Colorado Breaks Out the Enthusiasm, Wins 44-28 over Cal

Wow!

The Colorado Buffaloes finally broke out the Joie de Vivre and had a good time. As a consequence they earned a big win, 44-28 over the California Golden Bears.

Football is a game. It's supposed to be fun. But for much of this year Colorado has looked like a group of guys doing chores instead of playing a game. Against Cal, they finally looked like they were having fun.

This was the Colorado team fans had been hoping to see all season. It was exciting to see.

 The question now is whether the Buffs can take the momentum created today and  carry it over to the last three games. One more win and they can earn a bowl berth, which just a few days ago seemed quite unlikely.

More will be known by the end of the night. Colorado's next two opponents, Arizona State and USC, face off  tonight in Tempe. The winner takes control of their own destiny for the Pac-12 South. The loser will need help. 

Colorado can no longer win the South, but they can play a big part in determining who takes the crown. It can be fun to be a spoiler too, especially if it also allows CU to make it to a second consecutive bowl game.

They'll be watching tonight to scout the next two opponents. The key to winning one or both of those games is to come and play with enthusiasm. They need to keep on having fun.

Here's to hoping they do just that. Go Buffs!

 

Colorado's Mike MacIntyre Desperate for Win vs. California

In a little over 24 hours, the Colorado Buffaloes will take to Folsom Field in the penultimate game of the 2017 season. A season which started with coaching staff promises of explosive offensive output and dominant offensive line and wide receiver play has instead turned out to be hugely disappointing as the Buffs have struggled to a 4-4 record thus far.

Even if the Buffaloes pull out a win, chances of a second consecutive bowl game are tenuous at best. That's shocking considering that Colorado won 10 games in the regular season last year. Since then, the Buffs have gone 4-6 after getting clobbered in the Pac-12 championship game and their bowl game. That's quite a fall.

Sadly, the head coach more often than not points the blame at his players. It's actually kind of shocking that the guy guaranteed to earn more than $13 MILLION over the next few years whether he stays or not is choosing to blame 18-22 year old kids for the team's shortcomings. It's hard to imagine Eisenhower or Patton blaming the loss of a battle on the privates in the infantry, but that is what MacIntyre does. Of course, Patton and Ike didn't lose many battles.

It stands out even more so this year after Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen walked away from $12 Million owed him because he thought he was under-performing. MacIntyre seems to think he's doing a great job... and that it's just those pesky players who are screwing it all up.

Talk to any sportswriter covering Colorado (or watch a press conference) and it's easy to see that coach Mickey Mac doesn't like to be criticized. Most people don't like to be criticized but MM should know that it comes with the job when you are by far the highest paid state employee.

And although Mac holds criticism of himself in great disdain, it doesn't keep him from publicly criticizing his own players. Who can forget MM saying one of his captains "Didn't know what he was talking about" for daring to point out that the team wasn't ready to play?

And who can forget Mickey Mac having an absolute meltdown on national television against Washington State. Sadly it wasn't even the first time. In 2014, he was fined by the Pac-12 for chasing the officials off the field in a loss to Oregon State. This time, he ignored his own team for several minutes while they had the ball and he was down the sideline frothing at the mouth yelling at the officials.

Already this season, MM has tried to make the case that his team was just a "couple of plays" from being 6-2. That's delusional if he believes it. The closer reality is that the Buffaloes are only a few plays away from being 2-6. Ask any CSU fan.

It's kind of fitting that the game tomorrow is Homecoming. Home is most likely where the team will be spending their holidays this year. Two of the final three games will be played on the road, and USC will be final home game. The Buffaloes have never beaten the Trojans in 11 tries.

It's been suggested that MacIntyre was hoping for another winning season so that he could be hired away by a team from Down South. He doesn't seem to like it here in Shangri-La (aka the Happiest City in America). 

If that's indeed the case, he's praying for a couple more victories. Otherwise, he's stuck in Boulder and CU is stuck with him. Nobody wants a coach who follows up a 10 win season and National Coach of the Year awards with unfulfilled promises of glory and a losing season.

Colorado's administration is not about to force out a guy who's owed $13 million, and Mac's not about to walk away empty handed like Gary Andersen. It's purgatory for both sides.

If Colorado does pull out a win, going to a bowl is still a remote possibility. If they lose, however, chances are the team will end the season with only four victories.

Times are desperate for Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes.

 

Colorado Fans Embarrassed by Coaches in 28-0 Loss to Washington State

An already ugly season for Colorado football fans got even uglier Saturday night at Washington State. It was so ugly it was embarrassing.

But don't misinterpret that as criticism of the players. That goes squarely on the coaches. Coaches prepare the players to play. Coaches call the plays. Coaches make the adjustments. Coaches make the big bucks, and players are full time students with full time jobs playing football as well.

A consistent theme this year is the claim that Colorado has no discipline, leading to numerous penalties. Discipline is a taught trait, and anyone watching head coach (and Chief Embarrassment Officer) Mike MacIntyre absolutely LOSE IT on the sidelines knows that he is incapable of passing on the trait of discipline because he has none. I've raised three kids to adulthood and none of them had the kind of temper tantrum Mac did. Sadly for Colorado football, Mac has done this before.

Another embarrassment is co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren because he calls the plays. Imagine if you will that the rain is coming down in buckets and the wind is gusting up to 40 miles per hour. Or, watch the tape of the game if you want to re-live the horror. 

How does a smart coach get his QB and offense into a  rhythm to overcome the elements? From 50 years of watching football, I can tell you that you throw SHORT passes and run the ball against the grain because it's easier for tailbacks to change direction than big defensive linemen. 

What do you do to make things easier for the defense? You run straight up the middle and throw long passes either deep or to the outside. You might be able to guess which plays were called over and over by Lindgren.

In the first half, Lindgren called 17 runs up the middle. The first six totaled 10 yards, with a long of 4. That means the other five totaled six yards.

Then, thankfully, a seven yarder up the middle. The next four totaled only 6 1/2 yards. Then a 24 yarder (wow!). But then the next five totaled only 5 yards as WSU stacked the box.

How was first half play calling for passes in the horrible weather you ask? Even worse.
Passes:
1 - 40 yards outside (INCOMPLETE)
2 - 13 yards out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
3 - 38 yards to the outside (INCOMPLETE)
4 - 15 yards outside hash (INCOMPLETE)
5 - 10 yards outside numbers (INCOMPLETE)
6 - 8 yard pass out of bounds on 4th and 10. (INCOMPLETE)
7 - 10 yard pass to the numbers (INCOMPLETE)
8 - 9 yard pass complete outside numbers
9 - Pass behind LOS after scramble (INCOMPLETE)
10 - Offensive pass interference
11 - Outside bubble screen complete for -1 (loss)
12 - 2 yard pass out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
13 - 5 yard completed pass to sideline
14 - 7 yard completed pass to sideline to end half

Just a reminder that football fields are 53 1/3 yards WIDE. So "short" passes to the sideline often travel more than 30 yards in the air.

In the horrible weather conditions at Washington State, how many short passes to the middle of the field were called? ZERO!
The only inside pass was off a scramble to the tailback. The rest were deep or outside in high winds and rain.

So, before anyone (you know, like the head coach and QB coach) starts blaming Steven Montez for the lack of production, take a good look at the passes called in horrible conditions. And blame the guys responsible for calling the plays. That would be Lindgren and his boss.

Many fans are embarrassed that these guys get paid with our tax dollars. And we feel terribly for the players.

Several years ago, in similar windy conditions, Lindgren called the same kind of pass plays. This site responded with:

"It's the wind, stupid!"

Now, "It's the WIND and the Rain, stupid!" 

Get Brian Lindgren OUT of the BOOTH so he can see what the weather is like. Or better yet, fire him. We're stuck with MacIntyre and his giant contract, but BL can go. It's been five years and he still can't see what's going on around him. It's embarrassing.

Friday the 13th: The Wonderful, Crazy World of College Football

Some folks have an odd fear of Friday the 13th. Don't count me in there because I love it. Two coaches who will likely look back in dread on the day are Clemson HC Dabo Swinney and Washington State head coach Mike Leach. Both had excellent seasons hit massive road-bumps last night.

Defending national champion and current #2 Clemson traveled to Syracuse, New York and lost a close one 27-24 to the same Orange who had lost earlier in the season to Middle Tennessee State. Really.

Cal entered the game against Washington State with three losses already on their resume. But those losses were to USC, Washington, and Oregon. Nothing to be ashamed about. But most folks figured their game Washington State would be another loss to a Top 10 team.

Somebody forgot to tell the Bears, and they shellacked the #8 Cougars by a score of 37-3. It was some welcome good news to the Bay Area where wildfires have killed more than 34 with hundreds missing and more than 5000 buildings have been lost. Some fans in the stands wore masks due to the visible smoke.

There were only two FBS games last night, and the Top 10 team in both lost. Clemson was favored by 24 points. Washington State was a 17 point favorite. Oh well, now we know why they play the games.

Since these games were played on a Friday, it means that FOUR Top 10 teams have lost in the last week. Oklahoma and Michigan lost last Saturday.

Thank goodness for Friday the 13th and the wonderful, crazy world of college football.

Are the Colorado Buffaloes Capable of a Turnaround?

Colorado had a magical season last year. They went from worst to first and played in the Pac-12 Championship game. After a decade of losing records, the 10-2 regular season looked like it represented the long sought rejuvenation of Colorado Buffaloes football.

Unfortunately, looked like and reality are quite often not the same thing. Since that time, the Buffs have gone 3-5, eerily similar to much of the last decade. And if you believe in such things, it's almost as if Mike MacIntyre made a deal with the devil but forgot to ask for something more long-lasting than just wanting to win 10 games. Since then, the devil has been in the details. And the Buffaloes have become a team which loses more often than not once again.

Strangely enough, as if cursed, CU can't seem to get a good complete game from the entire team. For most of the games this year, the D has come through and exceeded expectations. That came to a screeching halt against Arizona as an 18 year old backup quarterback rewrote the NCAA record books against Colorado.

By the same token, an offense that has woefully under-performed this year finally woke up against Arizona. Of course, coming into the game the Wildcats were a lower tier Pac-12 team whose coach was riding a seat that was getting hotter by the game. Still, it was nice to finally see the Buffs finally put some serious points on the board  against Pac-12 competition.

Some might ague that Colorado's offensive explosion and game-clock dominance was misleading. Long, time-consuming drives are usually great... unless you already down by two touchdowns and your defense is completely unable to stop the other team. Taking seven minutes and 19 plays to score is great and demoralizing to the other team if you are ahead. When you are behind, all it does is shorten the time available for you to catch up. Colorado may tell themselves that they didn't really lose, but that the clock just ran out on them. Sadly, they were the ones running out the clock for the most part.

The only sadder, more under-performing team in the Pac-12 right now is Oregon State. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the two bottom dwellers meet this week to determine who really is the worst team in the conference. The odds-makers have made the Buffaloes double digit favorites, even though the game will be played in Corvallis. Let's hope they get it right this week.

Another loss for Colorado would lead to an implosion as players start (or finish) checking out emotionally and fans start getting themselves ready for ski and snowboard season. The driving snow outside right now seems to be portending which of those will happen.

The magic of a worst to first season like 2016 can be rendered unimaginable if it is followed by a first to worst season. Even more so if it's a worst-first-worst sandwich. Is it too late? Is Mike MacIntyre willing or able to make drastic changes to shake up his team? We'll see. 

But folks should not get overexcited if the Buffaloes win at Oregon State. It's the last game the Buffaloes will be favored in.



 

Arizona Preview and Commentary on Colorado Football After the UCLA Loss

It's been a busy week without the normal time available for writing, but one in which my comments were directed at other sites. What follows is some of what was written as commentary on other sites. Some people agreed with me passionately, while others took exception to my attempts at insight.

 Oct. 2

After the loss to UCLA, head coach Mike MacIntyre once again stated that this Buffaloes team would “win a lot of games” this year. Since we’re five games in already, I’m looking for a little context on what qualifies as “a lot of games” when Mac talks.

Is “a lot” 10 games? Eight games? Six games? Or What?

In MacIntyre’s seven full seasons as a head coach, he’s had TWO winning seasons and FIVE losing seasons. More telling than the 2 vs 5 is the drastic differences each represents. It’s really either feast or famine.

In the two winning seasons (one each at CU and San Jose State), Mac has a record of 20-6. In the five losing seasons, Mac has gone 16-46. For the fellow math geeks out there, that means the losing seasons averaged roughly 3-9 (3.2-9.2).

It’s even more glaring when looking at conference games. In the two winning seasons, Mac’s teams went 13-2 during conference games. In the five losing seasons, Mac’s teams went 5-37 against conference foes.

Although the Buffs still have a winning record so far this season at 3-2, they are 0-2 in the Pac-12. With arguably the two weakest teams this year on tap the next two weeks, one wonders if Mac and staff will have the guys ready to play.

For most of us fans, time and games are running out if the goal is to win “a lot” of games this year.

Oct. 3

Mike MacIntyre’s future depends upon this game against Arizona perhaps more than any other since he arrived in Boulder. Arizona is a horrible Pac-12 road team the last several years. Last year they were 0-4 and outscored in the Pac on the road 192-71. In 2015 they were outscored 225-125 on road with a 1-4 record.

The last time Arizona won on the road in the Pac-12 was when they beat Colorado in 2015.

Colorado has looked pretty uninterested and uninspired this year so far. That falls on MacIntyre and the coaches. If they lose this game at home, the rest of the season will be lost. The fans and the players will stop caring.

Colorado needs to win the game and win big to get this season salvaged. If they struggle at home to a clearly inferior team, the rest of the Pac-12 schedule looks like murderer’s row in comparison.

If the Buffs lose, it will be clear that MacIntyre has lost the faith of his team, and that will not likely be restored. The countdown to reality is on.

Stuart at CU at the Game took the prior comment as an indication that I thought MacIntyre would or should be fired if the Buffaloes lost this week to Arizona. That led to the following exchange.

Oct. 4 - Me

Nobody does or should think MacIntyre will be fired. Why would he be fired? Some may be hoping that he wins enough games to be lured away back to his part of the country, and some are hoping he turns things around and gets the Buffs back in the annual bowl extravaganzas year after year. 

Most fans don’t have the same warm fuzzy feelings about the offensive play-caller. BL did a good job against UCLA. But the games in which his play-calling outsmarted a good defense are pretty much non-existent. One good game doesn’t get him off the hook for the years of head-scratching play calls.

The Pac-12 is a tough league to play in, especially on the road. It’s not really a surprise that a struggling UCLA (or any other Pac-12 team) is tough to beat on their home turf.

That said, the Buffs need to take advantage of every opportunity they have. They only play 12 games (and a bowl if they earn it and yearn for it). The key to being a good team is being UP for every game, which is something they have not done this year.

Some of us are concerned that a third straight loss, especially to a horrible road team like Arizona, would portend a likely collapse this season. We are all hoping for an inspired CU team to show up and finally live up to pre-season expectations. If not, we have a mostly lost decade to look back upon and prepare us for our feelings of despair about losing football.

The truth may be that the Buffs are not as good as advertised. And since Mac won’t let anyone watch his practices, he takes the blame when he makes statements that are clearly not true about how good, prepared, and dominating his team will be.

The best coaches I have watched over too many decades had certain traits in common: They voluntarily took the blame when their players were not prepared because it’s why they get paid; and they protected their kids from having blame pushed onto them. These are not NFL players, they are college kids.

If some of us seem too critical of MacIntyre, maybe it’s because we believe that is where the blame should go. Everyone in the press knows Mac doesn’t handle criticism well… but, hey, we’re football fans, not his therapist. He can pay them to work on his feelings, and he can afford it.

Stuart

“Nobody does or should think MacIntyre will be fired. Why would he be fired?”
Your previous post opened with … “Mike MacIntyre’s future depends upon this game against Arizona perhaps more than any other since he arrived in Boulder”.
Not sure how else to read that …

Me

I certainly hope that Mac’s future will go many more years. The implication is that if the Buffaloes lose to Arizona it will signal a downturn from the gains the program made last year. And that if the CU goes on to have a dismal ending to the 2017 it will be hard for Mac to reclaim the faith of the fans and the players.

MacIntyre made a national name for himself last year and was rewarded with National Coach of the Year honors from numerous sources. Considering the general disregard for what Colorado would do THIS year from the media is pretty telling. So far, it seems the prognosticators were more right than MacIntyre about how good the Buffaloes would be, especially the O-line and scoring.

In football, there are watershed moments that portend the future. Before the UCLA game I wrote how a big win or loss (point wise) would be a serious indicator but that a close win or loss like they had would put the pressure on the next two games with Arizona and Oregon State to set the tone for the rest of the year.

Colorado MUST beat Arizona at Folsom if they want to salvage this season. If not, they have a good chance of ending up near the bottom of the Pac-12 yet again. If they don’t beat Arizona, even teams like Oregon State will believe that they can beat Colorado, especially playing at home.

The quote you gave of mine above covers a multi-year period since his arrival in Boulder. I’m just pointing out that trends in football tend to go on for several seasons. The Buffs went from being blown out every game to getting close but still losing. Then they finally started to win the close ones and win some big last year in Pac-12 play. If they start moving the other direction, as a pendulum always does sooner or later, it will be hard to change that momentum.

I’ve written many times in praise of MacIntyre (check my blog), but I feel that when criticism is warranted it should be given. If you want to be the highest paid state employee then you should expect folks to have high expectations. He can’t expect only accolades.

The Colorado Buffaloes will take the field against the Arizona Wildcats in a little over 15 hours. These are my thoughts as to the importance of this game.

Colorado and Mike MacIntyre went 10-2 last year in the regular season. It was the first winning record in a decade. Since that time, the have played in the Pac-12 Championship game, a bowl game and the first five games of this season.

Against top notch opponents to end the season last year, the Buffs were beaten handily and did not look good doing it. In the first three games this season, the Buffaloes did manage to win but looked uninspired and unimpressive in their three non-conference games.

In the first two conference games this year, the Buffaloes have been beaten handily at home by Washington and lost on the road to a reeling UCLA team with one of the worst defenses in the country. The Bruins had been giving up around 45 points per game, and the Buffaloes managed to score around half that amount.

Colorado did seem to be emotionally invested the entire game against UCLA for the first time since last season, but still lost.

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, like Jim Mora at UCLA, finds himself on the coaches hot-seat lists because of poor play by his team. Mora was able to inspire his team to a big win over Colorado. It remains to be seen whether RichRod can do the same thing this week with the Wildcats.

If the Buffaloes can come out and play as a team which deserves to be in the conversation for a Top 25 team and win handily at home against Arizona, it could turn around a season of struggle. A big win could set them up for better things in the second half of the season. 

A win would bring them to 4-2, with a game against Pac-12 doormat Oregon State next week. Another win there and the Buffs would be one win from qualifying for a bowl.

If the Buffaloes come out flat and emotionless like most of the prior seven games, an inspired Arizona could come in and pull off the upset. If that happens, the Buffaloes would fall to 3-3 with the meat of the Pac-12 schedule still ahead of them. A loss here would put a severe hit on their desire to go to a bowl for a second consecutive year.

I described last week's tussle as a "bellwether game" with a big win or loss. The close loss put the Buffs in the position that their backs are now firmly against the wall. Only a win will get them where they want to be. A loss will relegate them to the lower levels of the Pac-12.

It's the first game of October. Will the Buffaloes rise to the occasion to save their season or not?

 

  

 

2017's Bellwether Moment Arrives for Colorado Buffaloes

Although the Colorado Buffaloes sit at 3-1, one third of the way through the regular season, things seem to be amiss in the Buffaloes program. After finally having a breakthrough winning season last year, most fans expected Colorado to double down on all the hard work that had brought them from worst to first in 2016.

With one of the easiest non-conference schedules in the FBS, the Buffaloes were expected to romp in their first three games and then show the country how far they'd come in the rematch of last season's Pac-12 Championship game. Instead, Mike MacIntyre's team seemingly sleepwalked to 3-0 against over-matched opponents and then were bulldozed yet again by the Washington Huskies in a carbon copy of their beat-down last December.

Now the Buffaloes venture outside the State of Colorado for the first time this season, and travel to Pasadena to take on UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Even though the Bruins have struggled mightily this season, they are still favored to beat Colorado. How will the Buffs react to that? 

Washington is a Top 5 or 6 team, so CU knew they would be the underdog. Although UCLA has some outstanding players who are destined to end up in the NFL, collectively they are not a very good team. They are ranked worse than 100th in numerous categories on defense. Yet they are still favored to beat Colorado. It will be telling to see how the CU coaches and players play out this game.

If Colorado comes out and plays a full game for the first time this season, and dominates the Bruins, they can fully expect to contend for the Pac-12 South title. This is especially true with USC having already lost this weekend.

If the Buffaloes are manhandled by UCLA like they were Washington, however, it could turn into a long and disappointing season in Boulder. Coach MacIntyre's coach of the year trophies from last year will make interesting resume topics if the Buffaloes fall back to their losing ways.

This game may very well be the most important game of the year for MacIntyre as the Buffaloes. Indeed, it will be a bellwether game for good or bad if the score isn't close. 

If it's a close game win for Colorado, they can still move forward and improve their team. If it's a close loss, the Buffaloes can learn and still go bowling. But a loss of any sort or magnitude will likely take them out of the running for the Pac-12 South. 

The question at hand, 90 minutes before kickoff, is whether the 2016 inspired Buffaloes finally show up and show they care or not. The next few hours will be very telling.

The Pac-12's "Moral Authority" Took a Beating This Week

Those of us who have been lifelong fans of the Pac 8-10-12 over the decades have always been pretty firm in our belief that "our" college athletics was handled in the proper manner. We believed that the primary reason for our universities was to educate, and that those attending our schools needed to be students first and athletes second. And despite this, the conference was the "Conference of Champions" in the national landscape.

We believed our blood brothers in this rightful hierarchy of academic and athletics was the Big 10. The schools in the two conferences were not only among the best in the country, but also the world. In the latest world rankings of universities for academic achievement, the two conferences tied to the Rose Bowl (The Granddaddy of them All) put a combined 16 schools among the best 100 in the entire world.

As schools from other parts of the country struggled to properly balance school with sport, we smugly patted ourselves on the back. When an investigative report on a national news program (like 60 Minutes) told us of some professional sports players filing suit against their universities because they had been pushed through and graduated to keep them eligible even though they were functionally illiterate, we shook our heads knowing that "those things" didn't happen in our parts of the country.

As college sports  became Big Time and Big Money, however, the temptation for schools to win on the national stage became overwhelming. Simply allowing unqualified students to attend to help a school win seemed almost noble in comparison. Some rationalized that they would help these poor young men get the education they missed in high school, where they were also passed along to keep them eligible for sports.

Schools, particularly in basketball, went hard with handfuls (or bags full) of cash after young men who they knew would never even attend a collegiate course. They'd come in as FIVE STAR players, with cash in hand, play for one season and move on to professional basketball in the US or overseas before the NCAA caught on that they were not really students. There's even a name for them among the fans and press: The One and Done's.

It's a system which works for basketball because exceptional hardwood talents can be among the best in the country even as freshmen. It's much harder to do in football, but not totally unheard of.

When the FBI announced that they had made the first arrests of college coaches involved in high stakes bribery, and that system involved agents, financial managers, and even shoe companies, no one who follows college athletics was really surprised. Coaches were paid to advise young men who to hire as agents and advisors, and they were also directed to use money to lure young men to the "right" schools, where those with a financial stake could exercise influence over them.

That the Pac-12 had two of the first four coaches arrested was shocking to fans. Although, in reality, the USC coach was not a shock because, after all, USC has gotten in trouble before for athletes being paid. In fact, most fans in the Pac-12 refer to USC as an "Honorary SEC team" because of their predilection for running afoul of NCAA rules. The arrest of a coach at Arizona was another matter altogether.

The Wildcats were one of the Top 10 in all-time winning percentage. They had made it to the NCAA tournament every year except one in the last 32 years. They were the most consistently excellent program in the Pac-12 during those years. And now, it turns out, they've been paying players to go to Tucson. Head coach Sean Miller has not been arrested or indicted... yet. But his assistant, Emanuel "Book" Richardson was among the first arrested by the FBI. Most of us have a sneaking suspicion that the nickname "Book" has absolutely nothing to do with reading.

We were never surprised if the Louisville's or Kentucky's or Alabama's of the college landscape got caught paying players. Why would anyone willingly go to those places unless there was money involved? Isn't it amazing how certain we can be in our naivete?

The FBI claims that the first arrests were just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger, nationwide, problem of a multi-billion dollar industry being largely dependent on (officially) unpaid young athletes. How could that system possibly go wrong, right?

No matter what happens, fans from the Pac-12 have had their moral assured-ness in the propriety of their college athletics take a severe beating. They likely will never feel that way again. Overall, maybe that's a good thing. Blind faith in anything only leads to trouble.

 

Mike MacIntyre's Proclamations About Colorado Football have been WAY OFF this Year

Although Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes have gone 3-1 to start the 2017 season, things are not going nearly so well as last year. The Buffs are averaging just over 26 points a game this year vs. the 42 points a game at this point last season. 

That's almost 2 1/2 touchdowns less per game from an offense that Mac claimed would be "one of the best in the country" this year. What makes this even more alarming is that 2016's early season schedule was considered one of the more difficult ones in the country, whereas this season's was considered one of the easiest.


Of course, one of the prices a team pays for success (like winning the Pac-12 South) is that expectations of fans and boosters (and the Administration) goes up. Last year, after a decade of losing, any and every win was celebrated as special. This year, just winning isn't enough. The Buffs are expected to win well. And scoring 16 points a game LESS against weaker competition is not winning well.

Many are also concerned about MacIntyre's proclamations before and during the season. The aforementioned claim about one of the best offenses in the country was one. The claim that the Buffs' offensive line would be one of the best in Colorado's history was another that has not panned out. Mac also claimed that the CU defense would only be a work in progress that would likely have to be "saved" by the exploits of the offense. He was wrong. It has been the defense saving the day for the Buffaloes.

While the offensive output has declined by 16 points per game, the Buffs' D has stepped it and is allowing 4 fewer points than last year's team. Fortunately, the head coach was wrong about his defense.

And the offensive line that the head coach proclaimed would be the best in more than a decade has struggled with both run and pass blocking. The 14 sacks the line has allowed are one of the worst at the FBS level. In fact, only 5 of 130 teams at the FBS level give up more sacks per game.

What's the moral of this story? Or, more accurately, what questions do these numbers raise? Mostly this: Does Mac have an accurate take on his team? Or is he just proclaiming what he hopes? 

Pac-12 play is now on for the rest of the year. The first conference game was a repeat of last year's disaster in the Pac-12 Championship game. The Buffs lost just as bad even though they were playing at home and had been pointing at the game for more than nine months as a chance to get revenge or at least redeem themselves. "Same as it ever was" must be ringing in their ears for what turned out to be nearly "an identical twin" to last December's game.

More concerning was that the game against Washington was the 6th straight game that the Buffaloes had struggled to play a full game since winning 10 of 12 in the 2016 regular season. Since that time, the Buffs have lost three of six. They got beaten handily (by roughly 4 touchdowns a game) in their three losses and have looked uninspired in their three wins against markedly weaker competition.

This week, the Buffs travel to Los Angeles to take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Watch for the next post to look back on how Jim Mora and the Bruins emotionally exposed Colorado and Mike MacIntyre last season. The Buffs won, but it was ugly, ugly, ugly. 

Along with the misreadings of Mac, followers of CU have been bothered by the lack of offensive imagination. Many fans have pointed out (loudly) that Colorado's offensive play caller Brian Lindgren has been out-coached on game day more often than not since he came aboard with MacIntyre for the 2013 season. 

He doesn't seem to adjust well to what defensive scheme his team is facing. When going against very bad teams against the run, Lindgren seems to forget that and go pass heavy. When teams stack the box with seven defenders to take away the run, Lindgren calls running plays up the middle. Fans have found it very infuriating.  

In the first three years that Lindgren called the plays, opposing coaches knew CU didn't have the players on the field to compete. They could just line up and win. No special schemes needed. Since Colorado has developed their on-field talent to be the equal of the other Pac-12 teams, the opposing coaches have gone after the tendencies of the coaches calling the plays. 

On offense, that's Brian Lindgren. He and Mac must have a very special relationship, because Mac fired the defensive coordinator before Jim Leavitt for bad coaching. When will Mac hold Lindgren accountable? Lindgren doesn't have to be fired, but maybe he needs to get back on the field and work during games with his young quarterbacks instead of sitting up in the booth. Face to face coaching and encouragement is much better than phone contact, especially when things are not going well. 

Where does the buck finally stop, Mr. MacIntyre?

Day of Reckoning Arrives for Colorado Buffaloes vs Washington Huskies

Last year at this time, the Colorado Buffaloes were three weeks in to what would turn out to be a magical rebirth after 10 straight seasons without a winning record. 

After starting the season with two straight wins, the Buffs traveled to Ann Arbor to take on the Top 10 Michigan Wolverines in the Big House, one of the most storied venues in college football. After a decade of losing football, the crowds in Boulder had dropped to less than 40,000 people for a typical game. At Michigan, the Buffs played in front of 110,042.

Some expected the Buffaloes to come out wide-eyed and intimidated, but Colorado came out swinging. Just over 3 minutes into the game, the Buffaloes held a 14-0 lead in front of a stunned crowd. Those Buffaloes were not the same team that had been routinely routed for a growing number of years.

Although Michigan would come back to win 45-28, the Buffs learned they could play with anyone in any location. It was an important lesson that the Buffs carried through the turnaround regular season. The Buffs had a 10-2 record, and their only other loss was also on the road to USC, and they became Pac-12 South Champions after finishing last each year since they joined the Conference of Champions.

The magical run was rudely interrupted once the post season had begun. In the conference championship game, Washington used Colorado as little more than a speed bump on their way to the College Football Playoffs in a rousing 41-10 beat-down. That poor play continued into the bowl game as Oklahoma State shut down the Buffs 38-8 in the Alamo Bowl.

Maybe it was the higher level of competition, but the Buffs were severely over-matched against the Top 10 Huskies and Cowboys. Although Colorado had moved into the Top 10 at the end of the regular season, those two games showed they were not quite yet an elite team.

Fast forward to 2017, and Colorado was ready to show they were back for good. Season ticket sales rose again and the Buff faithful were growing in numbers and enthusiasm.

The Buffaloes have started the year 3-0 for only the second time this century... but their uninspiring play so far against over-matched opponents has left Buff fans wondering if last season was a sign of better things to come or just an anomaly.

Head coach Mike MacIntyre has steadfastly maintained through spring practices and summer camp that the Buffaloes would be VERY good. He said the offense would be one of the best in the country and the offensive line would be the best in Boulder in more than a decade, and maybe one Colorado's best ever. What is it they say about famous last words?

Three games in, the offensive line has provided sporadic play at best. QB Steven Montez has taken a beating against teams Colorado should have handled easily. The Buffs did win their games, but they looked pretty unimpressive doing so.  

Now Washington comes to town riding high after their Top 10 finish last year and three solid wins to begin the season. Their top players at QB and tailback have spent lots of time on the bench after putting up gaudy numbers and letting the backups finish the game. They come into the game rested and playing very well.

By comparison, the Buffs had to keep their starters in all game to finish the win against FCS Northern Colorado. And they needed a big second half surge against Texas State, last season's consensus choice as the worst team in the FBS.  Their performances have not inspired much confidence, as they have routinely played down to the level of their opponents.

Players and coaches alike have been pointing to this game since the big loss in the Pac-12 Championship as a chance to redeem themselves. All the while, their lackadaisical play and typically horrendous and predictable play-calling have most CU fans unable to fathom a win, even at home.

Some might find it strange that so soon after ANY win was cause for celebration, the Buffaloes now find themselves being criticized for not winning well enough. Such is the price of success.

Now arrives the day the players have been talking about since early December last year. Today is the day the Buffaloes can prove they belong among the elite of the Pac-12 and the country. Or they can continue a string of five games where they were uninspiring in victory AND defeat. 

It's been 294 days since Colorado last played Washington. As the bells ring out each hour until game time, Colorado knows their day of reckoning has arrived.

They need not 
"Send to know 
For whom the bell tolls;
It Tolls for Thee..."
John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions
 

Colorado vs Texas State: In-Game Updates

First Quarter
It's time for Colorado Buffaloes fans to be worried. With five minutes left in the opening stanza, the Colorado Buffaloes look more like the team from 2012 than last year's Pac-12 South Champions. 

Horrible blocking has led to Steven Montez being sacked repeatedly. The blocking has been so bad that it looks like to the QB did something horrible and the line is refusing to block.

If things continue this way, Mike MacIntyre will find himself on the hot seat two games after winning national coach of the year last season. And Co-offensive coordinator and play caller Brian Lindgren has shown that he is still the worst at his job in the Pac-12.

Update:

Special teams saved the quarter for Colorado, but it was bittersweet. Isaiah Oliver fumbled a punt return, but the ball was scooped up by teammate Laviska Shenault Jr., who turned on the speed and took the ball to the house.

Colorado 7 - Texas State 0 

Update:

Colorado goes 96 yards for a TD. Long passes to Shay Fields and Bryce Bobo are the big plays. Both passes, however, were close to being sacks by Texas State. And the Bobo catch was highlight reel.

CU 14 - Tex St 0 

Halftime update: Colorado 14, Texas State 0

Colorado failed to produce anything during the two minute drill. And they wasted an opportunity to score again after the D shut down the Bobcats and forced a punt. To add insult to injury, Colorado had a very good punt return negated by lining up offsides on the punt.

Mac was interviewed on the way off the field and said the team "was making mistakes on the little things" and that they would work on them. Some of us are wondering if blocking is one of those little things? 

Colorado was favored in this game by 36 points. The way they have played has been embarrassing. Even if they put up 40 more points in the 2nd half, this team looks to be seriously at risk of not making a bowl game.

Third Quarter

Lindgren strikes again with his patented call for a one yard pass on third and six. No chance for a first down, so the Buffs wasted an opportunity in the red zone to put six on the board.

Buffs 17 - Bobcats 0

Update

Buffs defense collapsed when they chose to have defensive end/ outside linebacker Derek McCartney cover a running back on a deep route. McCartney was not within 15 yards of the back when he caught the ball. But the Buffs got lucky when the Bobcat tripped after catching the ball. Instead of a TD, they had to settle for a field goal. 

Buffs 17 - Bobcats 3

Update

Isaiah Oliver shows why he is one of the best in the country with an amazing one handed interception followed by an excellent return to get the Buff the ball in Bobcat territory. 

After averaging a paltry 2 yards per carry, the Buffs managed to run it in from the 7 to take a 24-3 lead. 

Update

Buffs finally put together an excellent drive by abandoning the long ball and hitting quick short passes. The drive ends with an 11 yard TD pass to Bryce Bobo. 

End of 3rd quarter: Colorado 31 - Tex St. 3


Another drive stalls, but the new kicker nails a 40 yard field goal.


Buffs 34 - Bobcats 3

Update

Another turnover for the the Bobcats. Buffs go nowhere but kick another field goal to up lead to 37-3. Most impressive is that Colorado chooses to let backup QB Sam Noyer get into the game while a smiling Montez watches from the sidelines. It's good to get some reps to the RS freshman Noyer. Also, it's nice to finally have a QB who doesn't have a tizzy-fit on the sidelines if coaches try to take him out.

Buffs 37 - Bobcats 3

Buffs and Bobcats trade possessions to run out the clock. Noyer shows some skills, but also shows some freshman mistakes. Good to get some reps.

Final score:  Colorado  37 -- Texas State 3

Looking Forward after Colorado Shackles Colorado State 17-3

Going into the Rocky Mountain Showdown, all the experts talked about the offensive shootout that would dominate the game. They were wrong.

The experts also said the Colorado defense would be the weakest link on the team and that they would have to depend on the high powered Buffs' offense to keep them in the games. Wrong again, on several accounts.

The CU defense, built by Jim Leavitt and Mike MacIntyre, continues to be the heart of the Buffaloes. Colorado State came into the game having averaged 50+ points a game over their last half a dozen games. In the last two RMS games, the Rams have scored a grand total of 10 points compared to the Buffaloes' 61. I guess they don't play D like this in the Mountain West.

CSU fans were riding high after the Rams scored 58 points on Oregon State. But OSU almost lost to Portland State at home in their second game, so maybe the win was not as impressive as it looked.

Some fans are wondering if the Buffs purposely took their foot off the gas after taking a 17 point lead early. The D was dominating the Rams, who never really got going on all cylinders. After all, why give Washington good film on the Colorado offense? The next two games are against teams that are severely over-matched, so the 'Dubs can't really learn anything.

If the Buffs WERE trying to score 50 and nothing in the playbook was off limits, Buff fans deserve to be concerned. A sordid history of questionable play-calling is still fresh in the minds of the Colorado faithful. And little from the play calling on display at the RMS eased that concern.

Oh well. The Colorado Buffaloes are 1-0 and that's all that really matters. They will go into the game with Washington at 3-0. The Huskies also have two "gimmies" coming up and will also arrive in Boulder 3-0. It's fitting that the rematch from last season's Pac-12 Championship game will feature two teams that are undefeated.

Buff fans (and Husky fans) should enjoy the big wins coming their way in the next couple weeks. Both teams will find out a great deal on September 23rd at Folsom Field. By then, either Colorado or Washington will be a game up on a primary division rival, since USC and Stanford play next week.

Go Buffs!

What's Happened to the Pac-12 Predictions in 2016?

Mike MacIntyre's 4th Colorado Buffaloes team entered the season finished to pick last yet again in the Pac-12 South. What else is new? So-called prognosticators in most cases are nothing more than those who review the last few seasons before sharing their "expert" advice.

Before the season, most of the media picked Stanford to win the North and UCLA to win the South. After those two, the next picks were Oregon and USC. The Washington Huskies were the 5th team selected in the Pac-12. Utah won 10 games last year and at one time were ranked #3 in the country, but they were expected to be only the 7th best team in the Pac-12 this hyear.

How has all this panned out? Stanford has stumbled to a 6-3 record while UCLA has collapsed to 3-6, a futile record that they share with Oregon. 

Meanwhile, Washington is 9-0 and ranked #4 in the country. Colorado is 7-2, ranked #12 in the latest CFP poll,  and alone in first place in the Pac-12 South. 

Utah is 8-2 and ranked #15. USC, after a poor start is on a roll and ranked #20. Washington State started the season 0-2, but has since won seven straight to be ranked #23. 

Arizona State and Arizona have had a rough patch unlike any in recent memory. The Sun Devils started the season 4-0, but since then they have lost 5 of 6. They have given up 180 points in their last four games. Arizona is winless in conference play (0-6) and have lost six in a row. They have given up 267 points in Pac-12 games, which is 44.5 per game.

Oregon will not be going to a bowl for the first time since the 2004 season. For UCLA, it will be first season not bowling since 2008. ASU will not go to a bowl for first time since 2010. Arizona has played in 8 bowl games in the last nine years. Not this year, though.

The moral of story, of course, is that the reason they play games is because any team in the conference can win or lose any conference game based on motivation, injuries, turnovers, horrible officiating or just plain luck.

North leader #4 Washington faces perhaps the most dangerous team on their schedule this weekend in USC. And South leader Colorado faces a down Arizona team with a long and proud history of taking down highly ranked teams in Tucson. Washington needed OT to beat them earlier this year. This is a game the Buffs must be prepared to take to the wire if necessary.

And best of all, these things represent the main reasons so many of us LOVE college football.

November 1st Grades of Colorado's Defensive Coaching Staff

Yesterday, we looked at the grades of the offensive coaches for the Colorado coaching staff. Today, the focus moves to the defensive side of the ball.

Jim Jeffcoat -- A+
Defensive Line 

I gotta admit that Jeffcoat has a special place in my heart. We're the same age and both showed up in Tempe, Arizona in 1979. I can still remember the tall gangly young man who grew into one of the finest players in Arizona State history and went on to become one of the best defensive linemen in NFL history.

Jim Jeffcoat has been with head coach Mike MacIntyre for six years, including the last four at Colorado. When he arrived, the Buffs' defensive line was routinely pushed around by Pac-12 offensive lines. Now, those young men under Jeffcoat are controlling the line of scrimmage. As far as defensive rankings are concerned, they have moved from worst to first.

Charles Clark -- A+
Cornerbacks

No coach on the staff has been working with Mike MacIntyre as long as Clark. He was a graduate assistant and Duke and followed Mac to San Jose State and then to Colorado.

Clark is known not only for his position coaching, but also as an outstanding recruiter and has a keen eye for talent. That combination has helped the Buffs upgrade their talent both on the field and on the sideline.

Clark not only works with the corners, but also the nickel backs along with Joe Tumpkin. His charges include Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon, Isaiah Oliver and Anthony Julmisse. The collective work has helped make the Buffaloes' secondary one of the best in the conference and also the country.

Joe Tumpkin -- A++
Safeties

To say that Tumpkin is just a "safeties coach" would be a serious defamation. He is in just his 2nd year with the Buffs, but has a world of experience. At Central Michigan, he coached the entire secondary and was also defensive coordinator. Tumpkin understands how all parts of the D work together to create a cohesive and dominant force.

Tumpkin's knowledge provides excellent guidance to young cornerbacks coach Charles Clark, and together they have put together an outstanding secondary backing up Colorado's front six or seven.

Most importantly, Tumpkin works extremely well with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt to help make the Buffs' D one of the best in the country. Tumpkin is also a great recruiter.

Jim Leavitt -- A+++
Linebackers and Defensive Coordinator

It's hard to find enough superlatives to talk about Jim Leavitt. He is, quite simply, one of the finest defensive minds in all of college football. He also showed his chops as a linebackers coach in the NFL where his unit had two All-Pro players and was a main reason the Jim Harbaugh led 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2013.

In his earlier years, he helped turn Kansas State from one of the laughingstocks of the college football world into a top defense under head coach Bill Snyder. 

Later, he became the very FIRST head coach for the University of South Florida. He built that program from scratch and soon made them a Division 1-AA power. After moving to Division 1 (now FBS), Leavitt led his team to a #2 ranking. It was the fastest any NCAA team ever moved into the Top 10 after joining Division 1.

Jim Leavitt joined the Colorado staff in 2015 just days before the Buffs began spring drills and immediately made an impact. The Buffs had been one of the worst defensive teams in the country before he arrived and had been woeful in creating turnovers. Since Leavitt arrived, the Buffs have created a turnover in EVERY single game. It is the longest streak in the FBS.

 In 2012, the Buffs gave up an astonishing 552 points (46 points per game). In 2014, the Buffs gave up 468 points (39 per game). In Leavitt's first year in Boulder, the Buffs improved by almost 12 points to giving up just over 27 ppg. This year, Leavitt's second, the Buffs are giving up only 18 points per game. Take away the loss on the road to #2 Michigan, and the Buffs are giving up only 14 points per game in one of the highest scoring conferences in the country.

OVERALL DEFENSIVE GRADE -- A++

Chances are, Leavitt will have a number of head coaching offers following this season. Only the fact that both Leavitt and his family ABSOLUTELY LOVE BOULDER do the Buffs have an outside possibility of keeping him much longer.


 




 

Colorado Buffaloes Dominate Arizona State, 40-16

The Buffaloes of Colorado will wake up Sunday morning knowing that they are still in first place in the Pac-12 South. More than likely, they will re-enter the AP Top-25 after shellacking a ranked Arizona State team.

How important was this win? It's the first time in 23 games that the Buffs have beaten a ranked team. They did it in dominating fashion. And it's the first time since joining the Pac-12 that they have won three games in conference play. And, not only have they won three conference games, they still have five conference games remaining on their publicly stated quest to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

I posted the following on  Stuart Whitehair's "CU at the Game" site in response to some so-called fans comments:
 
Big win and lots of celebration from my birthday suite high above Folsom led to my mistaken post. I’ll take a celebratory mistake any time. Go Buffs!

 Also, very disappointed in the post by “Peter” — Good God, man, we beat a ranked team by 24 points and all Peter can do is complain. My son and I raised some eyebrows walking away from the game toward his apartment by repeatedly screaming “Go Buffs!” and finding very few folks returning our calls. Lots of fair weather fans who did not realize how important this win was to the Buffaloes program, and lots of whiny little bit$#es like Peter who seem offended by the big win.

Congratulations to my Buffs. 

Tonight was one of the most important and enjoyable wins of my 32 years as a Buff fan. Congrats to Sefo, Phillip Lindsay, Bryce Bobo, and an inspired Buffaloes defense led by Addison Gillam that put a serious beat-down on the Sun Devils. ASU got one touchdown off a turnover and otherwise had to settle for three 50+ yard field goals.

Serious notes from the game. The Buffs broke their 23 game losing streak against ranked teams. And Zane Gonzalez is perhaps the greatest place kicker in NCAA history. Last week, he became the all time leader in field goals. Tonight, he became the first ever to kick three 50+ yard field goals in one game. Zane was stupendous and will make an excellent NFL kicker.

I could not be prouder of my Colorado Buffaloes.

 

It's Moment of Truth Time for Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes

Today is the day. 

The Sun Devils of Arizona State are in town. The Buffaloes and Devils are tied for first place in the Pac-1 South. ASU is 5-1, while Colorado sits at 4-2. The winner tonight holds on to first place and controls their destiny the rest of the way out.

Something has to give.

ASU has never lost to CU. The Buffaloes have been dominant in the state of Colorado, winning their 3 games by a combined score of 147-20.

The Buffs publicly stated goal this season is to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Every team in the conference has the same goal, but for the first time since joining the Pac-12, the Buffs are considered as serious contenders. It makes sense. In their first five years in the league, the Buffaloes never won more than a single conference game in any given year. To make a trip to the title game this year, the Buffaloes will have to win more Pac-12 games than they have won in total in their first five years.

Colorado started well, winning their first two against Oregon and Oregon State.

 But then came a hard fought close loss to USC at the Coliseum, another team the Buffs have never beaten. If the Buffs win today, their path to the title game is clearly defined. If the Buffs lose, the chances they win the South are much more difficult, but not impossible. The Buffaloes do not have to play the juggernaut Washington Huskies in the regular season, while USC and Arizona State have to play at UW, and Utah hosts the Huskies.

More importantly, a loss to ASU would force the Buffaloes to travel to Stanford next week with a likelihood of being 4-4 and making ANY bowl game much less secure.

It has been stated over and over in this column that ANY Pac-12 team can beat any other on any given weekend. The coaches in the Conference of Champions are among the best in the country at attacking weaknesses, and ASU's Todd Graham is one of the very best in the Pac-12.

Colorado's Mike MacIntyre and offensive coordinators Darrin Chiaverini and Brian Lindgren did not adjust to USC stacking the box to take away the run until late in the game, and that failure to adjust led to the Buffaloes first conference loss this season.

It's moment of truth time for Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes.

A win defends Folsom Field and keeps the Buffs on track to meet their stated goals. A loss may very well lead them to doubting their ability to win the South. If another loss comes next week, they may start to doubt winning six and going to a bowl game, or settling for a lower tier bowl instead the bigger games that everyone knows and loves.

Make no doubt about it, this game is HUGE for the Buffaloes.
 
 

Colorado Buffaloes Thoroughly Outcoached in 21-17 Loss to USC

The Colorado Buffaloes forced FOUR turnovers against USC, and still managed to lose 21-17 to the Trojans. How did that come about? Let us count the ways.

1. Colorado gave up more than 500 yards to the Trojans.

Much has been made of the fact that the Buffaloes do not use their tight ends for anything other than blocking. It's certainly OK to not have tight ends be used for catching passes, but Colorado seems to think that nobody else uses their tight ends to catch passes either. In their two losses so far this season, the Buffs were lit up over and over by tight ends. 

Against Michigan, All-American Jake Butt was wide open so often one would have thought he was wearing a stealth jersey that made him invisible to Colorado defenders. Butt caught seven passes for 87 yards, and was the only Wolverine player with more than two catches.

USC scored three touchdowns in their victory of Colorado. All three were scored by wide open tight ends. Daniel Imatorbhebhe and Tyler Petite only caught a total of four passes between them, but their 3 TD's provided all the scoring the Trojans would need to win their 11th straight against Colorado.

2. Colorado needs to work on their tackling.

One of the most frustrating things of watching the game was the sheer number of times that the Buffaloes hit a Trojan player behind the line of scrimmage or well short of a first down... only to have the SC player squirt away for positive yardage or gain another back-breaking first down.

Despite all the numerous times the Buffs hit the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage, the Buffs ended the game with only ONE tackle for a loss on the day. The failure to wrap up Trojan ball carriers kept the Buffs D on their heels all day long.

3. The Colorado coaches failed to call long pass plays (The Buffs bread and butter) until too late in the game.

Colorado could not get their ground game going because the Trojans were crowding the line of scrimmage with up to SEVEN defenders. It made it nearly impossible to run on the Trojans and the Buffs play callers chose to have their QB's only throw short passes (until late in the game), allowing the USC defensive backs to have their men in front of them for most of the afternoon.

Even the TV announcers (not normally known for their insight) kept commenting that Colorado needed to spread the field in order to keep the Trojans from loading up the line of scrimmage. Unfortunately, the Buffs did not start doing it until late in the game. It allowed the Buffs to come back from a 14 point deficit, but it turned out to be too little too late.

Buffs QB's ended the game with a paltry 4.3 yards per attempt (less than half their average) and only 7.7 yards per completion. Their longest completion from the QB position was for 22 yards.

Worst of all, one of the "throwaway" deep passes was on the Buffs' last possession. Instead of working for a first down and eating the clock to send the game into overtime, the Buffs instead wasted a down to force third and long. They failed to convert and then chose to kick a field goal. It pulled them within four but they never got the ball back.

4. It was quite obvious that USC coaches came in with specific game plans both offensively and defensively designed to defeat Colorado.

USC crowded the box defensively from the the beginning of the game and dared Colorado's twin offensive coordinators to adjust. They didn't until too late in the game and by then it was too late.

Offensively, the Trojans were only stopped by turnovers. They only punted three times all day. Poor tackling by the Buffaloes let the Trojans hold on to the ball time and time again when they should have been forced to punt.

And when USC got close to pay dirt, they unleashed their tight ends and Colorado acted as if they did not know tight ends were eligible receivers. 

5. Lastly, Pac-12 officials are, at best, horribly inconsistent. At worst, they are completely incompetent. #Pac-12OfficialsSuck

The entire USC team was penalized twice on the day (the same number of times the Colorado center was penalized for snap infractions).

The Colorado punter was hammered on one play, but the call was not a personal foul. It was only a 5 yard penalty and was ultimately declined.

On another punt, the official threw a flag for hitting the returner on a fair catch EVEN though the player that hit the returner was on his own team. Granted, after a referee conference they picked up the flag, but did so after inexplicably concluding that the Colorado player was blocked into the returner. The CU player was blocked toward the returner, but managed to avoid hitting him. It was the USC blocker who smashed into his own guy.

Normally, if any team was playing good clean football, one would point to their excellent coaching. In this case, however, the officiating was just awful. The holding being done by the USC offensive team was as blatant as it was uncalled by the refs.

Conclusions?

The Colorado coaches better get on this promptly. Pac-12 coaches adjust very quickly to fellow coaches who fail to adapt their play calling. Arizona State's Todd Graham is coming to town with his Sun Devils next Saturday and they are looking to take Colorado out of first place in the South division. And Graham is one of the best in the conference at attacking weaknesses in game planning.

Colorado coaches are not the only ones not adjusting. David Shaw at Stanford is learning this the hard way, and his Cardinal have given up 86 points in the last two weeks. It could be worse, however. He could be Mark Helfrich, whose Oregon Ducks have given up 162 points in the last three games.

Meanwhile, Washington State has come storming back after two losses to open the season to win three in a row. Even Oregon State's Gary Andersen seems to be turning the corner. His Beavers won their first conference game since 2014. They did it by shutting down Cal's Bear Raid offense in a game which featured 791 yards of RUSHING!

Buffs Looking for a Team Effort to Replace Diego Gonzalez

One of the bigger concerns going into the Oregon game in Eugene was how the Buffs would handle their place kicking duties. Senior Diego Gonzalez ruptured his achilles tendon during the game at Michigan and will miss the rest of the season.

Prior to the injury, Gonzalez had kicked off 19 times and forced a touchback on 16 of those kicks. That was a vast improvement for Colorado from 2015, when the Buffs had 42 out of 69 of their kickoffs returned.

On extra points, Gonzalez had been perfect in his Colorado career, hitting on 51 consecutive tries. He made 18 of 29 field goal attempts in 2015, and was 3 of 4 before his injury.

The Oregon game saw the Buffs using two kickers. Freshman walk-on Davis Price from Evergreen handled the kickoff duties while junior Chris Graham from Burlingame, California replaced Gonzales on field goals.

Graham was the kickoff specialist in 2015, handling all but one of Colorado's 59 kickoffs. So game experience was nothing new to him. He made field goals of 24 and 33 yards in the game. He did, however, have one extra point blocked.

For Price, however,  being on the field was a whole new experience. His first time taking the field for the Buffs was to kickoff in Autzen Stadium, one of the loudest venues in all of college football. How did he respond? He boomed it into the end zone for a touchback. It was the only touchback of the day for Price on six kicks, but it did serve to calm the freshman's nerves.

The kickers will be back in the altitude of Folsom Field this week, which should help their distance. They also will have another week of work in practice knowing that they will be handling the kicking duties for the rest of the year.

With a fierce Pac-12 schedule ahead of the Buffs, how Graham and Price handle their kicking duties will be a big part of how far this Buffaloes team goes toward their stated goal of winning the Pac-12 championship.

Buffs Need to Rage Against the Machine of Self Destruction

The Colorado Buffaloes led the Michigan Wolverines 21-7 at the end of the first quarter. Michigan scored on a blocked punt but had been manhandled by Colorado on offense and defense. The quick paced offense and the attacking defense were doing their jobs, keeping the #4 Michigan team off balance and on their heels.

Then, for some reason, the Buffs decided to slow things down. They continued to line up quickly but started pausing at the line to change plays from the sideline. Instead of forcing Michigan to have 5 seconds or so to get ready for the next play, the Buffs started taking almost the full play clock to get their plays off. Michigan got their wind back, and the Buffs started faltering on offense. Add the faltering offense to a disastrous punt team and the recipe for destruction was complete.

The Buffs watched their 21-7 lead disappear as they fell behind 24-21 at the end of the first half when Mac and Lindgren decided to run out the clock instead of going for more points. The gambit failed. Michigan got the ball back and scored with 10 seconds left before half to take the lead.

In the 2nd half, the Buffs again turned on the offense and scored on a 70 yard pass shortly after beginning the 3rd quarter. They retook the lead 28-24. The Wolverines' Jabril Peppers returned the kickoff 55 yards and Michigan scored 2 plays later to take the lead for good.

QB Sefo Liufau was hurt on the play before he heaved the 70 yard TD. One more series showed that he was done for the day. Buff fans now wait to see if he will be ready for Oregon this week or will be out longer.

Backup QB Steven Montez' first two passes were dropped (one of which would have been a touchdown), and the deflation of the Buff offense was visible to all at Michigan Stadium. Lindgren's play calling packed it in as well, and the Buffs did their best to run out the clock and keep the loss under the betting line. 

By then, as well, the defense realized the futility of their task. The offense was no threat to score and the punting team threatened to give up a score every time they came on the field. They watched their 21-7 lead evaporate into a 45-28 loss. Twenty-eight of Michigan's points came off of miscues by the special teams.

The defense under Jim Leavitt is one of the best in the Pac-12. But that fact is being shrouded by conservative play calling on offense and remarkably bad play by the special teams.
 

What Gives?
 
The Colorado Buffaloes offense under Mike MacIntyre and Brian Lindgren do not handle unexpected prosperity well. And it is not just this year. It has been going on since they arrived.

2015
In the game against USC, the Buffs built and squandered a 17-3 lead. They did not score again until they were behind 27-17. They lost the game 27-24.

They much prefer to roar back after being down. Against UCLA last year, the Buffs trailed 21-6 and 28-13 before retaking a 31-28 lead before finally losing 35-31. 

Against Arizona, the Buffs trailed 17-7 before coming back to take a 24-17 lead. Then they gave up three 4th quarter touchdowns to fall behind by 14. They lost the game 38-31.

2014

In the game against Cal, the Buffs took had leads of 21-7 and 28-14.  Cal came back to tie the game at 28. They eventually lost 59-56 in triple overtime.

Against Washington, the Buffs led 10-0 and 20-10 before giving up three touchdowns in the last 21 minutes and losing 38-23

In the Oregon State game, the Buffs came back from a 17-7 deficit to lead 21-20. They lost the game 36-31.

Against UCLA, the Buffs trailed 17-0 and 31-17 before storming back to tie the game at 31 and force overtime. The Buffs lost in triple overtime again, by the score of 40-37.

2013
The Buffs trail Utah 21-0 before finally losing 24-17. 

What do the nine games have in common?

The Buffs either squandered big leads or came back from big deficits. And most importantly, the Buffs lost all nine games.

Lest anyone think I am only picking on the games the Buffs lost, remember that the conference record of the Buffs under MacIntyre is 2-25, so there are not a lot of conference wins to point at.

Despite the trials and tribulations, the Buffs need to address that they have shown they can play in the Pac-12, but they need to take the next step and actually win some of the games that are close. If they do not, changes need to be made. 

The Buffs fan base called for Lindgren's head last year, and MacIntyre relented to bringing in a co-offensive coordinator in Darrin Chiaverini. It seems to be working out against the lesser opposition, but Mac needs it to work against conference foes if he expects to keep his job.

Some people point out (like this writer has many, many times) that the Buffs are so much closer than they used to be... but the time to win is now. If you win less than 10% of your conference games year after year, does the final score really matter?

So Long and Farewell, I'm Outta Here: Another CU Buff Football Season Fizzles from Incompetence

Life is a wonder and there are so many things to see and do while we have the chance. It's time to take advantage once again of the opportunities to see and explore our beautiful world.

Over the last several years, I have missed some or most of the college football season due to extended travels overseas. The Colorado Buffaloes have had some of their worst seasons during that time. Despite that, I managed to post on this blog more than 100 times with observations about things done well and things that have failed.
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I think that head coach Mike MacIntyre has a lot to offer the University of Colorado. He has experience in the NFL as well as experience rebuilding down programs. He has upgraded the talent level of his team, making them stronger and better able to compete at the Pac-12 level.

When his defensive coordinator was not getting the job done, he went out and got two home-run hires in Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin. The effect they have had in bringing spirit back to the Colorado D has been immense.

Unfortunately, he seems entirely committed to offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren. This despite the fact that Lindgren is not a power five level offensive mind.  His play calling is atrocious.

Lindgren fails to get his offense into any kind of rhythm except for maybe one or two drives before the games get out of hand. He does seem to excel in piling up yards against the 2nd and 3rd stringers of CU opponents after the Buffs are no longer in the game.

His clock management is bewildering and never seems to show a sense of urgency when it is needed. And lastly, he seems to call plays that seem designed to get his injured quarterback killed. Two years ago, he pulled the plug on five star quarterback transfer Connor Wood in favor of true freshman Sefo Liufau because Wood did not get the job done against Oregon and Oregon State.

Oregon and OSU won a combined 18 games that season. In the Oregon State game, Lindgren continued to call out passes to the sideline despite the fact that the wind was blowing 40 miles an hour and disrupting those passes. Coming off the worst season in Colorado history (2012), in which the Buffs were lucky to win one game, Wood had led the Buffs to a 2-2 record in 2013.

After starting the game 0-4 with an interception, Wood was benched in the game at Arizona State and Sefo Liufau has been the starter ever since. What has been the result?

• 2013 -- Liufau led the Buffs to two victories (Charleston Southern and a 1-11 Cal team)
• 2014 -- Despite setting numerous records, Liufau led to the Buffs to only two victories all season (over 4 win Hawaii, and 3 win UMass)
• 2015 -- Brought a three game winning streak over bad competition (Umass, Nichols, and Colorado State)

The Buffs have not won a conference game since the Cal game in 2013. Their record against Pac-12 foes since Lindgren took over: 1-19

Lindgren dumped Wood after two bad games, yet the current quarterback has been unable to get into a rhythm the entire season this year. And last year, despite numerous records, he also turned the ball over an astonishing number of times.

What will it take for Lindgren to make a change? Maybe he realizes that his horrible play-calling is to blame. Mostly, Lindgren seems like a deer in the headlights against Pac-12 competition.

If MacIntyre survives the season as head coach, it will be a miracle unless Lindgren is shown the door. If Mac is let go, Buff Athletic Director Rick George has the perfect replacement on staff in Jim Leavitt. That will allow the Buffs to retain some semblance of continuity in a program that has had too many bad coaches and too many changes over the last decade.

Whatever happens the rest of this year, it will not be on my watch. Overseas travel beckons once again and I cannot imagine any Buff fan will be having a better time than I will.

Go Buffs.