season Saturday at home against Louisiana-Lafayette.

It’s almost certain that Rodriguez will become the sixth Pac-12 coach to earn over $2 million per year. Here is a breakdown of this year’s salaries (USC and Stanford are private universities. Lane Kiffin at USC is likely to be at the top of the list, while it is likely that Stanford is also paying out over $2 million per year to David Shaw):

Chip Kelly, Oregon, $2,800,000
Jeff Tedford, California, $2,300,000
Steve Sarkisian, Washington, $2,250,000
Kyle Whittingham, Utah, $1,700,000
Dennis Erickson, Arizona State, $1,503,000
Mike Stoops, Arizona, $1,465,000
Mike Riley, Oregon State, $1,313,471
Rick Neuheisel, UCLA, $1,285,000
Jon Embree, Colorado, $725,000
Paul Wulff, Washington State, $600,050

ESPN’s Ted Miller’s take on the hire:

First take: good hire.

Don’t be fooled by what happened at Michigan. That’s a mirage. So much didn’t fit there, and it’s never good when the vibe on both ends is negative practically from the start. Know that Rodriguez will be plenty motivated to fix his coaching legacy. Recall that he was once one of the nation’s hottest coaching prospects, one who was offered the Alabama job in 2006.

His no-huddle, spread-option attack also should work well at Arizona, though obviously it won’t be much of a novelty in the Pac-12, since his version approximates what Oregon runs.

The timing is also very good. It means he can meet the current players, set expectations, get the lay of the land and quickly start recruiting. Other programs that will be looking for new coaches — a couple likely in the Pac-12, too — will be behind.

It will be interesting to see the mix of Rodriguez’s staff. Will he mostly hire guys he’s worked with? Will he want at least a couple of assistants who know the West Coast? Will he retain anybody from the current staff?

Furthermore, will Rodriguez be able to hit any recruiting home runs? He’s playing catch-up, as all new coaches do, but he’s got more than two months until national signing day on Feb. 1. There’s no reason he can’t sway a couple of touted prospects.

Arizona’s portion of the Pac-12′s new $3 billion TV deal also should help finance a contract that is certain to pay Rodriguez more than $2 million annually, as well as lure top assistants away from other high-paying gigs.

November 17th

Blake Behrens feel good story, Part Two

There is another scholar-athlete amongst the Buffs worthy of note.

If you read the Arizona essay, “The Survivors – Part Two”, you may have noticed the story about senior offensive lineman Blake Behrens. As an All-Big 12 freshman team honoree in 2008, Behrens was an 11-game starter with a bright future. Instead, injuries took their toll, and Behrens did not play a single down in either 2010 or 2011 … until he was put in for the last extra point and the kneel down snap against Arizona last weekend.

While a feel good story in and of itself, there is more to the story. Behrens was not a part of the All-Academic Pac-12 team announced this week (see story, below), but had he been able to play, he probably would have been on the list.

Behrens is the first student-athlete at the University of Colorado to graduate with three majors. He was also the first football player to graduate from Leeds Business School with a double major in 3.5 years  (he was done with finance and accounting last May, and is finishing up with an economics degree).

And then there is Brian Lockridge …

… another senior who has suffered with injuries this season, but continues to shine off of the field.

Having trouble making a dent in the Colorado backfield this August, Lockridge volunteered to move to the defensive backfield. Lockridge played in four of the first five games as a defensive back before suffering an ankle injury against Washington State which has kept him off the field since.

A lack of playing time, though, has not kept Lockridge from being recognized for his off the field efforts. Earlier this fall, Lockridge was named to the first-team AFCA Good Works Team for his community service, and is the CU nominee for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes a player’s community service, classroom excellence, and character.

Between the two of them, Blake Behrens and Brian Lockridge have been on the field of play for all of two snaps in the second half of their final season as a Buff in uniform.

But they both continue to be excellent representatives of the CU football program.

November 16th

Pac-12 Announces All-Academic Team

Two Buffs were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic team, announced Thursday.

Senior defensive back Travis Sandersfeld, with a 3.38 in business-finance, was joined by junior defensive lineman Will Pericak, who has a 3.43 in business-finance.

Pericak has played in 35 games in his career, including all 11 this season, registering 51 tackles, 30 solo, with two for a loss.  He has seven quarterback pressures, three third down stops a fumble recovery and pass break-up.   He has graduated early and by the end of next year will have a master’s degree from CU, as well.

Sandersfeld has played in five games this season and 20 in his career.  He is fresh off returning from a broken leg and had the best game of his career on defense in CU’s win over Arizona last weekend, registering14 tackles, including three for a loss, one sack and an interception, making his first career start at safety.  This season he has 39 tackles, five for a loss with two sacks, three pass break-ups and that interception. 

A total of 25 players, including a kicker, punter, and special teams performer, were named to the first team. Leading the way, with five members was … Utah. Cal came in with four, and Oregon had three. Stanford, Washington State, Oregon State, Arizona, Washington, and Colorado each had two, while UCLA had one member. USC and Arizona State did not have any first team All-Academic players in 2011.

Colorado also had three second-team members of the All-Academic team: Sophomore Nate Bonsu, with a 3.47 in business-international affairs; senior defensive lineman Tony Poremba, with a 3.34 in economis; and red-shirt freshman defensive back Justin Gorman, who posted a 3.70 in business-finance.

Bonsu, a sophomore, is continuing to recover from a knee injury he suffered during winter conditioning last year and has seen the field more and more as the season has progressed, playing in six games with six tackles. He notched five tackles in just 17 plays at Arizona State a few weeks back.

Poremba, a senior, played in five games this season before suffering a season and what turned out to be career ending injury. He tallied three tackles and a half sack with one third down stop in those five games.

Gorman, a freshman, plays in the defensive backfield and extensively on special teams for the Buffaloes. He is the starting holder on the PAT and field goal teams and has returned kicks, returning four on the season for 97 yards. He made the move from quarterback his true freshman season to the defensive backfield this year.

The Buffs also had two members named honorable mention: senior offensive lineman David Clark and red-shirt freshman offensive lineman Daniel Munyer.

Clark, a senior, is closing out his career as a reserve offensive lineman. He recorded his first play on offense in his career in last week’s win over Arizona. He has played on special teams on the field goal and PAT teams.

Munyer, a freshman, started this season at center and has also played guard after returning from an ankle injury he suffered against Colorado State. He played the majority of the first three games of the season at center and is now on the depth chart at both center and guard on the offensive line.

Congratulations to all!

November 14th

Kevin Prince to start at quaterback against Colorado

Apparently, there is no quarterback controversy in Westwood.

UCLA junior quarterback Kevin Prince has 22 career starts; junior Richard Brehaut has 11. According the Bruin head coach Rick Neuheisal, it will be Prince who starts against Colorado. “There is no question about that,” Neuheisel said.

Prince has started the past three games as Brehaut has sat out with a broken leg. Brehaut’s status, however, has been upgraded from “questionable” to “probable”, giving rise to speculation that Brehaut may return to the starting lineup … especially after Prince’s poor performance last weekend in a 31-6 loss to Utah.

Prince had 163 yards rushing against California. He finished with 10 yards rushing against Utah. After completing 11 of 17 passes for 196 yards against Arizona State, he was 12 for 24 for 146 yards, with two passes intercepted, against Utah.

“As I have told Kevin, the barometer for quarterback play is polarizing,” Neuheisel said. “You either play great or you play terrible. There really is no middle ground.

“Because our job — I say ‘our’ because it’s mine as quarterback coach and his as quarterback — is to play winning football. When you don’t, you receive an ‘F.’ ”

The Utes were able to neutralize ability to run and when Prince was forced to pass, the Utes blitzed. “There were things that, unfortunately, were a regression,” Neuheisel said. “We can’t have those games.”

On the season, Prince has completed 63 of 117 passes, for 977 yards. He has four touchdown passes, with six interceptions. Brehaut, meanwhile, has completed 66 of 119 passes, going for 935 yards. Brehaut has six touchdowns and no interceptions. Prince, though, is the better runner of the two, going for 306 yards in the Bruins’ pistol offense, to 169 yards rushing for Brehaut.

Stay tuned … the Bruins might bring in Brehaut if Prince is ineffective early against Colorado.

November 14th

Peeking ahead – Buffs’ 2012 schedule … and beyond

Did ‘ya notice?

Last weekend was a satisfying one for the Buff Nation, but it was forgettable weekend for the Buffs’ 2012 non-conference opponents.

While the third opponent has yet to be named (though the Daily Camera has reported that it will be a 1-AA team), the other two 2012 foes had a tough go of it last Saturday.

After a 3-1 start, the Colorado State Rams have lost five games in a row, including an 18-15 setback to San Diego State last Saturday. In all but guaranteeing a third straight losing season (the Rams take on TCU in Dallas this weekend), CSU lost its starting quarterback Pete Thomas, forcing the Rams to tear the red-shirt off of true freshman Garrett Grayson. A third consecutive 3-9 season is not out of the question, which may very well bring an end to the Steve Fairchild era in Ft. Collins.

Also having issues is Fresno State’s long-time head coach, Pat Hill. The Bulldogs lost last weekend to perennial doormat New Mexico State, 48-45, to fall to 3-7 on the 2011 season. Fresno State, like Colorado, has a 13-game schedule, so the seventh loss eliminated the Bulldogs from bowl contention. Coming off of back-to-back 8-5 seasons, a losing campaign is not what “The Valley” was looking for this fall. Fresno State wins this fall have come over 1-AA North Dakota, hapless Idaho, and hard luck Utah State.

In fact, the last victory for Fresno State was on October 1st, against Utah State. The last victory for Colorado State came the weekend before against … you guessed it … Utah State (recall that it was the Aggies who were only a perfect onside kick away from upsetting defending national champion Auburn in week one).

Odds are, unless the Buffs change their minds about who their third non-conference opponent will be, the likelihood is that the Buffs will open the 2012 season against a 1-AA team and two teams which also posted losing records in 2011.

A far cry from this season, when the Buffs scheduled two teams coming off of ten win seasons … and both on the road.

Future Pac-12 opponents

Okay, now I get it.

When the Pac-12 schedule for 2011 was first announced, it was certainly a shock that the Buffs did not receive five home games (with the league knowing that the Buffs already had two road game commitments, leavfing CU seven road games plus a neutral site game in 2011). It was another shock that the league didn’t schedule California as one of the Buffs’ Pac-12 North opponents, knowing that the two teams were already on each other’s calendars.

Then it got maddening. Colorado not only had to open up its new “rivalry” against Utah on the road, but while the Buffs were scheduled to play the league’s two top ten teams, Stanford and Oregon, the league somehow arranged for Utah, the other new member of the conference to miss both the Cardinal and the Ducks.

Conspiracy alert!

With a nine game conference schedule and 11 conference opponents, I understood that each season, the Buffs would play five games against South division opponents, and then four of the six Pac-12 North teams on a rotating basis.

My first understanding as to how the schedule would work had the Buffs playing each North team on an eight year cycle, with three road games, three home games, and two byes. For example, the Buffs would play Washington in a schedule something along the following schedule:  @UW, home, @UW, bye, home, @UW, home, bye, and say, Oregon State along this type of schedule: bye; @OSU, home, @OSU, bye, home, @OSU, home.

That was incorrect, I was told. Instead, the schedule would be home-and-home groupings, with pairs traded out every two seasons. For example, Colorado “missed” Oregon State and Cal this season, and would again in 2012. For the next two seasons (2013-14), Colorado would pick up the Beavers and Bears, and drop the Cardinal and Huskies. In the final two seasons of the six-season rotation (2015-16), the Buffs would pick up Stanford and Washington once again, and drop Oregon and Wahington State.

Made sense.

But also wrong.

The above scenarios, while they make sense, do not take into account the Pac-12′s deal with Cal and Stanford to be allowed to play both USC and UCLA every season. This skews everyone else’s schedule. Now, everyone in the Pac-12 South not from Southern California will play the Washington and Oregon schools six out of every eight seasons, with the Buffs rotating through Cal and Stanford every eight seasons.

Translation? Here is the printout

What it means … Colorado will play Oregon every year for the first six seasons of the schedule, not missing the Ducks until 2017-18. Those will also be the two seasons in which the Buffs will finally miss Oregon and Stanford at the same time (yes, Utah gets to miss the two top ten teams in 2011-12, while the Buffs must wait until 2017-18 to miss them, when … who knows how good the Cardinal and Ducks will be in seven years?).

… Next season, nothing changes on the schedule except for the venues, with the 2011 schedule reversed (with the exception of not having to play Cal again);

… In 2013-14, the Buffs will pick up Cal and Oregon State as conference opponents, while dropping Washington and Stanford (those could be break out years for CU!); 

… In 2015-16, the Buffs will pick up the Huskies and Cardinal again, and drop Washington State and Cal;  and

… In 2017-18, the Buffs resume play against Washington State and Cal, finally missing Stanford and Oregon.

Clear as mud?

Just win, Buffs – and the schedule will take care of itself.

November 7th

Pac-12 Enterprises takes control of third-tier rights and media

Here is the start of the Pac-12′s media release today:

“With unprecedented collaboration, the Pac-12 has reached an agreement with Learfield Sports and IMG College to aggregate andcontrol specific school rights, including all local audio-visual and website rights, and key sponsorship categories, putting the Conference in position to create an integrated multi-media marketing platform and the first-ever collegiate website portal.”

Want more? …

“IMG College and Learfield Sports are long-standing and important partners of our schools and being able to work together with a shared vision for the future will elevate the value and long term strength of the Pac-12 Conference,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. ‘It’s a win-win for everyone involved.’

“As part of the agreement, IMG College and Learfield Sports retain all local, national and satellite radio rights, publishing, hospitality, in-stadium, arena and other sponsorship assets dictated by each member institution. Learfield Sports manages Colorado, Oregon State and Stanford. IMG College partners with six Pac-12 schools, including Arizona, Arizona State,California, Oregon, UCLA and Washington State. In addition, IMG College represents Washington in certain sponsorship sales areas. The Conference had already secured these specific rights from USC, Utah and Washington.

” ‘We’ve been privileged to work with seven outstanding member institutions in the Pac-12 for a number of years and enjoy excellent relationships with each,’ said Ben Sutton, President of IMG College. ‘These fine universities are an extraordinarily important part of the national platform we are building at IMG College, and we look forward to working together with Larry Scott and the athletic directors on those campuses to build an even stronger national brand and profile for the Pac-12.’

” ‘We’re excited to collaborate with the conference on this creative initiative. This is an important step for us and the conference as we work to create substantial value for the schools and our partnerships. Larry’s leadership on this effort was critical and facilitated the highest value outcome for the conference and its members,’ said Learfield’s President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Brown. “This marks a significant cooperative effort by all parties involved.’ ”

Got it?

That’s okay, neither did I.

Let’s turn to an article in the Sports Business Journal for assistance …

The Pac-12 Enterprises deal, which will require the conference to pay IMG College and Learfield roughly $15 million a year for the rights, clears the way for the launch of the Pac-12 TV channel next year, while also putting the conference in control of vital distribution categories, including wireless and multiplatform video distributor.

The new arrangement positions the conference to put all TV, digital and sponsorship rights owned by the conference under the Pac-12 Enterprises banner, making it the first league to control and bundle all of those rights.

There seems to be two key components to the deal.

First, that IMG College and Learfield have relinquished (or will relinquish, as current contracts expire), all of their third-tier rights. Not a big deal? Try – it’s never been done before. Conference control of third-tier rights (the games which will not be picked up by ESPN or Fox, under the new agreement, or about 33 football games per season) was the main stumbling block preventing Texas from becoming a member of the Pac-12 in the conference realignment talks of 2010 or this past summer. Third-tier rights represent big money for schools like Texas and USC, who would have many networks seeking to show every game with the Longhorns or Trojans, but would not generate as much money for lesser games (e.g., 2-7 Arizona at 1-9 Colorado). With the Pac-12 controlling all of the rights, and the members of the conference all agreeing to share the revenue equally, the deal to pay IMG College and Learfield for their rights is a significant move.

The other significant aspect of the contract is the importance of the Pac-12 acquiring the digital and sponsorship rights in the highly coveted wireless and multiplatform video distributor categories. Examples of wireless companies are AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, while the MPVD category includes distributors such as Comcast, Time Warner, DirecTV, Google and Netflix. Greg Brown, Learfield’s CEO, called those categories among the most valuable a school has. “When you talk about putting all of those rights together, you’re talking about a very substantial category,” Brown said. “Putting them all under one umbrella makes a lot of sense.”

“We want to control the relationship with distributors at every level,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said. “This enables us to tie together conference and school sponsorship assets for a company interested in content. It also will help us prevent ambush and offer exclusivity to a partner.”

Scott envisions a Pac-12 Web network similar to the professional leagues, with a single conference portal providing a link to each of the school’s websites. The Web network will begin to take shape next year, but it will take years before all of the schools come on board. Each of them has contracts with technology platform partners such as CBSSports.com College Network and NeuLion that must expire first.

Bottom line: What does this mean for Colorado and the other members of the Pac-12?

Think of the Pac-12 Network revenue the way you are looking at the Colorado football program in general right now.

Sacrifices are being made at the beginning. There will be significant up-front costs, but the long-term rewards will make it all worthwhile.

That will almost certainly hold true for the Pac-12 Network. There will be significant up-front costs in establishing the Network, and it will take time for the Network to build a brand and find an audience. But the long-term prognostications are limitless. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott has a vision, and by taking complete control over all aspects of distribution (with a few exceptions, like local coaches radio and television shows), and – most importantly – splitting the revenues equally, the Pac-12 Network will likely becoming the envy (and later, the model) for other league networks.

If only the Colorado football program could guarantee such a trade of up-front costs for long-term success …

November 6th

Missouri to the SEC

Almost two years after beginning the conference expansion talk with an ill-fated romance with the Big Ten, the Missouri Tigers have finally found their way out of the Big 12.

The SEC released a statement Sunday saying the conference’s presidents and chancellors acted unanimously, and Missouri will join the league effective July 1, 2012.

“The presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference are pleased to welcome the University of Missouri to the SEC,” Florida and SEC board president Bernie Machen said in a statement. “The University of Missouri is a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions.”

The Southeastern Conference is a highly successful, stable, premier athletic conference that offers exciting opportunities for the University of Missouri,” Missouri chancellor Brady J. Deaton said. “In joining the SEC, MU partners with universities distinguished for their academic programs and their emphasis on student success. The SEC will provide our student-athletes with top flight competition and unparalleled visibility. We came to this decision after careful consideration of the long term best interests of our university.

“We believe the Southeastern Conference is an outstanding home for the Mizzou Tigers, and we take great pride in our association with this distinguished league.”

The addition of Missouri will increase SEC membership to 14 schools, including Texas A&M, which announced last month that it was also leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.

November 3rd

USC down two safeties?

Drew McAllister is going to start Friday at free safety for USC, replacing – at least for the first half - T.J. McDonald, whos was suspended by the Pac-12 for a hit to the head against Stanford last weeekend.

That much we know for sure.

But the Trojans could be starting two new safeties against Colorado, as starting strong safety Jawanza Starling has missed both practices this week because of an unspecified injury. Senior Marshall Jones has been practicing in that spot and figures to get the start there if Starling isn’t ready to come Friday.

“Very easily that could be the case, with Jawanza having not practiced today and obviously the league deciding T.J can’t play,” Trojans coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN.

McAllister has started one previous game at USC, a September 2009 loss to Washington. Jones has started four, the final four of last season when Starling was hurt. Both have been second-stringers throughout spring practice and fall camp this season.

Boise State one step closer to the Big East

The sound you hear in the distance is the dancing in the streets in Ft. Collins …

According to ESPN, the Idaho State Board of Education has given Boise State its consent to join the Big East Conference.

The board voted 7-1 Thursday to give university president Bob Kustra authority to move Boise State out of the Mountain West Conference and into the Big East.

Kustra told trustees he has had ongoing discussions with Big East representatives, though the school has yet to receive a formal invitation to join the conference.

Kustra says being a Big East member means more revenue for athletics and puts the Broncos in a conference that automatically qualifies to send a team to the Bowl Championship Series — a feature lacking with membership in the MWC.

November 2nd

Big East to extend offers to six new schools

Nothing is official … yet.

According to ESPN, the Big East conference’s member presidents (what’s left of them), meeting in Philadelphia, voted unanimously Tuesday to extend invitations to football-only and all-sports members. Reports are that the invitations went out to Central Florida, SMU, and Houston for all sports, with Boise State, Air Force, and Navy joining just for football.

Big East Commissioner John Marinatto, however, declined to name the schools being targeted. He did say he expected the targeted schools to accept, but added that there are still details to work out with each institution.

“As we’ve learned over the last two months, don’t believe anything anybody tells you. Nothing’s done until it is over,” Marinatto said. “So I’m obviously being very cautious and that’s why I’m reluctant to say names of schools.” Marinatto did acknowledge the league intends to expand west.

The big issue remains whether Boise State will join the Big East for football (and likely join the Big West for other sports – you can’t make this stuff up!).  On Thursday, the Idaho State Board of Education will hold an “athletic conference discussion” concerning Boise State, The Idaho Statesman reported Tuesday. Boise State would require the board’s approval to change conferences.

Boise State is seeking confidence that it will be joining a conference that is very likely to maintain its automatic qualifying status for the Bowl Championship Series, sources told ESPN. The Broncos also would like a western partner in the expanded Big East — either Air Force, or if that’s impossible, perhaps BYU.

“We’re having discussions with Big East officials and continue to consider all of our options,” Boise State spokesman Frank Zang said.

A Mountain West source told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz that Air Force indicated to at least one conference president last week that it didn’t want to leave for the Big East. Another MWC source said the Falcons have been reluctant to depart. But two scenarios are keeping the options open for the Falcons — the promise of a $10 million payout from a possible television deal and if Navy decides to commit.

Meanwhile, a conference commissioner source said that there is serious panic within the MWC and C-USA about possibly losing key members of both leagues to the Big East. C-USA could survive losing Houston, SMU and UCF to the Big East since it would be down to nine schools. But if the MWC were to lose Boise State and Air Force, then it would be down to eight members in football (seven in all sports) and likely would pounce on the WAC’s Utah State and San Jose State to replace those two schools.

It just keeps getting easier and easier for Colorado State to rack up victories …

Big 12 – “We fully expect West Virginia to be there” (in the conference in 2012)

West Virginia to Big East – “We’re leaving for the Big 12. Have a nice life”.

Big East to West Virginia – “You signed an agreement that you can’t leave for 27 months. So there!”.

West Virginia to Big East – “Here’s a Summons. See you in Court – we’re leaving!”.

Big 12 to West Virginia - “Figure it out! We need ten teams in 2012!”.

On Monday, West Virginia sued the Big East in order to get out from underneath the 27-month requirement to leave (see story, below).

 As far as the Big 12 is concerned, West Virginia’s entrance into the Big 12 was contingent on the university being available next year.

“We needed a 10th member next season to fulfill our TV commitments,” interim Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas said. “There’s an inventory that goes with a contract for TV, so we’ve got to be able to do that.”

(UPDATE: It appears that Neinas misspoke – On Wednesday, Big 12 spokesman Bob Burda released a statement saying the Mountaineers’ membership “is not contingent upon (them) joining the Conference for the 2012-13 season.” He did not elaborate.)

Neinas said Missouri is considered a Big 12 member until it withdraws and the league will accommodate 11 football teams if necessary.

“We can do it,” Neinas said. “We don’t have it on paper. But our computers will work out to provide a schedule that will accommodate 11 teams.”

West Virginia wouldn’t simply move into Missouri’s Big 12 football schedule if the Tigers leave.

Instead, “we’re going to have to redo the schedule for a variety of reasons,” Neinas said. “We’re going to have to do some adjusting.”

West Virginia president James Clements reiterated his commitment to getting started in a new conference.

“We were a very proud member of the Big East for a long time. And a good member,” Clements said. “But now it’s all about the Big 12. And we’re thrilled to be a member of the Big 12. It is a great conference. It’s strong. It’s stable. From an academic standpoint. From a leadership standpoint. We couldn’t feel better. The stuff with the Big East will work itself out.”

We’ll see …

Participation of Oregon stars still undetermined

According to Ken Goe of the Oregonian, it is unlikely that Oregon star running back LaMichael James will be on the field Saturday, trying to extend his streak of 200-yard rushing games to four games.

“As best I can discern from standing outside of Oregon’s practices, James won’t have taken a meaningful practice repetition since before dislocating his right elbow on Oct. 6 against California”, wrote Goe.

“With backup Kenjon Barner in the lineup, the Ducks (5-1, 3-0) don’t fall off much, if at all. Barner put up 171 yards rushing last week against a pretty good Arizona State defense.

“The Ducks have De’Anthony Thomas and Tra Carson in reserve. And let’s face it, Colorado (1-6, 0-3) isn’t the toughest test Oregon will face in the last half of the season.”

Ouch … but he’s not inaccurate.

As for quarterback Darron Thomas, the Buffs may see the Ducks’ quarterback Saturday.

“Quarterback Darron Thomas is a different story”, believes Goe. “There are conflicting reports about whether Thomas has practiced this week, and if he has, whether he has been repping with the first offense.

“Thomas left last week’s win over Arizona State with some sort of left knee problem. But if he is physically ready to play, I think he will.”

Then again, unless the unthinkable happens and Oregon gets into trouble against the Buffs, a prudent coach would want to rest his stars for upcoming battles against Washington and Stanford.

But “prudent” isn’t a word often associated with Oregon head coach Chip Kelly …

October 18th

Jon Embree Press Conference Quotes

On If He’s Ever Experienced This Many Injuries To A Team – “No I have not. Injuries are part of it and I just figure that at some point it is going to even out for us. Unfortunately, it will not be this year. At the same time, we did some things early in camp – whether it was scrimmaging guys and knowing the nature of our schedule without a bye, it was important that we were ready to play and had guys that were in a situation that had some kind of comfort level when they got thrown into a game. We have played 13 freshmen. I met with the freshmen yesterday, I told them that I was proud of them and how they have handled this because some of the guys have had to burn their redshirt a little later than you would probably like, like a Woodson Greer. Malcolm Creer is looking at that, but at the same time they are excited about playing and they were prepared. Woodson has played well when he’s been thrown in there so late into the season. I’m proud of those guys, and it’s part of the game, but that is ok. We just keep competing and keep fighting and that is one of the things that I talked to the team about, ‘The other team is not going to feel sorry for you, so we’re not either. We are going to go out and compete. We are going to go out there and whoever is representing the University of Colorado on the field, do it to the best of your abilities. Play with great effort and we’ll see what happens.’”

On Keeping The Defense’s Spirits Up – “I tell them to focus on today and then focus at the task at hand. It is what it is. We can’t control that, we have to worry about what we can control. That is effort, that is being assignment sound, that is playing as fast as we can play and that is when an opportunity comes to make a play, try and do it. You are not going to get, ‘Woe is me,’ and I’m not going to let the guys on the team walk around and sulk about it either. We have a great opportunity this week. We get to play Oregon, and that is how we have to look at it.”

On What The Defense Can Do To Be Assignment Sound This Week – Practice. All we can do is practice. From assignment sound, it was more technique. Sometimes we would get caught in a situation of just trying to do our job, instead of knowing how to do our job. We have to be better technique wise, and again, just turn it loose. I think sometimes you get to where you don’t want to make a mistake. You are never going to play a perfect game. You are going to make mistakes and you can still have success, so let’s do if full speed ahead instead of making mistakes going at half speed.”

On The Linebacker Position and Maybe Moving Some Freshmen Up – “No, I don’t know. We are going to look at that. There are a couple of different things that I’m sure we are going to evaluate with coach (Greg) Brown and coach (Brian) Cabral to try and get the best 11 out there, but we haven’t settled on what we are actually going to do.”

On Possibly Pulling Malcolm Creer’s Redshirt In A Game – “We told him that we are bringing him up and we are preparing him. If it happens, it happens. If the situation presents itself where he doesn’t have to do it, then that is what we’ll do. He is all for it, we have had good conversations with him and he is excited about the opportunity.”

On Trying To Keep Malcolm Creer’s Redshirt – “Yeah, I believe that is what you try to do, but at the same time, I don’t know how long Speedy (Rodney Stewart) is out, hopefully it is not very long, but who knows. So you have to prepare him and at some point you have to decide to get him in there so that he has some game action, so maybe his first time isn’t in there in a disaster situation. Those are all different things that we have to look at as a staff. I trust (offensive coordinator) Eric (Bieniemy) and his judgment and like I said, Malcolm is all in. So we’ll see what happens.”

On Injury Update – “Shawn Daniels, I don’t think so. Daniel Munyer, possibly. P-Rich (Paul Richardson), probably not. Travis Sandersfeld, could be. Josh Hartigan, yes.”

On If His Team Can Be More Physical Up Front – “I’ll have to answer that one on Saturday. I don’t know. Will Pericak and Conrad (Obi) and Curtis (Cunningham), Nick Kasa, they have their work cut out, so we’ll see if we can do it for 60 minutes and get after them. They do a great job, you can say ‘Beat them up,’ but Auburn and LSU also ran with them. You are not going to play you in a phone booth. You can’t say that you are going to beat them up and play between the hashes. You have 53 yards of width that you have to try and defend with them. And they try and create one-on-one matchups and put you in a situation where if you make a mistake, with they’re speed it’s over, the band is playing. You have to be very technique sound and assignment sound. Those teams, they got them physical, but they were able to run with them too.”

On What Is The Team’s Identity Now – “We still want to be able to try to run the ball. We show flashes every game. Offensively, we show flashes every game of being able to run it. We need to get consistency. Our identity hasn’t developed because we haven’t been consistent on what we want to do. We flash, whether it is a quarter or a half, we have to get better at that. We took a stop back in our pass protection. We were sacked five times or something like that last week and I thought we had been doing pretty well on that front. Right now, for our identity, it is really about consistency and what we are trying to do, be it run the ball, be it play physical. I thought we took a step back tackling last week a little bit. Part of it could be because guys are beat up, you maybe don’t go in there with the same intensity as you do when you are feeling good. We have to continue to stay the course, we have to continue to work on getting better and work on being consistent. That is the first step in a program I think is have consistency in what you do, then wins come and then through recruiting, you improve to where you are winning consistently, not just winning here-and-there. Then you get to a point where you have a different mindset, a different set of confidence and then you have a chance to play for championships.”

Of If There Is A Tendency To Not Go As Hard In Practice If The Team Is Playing 13 Straight Games “No, we have to go. When you are dealing with college athletes, there is a fine line of not going because as I told you, if we don’t work on tackling or work on certain fundamentals in blocking and technique, we are not guys that are going to show up and all of a sudden do it on Saturday. So you have to keep work it, and unfortunately some of the things that you have to work and improve on, there is no easy way around it. Yeah, we don’t have some things that might help us, but we knew that coming into the season. The way we practice, we are not full pads this week, but we’ll be in shells and practicing at full speed. We won’t necessarily be cut blocking like we did last week, but you can’t shut it down and say, ‘We’ll let’s get them there Saturday,’ and you get there on Saturday and you can’t run, block or tackle.”

On Appealing To The Team’s Pride With Being An Underdog – “I don’t feel like I have to appeal to my team’s pride. I feel that they have enough pride in what they do. They have enough professionalism, so to speak, to understand that they have to show up and compete. When you are a competitor, it doesn’t matter, you go there and do the best you can and you do it at the maximum effort. That is what you do as a competitor, that is what you do when you have pride in the fact that your representing a program that your family is watching, your friends are watching. If you don’t have enough in you to go and compete, then shame on me for letting you stay on this team. I felt like our staff, we have done a good job, I feel like our leadership council has done a good job of keeping things going the right direction and looking forward to the next game. We had a good practice yesterday. I expect to have a good practice today. I expect it to be a lot of energy. I told the coaches that we are going to be up-tempo in everything that we do and keep getting after it. Like I said, there is no, ‘Woe is me,’ it is what it is and let’s go, let’s go play. Some of these guys only have six chances to ever play football again. As an ex-football player, as an ex-athlete, you will miss that day when you don’t get to compete. You will miss that day when you can’t play anymore. If that is not enough to go out there and play your heart out, then you probably shouldn’t have been here in the first place.”

On If He Is Seeing Any Improvement – “I do in different areas. I have seen improvement, but again, getting all  of the improvement in the right areas in one game. That is what we need to do. I think offensively, we did some good things last week. Again, the running game was moving in the right direction. We had some opportunities that we missed early, I think we were pressing a little bit in the stand point that we were struggling on the other side, feeling like you had to do it every time you had the ball. I think some things uncharacteristically done on the offensive side, but when we settled down and just played, I thought we did a pretty good job. I have seen improvement on that side of the football and in a few areas; if we didn’t have as many sacks, that would have made me feel a little bit better. Defensively, we took a step back. We are getting better at penalties. Our coverage units are getting better at special teams. You can see where having more starts is showing up, but we are also getting some guys dinged too, but you have to do it now. Yes, there are small – I don’t want to say victories – but there are weekly improvements, there are.”

October 17th

Star linebacker lost for the season

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse …

Junior linebacker Doug Rippy, one of the few stars of the much-maligned Colorado defense, has been lost for the season with torn ligaments in his knee.

Rippy will undergo season-ending surgery “in the near future,” according to the athletic department.

Rippy was injured in the second half of Saturday’s loss at Washington. He is Colorado’s leading tackler this season with 62 tackles and three quarterback sacks.

Rippy’s cousin Rodney Stewart suffered a severely-sprained knee in the same game. That injury is expected to keep the CU running back out of action between two to four weeks. Stewart is the Buffs’ leading rusher with 473 yards and is the second-leading receiver with 28 catches for 435 yards. His 1,169 all-purpose yards rank 14th in the NCAA this season.

CU will also be without wide receiver Kyle Cefalo this Saturday against No. 9 Oregon. Cefalo scored a touchdown against Washington, but suffered a knee sprain late in the game. Cefalo had two catches against Washington, giving him eight on the season.

Buffs now have four players who are out for the season: Blake Behrens (shoulder), Jered Bell (knee) and Tony Poremba (concussion) are all out for the year. Offensive tackle Jack Harris (broken ankle) is likely out for the season, but has a chance to return in November.

Who else is out for the Oregon game?

Wide receiver Paul Richardson and defensive backs Brian Lockridge and Travis Sandersfeld.

According to cubuffs.com, Colorado has thus far in 2011 lost a total of 59 games to injury by players who figured in either the two-deep or prominently on special teams, or just under 20 percent of the possible 308 (seven games times 44). That projects to be the second-highest figure in the last 25 seasons at the school.

Unfortunately, most of the above players would not be eligible for a medical red-shirt. Players are eligible for a medical redshirt so long as they appear in fewer than 30 percent of a team’s games and do not play past the midway point of the season. Anyone on the above list who made as far as the Ohio State game, therefore, would not be eligible to apply for a medical redshirt.

Any good news?

Senior linebacker Josh Hartigan, held out of the Washington game, is probable for the Oregon game. Senior offensive lineman Shawn Daniels, who has yet to see the playing field this fall, may also be available.

Brian Lockridge only returning Buff out

There were 15 players who missed the Colorado 2011 spring game. As June turns into July, and fall practices approach, only one player, running back Brian Lockridge, remains a question mark for the 2011 season opener on September 3rd against Hawai’i.

As you may recall, there were a number of Buff players who were recovering from off-season surgeries, and sat out spring practices. Two of those players have moved on due to their injuries, offensive linemen Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner and Mike Iltis.

Others who were injured and out for much if not all of the spring, however, are on the mend and should be ready for fall practices. That number includes: FB/TE Matt Bahr (shoulder surgery); offensive lineman Blake Behrens (shoulder surgery); defensive back Vince Ewing (knee); defensive back Parker Orms (knee); and defensive back Anthony Perkins (knee).

Then there are those players nicked up enough to miss the spring game, who will be a “full go” for fall practices, including: wide receiver Toney Clemons; offensive lineman Ryan Dannewitz; defensive end Nick Kasa; tight end DaVaughn Thornton; and linebacker Derrick Webb.

June 29th

Arizona star reportedly out for the season

If its just a rumor, its a doozy …

Arizona All-Pac-12 wide receiver Juron Criner may miss the 2011 season. Criner was a second-team All-American in 2010, leading the Wildcats with 82 receptions for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. Criner’s 1,233 yards were the 7th-highest total in the nation last season.

How it started … Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen, almost off-handedly, reported on Sunday, “Wildcat running back signee Ka’Deem] Carey’s availability somewhat offsets concerns that All-Pac-10 receiver Juron Criner might not be available for training camp in August. Criner’s status for the 2011 season remains uncertain because of undisclosed medical reasons.”

How it got fueled … Criner was supposed to participate in a Pac-12 promotional tour of ESPN this month, but backed out for “family reasons”.

The latest … From TucsonCitizen.com: “For the record, the Arizona sports information office said of Criner’s health and status on Wednesday morning, ‘We are unable to comment,’ citing student privacy guidelines. Not that coach Mike Stoops could comment specifically, but the Arizona football office said Monday that Stoops is out of town this week and not easily reached by cell phone. A text message sent from TucsonCitizen.com to Criner early last week, on an unrelated matter, went unanswered.”

If Criner is out for the 2011 season, it will be yet another huge blow to the Wildcats, who have already lost four players to season-ending injuries this spring. Starting linebacker Jake Fischer, starting safety Adam Hall and backup running back Greg Nwoko all went down with season-ending knee injuries. Then, defensive tackle Willie Mobley tore the anterior cruciate ligament while playing baseball.

June 28th

End of an Era

As Colorado says goodbye to the Big Seven/Eight/12, another conference is also coming to an end, the Pac-10.

In existence for 33 seasons, the Pac-10 evolved from the Pac-Eight in 1978, when Arizona State and Arizona were invited to join. Now, Scott Terrell of the Tucson Citizen has take the time to compile some numbers as to the history of the Pac-10. Terrell’s article looks at the Pac-10, 1978-2010, in terms of overall records, conference records, conference championships, bowl records, and BCS bowl records.

I thought it would be interesting to see how the numbers played out, and then how Colorado fared in comparison.

Let’s start with overall records …

USC, not surprisingly, leads the Pac by a wide margin. Washington, with its national championship team of 1991, remains in second despite a horrible decade in the 2000′s, followed closely by UCLA and Oregon. Somewhat of a surprise, despite their recent successes, is that Cal and Stanford both have losing records during the Pac-10 era.

How does Colorado fare over that same period of time? Not too bad.

Colorado’s record from 1978-2010 encompasses the last year of the Bill Mallory era, all of Chuck Fairbanks’ three seasons, the Bill McCartney era, Rick Neuheisel, Gary Barnett, and Dan Hawkins (including Brian Cabral’s 2-1 record to end 2010). The Buffs’ overall record over the past 33 seasons is 209-179-5, or a .538 winning percentage. That number would squeeze the Buffs right in between the Arizona schools in the middle of the Pac.

Mediocre? Yes. But keep in mind that the 1978-2010 era includes the two longest stretches of losing seasons in Colorado football history, six seasons (1979-84) and five seasons (1996-present).

As to conference records …

Colorado, from 1978-2010, posted a 130-112-4 conference record in Big Eight/12 play. The .536 winning percentage is almost identical to the Buffs’ overall winning percentage during that span, and places Colorado in the top half of its new league.

Pac-10 Bowl Records between 1978-2010 …

Colorado has not been to a bowl game since 2007, but still holds its own in this category, going to 18 bowls, posting an 8-10 record.

In the BCS – Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange Bowls and BCS championship games …

Colorado, during the span of 1978-2010, has been to five BCS bowl games, posting a 2-3 record (2-1 v. Notre Dame; 0-1 v. Syracuse; 0-1 v. Oregon).

Finally, a look at conference championships won …

Colorado, meanwhile, has won four championships during the Pac-10 era, three outright (1989, 1990, 2001) and one shared (1991).

It’s interesting to note that, while every team in the Pac-10 has won at least a share of a title since 1978, the same cannot be said for the Buffs’ old league. In the Big Eight/12, Kansas has gone since 1968(shared) without a title. The same holds true for Iowa State (1912-shared), Missouri (1969-shared), Oklahoma State (1976-shared), Baylor (1994-shared) and Texas Tech (1994-shared). That’s half of the Big Eight which has gone without a football championship for at least 35 years.

Yet another reason why the University of Colorado will fit in – and thrive – in the new Pac-12.

June 27th

Pac-12 Network – coming to a computer near you?

Larry Scott certainly has the credibility with the Pac-12 fans and administrators to do with the Pac-12 Network almost anything he wants.

But watching the Buffs football and basketball teams on your laptop?

Teaming up with Google or Apple is an option the Pac-12 is considering for the Pac-12 Network, according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News. In Wilner’s article, he discusses three models for the new Pac-12 Network, expected to be announced in the next 30-45 days.

First option: Take over an existing network. The conference could partner up with an existing programmer and take over their existing channel. Pros: The distribution risk is eliminated, as there will already be an established network, and the Pac-12 Network will instantly find its way into 30-40 million homes. Cons: To take over someone else’s network, the Pac-12 would have to give up some of the revenue. Larry Scott and his team fought hard to retain rights to high profile football games, along with a majority of the basketball games, as they did not want to share those games (and revenues) with ESPN and Fox. Would the Pac-12 Network philosophy be any different?

Second option: The league could start up its own network. This seemed to be the concept of the Pac-12 Network during the television rights negotiations. Larry Scott looked at the Big Ten model, where the league only owns 49% of the rights, and wanted to go a different direction. Having the league own its own network, and not having to share revenues, would be consistent with what we have been hearing about the new Network. Pros: Control and money. There would be significant start up costs – which the league can now afford – but the back end could produce tremendous revenues. Plus, the Pac-12 Network would control what is shown, when, and with which advertising partners. Cons: It will take some significant hustle to get the Network up and going by August, 2012, and the conference would then have to make deals with existing cable operators to get the league on the air. In order to gain access, the league might also have to surrender some measure of control.

Third option: Bypass the traditional, sub-based model altogether and team up with Apple or Google. In an approach called “the whopper” by Wilner, the model would envision fans watching the Pac-12′s offerings on their computer or even their phone. Pros: Once again, the conference would be on the cutting edge, planning on technology that, at least in some respects, doesn’t exist yet. Instead of teaming up with Time Warner or Comcast to show the Pac-12′s football, basketball and Olympic sports, the league would instead team up with Google or Apple to provide fans access. And access would be universal. Fans in New York and New Dehli would be able to watch their favorite Pac-12 team. Cons: There would not be the subscription revenue of options one and two, as the league would have to rely on advertising to generate revenues. Plus, the conference, while on the cutting edge, might steer off in a direction that may not prove as lucrative as one of the first two options.

What will Larry Scott announce in July as the model for the new Pac-12 Network?

Best bet: a combination of No. 3 with either No. 1 or No. 2. While Larry Scott has been ahead of the curve for some time now, it might be an easier sell to the league officials (meeting in early August) to go with a plan that generates considerable income now from an established format, but leaves room for expansion into other media in future years.

Then again … who knows? Before the Pac-12 was able to convince rivals ESPN and Fox to work together on a bid for the television contract, no one saw that coming as a possibility.

Prepared to be surprised …

June 24th

Larry Scott interview

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News has posted an interview with Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott. Some of the highlights:

- On the Pac-12 Network, Scott indicated that he expected to “lock into a partner” within the next 45 days. As to the Network making money for the league, Scott had this to say: “I don’t really have a good sense yet. There are a few business models, and unlike the partnerships with Fox and ESPN that have guaranteed economics, this is entering a new venture where distribution and advertising will evolve annually. It’s a very different animal than signing a licensing agreement.”

- On the investigations into Willie Lyles and other recruiting services utilized by Oregon, Scott did not have any comment. He did say that “to the best of my knowledge”, the NCAA has not given the Pac-12 any indication that a formal investigation is imminent.

- The Pac-12 hasn’t closed the door on playing some of its football games on Sundays, should the NFL be unable to reach a labor agreement with the players. The league has had discussions “at high levels on our campuses” about playing on Sundays if there is an NFL void. The Pac-12 athletic directors have meetings already scheduled for August. In the event that the NFL has not resolved its issues by then, “We’ll be ready to move quickly,” said Scott.

June 23rd

Oregon hires “the Cleaner”

When in doubt, go with Bond, Schoeneck & King.

Michael Glazier, known as the “NCAA defender to the stars”, as well as “The Cleaner”, was retained in March. Glazier leads a division of the Bond Schoeneck & King law firm, the Collegiate Sports Practice Group, which routinely represents schools in NCAA infractions cases.

Glazier has represented schools or individuals including Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Florida, Missouri, Minnesota, Louisville and former Oklahoma and Indiana basketball coach Kelvin SampsoGlazier’s strategy sometimes involves admitting violations and seeking to atone for them with self-imposed penaltiesn. Glazier’s work has been credited with helping mitigate NCAA sanctions when schools have been found guilty of rules violations.

“We’re charged with finding out the truth, and we do that,” Glazier said in an interview with ESPN.com in 2008. “Sometimes we can learn the allegations aren’t founded, but oftentimes they are. And when they are, we say that. We don’t hide anything.”

“As is prudent in a specialized matter, the university has consulted with outside counsel,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens wrote in an email to the Eugene Register-Guard. “In March, Mike Glazier was retained and has assisted UO in providing the NCAA all the information they have requested.”

And the best they could come up with was a $25,000 booklet from Willie Lyles containing profiles of players who had signed letters of intent as part of the Class of 2009 …

June 21st

Oregon facing a true dilemma

Did the Oregon coaching staff really pay $25,000 for a worthless product?

Or are they covering up a payoff for a recruit (or recruits)?

It’s a tough choice for the Oregon athletic department to make … but the school is apparently going with choice No. 1 in hopes of avoiding NCAA sanctions.

A brief primer

Back in March, it was disclosed that Houston-based recruiting consultant Willie Lyles had been paid $25,000 for recruiting services shortly after Signing Day, 2010. This seemed quite suspicious, as one of the top Oregon recruits in the Class of 2010 was running back Lache Seastrunk. A product of Temple, Texas, Seastrunk was very close to Willie Lyles, so close in fact that Lyles had stayed at Seastrunk’s home the previous fall, and Seastrunk’s mother had told the senior’s high school coach, amongst others, that Lyles was handling Seastrunk’s recruitment.

It’s all on the up-and-up, stated the Oregon athletic department. Lyles was paid by Oregon for a 2011 “national scouting package”, from Lyles’ business, Complete Scouting Services. Yes, $25,000 was a great deal of money (“For $25,000, it better provide a hell of a lot,” Scouting Evaluation Association founder Dick Lascola told SI.com in March. “That’s an extreme amount of money to pay for something”), but Oregon paid other recruiting services, so the payment to Lyles was in the ordinary course of business.

It was just a coincidence, was the Oregon party line, that Lyles had a close relationship to Seastrunk (as well as to at least two other Oregon recruits of the past few seasons. Lyles is considered by Oregon running back – and 2010 Heisman trophy finalist – LaMichael James to be a friend and a “mentor”).

The latest

Several media outlets, including the Eugene Register-Guard and the Oregonian, filed an open records request with the school, looking for information as to the communications between Lyles and the University of Oregon, as well as documentation as to what Lyles had provided to the school in exchange for his $25,000 paycheck.

After several months of delay, the school finally produced Lyles’ “2011 National Package” … and it is a joke.

The package contains information on exactly zero 2011 recruits. One of the documents, the “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet”, which purportedly contained “Player Profiles – 2011″, had the following problems:

- Every player profiled was from the recruiting Class of 2009;

- In the “National” package, 133 of the 140 players profiled were from Texas (the significance of this issue discussed below);

- Of the 140 players profiled, only 15 signed with BCS automatic qualifying schools (not exactly the players a top ten team would be recruiting – even back in 2009);

- There is documentation to show that, with regard to several of the players, Lyles simply cut and pasted the profile from material produced by his former employer, Elite Scouting Services (where Lyles worked until a month before Seastrunk gave his verbal commitment to Oregon).

For this “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet”, Oregon paid $25,000.

An Oregon spokesman said that the school also received videos from Lyles, but that the number (and quality) of those videos could not be determined, as the coaching staff grouped videos by players, not by source. (If this sounds lame to you, I’m with you … Lyles provided no information about the Class of 2011 in writing, but he delivered high quality videos on 2011 recruits? Highly unlikely).

And this was the best Oregon could come up with after three months of looking … You would think that if Oregon could produce 2011 recruit videos from Lyles – or any evidence of decent recruiting services from Willie Lyles – it would do so in a heartbeat.

But wait, there’s more …

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly exchanged text messages via cell phones with Willie Lyles on numerous occasions while he was the offensive coordinator (prior to his elevation to head coach in March, 2009). Kelly traded 12 texts with Lyles two days before January 17, 2008, the day LaMichael James committed to play for Oregon (you know, that star player who considers Lyles to be his friend and “mentor”?).

In addition, records released by the University of Oregon show that Oregon coaches made or accepted 70 calls in a four-month period between December, 2009, and March, 2010. The running backs coach, Gary Campbell, made 27 calls to Lyles, and received 11 more from Lyles.

No records exist as to the nature of the calls or the texts, but it would be safe to assume that Chip Kelly and Gary Campbell were not sharing recipes with Willie Lyles.

What does it all mean?

The NCAA has not yet issued a Notice of Inquiry to Oregon, which would mark the start of a formal investigation.

One BCS conference compliance officer told CBSSports.com, that, based upon what is known now, “It doesn’t look good, but I won’t predict how it plays out”.

What, if anything, did Oregon do wrong?

There are four main NCAA bylaws which govern scouting or recruiting services: 11.3.2.5 (school personnel can’t consult or endorse services), 12.3.3.1 (services can distribute student-athletes information but can’t be paid a fee based on placing them at a school), 13.1.7.20 (coaches can’t watch off-campus video of athletes provided by services) and 13.14.3, which is the main definition of a recruiting or scouting service.

The biggest issues for Oregon involve 12.3.3.1 – paying Lyles for placing players at the school – and 13.14.3, which reads:

An institution may subscribe to a recruiting or scouting service involving prospective student-athletes, provided the institution does not purchase more than one annual subscription to a particular service and the service:

(a) …

(c) Disseminates information (e.g., reports, profiles) about prospective student-athletes at least four times per calendar year;

(d) Publicly identifies the geographical scope of the service (e.g., local, regional, national) and reflects broad-based coverage of the geographical area in the information it disseminates;

(e) …

Lyles’ “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet” fails to meet the requirements of (c) and (d), as he did not publish his reports at least four times a year, and what he did produce was far from a “National” service (recall that 133 of the 140 players profiled in the report were from Texas).

The NCAA enforcement staff could well declare that Lyles’ business was not a permissible recruiting service. It would not be too great a leap thereafter to declare that the $25,000 paid to Lyles was a payoff for bringing players to Oregon … which would be a major violation. The Ducks would be looking at forfeiting games in which Lyles’ recruits played (including all 12 wins in 2010), and bring down significant future sanctions on the school (especially with respect to future recruiting).

The Oregon athletic department seems to be between a rock and a hard place.

After searching for three months to come up with a plausible explanation as to why they paid Willie Lyles $25,000 right after his own personal recruit, Lache Seastrunk, signed with Oregon, the best the school could come up with is a lame (and laughable) booklet which contained the profiles of players which had already signed letters of intent a year earlier.

If the Ducks take the “gosh, we were just stupid” approach, another issue is raised …

Bylaw 10.1 governs unethical conduct. If the school knew – or should have known – that they paid $25,000 for outdated materials which had no value to the school, and did not take any steps to remedy the error before it was brought to the school’s attention by other parties, that would constitute a violation of Bylaw 10.1.

The same Bylaw which brought down Jim Tressel at Ohio State …

June 20th

Colorado turning a profit … sort of

Want the good news first, or the bad news?

The Business of College Sports did a review of the top 50 most profitable programs in college athletics. The article looked at the 2009-10 school year, and, lo and behold, the University of Colorado made the list!

At least the football team did.

In comparing revenue and expenses of the football and basketball teams of the BCS conference teams, the Colorado football team came in 32nd in the nation. The football program generated $26.2 million in revenue, against $12.6 in expenses, leaving a profit of $13.6 million. Out of all of the teams in the new Pac-12, Colorado came in 2nd place, coming in behind only Washington (27th place, with $14.7 million in football profits).

Overall, the report showed Texas football as king, with $68.8 in football profits alone, far ahead of No. 2 Georgia ($52.5 in football profits). The top ten consisted of only football programs, with the Big 12 represented by Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma, the Big Ten represented by No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Michigan – with the other six spots all taken by SEC teams.

The most profitble basketball program was at Louisville. The Cardinals came in with a profit of $16.8 million in basketball, good enough for 27th place overall.

Now, the flip side …

While Colorado’s football program was one of the most profitable in the nation, the basketball team was one of the worst in terms of net profits.

In all, the report looked at 139 Division 1-A football and basketball programs, and the Colorado basketball team came in 136th. The Buffs were one of only seven programs to be shown running a deficit. Colorado took in $3.58 million in basketball revenues, but had $3.81 million in expenses, for a net loss of -$224,506 for the year.

What to take from these numbers …

1) The most important number to take from the article is 2009-2010 – the year of the report. The Colorado basketball program fared much better in 2010-11 in terms of attendance and television appearances (still important in the good ‘ol Big 12). The Buffs also made it to the semi-finals of the NIT, with additional revenue from three extra home games. The report also – naturally – doesn’t take into account what the University of Colorado can expect to bring in starting in 2012-13 when the new ESPN/Fox Sports contracts kick in;

2) The report doesn’t look at the big picture, just revenues and expenses for individual programs. Oregon basketball in 2009-10 was an even worse drain than Colorado basketball, losing $2.25 million for the year, finishing 138th out of 139 teams reviewed (only Wake Forest football, with losses of $2.28 million). Think the Oregon athletic department is pinching pennies? Hardly. In another article from the same Business of College Sports, Oregon is atop the list of “self-sustaining” schools, with profits of $41.8 million, far ahead of second place Alabama ($26.6 million in profits);

3) That it will be some time before Colorado is really in the black. The CU athletic department is in limbo financially. Burdened with lost revenues as a result of leaving the Big 12 early in fiscal year 2010-11, and facing a smaller cut of the revenue pie in the first year of the Pac-12 (when Colorado will not be a full partner in the last year of the Pac-10 television contracts), there will be some lean times over the next few seasons …

… Just as is the case with the Colorado football program on the field, progress may be slow – but it is coming!

June 18th

USC lose highly touted defensive back for the season

University of Southern California defensive back Patrick Hall will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL, and will miss the 2011 season.

Hall suffered the injury on what was described as a fluke fall after an interception on the final play of a players-only summer throwing session two weeks ago. “I knew it was the ACL because of the swelling,” Hall told ESPN.com. “I was hopeful it was just a tweak, but I knew it was the ACL.”

Hall has yet to play a down for the Trojans, but was being counted on in the soon-to-be-depleted USC roster. Hall was a five-star recruit out of the Class of 2009. Hall was considered by Rivals.com to be the 2nd-best athlete in the nation, as well as the 19th-best overall player of the entire 2009 Class. Hall tore a ligament in the opposite knee in fall camp, 2009, and delayed his enrollment until January, 2010.

Suspended for a time last season by head coach Lane Kiffin as Hall struggled with academics, the star defensive back ended up sitting out all of the 2010 season.

In theory, Hall could apply for a sixth year of eligibilty down the road, applying for a medical red-shirt season.

June 17th

Pac-12 Bowl schedule set

So you can get your holiday plans in order …

Saturday, December 17th – Pac-12 No. 7 v. Mountain West – New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, New Mexico – ESPN

Thursday, December 22nd – Pac-12 No. 5 v. Mountain West No. 1 – Las Vegas Bowl – ESPN

Wednesday, December 28th – Pac-12 No. 3 v. Big Ten No. 5 – Holiday Bowl, San Diego – ESPN

Thursday, December 29th – Pac-12 No. 2 v. Big 12 No. 3 – Alamo Bowl, San Antonio – ESPN

Saturday, December 31st – Pac-12 No. 4 v. ACC No. 4 – Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas – CBS

Saturday, December 31st – Pac-12 No. 6 v. Army (if eligible) – Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, San Francisco – ESPN

Monday, January 2nd (no bowl games on Sunday, January 1st) – Pac-12 No. 1 v. BCS – Rose Bowl, Pasadena – ESPN

Monday, January 9th – Allstate BCS National Championship Game – Pac-12 (if eligible) v. BCS – New Orleans – ESPN

June 16th

Mike Iltis leaves Buffs

It has been rumored for the past several weeks, and today it became a reality.

Senior center Mike Ilits will not be returning for the fall after suffering the second major knee injury of his career in the 2010 season finale against Nebraska. Iltis underwent surgery to repair at torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament and torn meniscus in his left knee.

During spring practice, it was reported that Ilits was making good progress on his rehabilitation. Something changed in the intervening months. Embree said Iltis explained his decision as one that was less about his injuries and more about just wanting to focus on academics.

“He has decided just to pursue his education,” Embree told the Daily Camera.

The injury Iltis suffered at the end of last season was the second major setback of his career. In 2008, Iltis the entire season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

Options?

Senior center Shawn Daniels was out for much of the spring recovering from foot surgery, with redshirt freshman Daniel Munyer earning most of the first-team snaps.

“I’m OK with it,” Embree said when asked about his options at the position. “I think we have some flexibility. I was very pleased with Daniel and Shawn this spring.”

Another option – at least for the future – was announced today. Colorado today added Brad Cotner, a 6’4″, 290-pound center from Thousand Oaks, California (more on Cotner under “Recruiting Class of 2011” …

June 15th

Cliff Harris suspended “indefinitely”

Oregon All-American cornerback Cliff Harris will miss “at the very least” the 2011 season opener against LSU, head coach Chip Kelly announced Wednesday.

After that, Harris’ status would be dependent on his adherence to the football program’s rules.

“Cliff’s future clearly is in Cliff’s hands,” Kelly said. “Earning an opportunity to represent the University of Oregon and this football program certainly rests far beyond a player’s ability on the field of play. Our behavior out of the spotlight often is more important and will be held to a higher standard. Until Cliff is able to conform to the same standards all of us must comply with, his status will remain unchanged.”

University of Oregon employee identified

The University of Oregon compliance office has spoken multiple times with Mindy Schmidling, a payroll specialist in the university’s office of business affairs who rented the car and loaned it to Cliff Harris and another unidentified player.

Schmidling, 27, said she is not a graduate of the University of Oregon, nor has she worked in the athletic department.

While some fans and commentators suggested Tuesday that Schmidling’s involvement could or even should threaten her position in the business affairs office, she told the Eugene Register-Guard: “I don’t feel this incident will threaten my job status in any way. I simply let a licensed driver borrow my rental. … I did not give Cliff permission to drive nor did I pay for the rental … so I don’t see how that would affect my job or violate NCAA rules.”

NCAA regulations specifically prohibit the use of a car by student-athletes if it is furnished by “an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests.” Further, rules dictate, “If the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not authorized by NCAA legislation, the individual is ineligible in all sports.” However, Schmidling’s assertion that she was paid by the players for the use of the car could protect their ability to play for the Ducks, though it may still be considered a minor violation of NCAA rules.

A compliance official from another school suggested Tuesday that, if the facts as currently understood are true, the payment to Schmidling would likely protect the players’ eligibility. The loan of the car would be ruled an extra benefit, and Oregon would report it as such to the Pac-10 — the first step in such situations — but because it was of no monetary value, the players’ eligibility would not be threatened.

Stay tuned …

Ralphie needs your help

ESPN is running a poll of the best college football traditions. Colorado and the “Running of Ralphie” is pitted against the Michigan “Go Blue” banner.

As of this morning, Ralphie is running behind Big Blue, 57% to 43%. If you want to cast a vote for Ralphie and CU, here is the link:

ESPN SportsNation poll

June 14th

Oregon defensive back a little too fast

As an All-American cornerback and punt returner, University of Oregon star Cliff Harris has a name associated with speed.

Now it could cost him playing time.

Harris faces a $1,148 fine after receiving a speeding ticket Sunday for driving a rented 2011 Nissan Altima 118 mph along a stretch of Interstate 5. Harris, who is 20, was also fined for driving with a suspended license, which carries with it a separate fine of $427.00.

“We are obviously very disappointed in the lack of judgment exercised by Cliff and feel it’s unacceptable,” Oregon head football coach Chip Kelly said in a statement issued Monday afternoon. “I’ve said from the beginning that it should be a privilege to play football at the University of Oregon. With that said, individuals must bear the responsibilities for their own behavior. Once we have finished collecting all the information in this situation, we will determine the appropriate action.”

If it were just the speeding ticket, Harris might be in trouble with the Oregon coaches, but he might not be missing any playing time this fall.

Until you start to unpeel the onion …

This was not Harris’ first offense

Harris has been ticketed for speeding and driving without a license at least three times in the past 18 months, according to a story in the Oregonian. On one of those cases, a January, 2010 case of driving 49 mph in a 30 mph zone and driving while suspended, Harris was found guilty by default after not appearing in court to contest the charges.

On another case (driving 45 in a 35 mph zone), Harris has until today (Tuesday) to appear or pay a fine, or he will be found guilty in that case.

Harris was also convicted in January, 2010, of being a minor in possession.

Not exactly an angel.

The car Harris was driving was a rental

You cannot rent a car until you are 25 years old. Harris is 20 years old.

So how did he get into a rented 2011 Nissan Altima?

The car was rented by an unnamed university employee.

“So, I rented the car for my own purposes on Friday. Cliff Harris and his licensed friend, who showed me his license, asked to borrow it and paid me the full amount in cash that I paid for the rental,” the woman told local televison station KEZI, on condition of anonymity. The woman, who describes herself as a friend of Harris over the past few months, said she was unaware Cliff would be driving and also said she has proof that the amount she paid for the rental car matches two separte deposits she made into her bank account Friday. “I do have a copy of my bank statement, showing two deposits Friday of $180 and $120″, she said.

The University of Oregon employee later clarified her statement for Portland television station KDRV: “I’m telling you the same things I’ve told (the Compliance Office),” she said. “I have nothing to hide. I didn’t have any part in the actions Cliff Harris made. Cliff and his friend paid me for the rental, so I don’t see any NCAA violations, but they will determine that.

“I only needed the car Friday night to go up past Blue River, since my car isn’t running good and leaking oil,” she said, in regards to why she would initially rent a car for herself and then agree to let Harris and his friend, whom she says she doesn’t know, use the vehicle.

“Cliff and his friend offered to pay for it, if I let them use it the remainder of the time and informed me only the licensed friend would be driving, or else I wouldn’t have let them use it.”

According to cash deposits on the employees’ ATM, she deposited $180.00, then $120.00 last Friday. The Hertz charge was for $220.44, charged on Monday.

Not only do the amounts not match up, but there is no way to determine if the cash deposits did in fact come from Harris or one of his (unidentified) teammates who were also in the car when it was pulled over Sunday morning.

NCAA rule 16.12.2.3c states:

An institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests may not provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to: The use of an automobile.

So now, the University of Oregon compliance office is involved. Late Tuesday, the Oregon Athletic Department contacted the Pac-10 in regards to Cliff Harris using a vehicle rented by a university employee.

“Oregon has been in contact with the Conference office, however the Conference does not comment on potential NCAA violations,” said Pac-10 Vice President of Public Affairs Kirk Reynolds, when asked if UO had notified the conference about the rental car Harris was driving.

Harris is not some backup the Ducks can go without

Cliff Harris, as a sophomore, was a concensus All-American. Harris is the most decorated return man in a single season in Oregon history, and was named All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, SI.com and ESPN.com, and earned second-team All-America status as a cornerback according to the Associated Press and SI.com.

Harris is one of just four consensus All-America picks in Oregon school history and first as a returner/all-purpose player. Harris garnered all-Pac-10 accolades as a punt returner (Coaches, Phil Steele, Rivals.com, Scout.com) and cornerback (Phil Steele), as well as second team honors at his defensive position (Coaches, Rivals.com, Scout.com). As a sophomore, Harris was one of ten semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back, and on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the top defensive player in the country.

In 2010, Harris led the Ducks with six interceptions, including one he returned 76 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee. Harris’ 29 punt returns went for 546 yards and four touchdowns. His average punt return went for 18.8 yards (by comparison, Colorado averaged 7.2 yards per punt return in 2010).

In mock 2012 NFL drafts, Harris – if he decided to go pro a year early – is a consensus first round pick. In the opinion of CBSSports.com senior writer Pete Prisco, Harris is the No. 6 overall prospect in the entire 2012 draft.

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly has a real dilemma on his hands:

1) brush off the actions of a player who has shown disregard for the law (on at least four occasions), and give Harris a brief suspension – and then face the scrutiny that he is giving preferential treatment to a star player; or

2) make an example of Harris, and go without one of his very best players (if not his very best player) for a significant portion of the season.

Oregon opens the 2011 campaign with a game against LSU in Arlington, Texas, on September 3rd …

June 12th

Buffs to pick up a running back commitment

Adam at BuffStampede.com is reporting that on Monday Colorado will pick up its fourth commitment of the recruiting Class of 2012 (UPDATE: see Verbal Commitments – 2012)

Terrence Crowder, from Galena Park, Texas, is a 5’11, 208-pound running back who has been timed at a 4.48 in the 40. Crowder does not have an offer from any other Division 1-A schools, though he does reportedly have an offer from Texas-San Antonio, as well as interest from North Texas and Minnesota.

“It all depends on my mom,” Crowder told BuffStampede.com on June 6th. “She wants to go out and see all the colleges for herself before I commit. She also wants me to be closer to home but I don’t want to be in Texas so it is going to be a fight for me to commit to Colorado or wherever else I commit to, if it is further away from home.”

In his junior year, Crowder rushed for 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading his team to a 7-4 record. Offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy has been responsible for Crowder’s recruitment. “Colorado said they love the way I run the ball,” Crowder said. “They think I could be someone that could come in and help lead them to being a dominant team in the Pac-12.”

While it is disconcerting that the Buffs are enamoured with a recruit no one else seems to be excited about (Crowder does not even show up as a recruit on the Scout.com browser, much less a highly sought after recruit), you have to believe that Bieniemy knows what he wants, and likes what he sees.

Check out Crowder for yourself … Crowder’s YouTube highlights

More on Crowder later when his commitment to become the fourth member of the Colorado recruiting Class of 2012 …

June 11th

CBS articles laud the efforts of Larry Scott and the new Pac-12

Larry Scott is No. 1!

Okay, so Larry Scott was only No. 1 on the list of the CBS top 100 influential players in college football, but it’s nice that the new league, three weeks from officially opening, is receiving national acclaim.

“He’s truly been, and I don’t use this word lightly, a transformative figure,” according to Chris Bevilacqua, the league’s TV consultant and Scott’s right-hand man in the negotiations.

Dennis Dodd goes on to make the argument that what Larry Scott has done in creating the Pac-12 brand, negotiating a 12-year, $3 billion television contract – while still retaining the rights to the majority of football and basketball games for the new Pac-12 Network – makes Larry Scott one of the most influential individuals in college sports … ever.

Cal AD Sandy Barbour was asked to consider who has done more, quicker, to alter the system since the marriage of college sports and television six decades ago. “I don’t think there is a name to put in that blank,” Barbour told CBSSports.com.

Before Larry Scott, Pac-10 were bringing in $6 million (Washington State) to $11 million (USC) per year in television revenue. Starting next year, the number will jump to $18 million per team, rising above $25 million per team by the end of the ESPN/Fox Sports 12-year contract. Scott talked the power players in the conference, USC and UCLA, to play fair with the rest of the league, and also managed to get all of the schools in the conference to agree to allow the league, through the Pac-12 Network, to control the showing of every football and men’s basketball game.

What’s more, Scott has the vision to look ahead, keeping future platforms for the league. “If 10 years from now somebody comes up with the invention to watch a game on a toaster oven,” Bevilacqua said, “[the Pac-12 is] going to have the rights to watch the game on a toaster oven.”

According to Dennis Dodd, “In five to seven years, Scott wouldn’t be surprised if a major portion of Pac-12 fans watch games on something other than TV. In a stroke of negotiating brilliance, he got the rights-holders to agree that the Pac-12 Network will have first choice of the best games. He is in talks with Google, a year into Smart TV, which is essentially the next wave — Internet TV.”

Want more? Scott is taking advantage of the Pac-12′s base to exploit other media resources. The head of Pixar is a Utah graduate. George Lucas is a Trojan, and Steven Spielberg is a USC Trustee.

With Larry Scott doing so much in such a short period of time (Scott’s second anniversary with the Pac-10/12 comes up July 1st), there is already speculation that Scott may be lured away from the Pac-12. “How long he wants to do this is to be determined,” said UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood, who was with Arizona when Scott was hired. “Larry’s one of those persons who always has a challenge ahead of him.”

If creating and expanding the Pac-12 Network does not provide enough of a challenge for Scott, his deputy commissioner might be able to keep the momentum going. The Pac-12′s deputy commissioner is Kevin Weiberg, the former commissioner of the Big 12. The pair have been working together for a year and a half, and, according to a second CBSSports.com article, have worked well together since their first meeting.

“It was amazing, in that (first) conversation (in early 2010), how many things Larry had on his priority list that were that I had experience with,” said Weiberg. “From conference expansion to television negotiations to his desire to have a television network that the conference would have an ownership stake in, just a variety of things. We seemed to hit it off pretty well and it just seemed like a good fit.”

Weiberg said he tried to convince Big 12 members of the benefits of a Big 12 Network, equal revenue sharing, and league control of all of the league’s games. “Ultimately, there were hurdles you just couldn’t get over in the Big 12,” said Weiberg. Translation: Texas, along with perhaps Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Nebraska, didn’t want to share the wealth. As a result, the new Big 12, even with equal revenue sharing going from 57% to 74%, is clinging to the “Texas and then everyone else” mentality, while the Pac-12 has cooperating partners. “From my perspective, (the lack of agreement on revenue sharing) was a pretty clear indication of what the future would be like,” said Weiberg. “They’ve done well in some of the most recent media negotiations, but the conference just has a different philosophy and approach to how to handle some of their media pieces.”

Weiberg also worked with the Big Ten Network when the BTN was in its infancy, and has seen the pitfalls of a league owned network.

“I think there are multiple advantages to having a network and it’s not without its risks and its challenges,” Weiberg said. “I just think it provides a great diversity of exposure and programming for not only athletic departments but really universities. It gives you a lot more control of your own destiny.

“It’s sort of a cultural change too. You go from an environment where you primarily just provide rights to third parties to being in an ownership stake in something that carries your brand in it.”

As was the case with the Big Ten Network, distribution will be the major obstacle. “The big challenge surrounds distribution of the network,” said Weiberg. “There were a lot of details that I worked on at the Big Ten Network that you just don’t think about. It may be simple things like how to handle studio space or how to get broader involvement from student workers to support productions of events that previously hadn’t been televised. Just a lot of details that universities probably don’t realize when they get involved in this.”

With the “Conference of Champions” dominating Olympic sports, there will be plenty of programming available, but the league – quite smartly – retained the rights to some high-profile football games, as well as the majority of basketball games, in order to make the Pac-12 Network more attractive.

“We’re not thinking of all this being a short-term investment. It’s a long-term deal,” said Weiberg.

The Pac-12 Network is reportedly going to bring in another billion dollars to league members over the next seven to ten years. Those are numbers Texas can match – to the exclusion and detriment of its Big 12 rivals – but will not be likely to be coming to the coffers of any other conference any time soon.

In the CBSSports.com articles, Larry Scott and Kevin Weiberg are described as “Batman and Robin”. I’m not sure if the analogy fits, but the results are what matter.

It was just a year ago that Colorado fans were waking up to the reality that the Buffs were to be a part of a new Pac-12 … or Pac-16. The dominos of expansion were still falling – Nebraska joined the Big Ten a few days after Colorado joined the Pac-10, with Utah joining the new Pac-12 shortly thereafter.

While results on the gridiron remain a challenge for the University of Colorado, the future nonetheless remain bright.

Thanks to the efforts of Larry Scott and Kevin Weiberg.

June 8th

Buffs one step closer to bowl eligibility

And then there were seven …

The new Pac-12 was to get by with six bowls in 2011, picking up the New Mexico Bowl in 2012.

Instead, the sixth annual New Mexico bowl will move up its contract with the Pac-12 a year. The 2011 New Mexico Bowl was supposed to pit a team from the Mountain West Conference against from the Western Athletic Conference, but now the bowl will have a Pac-12 representative instead. The 2011 game will kickoff the bowl season, with the game to be played on Saturday, December 17th, in Albuquerque.

“We are excited to begin our relationship with the Pac-12 this year and to have our game showcased as the first bowl game of the year once again,” said Jeff Siembieda, New Mexico Bowl Executive Director. “The Saturday afternoon time slot has been very good to us. Kicking off the bowl season in New Mexico with the whole nation watching a Pac-12 team take on a team from the Mountain West is a great opportunity for our state.”

The game will kickoff at noon (MT), and will be shown by ESPN.

With USC ineligible for a bowl in 2011, there will be 11 Pac-12 teams vying for seven bowl slots.

Just get us to seven victories, Buffs. In 2011, anyway, Albuquerque sounds very nice.

June 7th

Terrelle Pryor leaves Ohio State

Ohio State senior quarterback Terrelle Pryor, through his attorney (how else?) has announced that he will not be returning to play for the Buckeyes this fall.

“In the best interests of my teammates, I’ve made the decision to forgo my senior year of football at The Ohio State University,” Pryor said in a statement issued by Columbus lawyer Larry James. Pryor’s announcement comes just eight days after Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel was forced to resign for knowing about the players’ improper benefits but not telling any of his superiors. “He did not want to be a a distraction to his teammates,” James said of Pryor. “This is something he came to consider after much thought.”

Ohio State administrators were quick to wish Pryor well in his future endeavors. Luke Fickell, who will serve as Ohio State’s interim head coach in place of Tressel this fall, found out about Pryor’s decision on Tuesday night. “I was notified this evening that Terrelle has decided to pursue a professional career,” Fickell said. “I wish him the best in his pursuits.”

Pryor may attempt to play for the NFL this fall, as there is a supplemental draft which usually takes place in June. With the labor unrest, however, that is not a certainty, which may mean that Pryor either sits out the 2011 season, or plays for a year in the Canadian Football League.

What does this mean for Colorado?

Arguably, the loss of Pryor has no impact on the Colorado/Ohio State game on September 24th, as Pryor was already not slated to play in that game. As part of his NCAA penalties, Pryor, along with several teammates, had already been suspended for first five games of the 2011 season, including the Colorado contest.

It can also be argued that the loss of Pryor for the season actually works against the Buffs. With Pryor in the fold, a mere two weeks away from reinstatement – against Nebraska on the road, no less – the imminent return by Pryor could a distraction for the team. With Pryor gone for good, the team will have no choice but to rally around his replacement at quarterback. There will be no bailout for the team if the Buckeyes play poorly early. They know now that Pryor will not be the quarterback, and can spend all of fall camp, and the first three weeks of the season prior to the Colorado game, planning accordingly.

Personally, I would have preferred if Pryor had been around for the 2011 season, with stories about his cars, his memorabilia, and his contributions to the ultimate dismissal of the team’s head coach being discussed all summer long.

Oh well, we can’t have everything …

June 6th

Contract extension for Colorado athletic director

Other than the “tying up of some loose ends”, according to Colorado Chancellor Phi DiStefano, CU athletic director Mike Bohn should have a contract extension by the end of this month.

The Board of Regents will be asked to approve an extension which will not vary significant than Bohn’s present deal, but will carry the agreement out another 2 1/2 years to the summer of 2016.

“I think Mike has done a very good job as athletic director,” DiStefano told the Daily Camera. “And I think working together with Mike and the president’s office to move out of the Big 12 and into the Pac-12, it took a lot of collaboration and cooperation and Mike was right there. I believe he deserves a contract extension.”

Bohn’s salary, over $300,000 annually, was one of the lowest three in the Big 12, but is ranked in the middle of the Pac-12. While the base salary is reported to be about the same in the new contract, incentives related to fundraising will be added to give Bohn the opportunity for an even higher income. “Even though we’re getting a significant bump from media, we still have fundraising goals,” said DiStefano. “Especially related to scholarships and possible facilities.”

Pros – Bohn is given credit for helping Colorado negotiate its way into the Pac-12, and helping Colorado negotiate its way out of the Big 12 (for about one-third of what Colorado might have otherwise been forced to pay – or more precisely, go without – for leaving the conference a year early). The two latest basketball hires, Linda Lappe and Tad Boyle, both took their basketball teams to the NIT, with the men’s team setting a new school record for victories, with 24.

Cons – Bohn was also responsible for bringing in Dan Hawkins and Kathy McConnell-Miller, with neither coach living up to expectations. Bohn was roundly criticized for retaining Dan Hawkins after the 2009 season (though that may not have been completely his decision). Bohn has hired Jon Embree, a popular pick with the Buff Nation, but Bohn is being given an extension before Embree has coached – or won – his first game.

Overall – It is debatable as to how much influence Mike Bohn had in getting Colorado into the Pac-12. Some would argue that it would have taken place with or without Bohn; others can argue that Colorado would have been a member of the Texas League, content to live in the shadow of the Texas Network, if it had not been for Mike Bohn. The fact is, Colorado joined the Pac-12 under Mike Bohn’s watch, and that is a move that a year ago this month seemed far from a certainty. If Mike Bohn has no other legacy at Colorado other than bringing the Buffs into the Pac-12, he has earned his extension.

While it would be nice to see results on the field before an extension is offered (see Dan Hawkins, 2007), every sign seems to point toward future success with the new football coaching staff. I am also glad to see that a good portion of any increase in income for Mike Bohn is tied to incentive clauses. If Bohn can help to raise funding for Colorado programs and facilities, then he should be compensated accordingly.

I have met Mike Bohn on several occasions, and while he wouldn’t know me from Adam, he has always been friendly, appreciative of the supporters of the program, and genuinely interested in opinions and views of others.

I’m marking this down as a good move on the part of the Colorado administration.

June 5th

Big 12 revenue agreement gives more to the “Forgotten Five”

Isn’t there some saying about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear?

That was the feel one could take from the Big 12′s spring meetings, in which it was announced that members would receive an equal distribution of 76% of the television revenues, up from a 57% equal distribution in year’s past.

A year ago, the Big 12 was on the brink of extinction, with the “Forgotten Five” – Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State – agreeing to allow Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma to take a bigger share of revenue in exchange for not bolting the league.

Now, with a new $1.17 billion deal with Fox for cable rights taking effect in 2012, there are more millions to spread around, so the bigger schools were willing to give the lesser schools a bigger share. “The important thing is we’re dealing with a lot more revenue, so everybody feels good about the contract, and giving us the flexibility and resources to be more competitive,” Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton told reporters at the Big 12 spring meetings. “And there’s also growing recognition that to be a strong conference, we’ve got to have every member strong and competitive in an ongoing basis in all sports.”

Lost in the hand-holding and singing of kumbaya, though, are some realities.

While Texas and Oklahoma have agreed to allow the equal distribution to go up from 57% to 76%, there remains 24% of the television revenue which will not be equally distributed (as will be the case with the Pac-12). The remaining 24% will be distributed based on the number of television appearances, quality of competition, and willingness to move games to accomodate television (translation: Texas v. anybody will generate more revenue for Texas; Kansas State v. Northwestern Teacher’s College will generate nothing for the Wildcats except a better chance at accumulating six wins and a bowl bid).

Plus, the new agreement does not affect “third-tier” rights to games. This means that the Texas Network, with its multi-million dollar deal with ESPN, will go on churning up dollars for the Longhorns, while the Forgotten Five try to generate whatever they can out of an Iowa State / Kansas game which the networks pass on televising.

“It’s very significant,” said Missouri’s Deaton. “We’re all faced with multiple fiscal challenges. This enables us to make sure we have the right programs in place for all of our student-athletes.”

Nice talk from an athletic director who wanted to bolt for the Big Ten (recall that it was Missouri’s lobbying for admission to the Big Ten which helped crank up the expansion talk last spring), but the fact remains that Nebraska, as a member of the Big Ten, and Colorado, as a member of the Pac-12, will be earning considerable more dollars than their former rivals – and will be playing on a much more balanced financial field.

Enjoy that 76%, Forgotten Five, while watching Texas and Oklahoma continue to get bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger, and more and more dominant …

June 2nd

BCS executive director to meet with Justice Department

Bill Hancock, the executive director of the Bowl Championship Series, will voluntarily meet with the Justice Department later this month.

“I still believe the government has more important things to do, but I’m happy to talk about the benefits of the BCS every chance I get,” Hancock told ESPN. “We see this as an opportunity to tell them why this has been created, how it works, and the benefits it has brought to the game. And to answer all their questions.”

Hancock doesn’t see any chance that there will be a finding that the BCS is in violation of antitrust laws. “I am confident (the BCS selection process) follows the law,” said Hancock. “I’m not an attorney, but the fact is that antitrust is to protect the consumer against lack of access and a lack of competition. The BCS provides more football to the consumer than ever before, including a guaranteed No. 1 v. No. 2, and the access for the non-AQ’s (automatic qualifiers) is far greater than ever before. There’s no question the access is much better.”

While fans of TCU, Boise State, Hawai’i, Utah, BYU et al., teams which have not been allowed into the championship game in recent years may disagree with Hancock’s access argument, at the end of the day, practicality might rule the day.

“If the conferences are prohibited from coming together to create a BCS, then they would also be prohibited from creating anything else, like a playoff,” argued Hancock. “So if the BCS goes away, then the most likely scenario is a return to the old bowl system, where there’s not a guarantee of a meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams.”

We’ll see. Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff has said that he plans to file an antitrust lawsuit in June against the BCS.

Last check of the calendar … it’s now June.

June 1st

Game times set for CSU and Utah games

The game times have been set Colorado two “rivals” – one old; one new.

The Colorado athletic department has announced that the Colorado/Colorado State game on September 17th will kickoff at 11:30 a.m., while the regular season finale against Utah in Salt Lake City will kickoff at 1:30 the day after Thanksgiving. Both games will be shown nationally by FSN.

The Colorado/Colorado State game, known the last six years as the Cinch Jeans Rocky Mountain Showdown, will be played before a national or regional television audience for the 17th consecutive year. Despite the insistence by Ram fans that they have drawn closer to the Buffs in terms of quality of play in the last decade or so, the fact remains that Colorado owns an 11-5 (68.5%) edge since the television streak began, a 17-6 (73.9%) advantage since the series was resumed in 1983, and a 60-20-2 (74.3%) lead overall.

The downside of having a nationally televised game? Once again being forced to a morning kickoff …. Yuck.

The Colorado/Utah game will be played in the afternoon, at 1:30, also shown nationally on FSN. The “new” rival is actually one of Colorado’s oldest and most bitter. The Buffs own a 30-24-3 all-time edge, with the last game being played in Salt Lake City in 1962. In games played at Utah, the Utes hold a 15-14-2 advantage.

The addition of the CSU and Utah games to the television schedule, Colorado now has four games which Buff fans will be know will be on television: September 3rd @Hawai’i, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN2); September 10th v. Colorado State (Denver), 11:30 a.m. (FSN); November 4th (Friday) v. USC, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2); and November 25th (Friday) @ Utah, 1:30 p.m. (FSN).

Any number of other games, particularly the California home game and the Ohio State road game, should be chosen for television (NCAA willing, with regard to the Ohio State game). Other Pac-12 games will also likely be televised, but Buff fans may not know until 12 days before the game, as networks chose the games they wish to televise.

Other Pac-12 televised games of note …

September 3rd – Minnesota @ USC – ABC

- UCLA @ Houston – FSN

- Oregon v. LSU (@ Arlington, Texas) – ABC

September 8th (Thurs.) – Arizona @ Oklahoma State – ESPN

September 9th (Friday) – Missouri @ Arizona State – ESPN

September 10th – Nevada @ Oregon – FX

- Utah @ USC – Versus

September 17th – Texas @ UCLA – ABC/ESPN

- Stanford @ Arizona – ESPN

- Utah @ BYU – ESPN2

September 24th – Oregon @ Arizona – ESPN or ESPN2

- USC @ Arizona State – ESPN or ESPN2

October 6th (Thurs.) – California @ Oregon – ESPN

October 13th (Thurs.) – USC @ California – ESPN

October 20th (Thurs.) – UCLA @ Arizona – ESPN

October 29th – Stanford @ USC – ABC

November 19th – USC @ Oregon – ABC

November 25th (Friday) – California @ Arizona State – ESPN

November 26th – Notre Dame @ Stanford – ABC or ESPN

UCLA @ USC – FSN

December 2nd (Friday) – Pac-12 Championship – Fox

“Guys are showing who they are”

Colorado conducted its last practice before the Spring game on Thursday, with the practice, at the last minute, being opened to the public. Jon Embree described the two-hour run-through as a “good practice. The defense had a couple of lapses, but otherwise they did well. Offensively, we got some things accomplished, some things done we wanted to get done as far as some install stuff. Guys are showing who they are.”

The Colorado head coach then raised some eyebrows when he was asked about whether there were some players who had not lived up to expectations. “It’s a privilege to be a Buffalo; it’s not a right,” said Embree. “If they can’t play, and they’re not doing what they are supposed to do academically, and buying into the program, they won’t be here.” Embree went on, ” Some won’t be back; everyone’s year-to-year.  It’s simple. I don’t ask a lot. I want effort; I want you to compete. I want you to do it on and off the field. That’s basically all I ask … and for some guys, they can’t do that.”

Player Notes -

- Jon Embree spoke about his wide receivers on Thursday, noting that Toney Clemons, when he was available, along with Paul Richardson, have “done well”. But that’s about it in terms of wide receiver play. “After that, we haven’t had anyone really step up and say, ‘I’m the next one in line’.

- Paul Richardson drew praise from his head coach. “He’s fast; he’s good with the ball after he catches it; he has good hands,” said Embree. “He could have great hands. He’s almost to the point where literally anything near him, he will catch. He’s a football player. He really understands football. And he’s hard on himself. He wants to be really good.”

- Junior wide receiver Will Jefferson, according to Embree, “has been up and down”. Jefferson has tendinitis in both knees. “Some days,” joked Embree, ” it looks like I could beat him running.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Thursday

On the desire to build toughness back into the Buffs – “We’re physical … Guys have a little bit of an edge. It’s been a very good spring from that standpoint. I know that they understand how to practice. It’s been pretty grueling; we’ve done a lot … 95% of the guys have responded.”

On what he is looking for from the Spring game – “Health” and … “A couple of guys are pushing for some positions, whether it’s a number two at a certain spot, or a starter, or just a spot on the team – to have a chance to go to Hawai’i. When the freshmen come in (in August), we’re plugging them in, because we’re going to evaluate them. These guys have had 15 practices, they’ve had off-season workouts. They’ve had all their opportunities to show what they can do. So we’ve got to evaluate the young guys coming in to see what they can do so we can get the best guys out there … So, for some of the guys (the Spring game) is a big day.”

April 5th

“Eric has two kids he needs to feed”

Colorado ran its second-to-last closed practice before the Spring game on Saturday (the next practice will be a light run through on Thursday, focused on special teams and “on-field” teaching). Colorado head coach Jon Embree was not dismayed by not being able to evaluate some of the injured personnel, either this week or throughout the spring. “I don’t look at it as being a negative,” said Embree. “I look at it as a positive, being able to evaluate who our backups could be, and maybe some starters. There are some guys who I thought would be backups, who have a chance to play a lot of football for us.”

Player Notes

- Sophomore tight end DaVaughn Thornton, ushered into an ambulance on Monday, was back on the field on Tuesday, though not practicing. “He’s fine,” said Jon Embree, noting that Thornton’s injury was related to the tight end’s back. “He’ll do some stuff on Thursday, and then we’ll decide if we’ll do anything with him on Saturday. He wants to play, but we’ll see.”

- Also in the “maybe” category for the Spring game is senior wide receiver Toney Clemons, who has been nursing a hamstring injury. “I have no idea (if Clemons will play in the Spring game)”, said Embree. “We’ll see if he can do anything on Thursday”, noting that he did not want Clemons to aggravate his injury just to put into action during the Spring game. “Once August comes, I don’t want any issues,” said Embree.

- The fullbacks, Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, are doing well in their transition from linebacker. “They bring a physical element to us,” said Embree. “They are a lot better than I thought they would be, being defensive players … I’ve been surprised by them, pleasantly. I think between the two of them, we’ll be fine.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Tuesday

- On what sophomore wide receiver Paul Richardson needs to do to become an elite performer: “He’s got to be better running routes; he’s got to get better understanding what the coverage is, and what the defense is trying to do to him … More consistent catching the ball. He’ll make the spectacular catch, but then he’ll drop some, too … He can be a great one.”

- On running backs coach Eric Bieniemy riding his players hard, making them do extra work and drills: “Eric has two kids to feed. So, if they (the running backs) fumble the ball, I’d rather be hard on them than tell the family we’ve got to move. We had a fumble; we had a back run out of bounds in (the) four-minute (drill), when we’re trying to run out the clock … They earn (the punishments) … If that’s too much for them, we’ll find some guys who will hold onto the ball, or understand that they will be held accountable when they don’t.”

April 4th

Defense bounces back

Perhaps motivated by the impressive numbers put up by the Colorado offense in the second scrimmage, the Colorado defense made a statement of their own during Monday’s practice. “The defense had a great practice,” said CU head coach Jon Embree. “Very physical. They did a good job of tackling; forcing some turnovers … The (defense) won every situation today.

Embree saw the rise of the defense as an issue the coaches have had to deal with all spring. “Right now as a team, we’re not very good when things don’t go our way early,” said Embree. “We’ve got to get better about playing the next play. We still watch the scoreboard too much.” The flip side was true for the offense on Monday. After doing well in the second scrimmage on Saturday, the offense struggled in its first effort back on the practice fields. “(the offense) didn’t know how to handle success,” said Embree.

Player Notes

- Sophomore tight end DaVaughn Thornton was escorted off of the playing field by trainers during Monday’s practice, but Embree did not see the injury as serious. “He jogged off the field”, explained Embree, explaining that the injury was “something in (Thornton’s) back”, but that he felt the attention afforded Thornton was largely precautionary.

- Sophomore kicker Justin Castor continues to improve, according to Embree. “Each day, he gets better and better. He’s been fixing things from a mechanical standpoint”, explained Embree, noting that improved play from the snapper and holder was helping Castor be more consistent.

Jon Embree Quotes – Monday

- When asked if injuries to the defense was an excuse for the unit’s poor play on Saturday, Embree laughed off the explanation. “This is your opportunity to show you want to be on that plane going to Hawai’i,” said Embree, noting that there would be some freshmen coming into camp in August that would be more than happy to take the spots of these players if they are too tired this spring. “You want to be tired?”, asked Embree. “You can watch the game on TV”.

- Embree also spoke about an increased emphasis on special teams this spring (except for kick returns, which will be worked on more this fall, when some new players, who will be asked to fill some of those roles, will be in camp. “We’re trying to get our kickers, especially our punter, to understand how he can change the field; the importance of putting the ball where we need it from a coverage standpoint,” said Embree. “When you’re not the most talented, you need to win all three phases of the game. We need to make (opposing offenses) go a long way (to score)”.

April 1st

“A good mental day”

Colorado went through a lighter practice on Friday (no pads, no tackling) in preparation for the second scrimmage of the spring season, set for 1:30 on Saturday (open to the public). Buff head coach Jon Embree indicated that it would be a regular scrimmage, with “1′s v. 1′s and 2′s v. 2′s” starting at the minus-30 yard line. Embree also stated that the Buffs would mix in “a little red zone, because we want to get in a little more red zone work”. There will also be some field goals attempted during the scrimmage.

“I don’t know how many plays it will be,” said Embree. “We’re beat up on one side of the line, the D-line, but we’ve got to go.”

Player Notes -

- Red-shirt freshman tight end Harold Mobley has been reinstated to the team. Mobley was held out of the first nine practices so that he could concentrate on school work (and remaining eligible). Embree noted that Mobley was “way behind”, but that “is his own fault”.

- Senior defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham has been nursing a sore elbow, but should be available for the spring game, so as to let his elbow “calm down a little bit”, according to Embree.

- Red-shirt freshman defensive tackle Kirk Poston, slowed by an ankle injury, will be allowed to participate in the April 2nd scrimmage.

- Sophomore defensive tackle Nate Bonsu should also play on Saturday. Bonsu’s injury has been a sore shoulder.

- True freshman offensive lineman Alex Lewis has been “down on himself”, said Embree, but needs to remember that he is still just a true freshman (Lewis was a member of the recruiting class of 2010, but gray-shirted, enrolling in January. He still has five years to play four). Embree remains high on Lewis. “He’s going to have a bright future here,” said Embree.

Jon Embree Quotes – Friday

Embree was asked after the Friday practice what the biggest issue is facing the Buff offensive players in adjusting to the West coast offense. “Details,” Embree replied. “It really falls on the receivers and tight ends. Those are the guys who have to do the most learning”. Still, Embree is pleased overall. “They have done pretty good with it. I’m pleasantly surprised at how well they’re picking up some things. It’s starting to click.”

The Colorado head coach was particularly impressed with the work of the offensive line under new line coach Steve Marshall. “They’re a lot farther along than the other positions,” said Embree. “That’s been very encouraging, because usually that’s the group that you have to hold things back for … The good thing is, we can put in as many passes as we want, as soon as (the wide receivers and tight ends) can learn the ones we have in.”

March 31st

“I’m finding out who we can count on”

“Early on, the defense was wearing them out,” said Colorado head coach Jon Embree about Thursday’s practice. “The defense was very good against the run today.”

While Colorado has made it through its first nine practices without a significant new injury, there still have been a number of players who have spent time on the sidelines. The walking wounded total, though, does not bother Embree. “”The guys that are playing for the guys who are injured are doing a great job of taking advantage of their opportunities,” said Embree. “They’re showing up. We’re going to play 13 straight weeks, we’re not going to have everybody. As a staff, we don’t really talk about it. We just coach the guys that we have.”

Player Notes -

- Embree is encouraged by getting to see his new team on the field. “I’m finding out who we can count on,” said Embree. “The guys that aren’t necessarily workout warriors; the guys who are football players.”

- Colorado may be naming a starting quarterback sooner rather than later. “If there is a clear cut guy, then we’ll do it,” said Embree. “I’m not into playing games, or trying to make the other team figure out all that stuff. When I know, we need to let everyone know. The team needs to know who their leader is in the huddle.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Thursday

- On his tight ends: “They’re getting there. We need tight ends. We need more.”

- On the cornerbacks biggest problem: “Knowing what to do. No one does anything consistently. No one does it every play yet.”

March 29th

“There’s nobody on this team that we need to go out there and lose”

Colorado passed the midway point of spring practice, 2011, on Tuesday, with the eighth of 15 practices. Overall, head coach Jon Embree was pleased. “This was the first practice that both sides did stuff good, so that was encouraging,” said Embree. “We continued to run the ball good. We’re still not sharp in the passing game, so we’ve got to clean that up.” As for the defense, Embree noted that “the defense created some turnovers at the right time.”

Still, there is plenty to improve upon before September. “We’ve got to start learning how to handle success,” said Embree, explaining, “The defense stops them twice, and they start feeling good about themselves, and then the offense scores a couple of touchdowns.”

Player Notes –

- Embree was asked about junior defensive end Nick Kasa, who Embree noted on Monday was amongst the walking wounded. “Something in his knee,” Embree said. “one of those L’s” – but Embree did not indicate that Kasa was being held out of practice, or that Kasa’s injury was long term.

- With Kasa limited, Embree noted the play of sophomore defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe, walk-on senior defensive end Tony Poremba, senior walk-on outside linebacker David Goldberg, and senior defensive end Josh Hartigan. “Guys are taking advantage of their opportunities,” said Embree.

- Senior wide receiver Toney Clemons has been bothered by a hamstring this spring. “He’s about 85%,” said Embree. “He caught a deep ball (Tuesday); about a 60-yarder.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Tuesday

- On the play of the cornerbacks: “I guess good and bad. No one is jumping out and taking the lead.”

- On the kicking game: “We have to be more consistent. And it’s not all on (the kickers). We’ve been inconsistent snapping (where the Buffs are replacing Joe Silipo) and holding (where the Buffs are replacing Scotty McKnight and Cody Hawkins), so it’s the whole battery which has to be more consistent.” Embree went on to note that he has not had to deal with kickers before, so they are not getting special treatment. “They’re not fragile. I’m treating them like everybody else.”

Only “Players” will earn the trip to Hawai’i

The best quotes from Tuesday’s practice came after Embree was asked about sophomore center Gus Handler, seen running laps. Embree said he wasn’t exactly sure about the nature of Handler’s punishment, but felt it had to do with Handler not getting treatment. Which led Embree to the following monologue:

“We can take 70 to Hawai’i, but we may not be taking 70. I’m going to take guys who can play and who can help us. I’ve told the team, ‘We’ve lost enough games with everybody, so there’s nobody on this team that we need to go out there and lose. We can lose without them.’ If you can’t do it right off the field, you won’t do it right on the field, either.”

Is it too early to start campaigning for Pac-12 coach-of-the-year?

Offensive line picture crystalizing?

Colorado only has one hole to fill along its offensive line this spring … but it’s a big hole.

Off to the NFL as a likely first round draft pick is CU left tackle Nate Solder. Rather than replace Solder at the all-important “protect the quarterback’s back” position, sophomore David Bakhtiari, who started 11 games at right tackle last season as a red-shirt freshman, has been practicing at left tackle.

Which moves the hole in the line over the right tackle position.

Through the first half of spring practice, sophomore Jack Harris has been getting the most repetitions. Harris was doing well in practice last fall before a shoulder injury kept Harris from playing.  “We were almost done with camp, and everything was going well, but I ended up with a shoulder injury and I was out for about eight weeks,” Harris explained to BuffStampede.com. “It was definitely disappointing … It took me a long time to get all the strength back in my shoulder. I feel like I didn’t get back to 100 percent until winter conditioning with (strength and conditioning) coach (Malcolm) Bracken.”

Harris has done well at right tackle so far, but he still has work to do before he will be considered as a lock at becoming the Buffs’ next starting right tackle. “Jack has been up and down,” said Jon Embree after the March 28th practice. “He had an up-and-down day (Monday). He went the wrong way a couple times. But he brings a physical presence that you need on the right side.”

For his part, Harris appreciates the chance to prove his worth. “I am very grateful that I am getting an opportunity to work with the starting team,” said Harris. ”I am going to try and keep my job, and fend off other guys who are coming up.”

In words which will be pleasing to hear from Buff fans confused by the use of the offensive line the past few seasons, Harris said, “(offensive line) coach (Steve) Marshall is different (from former offensive line coach Denver Johnson). He just  has a totally different demeanor,” said Harris. He just seems more into it. He wants you to get it perfect, and, if you don’t, you’re going to hear about it.

“One word that I hear coach Marshall use a lot is ‘displace’. He definitely wants us to pound people into the ground in the run game, and be aggressive in pass pro(tection),” said Harris. “So I would say there is more emphasis on being aggressive all the time.”

March 28th

 “Really good practice for the defense”

Colorado conducted its seventh practice of the spring on Monday, with this week’s practices to be culminated with a scrimmage on April 2nd (at 1:30 – open to the public).

All of the players were back from spring break and accounted for.

Player Notes -

- Several players who have not been able to practice much to date are working their way back into the rotation. Offensive lineman Shawn Daniels, defensive end Nick Kasa, sophomore linebacker Derrick Webb, and defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe are amongst those walking wounded who are getting onto the practice fields more after the break.

- Sophomore Jack Harris has been practicing with the first team offensive line. David Bahktiari is doing well making the transition from right tackle to left tackle.

- In reviewing the tape of the March 18th scrimmage, head coach Jon Embree noted that senior defensive tackle Conrad Obi played well, as did senior linebacker Doug Rippy. Embree also noted that red-shirt freshman running back Tony Jones ran well.

Jon Embree Quotes – Monday

- On Monday’s practice – “A really good practice for the defense; a really good practice. I was very encouraged to see them come out and respond. They were really sharp.”

- On the play of the offense in the March 18th scrimmage – “I felt better about the run game. We do have to get better throwing it; I was happy with the quarterbacks running of the offense.”

- On the play of the defense in the March 18th scrimmage – “Defensively, the tackling could have been better at times; could have been better up front. Conrad Obi played well, Doug Rippy had a very good scrimmage.”

- On sophomore defensive back Terrel Smith, who tore off his red-shirt last midway through the 2010 season, compiling 60 tackles in six games – “I need to see more from him … I haven’t seen it yet.”

March 27th

Back from break

The Colorado Buffaloes have had ten days off since their scrimmage on March 18th. Monday’s practice will be the seventh of 15 allowed practices (the April 2nd scrimmage and April 9th Spring game count against the total).

“I’m happy with the way they’ve responded, and now we’re going to pick it up again when we come back,” said Jon Embree. The Colorado head coach, did spend some time on the west coast meeting with boosters before spending some time with family in Boulder looking for a house for he and his wife and daugther.  

On the sixth day, they rested …

After going through five straight days of practices, the Buff players had a day off on Wednesday. They will be back at it on Thursday, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at how the quarterback race is shaping up.

Five practices are in the books, with ten practices, including a scrimmage (April 2nd) and the Spring game (April 9th) yet to come. Still, if the season were to start tomorrow, it appears clear that senior Tyler Hansen would be the starting quarterback. Head coach Jon Embree has noted Hansen’s efforts on the field, and also named him as one of the leaders of the team.

What about Hansen’s position coach, Rip Scherer?

“I think Tyler, he has game experience, game maturity. I’ve been really pleased with him,” said Scherer. “Some of the things I saw on tape that were bad habits, that I thought he needed to correct right away, he has taken to heart and improved right off the bat. I like his leadership. I like his huddle demeanor. And he’s done a good job of playing with the pocket.”

Hansen, for his part, is embracing the challenge of having to prove he belongs in the starting role. “I am. That’s life; you have to live through and battle through the tough times,” Hansen told BuffStampede.com. “But I like it. I have to re-prove myself, it is more exciting. It’s fun to learn a new offense; it’s fun to compete.” Hansen also is embracing the role of being a senior leader. “Coach Rip has asked me to be more of a leader within our group, too, to help Nick and Brent along … I am teaching them tricks and trying to relate it to something I have learned in the past … As a senior quarterback, the coaches have asked me to be a leader, and asked me to be the guy the other guys look to and ask questions, and look to for leadership.”

This is not to say that the starting position has been ceded by Hansen’s competitors. Redshirt freshman Nick Hirschman, for one, is excited about the change in offensive philosophy. “It’s more pro style than we were last year,” said Hirschman. “That suits me a little better than last year’s offense did. I’m more of a traditional drop back guy who can run around with his feet if he needs to, but I’d rather stay in the pocket and throw.”

Junior transfer Brent Burnette has the advantage of being “more of a pocket guy – at least that’s how it looked on his junior college tapes,” said Scherer. “His team (Western Arizona) ran some spread and shotgun, so there’s still going to be a learning curve. But I think his forte is to play from the pocket.” Still, Burnette is under the handicap of not having spent time with the Buffs’ receiving corps, as have Hansen and Hirschman. “We’d throw a little bit in the bubble after we got done running,” said Burnette of the winter conditioning period. “But it really doesn’t compare to coming out here and strapping the pads on and going full against the defense and against the rush. That’s something I’m still working on, and figuring out how this receiver runs routes compared to another. That’s just something that with time, it will come.”

As a result, all three players have a great deal to learn this spring. “Anytime you go from a spread offense to a pro-style, it’s different for everybody, but more different for the quarterback,” said Scherer. “It’s a whole different perspective for the quarterback to take the ball from center and go back three, five or seven steps, put your foot in the ground and make a decision – as opposed to standing back there and kind of sorting things out.”

So, who will win the job?

“What will go into it is the guy that has leadership skills and also will handle the ball and value the ball,” said Scherer. “You know, if you don’t turn the ball over in this game, you’ve got a chance to win. So it doesn’t matter how talented a guy is, if he is going to spray the ball around and turn it over, you’ve got problems. so value the ball and then making plays.

“The bottom line with a quarterback is how many times do you take the offense and cross the last line? If you can put the ball in the end zone, you may not be the most stylish guy doing it, but the bottom line is making sure the ball gets in the end zone.”

Meanwhile, quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer is already looking to the future

“I think we’ve created a niche for ourselves in recruiting,” said Scherer. “We’re going to try and go nationally and recruit the top quarterback that we can every year. I think for a young player who has aspirations to play at the next level, you’re in this kind of offense you’re more readily prepared, and there’s not many of us doing it.”

College offenses, Scherer contends, are cyclical, with the spread offense the current rage. “It’ll cycle back to this, but we’ll be on the cusp of it, the front edge,” said Scherer. “We create an alternative for a top flight quarterback that has projected ability to move beyond college.” Scherer pointed out that 18 NFL teams “run a west coast offense of some sort. I think you can sit in front of a high school kid and his parents – not that that should be the only reason that a guy comes to Colorado or anyplace else – but the fact is, it gives us a different niche. The NFL’s not changing; the NFL’s not going to the spread offense. I think it will allow us to get our foot in the door of some of the top prospects in the country.”

The 2011 season? It may well be that Hansen, Hirschman or Burnette – whoever wins the job – will struggle to make the West Coast offense work in Boulder.

But the future looks bright …

March 15th

Buffs have a more productive practice

Player Notes

- Head coach Jon Embree was asked after Tuesday’s practice to name players which were assuming leadership of the team. On offense, Embree named quarterback Tyler Hansen – “He’s taking the reins of the offense”; right guard Ryan Miller – “trying to do some stuff”; as well as wide receivers Toney Clemons and Paul Richardson. On defense, Embree had a tougher time coming up with names, noting that he wanted to see more out of defensive tackles Curtis Cunningham and Will Pericak. Jon Major was named as the linebacker doing the most in terms of leadership, while Embree named safety Anthony Perkins, who is injured and not participating in hitting drills, as the likely leader of the secondary. Of the players named, all are seniors except for Pericak and Major, who are juniors, and Richardson, who is a sophomore.

Running backs

The running back corps has been getting  a great deal of attention in the early going. (Yes, I know there is a rumor about a running back quitting the team. I would like to have that confirmed by the player or the team first, though, before taking that issue any further). Much of the discussion has centered around the coaching style of offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who is known for his energy, as well as his fiery attitude. “Bieniemy is a little bit more experienced,” senior running back Rodney Stewart said when comparing Bieniemy to Stewart’s former position coach, Darian Hagan. “He’s more aggressive than Hagan, but Hagan’s pretty aggressive, too.”

“It think it takes a while to get used to,” said Bieniemy of his coaching style. “But one thing I always tell them is don’t confuse the message with the speech. Make sure you listen to what I am saying … When they do it right, I’m going to be the first one to praise them. When they do it wrong, I’m going to critique them and make sure they understand why they did it wrong, and make sure I stay on their tail so that they don’t make the same mistake again.

“I tell my guys I coach hard, but I coach fair,” said Bieniemy. “I’m your biggest fan, and I expect you to be great at all times. If we make a mistake, things happen. If we get physically beat, things happen. If we make a mental error, I take personal issue with that.”

Rodney Stewart, for one, doesn’t have a problem with Bieniemy’s style. “He wants me to be more of a leader, helping the other guys out,” said Stewart. “I’ve got to get better, too. There is a lot of things I need to work on to be a good back, and if I want to go to the next level and be good at that. I think he’s going to get me where I need to be.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Tuesday

Coach Embree was asked which running back is the number two back behind Stewart this spring: “Tony Jones is doing very well. He needs to get stronger, but he has a good knack of finding the seem.”

On how many backs he would like to have in the rotation this fall, Embree said he was looking for at least three backs to be ready (including Stewart and Brian Lockridge, who won’t be able to practice until August): “People remember Chris Brown for all those touchdowns against Nebraska, and he was the third back in. It was Cortlen (Johnson) who got a ‘hammie’; then (Bobby) Purify got an ankle sprain. And then Chris came in. You’ve got to have them. You’ve got to have them ready.”

On running nine-on-seven drills, something Dan Hawkins specifically went away from in his practices: “You could tell (Monday) that it was the first time doing it for some of them. For some of them, the first time ever. Today was a little better; the intensity. You could hear the pads. Yesterday, it was like a pillow fight. Today we’re hitting.” (Note: In a nine-on-seven drill, the offense pits the offensive line, a tight end, the quarterback, and two running backs against the front seven of the defense. The drill is designed to improve both the run offense and the run defense. It is considered a “high intensity” drill).

March 14th

“We don’t know how to work yet … We’ll get it”

Player Notes

- There have been rumors about players leaving the team (specifically, a running back). Head coach Jon Embree was asked about player defections after practice on Monday. “Not that I know of yet,” said Embree. “I think there might be some guys that are on the fence, so we’ll see.”

- As to players who are standing out, Embree had several names in mind. “You know the guy I am really proud of?, said Embree. “Forrest West. After day one, I ripped him and demoted him, and all he has done since then is make plays. Now, he can still get better, but he responded.” Embree also singled out red-shirt running back Tony Jones. “He is responding,” said Embree. “He is stepping up his game and doing some things.” Embree also gave props to quarterback Tyler Hansen, wide receiver Paul Richardson, the tight ends, and the offensive line.

Jon Embree Quotes – Monday

 On “Separation Day”: “Oh yeah, some guys got exposed, and that is good because their teammates will know about them. It is habits right now. That is the problem right now, habits. They want to feel sorry for themselves a little bit. We don’t know how to work yet … We’ll get it.”

On intensity during Monday’s practice: “We are still up and down. We can’t get to a certain level and just sustain it. Offense beats the defense in nine-on-seven and then we go to team run offense and offense does well again and then defense dominates the rest of practice. We can’t be like that.”

On focusing on running plays: “I feel like we are really progressing. There are going to be some plays we can hang our hat on. Short yardage scrimmage, like I said, the defense got us. But we put in new plays and new personnel groups for that, but when we ran the plays that we’ve been running; we were very good at it. So I am encouraged by that. But yet, at the same time, we have to be able to take new stuff on the field, and get going. We can’t keep taking a day to figure it out. We have to do better. We have to have some football IQ to be able to take some of that to the field.”

March 13th

“We can run, but we can’t throw worth a dang”

Sunday’s practice, the last practice open to the public, brought about mixed reviews from the Colorado head coach.

“I was pleased from a running standpoint,” said Jon Embree. “I feel like we can run the ball, but we can’t throw worth a dang. Some of that is because we installed new plays today. So guys are swimming, but we have to get better. We can’t have center-quarterback exchange (problems); we can’t keep putting the ball on the ground. We can’t have that.”

Sunday was the last for the Buffs in shoulder pads and shorts. On Monday, the Buffs will conduct the first full contact practice of the spring.

“It counts tomorrow,” said Embree, who called Monday “separation day”. “Anybody can play in shells and shorts, but when you really have to tackle and not tag off, we are going to find out who can play. It is going to separate who can play from the pretenders”.

Player Notes

- Sophomore linebacker Liloa Nobriga sat out Sunday’s practice with a minor hamstring injury.

- Senior wide receiver Toney Clemons suffered a minor hamstring injury during Sunday’s practice.

- Junior wide receiver Will Jefferson has been hobbled, but has practiced this spring. “Will just has knees older than mine, that’s his problem,” said Embree. “He just has to take care of them … I think he’ll be alright. He has tendinitis.”

- Sophomore defensive back Parker Orms continues to recover from his torn ACL, suffered in the first quarter of the Colorado State game. “Prior to that, I hadn’t missed a game since I was seven years old,” Orms told BuffStampede.com. “Last fall was the toughest time of my life, for sure.” Orms is doing some light workouts this spring. “I am about 90 percent right now, they say the last ten percent is the hardest,” said Orms. “There is definitely still some pain … They say six months after the injury is the projected time when I should be getting close. It will be six months (on March 24th), so we will see. After we come back from spring break, I will see if I can participate. It is better to come back a little late than too early.”

- Sophomore offensive lineman Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner is also on the mend, recovering from two torn ACL’s. “He has done a good job of re-habbing it, we’re trying to give him an ample opportunity to get back,” said Embree. “I don’t want to get him out there too soon and then have to shut him down for sure … So it is just a matter of when he is going to put in some actions.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Sunday

On reported struggles by kicker Justin Castor: “The issue is our snapper and holder. We have to get that worked out. One time the ball was four inches inside the spot; another time it is behind it.”

On the overall effort through three practices: “Yeah, they are (learning new plays), but, as I told the coaches, we can’t accept, ‘Oh, we almost did it,’ or, ‘That is close enough’. If we say a six-yard split, (it has to be) a six-yard split. There is going to be a standard you can’t bend on … They are doing a lot of things right, but we are not doing everything right. I was told my job as a coach was not to be satisfied, so I will find something.”

On closing the next eight practices: “(It’s) so we can get some work done with the players … As we get going, as this program progresses, I want people around all the time.”

March 12th

Offensive line moves

With starting center Mike Iltis out for the spring, and All-American left tackle Nate Solder waiting to hear his name called during the first round of the NFL draft, there has been some movement along the Buffs’ offensive line. Sophomore David Bakhtiari, who started 11 games at right tackle last season, has been running with the first team at left tackle.

“I actually practiced at left tackle last spring, so I feel comfortable there,” Bakhtiari told BuffStampede.com. “I am still good friends with Nate, so when he came back for (pro) timing day, we went in the practice bubble and we did some sets. He taught me some new tricks he learned while training for the draft.”

In Bakhtiari’s place at right tackle, grey-shirt freshman Alex Lewis has impressed head coach Jon Embree in the first two days of practice, but it has been sophomore Jack Harris who has been lining up with the first team at the position.

At the center position, sophomore Gus Handler has been getting most of the snaps with the first team, with both Iltis and possible backup Shawn Daniels out for the spring recovering from off-season surgeries.

Starting offensive lineup – first weekend

The Colorado depth chart lists players alphabetically, and Jon Embree has taken pains to remind everyone that each and every starting job is up for grabs, but someone has to run with the first team. The first weekend of practice, the “ones” on offense are:

QB – Tyler Hansen; TB – Rodney Stewart; FB – Tyler Ahles; WR – Paul Richardson; WR – Toney Clemons; TE – Ryan Deehan; LT – David Bakhtiari; LG – Ethan Adkins; C – Gus Handler; RG – Ryan Miller; RT – Jack Harris.

This could all change several times before fall (it could change several times before the spring game), but, if the Hawai’i game were next Saturday, this might well be the lineup the Buffs would trot out onto the field in Honolulu. Not bad …

Player Notes

- Junior offensive lineman Bryce Givens is being held out of practice until his fate is decided by the Office of Judicial Affairs. Givens was caught on video vandalizing three cars in a Denver parking garage in December. Teammates Eric Richter and Will Pericak were with Givens that night, but both are practicing with the team.

- Harold Mobley may never get his shot at quarterback. The red-shirt freshman tight end is being held out of practice for undisclosed disciplinary reasons. Mobley may be back to practice sometime this spring, but no timetable was given by Jon Embree for Mobley’s return.

- Quarterback turned defensive back Justin Gorman may have found his way onto the field. Gorman is being given a look at holder for extra points and field goals. The job was held down by Cody Hawkins and Scotty McKnight the past few seasons.

- Red-shirt freshman defensive lineman Kirk Poston is concentrating on playing inside at defensive tackle.

- There are a total of six new walk-ons listed on the Colorado roster (Hunter, a transfer, would not be eligible to play until 2012): 

Drew Ebner                 WR          5-11       200        Fr.        HS       Arvada, Colo. (Pomona)

Jacob Frost                  PK           6-  0       170        Fr.        HS       Bakersfield, Calif. (Liberty)

Harrison Hunter        DB           5-10       170        So.       TR        Fountain, Colo. (Fountain-Fort Carson/Fort Lewis)

Andre Nichols            DE           6-  4       220        Fr.        HS       Colorado Springs, Colo. (Rampart)

Alec Parker                OLB         6-  0       210        Fr.        HS       Westminster, Colo. (Standley Lake)

Conner Wilhelm        WR          5-11       170        Fr.        HS       Los Angeles, Calif. (Hamilton)

Jon Embree quotes – Saturday

On the second day of practice: “The intensity stayed up high. Anyone can do it once. They answered the call; competed well.”

On the coaches getting on players for making mistakes: “Someone’s in their ear. Someone’s on them when they make a mistake. So they have that constant pressure on them, and I told them that we’re going to keep the pressure on them. We’re not going to let them breathe and relax.”

Concerning some of the fights between the players, and whether that was okay with him: “Yeah, I expect it. When I was a player here, we fought each other. That’s part of the deal.” Embree then went on to explain that going against the same players every play, with them trying to prevent you from doing what you were trying to do, it would get to him as a player, and he expects it to get to his players now. This is a deviation from the policy about fights under Dan Hawkins, when the entire team had to run “gassers” if a fight broke out. “When you are on the football field, emotions are running high so that is bound to happen,” said sophomore offensive tackle David Bakhtiari. “I got in a tussle with Josh Hartigan today, and, shortly after, I went up to him and said, ‘Good (****)’. We are good friends, it is nothing personal.”

“Intensity” the word of choice by players after practice

“For the record, it’s intense,” said senior wide receiver Toney Clemons of the Buffs’ practice regime. “But it’s what we need. It feels good to have everything crisp, everything real militant and everything real professional. They’re teaching us how to become young men and young football players, and we’re getting a feel for what the game is like on the next level. You want that high level coaching, and we’ve got it here.”

Red-shirt freshman quarterback Nick Hirschman agreed. “I thought the level of intensity was so much higher,” said Hirschman. “It was a lot more enthusiastic, and that makes it a lot more fun for the players and the coaches.”

For senior linebacker Jon Major, the first practice was just a continuation of what the players have seen since winter conditioning began. “It’s really attention to details, maximum effort, and if you don’t do it right, then you’re going to do it again or you’re going to get punished,” said Major. “That’s definitely going to carry over I think in the fall.”

Former safety – now cornerback – Deji Olatoye concurred. “It was a rough program for everyone (this winter),” said Olatoye, who had an interception in the first practice. (New strength and conditioning) Coach (Malcolm) Blacken did a good job of getting us prepared for this. It was a lot of running, it definitely opened up our eyes, and I feel like I am a part of a college football team now.”

Sophomore wide receiver Paul Richardson, who joined the team just a few days before the start of fall practice last summer, is going through his first spring practices as a Buff, and, at least for now, he is enjoying the ride. “The coaches wanted us to get used to facing adversity,” said Richardson of the winter conditioning program. As for his goals this spring, Richardson said that “getting in and out of my breaks better, and having the role of a leader. “I like the weight the coaches have put on my shoulders,” said Richardson, “and the level of responsibility that I have”. Richardson also indicated that he had decided to return to Colorado even before Jon Embree was hired, and that he made it through his first Colorado winter without any difficulties.

New names

There are some new names on the Colorado roster. These are names not likely to make the starting roster, but you never know …

Linebacker Alec Parker, defensive end Andre Nichols, and kicker Jacob Frost, all walk-ons, appeared on the rosters handed out to the media at the first practice. 

There is also a potential transfer, Hunter Harrison, a defensive back from Fountain, Colorado. Harrison comes from Fort Lewis, and the walk-on would have four years to play three after sitting out the 2011 season.

March 11th

Colorado opens Jon Embree era with afternoon practice

“I am going to have to get some throat lozenges,” Jon Embree joked after his first practice as the 24th-head coach in Colorado football history.

“I have to be me”, said Embree of his raising his voice on a number of occasions during the shorts-and-helmets opening practice. “I am very demanding. I am going to be on them. There is a standard, and either you do or you don’t. And we can’t bend or compromise it.”

Embree’s no-nonsense approach hasn’t been lost on the players, with one player describing it as “a lot more professional.”

It is the intent of the coaches to install the basics of a West Coast offense this spring, but not cloud the players’ minds with too much information. Rather, the coaches want to see which players have the physical skill to run the playbook, and the heart to help bring back a winning tradition to the program. “It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be intense,” said senior quarterback Tyler Hansen. “It’s going to be hard work, a lot different than it was.”

Hansen, for one, likes the look of the new offense. “I like it a lot,” said Hansen. “I don’t have to run the ball as much, take as many hits, and we’re getting the ball off on time. Stuff like that. It’s good stuff.”

On defense, many eyes will be trained upon the secondary, where the Buffs have lost two cornerbacks, Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown, to the NFL. “The big issue is we’re going to have to replace two proven playmakers in Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown,” said defensive coordinator and secondary coach Greg Brown. “Behind that, there weren’t a lot of guys who stepped in at that corner spot for the last two or three years because of the play of those two guys. So corner is a large unknown right now, and it probably will still be an unknown going all the way into the fall.”

The defensive playbook will also be vanilla this spring, as the coaches evaluate talent. “We’re evolving right now,” said Brown. “There is no way of knowing where the thing is going to end up. Our focus right now is on spring ball and just trying to line up and play it straight and see if we can win some one-on-one battles.”

Player Notes

- There were four players who were already known to be “OUT” for spring practice due to off-season surgery: Tight end Matt Bahr; offensive lineman Blake Behrens; center Mike Iltis; and offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner. Joining that list now are four players who were previously listed as “TBD” … Out for the spring are: defensive back Anthony Perkins; defensive back Parker Orms; offensive lineman Shawn Daniels; and defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe. The only name which was not on the “TBD” list earlier was Uzo-Diribe, who had surgery on a broken toe in late February. While listed as out for the spring, Uzo-Diribe believes he could be available for the second half of spring practices.

- With center Mike Iltis out, three players will see time at that position this spring … sophomore Gus Handler; red-shirt freshman Daniel Munyer; and red-shirt freshman Kaiwi Crabb.

- Senior guard Ryan Miller, rumored to be moving to left tackle to replace the departed Nate Solder, isn’t going anywhere. Miller will remain at guard.

- As it turns out, there will be more competition at quarterback. With a lack of depth in the secondary, it was thought that red-shirt freshman Josh Moten would be asked to concentrate on learning the defense. Moten will, however, be given a tryout at quarterback, as will red-shirt freshman tight end Harold Mobley. Both Moten and Mobley played quarterback in high school, and Moten believed that he was to be given a chance at quarterback by Dan Hawkins, but that did not work out.

- Perhaps in return for Moten, the quarterbacks are sending Justin Gorman, a walk-on red-shirt freshman, over to the secondary (interestingly enough, in his post-practice comments, Jon Embree was surprised to learn that Gorman was listed as a quarterback on the depth chart. Embree had been under the impression that Gorman had always been a defensive back).

- Junior Eric Richter, listed on the depth chart as an offensive lineman, will be moving to the defensive line.

- Red-shirt freshman Deji Olatoye, who practiced at safety last fall, will be tried out as a cornerback this spring.

- The Buffs have a new walk-on kicker. His name is Jacob Frost (no further information currently available).

Jon Embree Quotes – Friday

Overall view of first practice: “I think the guys are starting to understand a little bit about what’s expected … They had a pretty good grasp of what we’re asking them to do. They know what to do. They weren’t great in the details.”

On coaching college players instead of NFL players, and not being too hard on the team: “Skill has nothing to do with effort”.

On bringing a fullback into the offense: “The fullback is very important … We want to run the football. Having a fullback will allow you to mess with the defensive spacing.” (Embree also mentioned that Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, both former linebackers, volunteered to make the move to fullback).

Second Scrimmage – Behind the numbers

“There are three kinds of lies: lies; damned lies; and statistics”, a phrase widely attributed to Benjamin Desraeli and popularized by Mark Twain.

The phrase certainly holds true when reviewing the numbers from an intra-squad scrimmage, and a spring one at that. For every celebration over a long touchdown pass, there is consternation over a blown coverage by the secondary; for every sack, there is a missed assignment by an offensive lineman.

Still, as the 2011 Buffs have been under wraps for the past few weeks, a look under the hood of Jon Embree’s team is certainly called for after the team completed practice No. 11 of 15 allotted practices.

Quarterbacks

While head coach Jon Embree wouldn’t agree that Tyler Hansen was “clearly” the choice for starting quarterback in September, Hansen’s numbers – and those of his competitors – suggest otherwise.

True, Hansen’s 18-for-19 performance was against a depleted defensive line and a secondary missing both of its likely starters at safety, but Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette went up against much of the same personnel, with significantly different numbers. Hirschman went 4-of-11 for 27 yards, while Burnette went one-for-five for eight yards. Hansen threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns;  Hirschman/Burnette threw for 35 yards and no scores (in just three fewer passes).

Buff defenders managed four sacks on the afternoon, all against Nick Hirschman. Hansen was not sacked, and did not take off running with the ball, carrying the ball only twice on the afternoon (once for 13 yards; the other for two yards). All together, Hirschman/Burnette were in for eight drives, netting two touchdowns. In Hansen’s seven drives, the offense scored six touchdowns (three drives for 70 yards, the other three in red zone drives started at the 20-yard line).

“If it’s still like this at the end of the spring, yeah, we’ll go with Tyler,” said Embree. “If Tyler continues like he has, and Nick doesn’t pick it up a little bit, Tyler will be the No. 1″.

I appreciate Embree’s diplomacy, but, barring injury or a very strange summer, Tyler Hansen will be the starter in Honolulu.

Running backs

Senior Rodney Stewart had the 5th-best season in Colorado history last year, rushing for 1,318 yards. Stewart is the No. 1 running back, and he did little to dissuade anyone from that conclusion during the second scrimmage, when Speedy carried the ball 11 times for 48 yards and three touchdowns (Stewart also had five catches and another touchdown receiving).

The more interesting story goes to who will serve as Stewart’s primary backup. With senior running back Brian Lockridge out for the spring as his ankle mends, red-shirt freshman Tony Jones has become a fan favorite. The Gatorade Player-of-the-Year in New Jersey in 2009, Jones had to sit out last year, waiting for his turn. “I felt sick to my stomach not playing, and seeing all the guys having fun, and seeing Speedy run for touchdowns and me just being on the sidelines cheering him on and wishing I was playing,” said Jones. “But you know everything happens for a reason, and I’m pretty grateful that I red-shirted last season and played scout team and got the feel of the college level.”

Jones rushed for a team-best 76 yards on 13 carries in the first scrimmage of the spring, and had 11 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown in the April 2nd scrimmage. “Tony Jones is doing very well,” Embree said earlier this week. “He is starting to show up. He needs to get stronger, but he has a knack of finding the hole and the seam. The other thing is he’s protecting the football. Don’t ever take that for granted.”

The other back trying to get into the discussion is Josh Ford. A sophomore walk-on, Ford was a star at Mullen high before signing with Kansas State. After a year with the Wildcats (and Barton Community College), Ford is trying to make his way into the Buffs’ rotation. Ford had 60 yards on only five carries in the April 2nd scrimmage. Even taking out his impressive 39-yard run, Ford had 21 yards in his other four carries, still over five yards per tote.

The fullbacks remain a work in progress, though former linebackers Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington are getting good reviews. With the fullbacks you can lump in red-shirt freshman Cordary Allen, the biggest of the tailbacks (6’1″, 225-pounds), who may become a short-yardage specialist for the Buffs. In the second scrimmage, Allen had four carries for 17 yards and a touchdown.

Wide receivers / Tight Ends

For now at least, it appears that the Colorado receiving corps is sophomore Paul Richardson … and everybody else. Richardson continues to impress, hauling in four passes for 85 yards on April 2nd, including a 58-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Hansen.

After Richardson, though, there are question marks, and head coach Jon Embree has complained throughout much of the spring about a lack of production amongst the receivers. Senior Toney Clemons sat out the second spring scrimmage, and junior Will Jefferson had only one catch (albeit for 45 yards and a touchdown). Walk-on senior Kyle Cefalo had the second-best day on April 2nd, catching three balls for 53 yards, including a 33-yarder.

Perhaps it is due to a recognized lack of depth and talent at the wide receiver position that the Colorado coaches may yet bring in a receiver or two before the start of the 2011 season. Georgia transfer Logan Gray will be in Boulder for the spring game, with one season of eligibility remaining. Also coming to Boulder is Thomas Carter from Cajon high in California. Carter has not received any scholarship offers (due to academic concerns, which have since been rectified), telling BuffaloSportsNews.net, “They said when I come out there and meet the coach, if he likes me, then they will offer me a scholarship.” (More on Gray and Carter in the “Recruiting Prospects – 2012” section of CU at the Game).

At tight end, however, things are looking up. Senior Ryan Deehan is starting to look like the four-star prospect he was out of high school (three catches for 39 yards on April 2nd), while sophomore DaVaughn Thornton (four catches for 33 yards) is looking to make his own mark. “This spring is like a breath of fresh air,” said Thornton. “I will be on the field way more than I was last year. I will still make plays in practice, and the difference will be that I’ll also be out on the field in Folsom making plays.”

Offensive Line

Even without the likely starting center (Mike Iltis, out for all of spring practice), and a potential backup at center (Daniel Munyer, excused to attend his sister’s wedding), the Colorado offensive line did well in the second scrimmage. The Buffs managed 173 yards rushing, and 454 yards of total offense.

The Colorado quarterbacks were sacked four times (Nick Hirschman was the victim all four times), but otherwise had a good afternoon. When asked about Tyler Hansen’s 18-for-19 day, wide receiver Paul Richardson replied: “A big part of that is our offensive line, giving him enough time to make his reads, and deliver the ball.”

Defensive Line

The flipside of that same coin is that – if the Colorado offensive line had a good day, it must mean that the Colorado defensive line fared poorly.

Considering that the Buffs, due to injuries, were down to three defensive tackles and 2 1/2 defensive ends (red-shirt freshman Kirk Poston played despite a sore ankle), the line did give up many big plays. Of the Buffs’ 34 rushes, only one went for over 20 yards. Conrad Obi, who has earned the praise of Jon Embree, had seven tackles on April 2nd, including three tackles-for-loss, a sack, and a third down stop. Helping out on the defensive line was senior walk-on Tony Poremba, who contributed five tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and a sack. Eric Richter, a converted offensive lineman, chipped in four tackles of his own.

Hopefully, two or three of the walking wounded – Curtis Cunningham, Nate Bonsu, Forrest West, and Nick Kasa – will be available for the Spring game, and will give a better representation of what the Buff Nation can expect from the defensive line this fall.

Linebackers

After losing two starters from the 2010 team, the linebackers are in rebuilding mode. Fortunately for Buff fans, the lone holdover from the Dan Hawkins staff is long-time linebackers coach Brian Cabral. Starter Jon Major returns, along with long-time contributor Doug Rippy. In the second scrimmage, Rippy had seven tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, while Major contributed four tackles, which included two tackles-for-loss, one sack, and a third down stop.

Sophomores Derrick Webb and Liloa Nobriga have been out, so this is another unit which has yet to realize its full potential.

Secondary

Yes, this is a problem area.

And yes, it will get better before September.

While it is true that Tyler Hansen put up a ridiculous passer rating of 255.6 (18-for-19, 246 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions), it is also true that Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette also took their shots against the Colorado secondary, and went a combined 5-for-16 for 35 yards.

It is also important to remember that three potential starters – senior safety Anthony Perkins, junior safety Vince Ewing, and sophomore nickel back Parker Orms – are all out for the spring.

Sophomore Jered Bell has received the most lukewarm praise from Jon Embree, being called the “most consistent” of the defensive backs, but it clear that this unit has a great deal of work to do before fall. Transfer cornerback (from Georgia) Makiri Pugh was supposed to have an immediate impact this spring after sitting out last season, but that has yet to take place. Senior Jonathan Hawkins has had his moments, as have a a trio of sophomores – Paul Vigo; Terrel Smith; and Deji Olatoye – but none have had a break out spring.

Defensive coordinator and secondary coach Greg Brown has had to “make do” before with even less talent than he has on hand now, but the secondary will remain a question mark into the fall. Five defensive backs will hit Boulder in August – Sherrard Harrington; Greg Henderson; Kyle Washington; Jermaine Clark; and Will Harlos. If the existing players are not able to improve, and/or the injured players do not come back full strength and full throttle, it could be a long fall for the Colorado secondary.

Kickers

There was no punting during the second scrimmage, and no extra points attempted.

Jon Embree did, however, allow sophomore Justin Castor eight opportunities at field goals, and …

… Castor was good on six of those.

Okay, it’s not exactly time to break out the champagne over finding a consistent kicker, but it’s a start. Castor was good on six kicks ranging from 31 to 43 yards, with his only two misses coming from 43 and 45 yards out.

Sure, those are not Mason Crosby numbers, but bear this in mind – during the second scrimmage last spring, the two kickers (Zach Grossnickle and Marcus Kirkwood) went a combined one-for-six in their field goal attempts.

Note:  There have been posts that Zach Grossnickle was punting off to the side of the scrimmage, and that Grossnickle had a few punts over the bubble on Saturday (thanks, Nic, for that info).

For comparison’s sake … Last spring, after the second scrimmage of the 2010 spring practices, my article was entitled “Second Scrimmage Report – In a word: Offensive“. During last season’s second scrimmge, the offense failed to score a point until the ball was placed at the five yard line. Despite the horrendous effort by the offensive unit, CU fans got this: “Kiesau’s final comment will likely send shivers down the spines of many in the Buff Nation: ‘I like the way (Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen) are playing.’ ”

Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps … but we’re getting there.

Hansen asserts himself in second scrimmage

For those who understand how passer ratings are figured, break out your calculator.

Senior quarterback Tyler Hansen went 18-for-19 in the second scrimmage of the spring, going for 246 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. That’s about as close to perfection as you can get for a quarterback.

Stats

The one-hour, 16-minute scrimmage covered over 82 plays. Complete stats sheet

Passing

Tyler Hansen – 18-for-19, 246 yards and three touchdowns

Nick Hirschman – 4-for-11 for 27 yards

Brent Burnette – 1-for-5 for 8 yards

Rushing

Tony Jones – 11-for-60 yards and one touchdown

Rodney Stewart – 11-for-48 yards and three touchdowns

Cordary Allen – 4-for-17 yards and one touchdown

Josh Ford – 5-for-60 yards

Receiving

Paul Richardson – 4-for-85 yards and one touchdown (a 57-yarder)

Rodney Stewart – 5-for-6 yards and one touchdown (a six-yarder)

DaVaughn Thornton (TE) – 4-for-33 yards

Ryan Deehan (TE) – 3-for-39 yards

Kyle Cefalo – 3-for-53 yards

Will Jefferson – 1-for-45 yards and a touchdown

Jon Embree Quotes – April 2nd scrimmage

On Tyler Hansen – “He did a good job of placing the ball. I thought his accuracy was pretty good for the most part. He made a couple of throws on the deep ball, so I was encouraged”

On Nick Hirschman – “He’s doing well. He’s doing better. I just want him to be more assertive; to be more aggressive. I think he needs to trust himself more. He hasn’t turned it loose.”

On whether Tyler Hansen is clearly the stater – “I wouldn’t say ’clearly’ yet. I’m going to evaluate this through … If it’s still like this at the end of the spring, yeah, we’ll go with Tyler … If Tyler continues like he has, and Nick doesn’t pick it up a little bit, Tyler will be the No. 1″.

On perhaps running fewer plays due to a lack of healthy defensive linemen – “We were sensitive to that”, said Embree, noting that there were only three defensive tackles and “2 1/2″ defensive ends, with Kirk Poston playing despite a sprained ankle. 

On the play of the defense overall – “I was disappointed in the defense from the standpoint that we didn’t have enough energy and enthusiasm. That’s 90% of defense, just being excited about being out there and having some energy when you’re running around out there hitting people. We were just going through the motions, feeling sorry for ourselves.”

On the plans for the coaches between the second scrimmage and the Spring game – “We need to get better at tackling; our corners need to be better tackling … From an offensive standpoint, continuing to install our passes.”

After noting that the coaches may only install about 30% of the offense this spring, and whether Colorado could go into the season with less than a full playbook – “My philosophy: It doesn’t matter what we (the coaches) know. It’s what they (the players) know; what they can do.” 

Tyler Hansen Quotes – April 2nd scrimmage

On learning the new offense, of which only 30% is installed – “It’s going to take a lot of studying; a lot of preparation. It’ll be fun. Every week we’ll have different plays … This summer’s going to be very important for all of us.”

On competing with Nick Hirschman – “I still have to compete every day. Whether it’s with Nick or myself, I still have to compete.”

On what Hirschman has to do better – “He’s thinking too much. You’ve just got to relax and play what you see. If your read is a middle backer, read the middle backer. Just relax.”

On playing well as an offense on April 2nd – “The offense was efficient today, but we’re not going against all of the 1′s … yet. Yeah, we did great, but we have to take it with a grain of salt.”

Paul Richardson Quotes – April 2nd scrimmage

On whether his success on the field is “easy” for him: “I wouldn’t say that it’s easy. I’m just truly blessed and gifted … I just try and make it look as easy as possible. But a lot of this stuff is challenging.”

On Tyler Hansen’s big day: “A big part of that is our offensive line, giving him enough time to make his reads, and deliver the ball.”

Inactive List

In addition to the players who are out for all of spring practice – tight end Matt Bahr; offensive lineman Blake Behrens; center Mike Iltis; and offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner – there were a number of players who were inactive for the April 2nd scrimmage: center Daniel Munyer (excused for his sister’s wedding); defensive end Nick Kasa; defensive tackle Nate Bonsu; defensive end Forrest West; linebacker Derrick Webb; wide receiver Jason Espinoza; wide receiver Toney Clemons; running back Brian Lockridge; safety Anthony Perkins; defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham; nickel back Parker Orms; and safety Vince Ewing.

As you can see, head coach Jon Embree wasn’t kidding about having to be “sensitive” to the lack of defensive linemen, with Curtis Cunningham, Nick Kasa, Nate Bonsu, and Forrest West all unavailable for the April 2nd scrimmage.

First Scrimmage – Thursday, March 17th

Stats from first scrimmage

The Buffs, in their final practice before spring break, conducted an 86-play, game-like scrimmage. There were no kickoffs or punts, and the offense started each drive on the 30-yard line. Some numbers from the scrimmage:

Passing:

Tyler Hansen – 13-of-19; 161 yards. One touchdown; no interceptions

Nick Hirschman – 7-of-13; 77 yards. One touchdown; no interceptions

Brent Burnette – 5-of-12; 52 yards. One touchdown; no interceptions

Rushing:

Tony Jones: 13 for 76 yards

Josh Ford: 8 for 40 yards

Rodney Stewart: 10 for 23 yards

Cordary Allen: 4 for 12 yards

Receiving:

Rodney Stewart: 5 for 48 yards

Ryan Deehan: 4 for 49 yards

DaVaughn Thornton: 2 for 49 yards

Josh Ford: 2 for 23 yards

Jason Espinoza: 2 for 20 yards

Paul Richardson: 2 for 18 yards

Will Jefferson: 1 for 12 yards and a touchdown

Alex Wood: 1 for nine yards and a touchdown

Keenan Canty: 1 for four yards and a touchdown

Tackles:

Doug Rippy: 15 tackles; 10 solo; two tackles for loss

Conrad Obi: nine tackles; eight solo; three for loss (one sack)

Patrick Mahnke: six tackles; four solo; two quarterback hurries

Overall, the offense rushed for 189 yards on 39 carries. There were five total penalties, and the defense had four sacks.

Player Notes – First Scrimmage

- In lieu of extra points, the field goal team was brought in. Sophomore kicker Justin Castor had eight attempts from betweend 32 and 47 yards, making only three.

- Injury notes: Senior wide receiver Toney Clemons did not participate in the scrimmage due to a hamstring injury. Clemons is expected to be back on the practice fields after spring break … Senior offensive lineman Shawn Daniels, who has been out since fracturing his foot in the Colorado State game, will be back to practicing after spring break. Daniels had been listed as “full go” before the start of spring practices, but his participation was limited during the first week … Sophomore linebacker Derrick Webb was seen on crutches, but did not have a cast or a boot, so the speculation is that the injury is relatively minor, and that Webb will be back after the spring break layoff.

- Senior quarterback Tyler Hansen, who appears to have the early lead for the starting job (see story, below), was not sacked, while Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette were each sacked twice. “In previous years the defense was way ahead of the offense early during the spring, but this year is kind of different,” said Hansen. “I feel like today especially, the offense got after it a little bit. We ran the ball really well, and I feel like we took it to the defense a little bit.”

- Sophomore tight end DaVaughn Thornton has been playing well this week. “DaVaughn is the kind of guy whose going to give us some flexibility,” said Jon Embree. “Because he can play, obviously, flex out, he can move, and he can play as an end line guy. As he gets stronger and a little more confident in our offense, more of his talent will come out.”

- Senior defensive lineman Conrad Obi continues to have a good spring. In the Thursday scrimmage, Obi had nine tackles (eight solo), with three tackles for loss and a sack. In the last two seasons, Thursday’s effort would have constituted a year’s worth of work. As a red-shirt freshman in 2008, Obi was on the field for all of 12 plays. The number went up to 23 snaps the following year, with a grand total of 64 snaps (and four tackles) in 2010. “I want to do big things this year,” Obi told BuffStampede.com. “It is not to say I have ever come out here to play mediocre, I have always put in the effort. But this is my last year, last chance. I am going to give it my all, and we’ll see how things fall. That is all I can do.

“There are so many stories out there like Josh (Hartigan, who went from backup linebacker to second team all-conference defensive in one year), guys who rise up and meet their potential,” said Obi. “There are so many stories out there like that … I want to be all-conference, and I really believe I can get that done. I’m putting in the work; I am putting in the time.”

While Obi would be considered a backup to starters Will Pericak and Curtis Cunningham heading into the 2011 season, Obi isn’t daunted by his lack of playing time in the past. “New coaches, new opportunity this spring,” said Obi. “I love it.”

Jon Embree Quotes – First Scrimmage

On the progress of the Colorado running game, which produced 189 yards on 39 carries: “I was very pleased with how well we ran the ball. We’re starting to establish our physical nature … You’d like to be around 250-275 (yards rushing), so there is work to do. But it’s a start.”

On the first week of practice overall: “I am glad that they are embracing the physicalness and the intensity, and understanding that we have to do it. That was one of the reasons I wanted to (practice) five days in a row, just to see who really wanted to play; who was willing to put it all out there.”

On getting into pads for three practices, and conducting a scrimmage: “I think they are realizing they are not going to hurt themselves. It is okay to hit and be hit, and you are going to get up and live to tell about it … And I think they are enjoying it some, too. I think they are kind of having fun getting after each other.”

On the play of the defense in the scrimmage: “The defense was playing well early, and then we had a couple of guys get dinged, so our lack of depth showed up there, but it gave opportunities to some guys to petition, or make their case, as to why they should be a part of this thing next year.”

On what he told his players about Spring break: “I told them about Curt Koch, who was an All-American at CU and going into his senior year (1987) he was at Padre Island walking down the street and he got hit by a car, and it cost him an NFL career … Be smart. Don’t let that ‘liquid courage’ get it you and make you do stupid things. No one is exempt from something happening.”

Special Teams

Roster: Toney Clemons (Sr.); Arthur Jaffee (Sr.); Brian Lockridge (Sr.); Will Jefferson (Jr.); Justin Castor (So.); Zach Grossnickle (So.); Ryan Iverson (So.); Justin Gorman (R-Fr.)

Players Lost: Aric Goodman; Joe Silipo; Scotty McKnight; Cody Hawkins; Travon Patterson

“Numbers Don’t Lie“

Yuck.

There was very little which was special about the special teams play by the University of Colorado in 2010.

Colorado was ranked 88th in net punting last year, with Zach Grossnickle struggling to a 35.7 yards net average (Colorado’s opponents’ net average was 40.2). Senior kicker Aric Goodman connected on two-thirds of his attempts (10-for-15), but was only accurate half the time from beyond 30 yards (5-for-10).

In the return game, Colorado was adequate at best. There were several long kickoff returns, with a long of 89 yards by Arthur Jaffee against Iowa State, but the Buffs were unable to come up with a kick returner which they felt comfortable with, as four players posted between eight and 14 kickoff returns during the season. All four – Arthur Jaffee (14); Toney Clemons (10); Brian Lockridge (10); and Will Jefferson (8) – return in 2011, but there are no guarantees that any from that group will be on the field returning kicks this fall. The same problem exists in the area of punt returns, where departed Travon Patterson returned 15 of the 18 punts returned by Buffs in 2010.

While there may be open auditions for kick returners this spring, there is limited competition for the kicking positions …

… which may prove to be unfortunate.

Sophomore Zach Grossnickle handled the punting chores last year, to mixed reviews. Meanwhile sophomore Justin Castor inherits the placekicking job. Castor had his red-shirt burned in the fifth game of the season when his only attempt of the year, a 40-yarder against Missouri, was blocked. Castor did have the opportunity at some kickoffs later in the year, but was not allowed another kicking attempt.

Help may be on the way this fall, in the name of freshman recruit Will Oliver, but for this spring, the kicking jobs are Grossnickle’s and Castor’s to lose. (There are reports that there is walk-on competition on campus this spring. On name cited is that of Jacob Frost, a 2010 graduate of Liberty High School in Bakersfield, California. Another name is that of Darragh O’Neil from Fairview High in Boulder. Neither name, though, was on the roster when spring practice opened on March 11th).

The positions of long-snapper and short-snapper were manned this past season by Joe Silipo and Ryan Iverson, with Iverson, a sophomore, returning this spring.

The all-important job of holder, meanwhile, will need to be filled. Scotty McKnight and Cody Hawkins filled that role for the past several seasons. Justin Gorman, a red-shirt freshman walk-on quarterback (who has been moved to the defensive secondary for spring practice) is one player who may inherit the job. Walk-on senior wide receiver Kyle Cefalo is also taking turns at holder.

With unproven talent at both punter and kicker, and with no clear-cut favorites for kick and punt returners, special teams coach J.D. Brookhart has his work cut out for him. That being said, there is plenty of young talent (and speed) in the Colorado receiving corps and secondary, so there is no reason that a pair of excellent kick returners cannot be produced by this team. As for the kickers, both Grossnickle and Castor were highly ranked kickers coming out of high school. Perhaps with the departure of Aric Goodman (and his patron, Dan Hawkins), these kickers can develop into something special over the next three seasons.

The numbers won’t lie …

Jon Embree outlines his goals for Spring Practice

The Colorado Buffaloes in 2011 will not resemble the Colorado Buffaloes of 2010.

Not if new head coach Jon Embree has anything to say about it.

“I told the guys in the first team meeting that there were things we needed to do,” said Embree. “We had to create an identity of what this program needs to be, and the first thing was mental toughness, and that was going to be how we train, that was going to come from the weight room.

“The next thing was our physical toughness and that comes from how we practice, so we are starting that phase right now, and as we go into spring ball there is going to be a certain way that we are going to learn how to practice. To help them with that I have some clips from when I was at Washington of some of the different drills and different team periods of how you practice, how it should look.”

In order to focus on doing things the right way, Embree indicated that the plan this spring was to K.I.S.S. – “I want to see who can play,” said Embree. “If you throw a lot at guys, and it takes them awhile to pick it up, then you may not get your best players. I want to see who can play, and then we can go back and teach them and get it going … It’s not what I know or Eric knows or Greg Brown knows. It is what they know, and what they can execute. So we are not going to throw a lot at them.”

That is not to say, though, that this spring will be a breaking in period. Embree said he will hold his players accountable for their actions, and is already doing so through winter conditioning. “We have been doing that from day one, not just starting with spring ball,” said Embree. “Competing is an all the time thing. So when they mess up, and they don’t do something, either they are punished, their unit is punished, or that side of the ball is punished to try to create an environment of positive peer pressure.”

What type of punishment is being dispensed? “Well, you bear crawl 100-yards, then you logroll 100-yards, then you summersault 100-yards, and then you jog,” said Embree. “If you can get six of those, or 30 minutes, whatever happens first. One thing they have learned is that if they are going to get punished, don’t eat lunch. They learned that one quick.”

And what mistakes merit such punishment? “Being late to class, just something like that,” said Embree. “It’s a little thing to them, but when you are late off the count or you jump off-sides and you lose the game, then it is not so little. Just again, getting them to understand it all counts, everything we do counts. It can’t just be a sometimes thing.”

It’s also safe to say that Embree was not impressed with the 2010 Buffs. “What shows up to me on tape was we didn’t play hard,” said Embree. “That’s what really showed up on tape. We let the scoreboard affect how we played way too much … You can’t look at the scoreboard. Your job is to beat the guy across from you that play, no matter what happened good or bad before it.”

Secondary

Roster: Jonathan Hawkins (Sr.); Travis Sandersfeld (Sr.); Makiri Pugh (Jr.); Ray Polk (Jr.); Paul Vigo (So.); Jered Bell (So.); Terrel Smith (So.); Deji Olatoye (So.); Josh Moten (R-Fr.); Arthur Jaffee (Sr./walk-on); Jordan Marquez (R-Fr./walk-on); Eric Ghent (R-Fr./walk-on)

Injured, may not practice this spring: Anthony Perkins (Sr.) (knee); Vince Ewing (Jr.) (knee); Parker Orms (So.) (knee)

Players Lost: Jimmy Smith; Jalil Brown; Matt Meyer; Cameron Ham

“No preconceived notions”

A defensive coordinator’s dream: two shut-down cornerbacks.

The Colorado defense in 2010 boasted not one, but two, future NFL draft picks at cornerback. Both were seniors; both seasoned veterans of the Big 12 passing wars.

Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown afforded the Colorado coaching staff the luxury of focusing on stopping other elements of the opposition’s offensive arsenal, content to leave Brown and Smith out on an island.

The net result? Colorado was 110th in pass defense; 112th in pass efficiency defense; and 91st in scoring defense.

What happened? And, more to the point this spring – how can the Buffs manage to keep matters from getting even worse, now that Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown are gone?

Greg Brown returns to Colorado as the Buffs’ new defensive coordinator and secondary coach. In his two previous stints, Brown coached CU Thorpe Award winners Deon Figures and Chris Hudson. In between, Brown coached four six NFL teams, and was the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach for an Arizona Wildcat team which ranked 44th in pass defense and 33rd in scoring defense – much better numbers than those produced in Boulder.

What does Brown have to work with this spring?

Three potential starters are injured, with their status for this spring listed as “TBD”: senior safety Anthony Perkins; junior safety Vince Ewing; and sophomore safety Parker Orms. All three are nursing knee injuries suffered last fall, and will be limited as to the drills and practices in which they will participate.

Perkins was the starter at strong safety before being injured in the Missouri game. Jered Bell, a true freshman last fall, started the next game against Baylor, with fellow true freshman Terrel Smith earning the starting role for the remainder of the season. Smith recorded 60 tackles in only six games, finishing fourth on the team in tackles (all three players who finished above Smith in tackles played in all 12 games).

So, assuming senior Anthony Perkins is a “Full Go” for the fall, the Buffs seem to be ably manned at strong safety.

What about free safety?

At the free safety position, the Buffs have a 23-game veteran, a player who has made 15 starts, including all 12 games last season.

But he might not be there this fall …

Ray Polk moved from running back to safety after his freshman year, and started all 12 games last fall. Polk was second on the team in tackles, with 72. He was on the field for more snaps – 787 – than any other defensive player other than Jalil Brown.

The problem with Polk, however, is that he has also struggled at the position. True, he was second on the team in tackles, but he was not a play-maker. Polk had no sacks, no tackles for loss, only four third-down stops, and only one pass broken up to his credit. For the Buffs to be successful on defense, the free safety position needs to be more productive.

Will Polk even return at the position? There are rumors that Polk may return to the running back corps. The new coaching staff is looking to institute more of a power rushing attack, and while Rodney Stewart and Brian Lockridge have had their share of success, they are not of the physical makeup (6’1, 210-pounds) of Ray Polk.

Still, the rumor may turn out to be just that, a rumor. “Between Ray Polk and Anthony Perkins, they have a compilation of a proven number of starts,” said Greg Brown. “So at safety, we feel we have some experience and guys are going to be able to get lined up and do the right thing.” … Sounds as if Brown is expecting Polk to remain on the defensive side of the ball.

At cornerback, Brown will have a large number of players from which to choose his starters, but all are lacking in game experience.

Senior Jonathan Hawkins has the most experience of any player in the group, playing in nine games last fall. He and walk-on senior Arthur Jaffee, who led the team in special team points last fall, also have the benefit of having already spent time with Greg Brown as a coach (before Brown left for Arizona after the 2009 season).

Two interesting storylines of the spring could involve red-shirt freshman Josh Moten and junior transfer Makiri Pugh. Moten was a quarterback recruit who practiced half the season at cornerback (to rave reviews) before an off-field incident (since resolved) kept him from practicing. With the change in coaching staffs, Moten may also be given a look at quarterback this spring, so we’ll have to track Moten’s progress.

Pugh is a transfer from Georgia who sat out the 2010 season under NCAA transfer rules. Largely forgotten since being interviewed the week of the Georgia game last fall, Pugh may make his presence known on the depth chart before the end of spring drills. Out of high school, Pugh was considered to be the 31st-best cornerback prospect in the nation (Rivals), and had offers from a number of SEC and ACC schools. In 2009, as a red-shirt freshman, Pugh saw action in nine games for Georgia.  

The rosters is filled with potential cornerbacks and nickelbacks, though no one may want to take the field wearing the label of the latter position.

Colorado went through nickelbacks like candy in early 2010. Parker Orms was given the job as a red-shirt freshman last fall, but in his first start, he didn’t make it out of the first quarter, injuring his knee on punt coverage during the Colorado State game, and did not return all season (Orms will be entitled to a medical red-shirt season as a result). Orms was replaced by Travis Sandersfeld, who was injured during  following game against Cal. Sandersfeld’s replacement, Paul Vigo, was subsquently injured during the game against Hawai’i. Against Georgia, the Buffs started linebacker Patrick Mahnke at nickelback, with Jonathan Hawkins and linebacker Liloa Nobriga also receiving starts at the position in 2010.

By the end of the season, some sense of normalcy had been returned to the nickelback position. After starting six different players at the position in the first eight games of year, Sandersfeld started the last four games. Heading into spring drills, the job may be Sandersfeld’s to lose. “Travis Sandersfeld has done nothing but come on and be a steady guy from years past and worked his way up,” said Greg Brown, who also recruited Sandersfeld.

So, who will be in the starting lineup come September?

If the depth chart from last season is a guide, you would look to Anthony Perkins at strong safety, Ray Polk at free safety, Travis Sandersfeld at nickelback, and perhaps Jonathan Hawkins at one cornerback position. The other cornerback? Will it be senior Arthur Jaffee? Junior transfer Makiri Pugh? Sophomore Jered Bell? “Right now, there are no preconceived notions about what is going to happen,” said Brown.

Colorado secondary coach Greg Brown does have two things going for him: 1) depth – Colorado has a good number of quality backs returning; and 2) versatility – almost every back mentioned above can play any of the positions in the secondary. With Colorado looking at a 3-4 defense – or even a 3-3-5, versatility will be at a premium this fall.

This spring will be crucial … the opener is against Hawai’i, which just happened to lead the NCAA in passing offense in 2010, at 394 yards per game. Quarterback Bryant Moniz, who led the nation in total offense last year, and who had 330 yards passing against the Buffs in Boulder last fall, returns for his senior campaign.

No time like the present to being shoring up those defensive statistics …

Linebackers

Roster: Patrick Mahnke (Sr.); Jon Major (Jr.); Doug Rippy (Jr.); Derrick Webb (So.); Liloa Nobriga (So.); Lowell Williams (R-Fr.); David Goldberg (Sr./walk-on); Gage Greer (R-Fr./walk-on); David Blaha (R-Fr./walk-on) .. This Fall … Brady Daigh (Fr.); Woodson Greer (Fr.); K.T. Tuumalo (Fr.)

Players Lost: B.J. Beatty; Michael Sipili; Evan Harrington (moved to fullback); Tyler Ahles (moved to fullback)

“Where’s the Depth?”

There is a real buzz in the Buff Nation about Colorado’s new attacking defense. Getting away from the 4-3, the Buffs will be playing more 3-4 or even 3-3-5, with new defensive line /linebackers coach Kanavis McGhee unleashing his charges upon unsuspecting quarterbacks in the Pac-12.

Problem is … There isn’t a great deal of depth for the coaches to work with – yet.

Colorado loses two senior starters from its linebacker corps. Michael Sipili led the team in tackles last fall with 94, while fellow senior B.J. Beatty made the most of his 36 tackles (Beatty had five sacks and four other tackles for loss in 2010). Only junior Jon Major, who was injured during the Texas Tech game and did not return for the remainder of the season (though he is a “Full Go” for practice this spring), and Major’s replacement, sophomore Liloa Nobriga, have any starting experience from those remaining on the roster.

Still, depth was apparently not seen as a issue amongst the Colorado coaching staff, as two linebackers in line for significant playing time this fall, seniors Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, will be learning the fullback position this spring.

So, other than Major and Nobriga, who does linebacker coach Brian Cabral have to work with this spring?

Senior Patrick Mahnke has 35 games to his credit, including six starts. Last season, Mahnke played in all 12 games, starting three as the Buffs’ nickel back. Junior Doug Rippy has not lived up to expectations, and was in on 27 plays over six games in 2010. Sophomore Derrick Webb earned his first start of his career against Oklahoma last fall, seeing action in seven games overall.

With Colorado moving to more of an attacking style, players who are “hybrids” – too small to be a linebacker; too big for safety – will see a great deal of attention. Patrick Mahnke (6’1, 205-pounds) fits into this mold, as do recruits K.T. Tu’umalo (6’2″, 200-pounds) and Will Harlos (6’4″, 200-pounds).

Another player who could help out in this blending of the linebackers and defensive backs is junior Ray Polk. A former running back recruit, Polk (6’1, 210-pounds) was second on the team last season with 72 tackles. Polk started every game last fall at safety and … is rumored to be back on his way to the offensive backfield.

Two seniors lost to graduation; two other seniors converting to fullback; and a starting junior perhaps moving back to running back.

Apparently, depth at linebacker is not a concern for the CU coaching staff.

We’ll see how the dust settles this spring …

Offensive line

Roster: Ryan Miller (Sr.); Ethan Adkins (Sr.); Shawn Daniels (Sr.); Sione Tau (Sr.); Bryce Givens (Jr.); Ryan Dannewitz (Jr.); Eric Richter (Jr.); David Bakhtiari (So.);  Jack Harris (So.); Gus Handler (So.); Kaiwi Crabb (R-Fr.); Daniel Munyer (R-Fr.); Alex Lewis (Fr.); David Clark (Sr./walk-on) … This Fall: Marc Mustoe (Fr.); Alex Kelley (Fr.); Paulay Asiata (Fr.).

Injured: Mike Iltis (Sr.) (knee surgery- out for spring practice); Blake Behrens (Sr.) (shoulder surgery – out for spring); Max Tuioti-Mariner (So.) (knee injury – out for spring practice)

Players Lost: Nate Solder; Keenas Stevens

“Job Opening: Left Tackle”

In one sense, the Colorado offensive line is fairly set, as four of five starters from last season return. Senior Ethan Adkins started 11 games at left guard last season, and has 20 career starts on his resume. Senior Mike Iltis also had 11 starts last fall, with ten of those at the center position (Note: Iltis suffered a torn ACL against Nebraska, and will not be available for spring practice). Senior Ryan Miller is the most recognizable name amongst the returning lineman. Miller has already played in 38 games in his Colorado career, and has earned 35 starts (including starting all 12 games in 2010 at right guard). Sophomore David Bakhtiari is the baby of the group. Still, as a red-shirt freshman last fall, Bakhtiari played in all 12 games, and had 11 starts at right tackle.

Overall, the foursome has played in 95 games, and has earned 83 starts. Behind them, Rodney Stewart rushed for 1,318 yards, the fifth-highest total in school history.

So, what’s not to love?

Well, for starters, there is the loss of that fifth starter, one Nate Solder. A consensus All-American, Solder is believed to be a shoe-in for the first round of the NFL draft, with some draft boards placing Solder in the top 10-15 picks overall. Solder had 40 career starts, and left the team after starting the last 36 games of his career. Solder was the only Colorado lineman in 2010 to grade out at over 90% (at 94.3%), with 142 finishes/knockdown blocks (Miller was second on the team, with 83), had ten touchdown blocks (Miller; second with six); and graded out with a 99% in the 44-36 win over Kansas State.

Very large shoes to fill.

Colorado’s new offensive line coach, Steve Marshall, will have a number of candidates from which to choose, and how Marshall tinkers with the starting lineup will be one of the most interesting stories to follow this spring. Junior Ryan Dannewitz was listed behind Solder on the depth chart at left tackle last fall. Dannewitz has played in 20 games in his career, but did ot play in 2010, and has never started a game for Colorado. Junior Bryce Givens will be another candidate to replace Solder. Givens has played in fewer games than Dannewitz (11), but does have eight starts to his credit. Last fall, Givens played in three games – against Colorado State; Cal; and Texas Tech – but only in spot duty. The only other returning player listed as a tackle on the 2010 depth chart is senior Sione Tau, who has yet to see action as a Buff.

While it may appear that Steve Marshall only has one position to fill, there may be significant adjustments made to the line this spring. Colorado is shifting to more of a power offense, with fewer spread formations and more two-tight end alignments. The emphasis this spring will be on creating a strong rushing attack, and Marshall may not like what he sees on the film from last season. Yes, Rodney Stewart did have a great year, but overall, the Colorado offense struggled. The Buffs were 85th in the nation in rushing and 79th in total offense. Even with All-American Nate Solder protecting the quarterbacks’ backs, Colorado was 51st in the nation in sacks allowed.

Then there is the question of how well the Buffs adjust to their third offensive line coach in four seasons. Solder is seen as a great talent by NFL scouts, but not necessarily as one which was home grown. In a Sporting News article, “drafnik” Dennis Dillon was asked who were his risky picks. Dillon included Solder, stating, “(Solder) reminds me of that great athlete who’s so raw and technically terrible that he gets beaten,” Ouch. Translation: Solder is high on the draft charts in spite of his coaching at Colorado, not because of it (thank you, Denver Johnson).

Jon Embree has stated at every opportunity that every job is open, and that every player must compete for their job. This will be no different along the offensive line.

On paper, Colorado has a strong nucleus of returning talent, including four of five starters, with three of the four being seniors. There are many teams which would like to have that much experience returning.

Whether those four starters are starters against Hawai’i, however, remains to be seen.

Defensive Line

Roster - Defensive Tackle: Curtis Cunningham (Sr.); Conrad Obi (Sr.); Will Pericak (Jr.); Nate Bonsu (So.); Kirk Poston (R-Fr.)

Roster – Defensive End: Josh Hartigan (Sr.); Nick Kasa (Jr.); Forrest West (Jr.); Chidera Uzo-Diribe (So.); Tony Poremba (Sr./walk-on) … This Fall: Stephan Nembot (Fr.); Juda Parker (Fr.)

Player Lost: Marquez Herrod

“In the trenches”

The intrigue this spring for the Colorado defensive line will be as much about style as substance. What form of defense will Colorado play? How will they be coached?

A look at the Colorado coaching staff shows that Brian Cabral, in addition to being the linebackers coach, is also the “Defensive Run Game Coordinator”. Meanwhile, Mike Tuiasosopo is listed as the “Defensive Line” coach and Kanavis McGhee is listed as the “Defensive Line/Assistant Special Teams” coach.

Three coaches working with the defensive line. In a 3-4 defense, that is a lot of attention for each member of the defensive line unit.

Which may not be a bad idea.

Last fall, the Colorado defense had its moments. The Buffs were decent against the run (48th in the nation), but were 71st in tackles for loss and 91st overall in the only statistic that really matters – scoring defense.

The Colorado coaching staff under Jon Embree has only one word for the 2011 Buff defense: Attack.

Along the defensive line, there is plenty of starting experience, but very little depth. Junior nose tackle Will Pericak led the defensive line in 2010 with 45 tackles and two sacks. Joining Pericak as a mainstay along the defensive line is senior defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham, who had 31 tackles and five tackles for loss last year. Both Pericak and Cunningham have been in the starting lineup for every game the past two seasons. The third member of the band, senior defensive end Josh Hartigan, might have joined his linemates in starting every game if not for a mid-season injury. In Hartigan’s absence, three other lineman received their first career starts in consecutive games, with junior Nick Kasa earning his first start against Texas Tech, then junior Forrest West against Oklahoma, and sophomore Chidera Uzo-Diribe against Kansas. Hartigan then returned to the starting lineup against Iowa State, finishing the last three games as the starter. Rounding out the players returning with experience is sophomore Nate Bonsu, who played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2009 before sitting out the 2010 season after suffering a knee injury during winter conditioning.

Is the defensive line, as a result, set for 2011?

Hardly.

As noted, the philosophy of the defense is being altered, and, with it, the role of the defensive line. This will make for some intrigue during spring practice …

Will the three starters solidify their roles? Will Nick Kasa live up to the hype surrounding his signing three years ago, when the hometown star de-committed from Florida to stay in Colorado? Will Forrest West, who came on strong at the end of the season (five tackles in the first half of 2010; 15 tackles, including 4 1/2 sacks in the second half), continue to earn more playing time? Will Conrad Obi, in his senior seasons, finally force his way into the starting lineup (28; 0 starts)?

(Note: It is being posted on the internet that sophomore Chidera Uzo-Diribe – according to his Twitter account – underwent some form of surgery on March 22nd. The nature of the surgery, if any, and whether the surgery will have any impact on Uzo-Diribe’s ability to compete this spring, has yet to be announced).

Mike Tuiasosopo and Kanavis McGhee were touted as great recruiters when they were brought in from Arizona and Houston, respectively. Their ability to mold a dominating defensive line, though, remains to be demonstrated.

Class begins March 11th.

Wide Receivers

Roster: Toney Clemons (Sr.); Jason Espinoza (Sr.); Will Jefferson (Jr.); Paul Richardson (So.); Jarrod Darden (So.); Keenan Canty (R-Fr.); Kyle Cefalo (Sr./walk-on); Dustin Ebner (Jr./walk-on); Alex Turbow (R-Fr./walk-on); Parker Robbins (R-Fr./walk-on) … This Fall: Nelson Spruce (Fr.); Tyler McCulloch (Fr.).

Players Lost: Scotty McKnight; Kendrick Celestine; Andre Simmons Travon Patterson

“In search of the next Scotty“

Scotty McKnight finished his career with more receptions, yards, and touchdown catches than any other receiver in Colorado history.

While McKnight is off to prove to NFL scouts that he can translate his prowess in Boulder into similar success in the big leagues, he leaves behind some significant shoes to fill.

Two players with significant playing time will help to fill the void, as senior Toney Clemons and sophomore Paul Richardson return. Clemons has eight starts to his credit, and was second on the team in catches in 2010, with 43 for 482 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the high number of catches (just seven behind McKnight), and a team-best 73-yard touchdown reception (against Hawai’i), however, Clemons failed to capture the attention of the Buff Nation.

Instead, the excitement about the future of the receiving corps rests with Paul Richardson. Signed by the Buffs just two days before the start of fall camp, the true freshman had a late on-the-field start to his 2010 season as well. In the first half of the campaign, Richardson had seven catches for 64 yards and no touchdowns. In the second half of 2010, though, Richardson posted 27 catches for 450 yards and six scores. With the graduation of Scotty McKnight, Buff fans will be looking even more to Richardson to lead the receivers.

After Clemons and Richardson, where will the Buff coaches turn to for help?

Two potential senior wide receivers, Andre Simmons and Kendrick Celestine, did not have their scholarships renewed. The only remaining scholarship upper-classmen who remain on the roster are senior Jason Espinoza and junior Will Jefferson. Espinoza has played in 25 games in his Colorado career, and has earned five starts. However, Espinoza sees most of his playing time on special teams, and had only one catch (for 13 yards) in 2010. Meanwhile, Buff fans have been waiting for Will Jefferson to have a breakout game/season, but such a breakout has yet to happen. Last fall Jefferson, who has ten starts to his credit, had 14 catches for 177 yards and one touchdown.

The only other scholarship receivers on the roster this spring are sophomore Jarrod Darden and red-shirt freshman Keenan Canty. This spring will be an audition for both of these players. It is time for them to either distinguish themselves, or make plans to be buried on the depth chart as the Buff coaching staff makes a concerted effort to bring in new and fresh talent to the position.

Colorado will be implementing a west coast offense this spring. “It’s going to be the quarterback making the decision based upon what the defense does to distribute the ball correctly,” said passing coordinator J.D. Brookhart. “It’s a very quarterback-driven offense. So what you see on Sundays is what you’re going to see on Saturdays here.”

With more emphasis on a strong running game and better use of the tight ends (see below), the wide receivers do not have to be great for the Buffs to be successful.

The receivers do, however, have to be very good. And right now, other than Paul Richardson, there is not much in the lineup to put fear into the hearts of Pac-12 defensive backs.

Perhaps this spring a receiver or two will prove me wrong.

Tight Ends

Roster: Ryan Deehan (Sr.); Matthew Bahr (Sr.) (injured/out for spring practice); DaVaughn Thorton (So.); Kyle Slavin (R-Fr.); Harold Mobley (R-Fr.); Henley Griffon (R-Fr.); Alex Wood (So./walk-on); Matt Allen (So./walk-on).

Player Lost: Luke Walters

“We’ve got to be smart how we use them”

The University of Colorado football team in 2011 will be more physical on offense.

Okay, so that’s not really a secret. But the emphasis on the strong running game will also mean more two-tight end sets, which translates into more opportunities for the tight ends on the roster to make a contribution and see playing time. “I think that as grow through spring, we’ll probably have a little better idea of how they fit our system, because the system is flexible,” said tight ends coach J.D. Brookhart. “You don’t have to line up in two tight ends and run downhill all the time. You can do some different things.”

The best blockers will likely get the first opportunity to see the playing field, and senior Ryan Deehan is the best of the bunch. Deehan already has 36 games under his belt, and 18 starts. Last year, Deehan had 25 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown. “Deehan is an interesting kid because he was all over the field,” said tight ends coach J.D. Brookhart. “He’s a smart kid. Those guys will allow you to be more flexible with things, when you can put them in multiple positions.”

After Deehan though, there is little experience. Converted offensive lineman Matt Bahr will be working with the tight ends, while third-year sophomore DaVaughn Thornton and red-shirt freshmen Henley Griffon and Kyle Slavin will be trying to make an impression this spring.

“I think if you look at the tight ends specifically, you have some different body types,” said Brookhart. “Some are more adept to the run game, some more to the pass game who were kind of more recruited to the spread offense.

“I think we’ve got to be smart how we use them. I think they’ve made a good commitment to the 6 a.m. (off-season workouts), and things we’ve seen from them. They want to be good, and that’s half the battle.”

The second half of the battle – adjusting to the new offense, and showing that they are entitled to be on the field this fall, begins March 11th.

Quarterbacks

Roster: Tyler Hansen (Sr.); Brent Burnette (Jr./Transfer); Nick Hirschman (R-Fr.); Justin Gorman (R-Fr./walk-on) … This Fall: Stevie Joe Dorman (Fr.)

Player Lost: Cody Hawkins

“Iron sharpens iron“

Colorado has a returning senior at quarterback, a senior who has had starts in each of his first three seasons. None of his competition for the starting job has so much as a snap behind center at the Division 1-A level.

So, a no-brainer that Tyler Hansen will be the starter against Hawai’i?

Nope.

“It’s nothing new,” said Hansen, who has had to contend with Cody Hawkins for starting time the past three seasons. While Hansen has posted 2,822 career passing yards, he only has 15 career touchdowns to offset 17 career interceptions. Hansen was the starter for all of the 2010 season until he suffered a ruptured spleen against Texas Tech, missing the remainder of the campaign. While Hansen is a “full go” for practice this spring, how well he adapts to another quarterbacks coach and another offensive scheme will be one of the most talked about issues of the 2011 spring practices.

“I like it, actually,” said Hansen of having his third quarterbacks coach (Rip Scherer) in his four years in Boulder. “Different opinions will make you better. The more opinions the better. I think the different techniques to coaching help. Coach (Mark) Helfrich was a hands-on guy, and coach (Eric) Kiesau was a lot different than that. I’m looking forward to coach Scherer and seeing what his techniques are to coaching.”

Will having a new offense level the playing field between Hansen and his competition? “I’m not really worried about that,” Hansen said. “I think whatever they ask me to do, I can do it … I’ve got to be a leader even more than I already have. I’ve got to invest myself in the offense and really learn the offense pretty good, because the old offense we had last year, I knew it inside and out.”

New head coach Jon Embree appreciates the fact that Tyler Hansen is not coming into spring ball assuming he has the job. “Tyler’s not walking around like, ‘I have this job’,” Embree said.

So, who is the competition?

This spring, the main contenders are red-shirt freshman Nick Hirschman and junior college transfer Brent Burnette. Hirschman has the advantage of having been in Boulder last season; Burnette has the advantage of having been on the playing field, albeit at Middle Tennessee in 2009 and at Western Arizona Junior College last season. Still, those advantages are tempered – Hirschman, along with Hansen, has to learn a new system; while Burnette was not exactly spectacular when he was on the playing field, earning only one start, with 1,219 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games last season.

Still, the starting job is open. “Nick is not walking around like, ‘Oh, I’m just the backup’, and neither is Brent,” said Embree. “I think it’s great because like I’ve talked about, they’ve got to learn to compete. Iron sharpens iron. The better your backup is, the better your starter is. If you beat him out, you beat him out.”

While spring practice does not begin until March 11th, the competition has already begun. “They have all been very competitive,” said Embree. “They all show their face around here a lot, asking questions and wanting to learn the new offense that we’re still in the process of putting together.”

Any other players in the mix?

Walk-on red-shirt freshman Justin Gorman is on the roster, but it would be a surprise if he rose dramatically up the depth chart. There has also been speculation that former high school quarterbacks Josh Moten (now a red-shirt freshman cornerback) and/or Harold Mobley (now a red-shirt freshman tight end) might also be given a look at quarterback this spring, but, with all the work that the coaching staff has to do to orient the likely quarterback candidates to the new offense, Moten and Mobley may be given only a courtesy look, if they are given one at all.

The other potential candidate to start on September 3rd against Hawai’i will not be participating in spring ball. Incoming true freshman Stevie Dorman will be given a chance this fall. “Stevie’s advantage is that the guys who are here only have 15 days,” said Embree. “It’s not one of those things in a normal situation where Tyler had been in this offense for four years, or Hirschman is going into his third year in the offense and knowing all of the nuances.

“So, depending on how fast they learn, and depending what he’s capable of learning, because that window is so short, he has a chance. If he can learn quicker than them to show his skills, he’ll put himself in position to play.” It also won’t hurt Dorman’s chances that the offense the Buffs are installing is similar to the offense which he played in high school at Somerset, Texas.

Still, you would have to assume, at least for now, that the job is Tyler Hansen’s to lose. “I’ve got to be (a leader) the same way with this offense,” said Hansen. “If I do that, I think I can have a pretty good shot at being a leader and a playmaker on this team.”

All eyes will be on the quarterbacks … starting March 11th.

Running backs

Roster:  Running backs – Rodney Stewart (Sr.); Brian Lockridge (Sr.); Quentin Hildreth (So./Walk-on); Tony Jones (R-Fr.); Trea Jones (R-Fr.); Cordary Allen (R-Fr.); Josh Ford (R-Fr./Walk-on) … This Fall: Rashad Hall (Fr.); Malcolm Creer (Fr.).

Roster: Fullbacks – Tyler Ahles (Sr.); Evan Harrington (Sr.); Scott Fernandez (So./Walk-on).

Player Lost: Corey Nabors

“Aces and spaces“

In bridge, the term refers to a player who has been dealt several aces, but does not have any supporting face cards, or much depth in those suits.

At the University of Colorado, the term refers to the depth chart at running back.

Colorado does have two quality returning seniors. In 2010, Rodney Stewart posted 1,318 rushing yards, the fifth-highest total in CU history. ”Speedy” was able to get the tough yards despite his diminutive size (5’6″, 175-pounds), and was able to stay healthy for the entire season for the first time in his career. Stewart’s potential running mate, Brian Lockridge, suffered an ankle sprain against Georgia in early October, ending his season with only 146 yards on 35 carries. In his stead, wide receiver Will Jefferson picked up some carries later in the season, but it appears that the junior wideout will be returning his attentions this fall to being a full-time wide receiver.

After seniors Stewart and Lockridge, both of whom are a “full go” for practice this spring, there is no depth. No juniors, no scholarship sophomores. Just “spaces”.

It wasn’t meant to be this way. In 2007, Colorado received letters-of-intent from junior college running back P.T. Gates and incoming freshman Devan Johnson, but neither player saw action at running back at Colorado. The big haul came in 2008, when Colorado signed (along with throw-in Rodney Stewart) two of the top ten running back recruits in the nation – Darrell Scott (now with South Florida) and Ray Polk (now a junior safety for the Buffs). In 2009, Colorado failed to sign any running backs.

Which leads us to the Class of 2010. Colorado signed three running backs last February, and all three red-shirted last fall. Looking to make an impact this spring will be Tony Jones, a Rodney Stewart clone at 5’7″, 180-pounds, and two bigger backs, Cordary Allen (6’1, 230-pounds) and Trea’ Jones (5’10″, 190-pounds). Also in the mix is a sophomore walk-on, Quentin Hildreth.

Joining this trio in the backfield this spring are two other “newcomers”, though not to the team. Former linebackers Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, both seniors, are being asked to give it a go at fullback this season. Ahles and Harrington join walk-on sophomore Scott Fernandez, who saw action at fullback last season in goal line situations.

As Colorado is clearly attempting to bulk up its running game, the early name to watch amongst the newcomers is probably Cordary Allen, the largest of the red-shirt freshmen. Allen may be the coaches’ first choice to provide the larger back in a two-back offense, serving as as additional blocker for Stewart and Lockridge, while also serving as a short-yardage back.

That being said, Buff fans will be keeping an eye on all three of the red-shirt freshmen. Other than Stewart and Lockridge (and other than Jefferson and Justin Torres, who had 14 carries as a freshman last fall, but has since left the team), there isn’t a single collegiate carry amongst the backs on the Colorado roster. If nothing else, the Buff coaching staff must begin to look towards 2012. While it would be great to see Rodney Stewart go over a 1,000 yards again in 2011, and while it would make an interesting story to watch Stewart chase the record of his position coach (Stewart has 2,744 career rushing yards, needing 1,197 yards to surpass Eric Bieniemy for the all-time Colorado rushing lead), the much better story for Colorado as a team would be to see one of more of the red-shirt freshmen emerge as the next star at running back for Colorado.

The testing begins this spring. If the firm of Jones, Allen and Jones can’t get the job done in March and April, Buff coaches may turn to true freshmen this fall, with Rashad Hall and Malcolm Creer joining the roster this summer.

Pick your favorite baby Buff back this spring, and see how well they fare.

Due to Colorado’s “Aces and spaces”, you may be looking at the feature back for the Buffs in 2012.

Recruiting new running backs was certainly a priority for the Colorado coaching staff this past off-season.

Two years ago, recruiting running backs for the Class of 2010 would not have seemed a likely priority.

Two years ago, Colorado appeared to be set for the next four/five seasons in the offensive  backfield. True, Hugh Charles had graduated, but the Buffs were stocked with young talent. Brian Lockridge, Demetrius Sumler, and Arthur Jaffee were all young and returning, and Colorado had recruited three new backs:

Darrell Scott was the highest ranked running back prospect in the nation, and was heralded as a signing day coup for Colorado; Ray Polk was not too far behind Scott in the eyes of the recruiting scouts (the 11th-ranked running back overall according to Rivals.com; and there was the signing day bonus of Rodney Stewart, who could be counted on to return kicks if he couldn’t find his way into the backfield.

What a difference two years make.

First, Ray Polk left the team – well, at least the offene, moving to safety in the spring of 2009. Then Darrell Scott left the team in November, followed by Demetrius Sumler in December. Of those left from the 2008 roster – Brian Lockridge has seen some action, but mostly returning kicks (Lockridge had all of 12 carries from scrimmage in 2009), which was still more time with the ball than Arthur Jaffee, who has learned to excel on coverage teams (13 tackles, second on the team in special team statistics last fall). The bulk of the carries were left to 2008 signing day after-thought Rodney Stewart, who has led the team in rushing the past two seasons.

With only Rodney Stewart – who has not made it through his first two seasons without injury – back to carry the ball in 2010, Colorado needed a quick infusion of talent this February. On signing day, 2010, Colorado picked up four new backs, and running backs coach Darian Hagan is excited about the possibilities.

First, Hagan points out, there are, in fact, more than just Stewart and Lockridge returning. Former walk-on Cory Nabors will be the lone senior in the backfield, a player Hagan describes as a player who is “smart”, and who can contribute. Also back is red-shirt freshman Quentin Hildreth, who was one of the “Denver East Three” last signing day (joining kicker Zach Grossnickle and tight end DeVaughn Thornton). These players, along with Lockridge, will spell Stewart this spring, saving “Speedy” for the fall. “We have to develop the other guys,” Hagan told the Longmont Times-Call. “Lockridge is going to benefit from those other guys (Scott and Sumler) not being there.”

[Footnote to the Darrell Scott saga. The Times-Call article quoted Hagan as saying, "I haven't talked with (Scott), but I've heard he's trying to get in touch with coach Hawk". Read into that what you will, but it may take a minor miracle - or a coaching change - to get Scott back in a Colorado uniform.]

Hagan is also enthusiastic about his four running back recruits:

Tony Jones, from Ramsey, New Jersey, is 5’8″, 175 pounds, and is considered by Rivals.com to be the 14th-best all-purpose back in the country. Hagan indicates that he sees many of mannerisms of Rodney Stewart in Tony Jones. Rivals.com considers Tony Jones the recruit ”The Most Ready to Make an Impact” amongst the Class of 2010, noting that Jones was a four-year starter for a national prep power, and has sufficient lower body strength to overcome any size issues he may have in adjusting to the college game.

The other Jones from the 2010 class, Trea Jones, impressed Hagan. “The guy can flat out run,” said Hagan of the 5’11″, 183-pound back from Wake Forest, North Carolina. Trea Jones reportedly can run a 4.53 in the 40, posting 1,651 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games last fall. “It feels a little like Colorado stole a running back from North Carollina”, said Jones’ high school coach, Reginald Lucas. “I felt like Trea could have helped any of the Division-1 schools here in North Carolina.” Thing was, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and North Carolina State wanted Jones to play defensive back, but Jones sees himself as a running back.

Corday Clark is a bigger back – 6’2″, 220 pounds – and Clark reminds Hagan of Colorado fan-favorite Chris Brown. Clark was on the radar for both Alabama and Auburn, but circumstances worked in the Buffs’ favor. According to Hagan, national champion Alabama wanted Clark, but then decided to go with smaller backs. Auburn, meanwhile, came late to the party. The Tigers lost out on two other backs they thought they were going to sign, and didn’t put make a serious move on Clark until after the Phenix City, Alabama, star had made up his mind to come to Boulder.

The final back of the quartet of new signees is Justin Torres, who is 6’1″, 215-pounds. Torres was promoted by his high school coach, former CU quarterback Mike Moschetti, committing to Colorado the weekend before signing day. “The two bigger guys (Clark and Torres), they’re just dogs. They like to get after you,” said Hagan. “They’re the types of guys we wanted. We wanted bigger backs.”

Overall, Hagan sees the Colorado offense blooming in 2010. With the development of a legitimate passing game – incumbent quarterback Tyler Hansen complemented by a full roster of capable receivers – Hagan sees the offense as ready to take off. “I think this year will be the first time since we’ve been here that defenses will have to play us honestly,” said Hagan. “They can’t pack the box (against the run)”.

Optimism abounds in February for all schools. Spring practice is less than a month away. Every team is unbeaten.

Colorado has a stable full of talented young backs joining the team in August. The future looks bright for the Colorado running game.

Just as it did two years ago …