Moment of Truth Time for Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes

In around two hours, Ralphie the Buffalo will lead the CU Buffs onto Folsom Field as they take the field against the UMass Minutemen. Last year the Minutemen held an 11 point lead in the second half before the Buffs rallied to a three point victory at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

It was one of only two victories for the Buffs in 2014. The other was against Hawaii, who got their revenge last week as the Buffs fell 28-20 against the Rainbow Warriors.

The Buffs came into the season brimming with confidence and spoke openly about a bowl game at the end of the season. A month's worth of miscues (or, as head coach Mike MacIntyre put it, "shooting themselves in the foot, the leg, the head") doomed the Buffs to their 9th straight loss despite a strong effort from the revitalized defense under Jim Leavitt.

The Buffs enter this game knowing that any loss before the beginning of Pac-12 play pretty much dooms this team to yet another losing year. No bowl, no nothing. That means the Buffs have to hold serve against the Minutemen, CSU next week, and then a school called Nicholls before taking on the Pac-12. To paraphrase Stuart Whitehair over at "CU at the Game" -- Who the hell is Nicholls?

The Buffs are steadfastly claiming that they have not lost their confidence. That is good. Unfortunately, the head coach and offensive coordinator (and the Special Teams guy) all seem to think there was nothing wrong last week. They seem to be in some serious denial.

MacIntyre claims that Hawaii was able to put "a little bit of pressure" on quarterback Sefo Liufau. The reality? Four sacks, numerous knockdowns, little time to throw, and unplanned scrambles because the blocking schemes were a mess. If that only qualifies as "a little bit" most fans shudder to think what it will be like when the Buffs play a top defensive team.

OC Brian Lindgren sees no problem with the Buffs play calling last week, despite the fact that the team averaged only 4 yards a play both running and passing the ball. That's pretty scary when you throw the ball 40 times and only get 159 yards for the effort. Lindgren also completely abandoned the running game after starting to dominate on the ground. The offense also wasted two of three timeouts for no apparent reason, and as the game was winding down, seemed completely oblivious to the fact the clock was running. Sure, the refs botched the last play, but that was to be expected because they were pretty awful all day.

Fans all hope that special teams doesn't do all it can to lose the game. To take a quote from the movie "The Big Chill" (they were watching the Michigan game and making many mistakes) -- "Come on, Bo (Schembechler) , teach 'em the basics!" Just insert Toby (Neinas) for Bo.

Expect the defense to take it to Mass. They know that they might be ones needing to score points if Lindgren and Neinas put the Buffs in a hole again. Mike MacIntyre does not usually panic, but if the Buffs come up short today he will need to start working on his resume.

Colorado Buff Football: Praise the Players, and Criticize the Coaches by NAME

The worst thing about the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team "shooting themselves in the foot, the leg, the head" (Head Coach Mike MacIntyre quote) in their embarrassing loss to Hawaii is that the blogosphere and web and news comments have been riddled with angry fans singling out PLAYERS by name to blame for the loss. That should not happen.

ALL BLAME FOR LOSSES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL BELONGS WITH THE MEN MAKING MILLIONS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

IT SHOULD NOT EVER BE PUT ON THE SHOULDERS OF YOUNG MEN WHO ARE FULL TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS.

Fans need to remember that kids on the field DO NOT call the plays and they DO NOT decide who is going to play. Those prerogatives belong to the coaches, and ultimately, the Buck Stops on the Head Coach's desk.

If a fan feels that the quarterback is to blame, the reality is that the blame belongs with the QB coach/offensive coordinator (Brian Lindgren) and Mike MacIntyre. Not Sefo Liufau. The quarterback does not call the plays, the coaches do. Also, the coaches decide which young men will be playing.

If fans feel the offensive line blocked horribly on passing plays, the blame goes to the offensive line coach (Gary Bernardi), Lindgren, and MacIntyre. Not the players on the field. The coaches are responsible for training the unit as a team dedicated to protecting the quarterback. When the QB gets hammered over and over again, the blame is on the coaches.

If special teams gave up turnovers and points, blame the special teams coordinator (Toby Neinas) and MacIntyre. It's not the punter's fault that no one blocked. If a return man makes a bad decision, it is ultimately because he was not trained properly by the people who are paid very handsomely to teach him.

MANY OF THE COLORADO BUFF PLAYERS PLAYED VERY WELL. THEY DESERVE TO BE PRAISED BY NAME.

The Colorado Defense played remarkably well when one considers the pressure put on them by turnovers and play calling on the offensive side of the ball which often left the defense backed up in their own end.

Last year the defense managed only three interceptions all year. In the game against Hawaii, they grabbed three of Hawaii's passes. One was nullified on a horrible pass interference penalty called on a player 15 yards away from the interception. Ryan Moeller showed why he earned a starting nod by being all over the field. 

The rebuilt defensive front put lots of pressure on the Hawaii QB and will only get better as they get more experience under coach Jim Jeffcoat. Derek McCartney got an interception played very strong, and new players Jase Franke and Jordan Carrell made fine debuts. Ahkello Witherspoon also showed why fans were excited about him last year before he was slowed by injuries.

The influence of new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt and new safeties coach Joe Tumpkin was obvious. This might turn out to be the best Colorado defense in a decade.

Michael Adkins was beginning to dominate running the ball. Yet, inexplicably, the man calling the plays (LINDGREN) decided to stop running the ball and try to move the ball almost exclusively through the air.

Diego Gonzalez made all of his field goals and extra points in his first game and made it look effortless even though his FG's were from 40 yards out. Many fans are excited to see this young man with the powerful leg get a chance to boom one in from 50-60 yards out or more.

FANS NEED TO HOPE THE COLORADO COACHES MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY TO WIN SOME GAMES. THE TALENT IS THERE, BUT IT IS UP TO THE COACHES TO USE IT PROPERLY.

The Buffs beat themselves against Hawaii. They have three more games to correct the mistakes and ready themselves for Pac-12 play. Fans should give them a chance to make those changes before wholeheartedly dismissing the 2015 Buffs. And if they must criticize, they should criticize those professionals who are being paid very well to do their jobs.

Go Buffs!

Colorado Head Coach Mike MacIntyre Has Some Tough Decicisions to Make

Mike MacIntyre has been raving about the new facilities at Folsom Field. His office has the most beautiful view of any football coach's office in the country, college or pro. I hope he is enjoying it while he can, because it is likely that he will no longer be the occupant of that office when New Years Day rolls around.

There are things he can do to avoid that fate, but they will be difficult. He needs to hold himself and his entire staff accountable. That responsibility comes with the title and $2 Million (plus incentives) salary.

Some folks on the staff are NOT doing their jobs. The game against Hawaii was lost for many reasons and there is lots of blame to go around, so let's look at some of the most egregious examples.

Special Teams Coordinator--
 
Special Teams play against Hawaii was horrendous. Not every coaching staff has a coach whose SOLE RESPONSIBILITY is to coach Special Teams. But the BUFFS have had the same one now entering his third year. If Toby Neinas doesn't resign out of sheer embarrassment following the debacle against Hawaii, MacIntyre should do the right thing and show him the door. Or reassign him... or maybe put him in charge of the Gatorade. Anything except let him continue to coach the special teams unit.

Much time has been spent talking about replacing the punter and place kickers from last year. The good news is Diego Gonzalez looks to be solid and Alex Kinney will only get better. It's hard to be a true freshman starting his first game. Chris Graham also did well on the kickoffs. What those young men can't control is blocking, and it's up to the coordinator to have good blocking schemes. They didn't on either side of the ball.

MacIntyre needs to take over from Neinas or reassign another coach to this position. The Buffs are not good enough yet to overcome special teams blunders that give other teams easy points.

Offensive Coordinator / Play Calling 

Brian Lindgren REALLY needs to work on his play calling. The Buffs never seem to get a rhythm going against Hawaii, and that happened in many games last year as well. At one point, the Buffs had started dominating running the ball. Even the announcers pointed out how tired the Hawaii line was getting. Then, the next three times the Buffs got the ball they did nothing but throw the ball (very poorly) to go three and out each time. That provide Hawaii some rest and they got stronger again.

Time management also needs to be worked on. The Buffs have no one to blame but themselves for not having time at the end of the game. Yes, the refs were horrible in not allowing the Buffs to have a final snap. But the only reason it was an issue is because of two wasted timeouts in the third quarter. Also, with 10 seconds to play and needing a touchdown, what you are supposed to do is throw passes into the end zone. If the ball is caught, you score. If not, the clock stops. If you throw to the five yard line and the guy doesn't score, the game is over. That's what Lindgren called. HORRIBLE PLAY CALLING in crunch time.

It's time for MacIntyre to take over the play calling duties.

Offensive Line Coach

Gary Bernardi needs to let his guys know that it okay to block on passing plays. Sefo had no time in the pocket all night. Last year the Buffs gave up the fewest sacks in the Pac-12. This year looks like they will give up the most. And Sefo is going to be pretty damned banged up as well.

Also, you need to forget the "great story" aspect of some of your players and put the best football players on the field. The RIGHT TACKLE is horrible. He's smart, a wonderful being, and speaks many languages. That's nice. But he's has no football intelligence and gets hung out to dry over and over again on passing plays. Just wait until he starts playing against Pac-12 talent. I could say it's going to get ugly, but it's been ugly for 28 games now. Just because a guy LOOKS like he should be a great player does not make it so. The funny thing is, the guy looks so good that he will probably be drafted into the NFL. He'll ace the Wonderlic test, blow them away at the combine with his size and strength, and when he puts pads on in camp he will look formidable. But when it's time to pass block they will find out the flaw. Liken him to a baseball player who rips it up in the minors and then finds out he can't hit a major league curve.

The Good News

Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin are awesome. It's going to be fun watching the Buffs play defense this year, and they will get better and better as they learn from these two great coaches.

Conclusions for MacIntyre

The Buffs should win handily next week. They should have won handily against Hawaii. Three guys on the coaching staff owe the team an apology (and one a resignation).


When Mac gets back into his office, he needs to take a good look around and decide what he's willing to do to keep his job. If he is not willing to make some changes, and quickly, he will be forcing Athletic Director Rick George to start making changes of his own.

Colorado State Embarrasses Colorado 31-17 in Rocky Mountain Showdown

The final score may not look so bad on paper, but the reality of the matter is that the Colorado State Rams are a much better football team than the University of Colorado. This writer, for one, hopes that CSU wins the remainder of their games. If they can get by Boise State and Boston College, they have a chance to run the table.

The thing they need to find out now is whether they were really that dominating or whether Colorado really is as bad as they looked. Can an offensive line made up of new starters all across the board (after the starting left tackle was injured early in the game) really be counted on to open holes big enough to drive hybrid four wheel drive vehicles through? Or is the Colorado defensive line really that bad? Only time will tell.

Unfortunately for Colorado, their offensive line played as poorly as their defensive line. Just like last year, the Buffs cannot run the ball, especially when they are lined up to do nothing but run the ball. They get a first down inside the 5 yard line and bring on the power run package of blockers as if challenging the defense to stop them from running the ball. Sadly, the challenge was accepted and the CSU defensive front DID stop them on three consecutive running plays. From that point on, Colorado State completely dominated the rest of the game.

After Colorado kicked a field goal to take a 10-0 lead, the play calling of Offensive Coordinator Brian Lindgren became truly offensive. It was unimaginative and certainly showed that Lindgren is incapable of adjusting his play calling during the game. Coach McElwain of CSU and his staff adjusted well and turned the game around after CU dominated the first quarter.

Colorado plays two teams in the next three weeks that only went 1-11 last year. After the sorry display against Colorado State put on by the Buffs, it is certainly possible that Hawaii and UMass are licking their chops to get onto the field with Colorado. Even if the Buffs do win against those teams, chances are that they will be the only two victories the Buffs can expect to see this year.

Earlier today I wrote about the Buffaloes being a team in search of an identity. The sad fact is that the Buffs has found an identity, and that is they there are a poorly coached football team. It would be pointless to single out individual players as the cause for Colorado's disgraceful performance. Football is a team game and the Buffs lost as a team.

The coaches, however, deserve to be called on the carpet. They failed in every aspect of the game. The coordinators (Lindgren and Kent Baer) , the line coaches (Gary Bernardi and Jim Jeffcoat), and the so-called special teams coach (Toby Neinas). They came up with the game plans, and they are responsible for the results.

The clock is ticking now and the job security that MacIntyre and his staff felt during the offseason and camp is a whole lot less secure. All fall camp, fans have heard nothing except how much better the Buffs would be in the trenches and on special teams. At this point, those claims are nothing but lies.

It doesn't look to get any better with a fierce Pac-12 schedule ahead. Buff fans and their dwindling confidence in the CU football program figures to take another big hit when the Arizona State Sun Devil juggernaut comes to Boulder on September 13th for the season's home opener. It may very well be the first of many lopsided scores in conference play. Also look for it to be the first in a long line of dwindling attendance at Folsom Field.

Unless magical changes occur in the very near future, this season looks to rival the infamous 2012 season for Colorado football futility. Mac needs to shake up his team from top to bottom, including the coaches. It's obvious that going with they guys with the "most experience" only works when those guys have experience winning.

Colorado Special Teams Coach Toby Neinas Continues Turn Around for Buffs after Rough Start to Season

During the two big wins to open the season, the most glaring problem on Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffs team was the returns given up by the special teams units. When Mac came aboard to become head coach at CU, he brought with him Toby Neinas as Special Teams Coordinator.

Most Buff fans were very excited to have a coach devoted solely to special teams, since Colorado's special teams were not very special over the last several years. Two games into the season, many of the Buff faithful were loudly questioning the hire. That included this writer.

In the first game against Colorado State, the Buffs gave up an average of 38.4 yards on five kickoffs. Included in that was a touchdown return. On punt returns, Colorado allowed the Rams to average 23 yards on 4 returns. The punt return team also gave up a touchdown.

The numbers put up by the CU returners were much more pedestrian. They had 19 yards on one kickoff return (for an average less than half of CSU), and averaged only 8.5 on four punt returns (barely more than a third as many as CSU).

In game two against Central Arkansas, the kickoff return numbers continued to be bad. The Bears averaged 32 yards per on  4 returns. The Buffs, on the other hand, averaged barely more than half that at 17.3 on 3 returns. The Bears had only 1 punt return for 10 yards and CU had no punt returns.

After two games, the yards given up on returns by the Buffs were among the worst in the country. Everyone questioned whether the Buffs could return to respectability if their special teams were so bad.

Then came the floods and the extended break before Pac-12 play. After three straight lopsided defeats, the focus on what problems the Buffs were having were directed elsewhere. One of the reasons was that the CU special teams were starting to put up respectable numbers.

First came Oregon State. The Beavers  had one kickoff return for 27 yards while the Buffs averaged 24.2 on 4 returns. The Buffs gave up only 8 total yards on 2 punt returns.

During the Oregon game, the Ducks only averaged 2 yards each on 2 kickoff returns, while the Buffs averaged 26.9 on 7 returns. Oregon lost 3 yards on their only punt return, while CU got 5 on their only punt return.

At Tempe, the Buffs faced an Arizona State team that was one of the best in country on returns. The Buffs stood up to the challenge.  The Sun Devils only averaged 17.5 yards on 2 kickoff returns, and 10.3 yards on 3 punt returns. The Buffs averaged 19.4 on 5 kickoff returns, and had no punts returned.

Against Charleston-Southern, the Buffs averaged 26 yards on 2 kickoff returns compared to only 14.5 on two returns for the Bucs. In the punting game, CU had 2 returns for 4 yards a CS had no punt returns.

Six games into the season and the Buffs have become respectable on their special teams. After the first two games, the Buffs were giving up more than 35 yards per kickoff return, while averaging about half that for themselves.

After 6 games, however, the numbers are much more presentable. The average for CU opponents for kickoff returns is down to an average of 25.9 yards, the Buffs average has jumped up to 23 yards per return. A difference of 17.5 yards per return has now been reduced to less than 3.

Punt returns by Buff opponents has dropped from 23 in the first game to 12.5 for the season. The Buffs still only average half that at 6.2 per punt return, but it is a lot better than it was early in the season.

The CU running game finally got itself unleashed in the last game and scored 5 touchdowns and more had 218 yards rushing. If the special teams can continue to improve like they have over the last 3-4 weeks, it is only a matter of time before a Buff returner breaks a big one. As of right now, the Buffs special teams continue to become more special and Toby Neinas can hold his head high.

Mike MacIntyre's CU Buffs Didn't Have a Chance in Corvallis... and it was NOT because of the players

When Brian Lindgren and Mike MacIntyre look at themselves in the mirror today, they will be looking upon the main reason their team wasted a huge opportunity in their 44-17 loss to Oregon State. When the rest of the coaching staff looks in the mirror, they should know that they had the chance to change what was happening... but nothing was done to alter the outcome.

The reason the Buffs were given no chance by their coaches is blindingly simple. Yet, even a day later, what I see out of this staff is a collective head scratching and a muttering of idiotic catchphrases like "we have to look at the tape" to breakdown what went wrong. Let me save you guys a little time...

It's the Wind, Stupid!

Bill Clinton election theme in 1992 was "It's the economy, stupid!" and it poked fun at the economic policies of George Bush. It's an apt analogy here that the CU coaching staff should think about when looking at the tape of the game.

• When you look at the tape, look at MacIntyre's hair blowing sideways off his head due to the 40+ mph winds blowing through Reser Stadium.
• Look at the first half as OC Brian Lindgren repeatedly calls long out passes across the wind that had LITTLE chance for success.
• Hell, watch the halftime report from the Pac-12 network. Rick Neuheisel and company pointed out the obvious by stating the wind was too strong to throw the ball "outside the numbers." 
• Despite the weather, Lindgren ordered the Buffs to piss and spit over and over and over again into the wind. 
• MacIntyre stood by and let it happen, and both now seem dumbfounded by the fact that their offensive players ended up with piss and spit all over themselves.

Kent Baer's Defense was Ready to Play.

Watch the first half of the game, and you come away mightily impressed with the game plan put together by DC Kent Baer and the other defensive coaches. The mighty OSU offense struggled to move the ball or convert on third down. Even when catches were made, the Buffs were almost always providing excellent coverage.

The defensive line was harassing Sean Mannion and putting him on the ground. Linebacker Addison Gillam was again all over the field. DB Greg Henderson once again showed he is a ball hawk of the highest order.

Unfortunately, you could see the frustration begin to set in as the defensive players seem to realize that no matter how much opportunity they gave the Buffs' offense, the play calling of Brian Lindgren effectively doomed any chance that Connor Wood and the offense had to build a rhythm of success.

In hindsight, it could be reasonably argued that anything positive created by the offense was sheer dumb luck. By the end of the second quarter, the defense realized that fact and it took a bit of the wind out of their sails. On top of that, the OSU offensive coordinator adjusted HIS play calling to account for the wind.

Toby Neinas Should Wear a Bag Over His Head

Much was made of the hiring of Toby Neinas as a full time special teams coordinator. Special teams had been a nightmare for the Buffs the last several years and the conventional wisdom was that a full time coach devoted to this part of the team would help immensely. As is often the case, conventional wisdom was wrong. Special teams continues to be an embarrassment.

MacIntyre's Buffs would be better served by a scarecrow with these simple points taped to his chest:

• Coverage Team: Tackle the guy with the ball.
• Return Team: Block the guys trying to tackle your guy with the ball.
• Returners: Catch the ball and HOLD onto the ball until the whistle blows. Run with the ball ONLY if you can manage the first two parts.

It is really quite simple. But I guess if you cannot figure out the wind is blowing hard it might be seem complex. Right now, unless Neinas is doing amazing things on the recruiting trail, his paycheck is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

 The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Awry

The gist of the old Scot saying was highlighted by poet Robert Burns and later immortalized by John Steinbeck in his classic novella "Of Mice and Men" about a couple of guys in Depression Era California. It is a short and easy but very powerful book that the entire CU Buff coaching staff should read THIS weekend.

One of the morals to the story is that things change. The application of that thought for the Buff coaches must be that they HAVE to be aware that playing conditions strongly influence what can and will work and what will NOT.

The Ice Bowl

The effect of playing conditions in football were most famously demonstrated in 1967 during the NFL Championship game at frigid Lambeau Field between Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys and Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.

At playing time, the temperature in Green Bay was 15 degrees BELOW zero. The wind chill was nearly 50 degrees below zero. Every football coach should be able to talk about the adjustments that had to be made by both players and coaches in that famous game.

The game winning touchdown was scored on fourth down near the end of the game when quarterback Bart Starr followed his guard Jerry Kramer into the endzone on a quarterback sneak. Later, when asked by the media why the Packers did not simply kick a field goal to send the game into overtime instead of risking a loss by going for it on 4th down, Lombardi said it was "too cold" to take the game into overtime. Kramer later immortalized the game and play in his book "Instant Replay" with Dick Schaap.

Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Face

Boxer Mike Tyson made that famous comment in response to questions about the lateral movement and jabs of an upcoming opponent. It pointed out that many great plans are destroyed by the reality of the moment.

The game against Oregon State in Corvallis was one of those moments in which reality punched the CU coaches in the face. It was not the Beavers who did the punching. It was not Sean Mannion. It was the WIND. And Brian Lindgren and Mike MacIntyre were knocked stupid by it.

Which Way Did He Go, George? Which Way Did He Go?

According to the New York Times, the classic characters of Lennie and George were "endlessly parodied" by cartoons of the 40's and 50's. One of the most common of those parodies was of a big, goofy, Lennie-type character being confused about something and asking breathlessly, "Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?" Unfortunately for the Colorado Buffaloes, the part played by OC Brian Lindgren was that of Lennie.

Let's hope that in the future, Mr. Lindgren doesn't have such a hard time figuring out which way the wind is blowing.

Pac-12 Football: Colorado's Road to Respectability a Combination of Autobahn Speeds and Road Contruction Woes

After suffering through the worst year ever for Colorado Buffaloes football in 2012, perhaps it is still a bit too early to hope for an easy win. Easy or not, though, Mike MacIntyre's Buffs improved their season record to 2-0 after scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to come back from a 7 point deficit to Central Arkansas. The final score at Folsom Field was 38-24.

Just about everyone conceded that the road to rebuilding Colorado Football by  Mac and staff would have a fair share of bumps and detours. Two games in, that is certainly the case. The difference this year from prior years is that the Buffaloes do not fold when the going gets tough. On the contrary, to borrow a boxing term, when these Buffs get knocked to the canvas they get right back up and start swinging.

In both games, late heroics were enough to pull out victories. Colorado scored 18 points in the fourth quarter in game one against CSU, and bettered that with the 21 points in the final stanza against Central Arkansas. The 39 points scored by CU in the last quarter this year is near the top of the NCAA rankings. Last year, the Buffs scored an average of 17.8 points per GAME. This year, the Buffs are beating that by nearly two points in just the fourth QUARTER!

Overall, the Buffs are averaging 39 points per game. That puts CU at 33rd in the country in scoring. Last year, they were 120th! Paul Richardson is the #1 receiver in the country with 417 yards, 4 touchdown and 21 catches. Connor Wood is 7th in the country in passing, while last year the Buffs finished 99th in that category. While the Buffaloes are still looking for a breakout game on the ground, the passing game has more than made up for it so far this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the difference has been just as dramatic. Last year, the Buffs had just three interceptions the entire year. That was bad enough to have them ranked 122nd in the country. This year, they equaled that total in one game against Central Arkansas. Moreover, they returned two of the interceptions for touchdowns. After two games, the Buffs are tied for #2 in the country. Add the fumble recovery for a touchdown by Greg Henderson in game one, and the Buffs Defense is averaging 1.5 TD's per game.

Does that mean everything is going smoothly for the Buffs in 2013? Not by a long shot. The kickoff return coverage is so bad that Buffs are by far the worst in the country. Right now it is so bad that kicking the ball out of bounds on purpose to let the opponent start their series on the 35 yard line would be a significant improvement. As for punting, only the mad skills of All-American candidate Darragh O'Neill has kept the punt return stats from being as bad as the kickoff returns.

Strangely enough, other than on kick and punt returns, the overall tackling of these Buffs has been light years better than last year. Coach Mac and special teams coach Toby Neinas are working feverishly to rectify the situation. Neinas is no newbie in the profession, with more than 15 years on his resume. Chances are that some fine tuning on proper lane coverage will eventually lead CU back to respectability. If not that, Buff fans can hope that the team at least gets to the point the every kick does not lead to serious hand wringing.

Through two games in 2013, the Buffs road to respectability has been a combination of Autobahn speeds and road construction woes. So far, the improvements in offense and defense have allowed CU to win despite the setbacks on special teams and rushing. They are working hard, but they knew it wouldn't be clear sailing the entire way, not this early in the process.

This week the Buffs face a Fresno State team which decimated them last year by a score of a score of 69-14. It is obviously a major step up in competition.  These Buffs are a drastic improvement over last year, most notably in their hearts and dedication. They may not beat this FS team which is close to joining the Top 25, but their hearts will be in it to the very end. They may take some damaging shots, and even find themselves on the canvas, but they will land some haymakers of their own. Indeed, count on them to start earning back the respect that disappeared last year in Fresno.

Colorado Football 2013: Camp Opens on the Mike MacIntyre Era

The University of Colorado officially opened camp for the upcoming 2013 season, and Buff fans and players alike are looking for a vast improvement over the darkest days in the history of the program. And the man everyone is looking at to lead the Buffs back to brighter days is Head Coach Mike MacIntyre.

Of course, one of the main reasons why so many people are confident that Mac2 is the right man for the job is his ability to build a great team of coaches to work with him and each other and the players under their command. Mac knows teamwork and the team of coaches he has assembled know it as well. And together, their job is to bring that knowledge and enthusiasm to the players.

It appears that the effect since beginning Spring practices has been rather profound. Early on, it was evident to all who watched that the new coaches were VERY organized and efficient. They realized just how precious actual NCAA approved practice time is, and the used every minute at their disposal to teach their young men. The coaches knew what they wanted to achieve before practice started and got every player involved in as many reps as possible in the time allotted. 

The Summer months are a "hands off" time for the coaches, but a very important time for the Buffs to work hard in player led workouts. The coaches made sure the team knew this and trained them during the Spring on how to practice and work out. They stressed conditioning and proper weight and gave guidelines to those who needed to gain or lose some pounds. Their planning is paying dividends now that Fall camp has begun.

Due to guidance from coaches and proper physical training, the 2013 Buff squad entered camp in the best physical shape the team has seen in years. And it is not just returning Buffs who took their jobs seriously this summer. The incoming freshmen also did their duty to be in shape before camp began.

The main benefit of being physically prepared when camp opened, of course, is that MacIntyre and his coaches can now focus on TEACHING instead of just whipping them into shape. And being in the good shape that they are will allow them to get lots and lots of reps in during each practice. The days of standing around watching are over, and that is a great thing for the future of Colorado Buffaloes football.

Right now, those of us who follow and write about the Buffs have been asked to refrain from discussing specifics about plays and players. In this day and age when so few schools even allow the press or fans to attend practice, this is a completely reasonable request.

Right now, the only 11 men that fans should focus on are the ones who will truly allow the Buffs to succeed this season and into the future. Those men are:

Mike MacIntyre -- Head Coach

Kent Baer -- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers

Brian Lindgren -- Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks

Klayton Adams -- Running Backs / Tight Ends

Gary Bernardi -- Offensive Line

Charles Clark -- Safeties

Jim Jeffcoat -- Defensive Line

Andy LaRussa -- Cornerbacks

Toby Neinas -- Special Teams

Troy Walters -- Wide Receivers / Recruiting Coordinator 

Dave Forman -- Director of Sports Performance

These fine men will make the Colorado Buffs a better football team, and they will do it because they know the value of commitment, dedication, sacrifice and teamwork. They will help the young men they work with become better people and leaders in all aspects of their lives, and by doing so will build a TEAM that can accomplish on and off the field.

CU Buffs Depth Chart: The Only Positions that Matter!

The Colorado Buffs have released their first "pencil" depth chart of the team since beginning spring practices. Unfortunately, the general consensus among fan sites devoted to the Buffs and also comments on news stories has been a worried and collective wringing of hands. Seriously? Only halfway though the 2013 Spring Practices, and there seems to be an irrational worry about who is where and why.

RELAX PEOPLE.

There are only ten positions on the Colorado Buffs football team that really matter right now. Fortunately, after the worst season in CU football history, all ten of those positions have changed since last year. Fans should be looking only at these 10 guy right now, because these are the men who will determine how the entire team does this coming season and for the foreseeable future.

Mike MacIntyre -- Head Coach

Kent Baer -- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers

Brian Lindgren -- Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks

Klayton Adams -- Running Backs / Tight Ends

Gary Bernardi -- Offensive Line

Charles Clark -- Safeties

Jim Jeffcoat -- Defensive Line

Andy LaRussa -- Cornerbacks

Toby Neinas -- Special Teams

Troy Walters -- Wide Receivers / Recruiting Coordinator

CU fans need to let these men do their jobs and quit fretting about who will be at QB (or LB, DT, etc.) These men are professionals whose jobs are to evaluate the talent of the players they have available. Unlike the casual fans, these guys are paid to coach, train, and evaluate all the players and utilize them to put the best team on the field when the season begins.

The enthusiasm of the fans writing blogs and commenting on news stories is commendable, but some of them need to calm down. If one looks at the upcoming season as a war with 12 battles, fans need to realize that D-Day is not until August 31st. We are barely into basic training at this point. In time, the captains and leaders and starters will rise to the top. It is up to these 10 commanders to make sure the best players do so and to encourage all the others to improve as well.

Fans should resist the temptation to look at what individual players did prior to this coaching staff arriving in Boulder. The sad fact is that the main reason that CU has had seven straight losing seasons has been the coaching, or more accurately, the lack of coaching.

Winning the battles each week for a football team is made possible by the work of the coaches both before and during the games. That being the case, it was really dumb luck that CU won a single game last year. The blame goes not to the foot soldiers, but should be put on the heads of the officers (coaches). Jon Embree and Eric Bieniemy were great players for CU. Scooter (EB) is one of my favorite Buffs ever. But the sad truth is that neither man had any idea how to do the jobs they were hired to do. So we move on.

Athletic Director Mike Bohn has taken a lot of heat for the last two hires before Mac to lead the Buffs football program. Some of the criticism is undoubtedly deserved, but football fans need to recognize that Bohn is the AD for the entire school. CU won another national championship in skiing this year. The men's basketball program and fan support are at an all-time high. The women's basketball program is starting to look a lot like the dominant days under Ceal Barry. And Bohn was instrumental in getting CU into the much more lucrative Pac-12. So, while deserved criticism needs to be acknowledged, deserved praise needs to be as well.

All said, for the first time in way too long, the football team appears to be in the hands of people who know what they are doing. Good battle plans will allow the Buffs to be competitive, and the winning will follow as the culture is changed. These men have done it before, and they can do it again.

Go Buffs!