2007 Independence Bowl Post-Mortem

First off, Happy New Year! I'm at home tonight because, well, I have 2 kids - one is 3 and the other just short of 2 - and finding a high-schooler to watch them until 0100 is just a little difficult. So, we rode into the new year here at home with a bottle of champagne, watching Fergie (yowsa...), Carrie Underwood (not bad, either), and Alicia Keys (again, quite nice...what's with all the chicks?) sing on the TeeVee. While I'd rather have seen something a little less Top 40, I guess I'd be asking a bunch and showing my 30 years of age. So, decent entertainment. Dick Clark sounds better this year, too. Seems to have his wits fully about him as he jabs Ryan Seacrest...OK, enough of this crap. FOOTBALL!!!

Well, we came up just a bit short last night. However, it's tough to get going when you're picked off on your first play from scrimmage. Hawkins appeared to just plain miss MLB Rolando McLain during his scan for receivers and tossed it straight to him, resulting in a 17-yard return and setting up Alabama's first FG. We managed to make John Parker Wilson (JPW from here on - too long of a name) look like an all-star at the beginning of the game, where he lit us up for 20 points in the first quarter ALONE...

CU made a valiant effort of it, however, as Hawkins drove us for 2 TDs in the last few minutes of Q2, sending us to the locker room at 27-14. The momentum, however, died out when we narrowly missed that FG on the opening drive of Q3. We played 'em tough for the rest of the game and outgained and outscored them, but it was too tough to dig out of that 27-0 hole we jumped into at the beginning of the game.

Altogether, we looked pretty good and our offense showed some promise. Problems I see from last night, however...

- Power running game: If this is due to play-calling or running back size, I'm not sure. Either way, we appeared afraid to run it downhill. The misdirection and end-arounds didn't fool anyone and it appeared as if UA was simply waiting for us to do it on running downs. I'm pretty sure it's not the O line, as those guys certainly had no problem giving Hawkins plenty of time to pass. The run blocking was no worse. Hugh Charles is not huge, but he isn't tiny, either. Run at 'em, already.

- Pass defense: We just made JPW look too damn good. Sorry, but this guy was on the skids for the last half of the season. We gave them the mid pass (20-30 yards) too easily. We need to make them earn that. We have the talent to stop it. Perhaps the Cover 2 scheme is too easily picked apart? I know it doesn't work so well for my Vikes with a good QB...

Well, that's about it from here for the night. Happy New Year, everyone. I appreciate your joining me last night during the game. I'll be expanding the blog (and hopefully moving over to SB Nation) as we move into 2008. Have a good sleep this evening/tomorrow morning/tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to try to ignore the fireworks going off outside my window and get some sleep here shortly. More coming up later this week. We'll talk NFL draft, upcoming recruits, and even some CU basketball.

Peace, all. Take care!

Live-Blogging Open Thread - Independence Bowl 2007 - 2nd Half

- Sorry, Jimmy Love. Just published your comments now :)

- Alright, we came out of the locker room this half and are kickin' some butt. Who the heck is this DeVree guy? He's going balls-out right now...

- AHHHH!!! Hawkins had Josh Smith wide open and just missed him. Would've been 6...

- Crap. We missed the FG. All the momentum wasted. We'll have to see how the D comes out...

- JPW and 'Bama look a little dumbstruck. Good D for us, especially on 2nd down with the D line being in JPW's face. He threw that to no one. Hell of a punt, however. We have a LONG way to go...

- Good. Out of the dungeon with a first down...and another on 3rd and 15. 'Bama isn't going to go far with this kind of D...

- Hell of a run by Charles for 27. 1st down...again...and 'Bama is looking flat on D.

- Another 1st down. Man, that was a weird screen pass that took FOREVER to develop...but it worked...though the follow-up play - another counter - didn't work. We need to quit trying that out...

- Jeez...Eberhart almost missed THAT FG, as well. Whatever 3 points on the board and we have a 10-point game.

(...and these announcers need to shut it about the bowl system being better than playoffs because it "compromises the game". Sorry, not buying it. Just because pro teams rest some guys because the games don't matter during the last two weeks of the year doesn't mean college football is any better. Once you have 7 losses, you're not bowl-eligible. So, if you start 0-7 and decide to sit all seniors, does that "compromise the game"? Lousy argument, guys...)

- FUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CU BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My wife says "game on, yo!"...

- Damn, ANOTHER 3rd down conversion. 'Bama's pass D is looking like my Vikes' pass D.

- Crap. Punt...

- 'Bama looks much better on this drive...and we let them out of a hole and gave 'em 20 yards for 1st down on CU's 42...We need a turnover...but a sack will do. Back to the 50. Sorry, JPW...

- 8:39 to go in the game. We need 10 to tie. We start on our own 20. Time to get aggressive.

- CRAP, PICK!!! Ugh...

(Good point by Jimmy Love: resting players won't happen when there are 119 teams in FBS [Div 1A] and nearly none of them - relatively speaking - ever play each other, making head-to-head tiebreakers nearly impossible. Computers will still make the seedings for a playoff system, meaning that sitting starters will not help your cause in a horserace. Now, one way to alleviate some of those issues is to use the Wetzel Plan, making the computers much less influential. The computers are half the problem now, anyway...)

- Just not stopping them. 1st down inside the 10. Looks like potential victory is slipping away. The missed FG appears to be the turning point for the momentum in this game...

- Man, this drive was beautiful. Big passes and a hell of a strike by Hawkins to cap it under SERIOUS pressure. He has good poise for a Freshman...Anyway, 6-point game...

- That holding penalty was a killer for the Tide. Took back a seriously nice run. Lousy play by #10.

- Buffs need a stuff here on 3rd and 7...badly...DAMMIT! JPW runs it for the 1st down. Looks like the final nail...

- Last play coming up. We'll see how it works out...Nice razzle dazzle at the end, but no dice. Good effort, but too many points up front to dig ourselves out.

I'm out for the night. Thanks for joining me! Take care...

Live-Blogging Open Thread - Independence Bowl 2007

- 45 minutes to gametime. Hope everyone has it in the TiVo :)

- Alright, we're off. Decent return by 'Bama. Post-KO commentary went through the end of the Tide's season. Ouch. How are they still in the bowl game?

- Ugh. This Glen Coffee dude is the entire O on this first drive. 2 first downs out of the first 3. CU is looking a bit rough on the first drive...

- CU stiffens up and stuffs 'em at the 23 and holds 'Bama to 3 points. CU ball after the break...

- Short return for CU on the KO...and we're picked on the first freakin' play. Ouch. Hawk appeared to have missed the LB altogether on his checkdowns. Threw it right to him. Oops.

- CU stiffens up...again...and makes 'Bama kick the FG after 3 plays. So, 2 drives, about 60 yards, only 6 points. I guess I'll take it as long as Hawk doesn't toss another pick...

- 3 downs and little to show for it. We had a 3rd and 8...and threw for 6. Not sure I understand that call...

- The fake punt was a nice touch - and this was a decent spot for it on the field - but the Tide didn't bite at all. Crap. Turnover on downs...

- Good first play to stuff the QB after the switch...but what's with us letting JPW out of the pocket for 20 yards?

- Crap. Got 'em on 3rd and 8, looking for another FG, and we let 'em toss it in for 6. 13-0.

- Good return by Charles on the ensuing KO. We start at about the 35...

- Another busted up drive. Still not happening...

- CU is making JPW look good. Um, let's stop these guys, shall we?

- Ugh. Another TD. 20-0...and now the end of Q1. Better step it up. We're not fooling these guys at all.

(sorry, had to cook some dinner...I'm catching up on TiVo)

- 27-0. I'm not liking this. Looks like 'Bama gamed this one out plenty in the run-up to this game. That last TD was too damn easy. They're making our pass protection look like Swiss cheese...

- Our offensive scheme isn't fooling anyone. We're trying the same counters and misdirection in Q2 as we did in Q1. They have someone spying the RB every time.

- Hugh Charles has quick feet. He's getting by some of the spies. Makes the misdirection a little easier. Cody Hawkins, however, looks nervous here in Q2. He's throwing everything for short yardage and sometimes even for a loss. He'd be better off just tossing some of these passes out of bounds.

- Our pass D really needs some work tonight. 'Bama is converting on too many critical 3rd downs...though at 27-0, some of these are starting to look less critical...

- Sweet. JPW picked by Walters. Hypolite provides some pressure into JPW's face, forcing a lousy pass. Our ball on the 43 of the Tide...

- Great pass by Hawkins for about 25. Follow-up run by Smith was sweet. We need to convert this 1st down...Got it!

- Heck of a catch for the TD by Tyson DeVree. 27-7. Hell of a drive!

- D looks pumped up for this 'Bama drive. It'd be nice to get the ball back for one last drive this half.

- Crap. Nice run by Coffee for 16...1st down...but we stuff 'em and get the ball back...but what the HECK was McBride doing on that punt return? Looks like Troy Williamson of my Vikings against the Broncos today. He took one off the helmet when he was wide open for a TD...

- Hurry-up offense...1st down...and ANOTHER to DeVree. He took a hit on that one, putting us into FG range after about 20 yards.

- Well, we spike it...throw a worthless pass for 2 yards in bounds...take FOREVER to get to the line...and Hawkins tosses a TD to Sprague with :04 to go in the 1st half. Kick ass...Go Buffs!

The 1st half has come to an end. A DISMAL beginning for the Buffs as we spot the Tide 27 points to start the game. We come up with 14 points in the last 5 minutes to make it a game. We had 159 yards of O in the first half...2/3 of it came on the last 2 drives (so says Mark May of ESPN). We get the ball back in the 2nd half.

New thread for the 2nd half...

UCLA Hires Neuheisel

For those of you not paying attention. the University of California at Los Angeles - otherwise known as "UCLA" - has hired our old coach, Rick Neuheisel, to be its head coach starting in the 2008 season. Neuheisel, as you might know, is a UCLA alumnus and former assistant coach.

Interestingly, Neuheisel was the QB for the Rose-Bowl-winning UCLA Bruins of 1983-4 and is replacing one of his former favorite targets, Karl Dorrell, who was a sophomore receiver on the same bowl squad of that year. Neuheisel was named MVP of the Rose Bowl that year, having completed 4 TD passes during the game in a win over 4th-ranked Illinois.

Neuheisel moved on after law school to become an assistant coach at UCLA in 1993 and moved to Colorado in 1994. After stays at CU and Washington, he moved on to become the QB coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2005 and was promoted to offensive coordinator under coach Brian Billick in 2006.

Neuheisel returns to UCLA to become its head coach, where one of his biggest challenges is going to be to keep his "new" coaching staff together, as they have a reputation for excellent recruiting skills.

Congrats to Coach Neuheisel...

2007 Independence Bowl Preview

Well, we're less than 24 hours out from the PetroSun KFC Hardee's Chevrolet Independence Bowl and the teams are rested up and ready to go. Alabama comes into the game riding a 4-game losing streak, including one to the University of Louisiana - Monroe (kinda like CU-Denver having a football squad). Nick Saban decided that this loss was SO BAD and SO MOMENTOUS that it was - you'd think Rudy Giuliani wrote it himself - like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. I'm not kidding. Read this. Anyway, I'm guessing that rust has worn off a bit and the Tide will roll into Shreveport a little more refreshed and a little less dumbstruck. If not, it'll be a fun night for CU.

Anyway, the Buffs will hopefully have licked some of their wounds before the game and called it good. Terrence Wheatley (broken foot) and Riar Geer (broken hand) both may play, but nothing was known at the time of my writing this post. Wheatley appears to be healed up but admits being in poor shape considering he has not practiced much in the last month. One notable player missing from the game tomorrow will be linebacker RJ Brown, who went out with his - yes - 6th concussion against FSU in September and will likely not return to the field. Ever. Ouch...

On a non-football note, while in Shreveport CU assisted with the "Lift Up America" program which seeks to eliminate hunger. Apparently, our players' participation in the program was much greater than expected (the WHOLE FREAKIN' TEAM was there, compared with about a dozen or so from the Tide) and a few players even carried 3 cases of food 2 MILES to a man's house that needed the food. Impressive.

Anyway, I'm off until tomorrow. Remember that I'll be live-blogging the game as best I can with 2 little kids crawling all over me. Please add your comments as the game goes on. I'll publish all of them that come through. Take care and GO BUFFS!!!

4 Days to Shreveport...

First off, I want to wish all those that celebrate it a very Merry (and belated) Christmas. I just got done taking down the decorations with my wife and cleaning up all the freakin' toys my kids got from everyone and his mother. Man, Fisher-Price must get rich this time of the year. If you can't stand the commercialization of Christmas, I hope you enjoyed your Festivus for the rest of us :)

ANYWAY, I have my house and my TV back now (you can only watch "Frosty the Snowman" so many times) and have set the TiVo to record our game, which is only 4 days away. I have decided to live-blog the game - that means I'll be updating the blog during the game and adding my commentary. Hopefully, you'll join me :)

Well, for those of you heading down to the game, I hope you have a good time. I'll be watching at home. Take care!

Big, Fat OOPS...

Someone threw the Buffalo soldiers into a tizz today with this Internet report:

UCLA: Rick Neuheisel is scheduled to be interviewed by UCLA Chancellor Gene Block for the Bruins' head coach job tonight, sources familiar with the search said. Coach Hawkins interviewed with UCLA on Monday. [emphasis mine] He is very interested in the job and UCLA is going to be able to meet his salary requirements

CU's Rapid Response team went into action very quickly with the following statement from Associate AD David Plati:

We have had numerous inquiries from fans, and this erroneous one line mention has already reached into the recruiting world. And it says only “Coach Hawkins” without mentioning a first name, but in some circles, it is taking on a life of its own.

Either it was innocent in that whoever entered it typed Rick’s name and subconsciously was thinking of Colorado, or it was on purpose in an attempt to throw a monkey wrench into our recruiting.

Regardless, two contacts were made with this website to change it, and no reply or change was forthcoming. We had legal representation contact this site at the request of Athletic Director Mike Bohn to have it changed this afternoon.

Mike, Dan and I assure you that what is claimed in the above highlighted text in regards to “Coach Hawkins” could not be further from the truth. It is our hope that it is righted by the website and that the media does not pursue this as any kind of story, as there is none to pursue. Dan Hawkins is a Colorado Buffalo. Period. [emphasis mine] That may only help serve to accomplish what the author intended. We wanted to address it on our website since the question has come up in recruiting.

Anonymity is the cloak of cowardice someone once said; websites such as this one also gives people freedom to make things up to damage others. That is sad.

Jeez, don't get in the way of CU and Hawk. Looks like he's stickin' around. Hell, looks like we aren't going to let him go...ever. That said, this is a little scary considering recent events.

Slick Rick is heading back to college, huh? Perhaps he's getting tired of Steve McNair's legs giving out on him? Maybe Troy Smith can change his mind...

Some Clarification...and Other Stuff

In response to a reader's very kind comment from a few days ago, I have revised the post regarding NFL coaching and such (see below). After reading through the last paragraph of the original post, I realized that my rant went a little too far without enough sourcing and that, despite how I personally viewed the situation, I simply didn't have enough to go on making the assertions that I did. So, I went ahead and changed up the wording a bit. Now, the end result may still not please everyone, but I think it's a more-accurate version of events as they transpired.

Just to make this clear: I make no assertions of being a student of journalism. I'm an opinionated fan with a blog that wants to bring some commentary about CU - which is HORRIBLY lacking, by the way - to the Internet. It may not always be pretty. Sorry, in advance.

Now, while CU athletics in the mid- to late-1990s was not anything close to Nebraska circa Lawrence Phillips and the latter Tom Osborne years of criminal cover-ups, there were certainly some minor impropriety issues along with just a straight-up lack of class from those higher in the organization. In my eyes, this culminated with Gary Barnett speaking with the media following the Hnida investigation. Sure, there was nothing criminal about what he said, but it certainly appeared classless, petty, and blame-the-victim-ish. This also appears to have awakened the University leadership - who certainly shared blame in allowing the minor indiscretions slide - and motivated them to clean a little house.

Could you find these same indiscretions in other places? Sure. However, I'm personally not OK with being "not as bad" as my rival. You set yourself on a higher level out of principle. I just didn't see this being the case with the previous coaches. I see this with the current staff. Could I be horribly wrong? Damn right. I could eat those words as easily as I am the cheese slices to my right. If I do, I'll flambee Hawk 'n' Crew just the same.

That said, I plan to read Buffaloed when I get the chance. It always helps to get both sides of a story. Peace...

Buffs Football 2008-2009 Game Schedule

Looking forward to next year is always a pastime of fans, so I'll indulge everyone here. The Buffs 2008-9 game schedule is out and, with the exception of Eastern Washington University, it appears that we're playing good games all season. Here is the schedule for the year:

- Aug 30th - Colorado State (@ Invesco Field)
- Sept 6th - Eastern Washington
- Sept 20th - at Florida State
- Sept 27th - West Virginia (yikes...)
- Oct 4th - Texas (Homecoming)
- Oct 11th - at Kansas (ouch...)
- Oct 18th - Kansas State
- Oct 25th - at Missouri (double ouch...)
- Nov 1st - at Texas A&M
- Nov 8th - Iowa State
- Nov 15th - Oklahoma State
- Nov 28th - at Nebraska

The away games are going to be tough, for sure. But based on this year, at least FSU, A&M, and Nebraska should be wins, assuming we continue to improve. I like the non-conference games, however. Looking at upcoming seasons (toggle the seasons drop-down menu for the next 5 or 6 seasons to see the schedules), as well, you can see that Hawk 'n' Crew like the big games in favor of the weak ones. It may smack the record around for a year or two, but it only makes you better to play such games.

Oh, and if anyone wants a fun "road" trip, we inked a deal to play against the Hawai'i Warriors 4 times - twice in Boulder, twice in the land where palm trees sway - from 2010-2015. My wife used to live in Honolulu and said, well...how do I put this politely...they're "nativists". Our boys should love the wonderful island hospitality they get along with the jet lag for the two games in Honolulu. My wife used to attend the games. According to her, the visitors looked visibly scared when coming out of the tunnel. I guess all the ocean air (and thousands of miles of water separating them from reality) makes 'em a little crazy out there on the rocks.

Back to the Big XII. If you want to know what kind of cream puff crap Nebraska puts on their schedule, take a look at next year's schedule:

- Aug 30th - Western Michigan
- Sep 6th - San Jose State
- Sep 13th - New Mexico State
- Sep 27th - Virginia Tech
- Oct 4th - Missouri
- Oct 11th - @ Texas Tech
- Oct 18th - @ Iowa State
- Oct 25th - Baylor
- Nov 1st - @ Oklahoma
- Nov 8th - Kansas
- Nov 15th - @ Kansas State
- Nov 28th - Colorado

Yes, they start the season with FIVE HOME GAMES, with EIGHT HOME GAMES in all. Four of them are cream puff opponents, though there's a guaranteed loss on 11/28 :) Heck, only 2 of their away games are difficult. And they play Baylor at home. If they can't pull off this schedule with at least a 10-2 record - the losses being against us at home and against Oklahoma away - they suck. I don't care how good Bo Pelini is supposed to be. This is as easy of a 1st-year schedule as a new head coach can get.

At least our staff has the balls to put together a ball-buster of a schedule. I'm looking forward to it.

A Sidebar to the NFL, If I Might

So, a little background before I get going here...

My wife graduated from the University of Oregon in June of 2001. Therefore, she's a big stinkin' Joey Harrington fan (surprise). I mean, pictures, stories, jerseys, obsession...yeah. Fun for me. Of course, I had the (mis)fortune of meeting her just a week or two short of the Fiesta Bowl encounter between the Oregon Ducks and - yup - our CU Buffaloes. That game came on the heels of our victorious encounter with the Texas Longhorns in the Big XII Championship...and we freakin' choked on the heels of Onterrio Smith and Joey Harrington, who, in tandem, picked us apart like vultures feasting on the remains of some half-decomposed roadkill sitting on I-70 somewhere near the Kansas border in June. I talked SERIOUS TRASH about that game...and ended up eating what the vulture left behind for dinner.

Anyway...closer to the point...so the football season ended with Oregon at #2 and CU with their tails between their legs. Harrington goes on to become the supposed savior to the PATHETIC Lions (sorry, I'm a Vikes fan - no love for the "Fire Millen" crowd) that sucked horribly before AND after he arrived. My wife and I got engaged and married...and spent the next 4 seasons hearing about how Harrington was the death of Detroit (as if it wasn't dead after Barry Sanders left town) until he jumped ship when Marinelli rolled into town and headed to the Dolphins to be the backup to Daunte Culpepper...

...who then realized that jumping ship from my Vikings when Brad Childress rolled into town for a 2nd-round draft pick did not magically heal his 3 busted knee ligaments. Enter Joey Harrington (again), who started 1-3 but ended up, I believe 5-5 on the season. End of the season rolls around and we start the "Nick Saban Show", starring the line "I am committed to the Dolphins organization and have no plans to coach for the University of Alabama"...

...who the bolted, against his word to his team and to Dolphins' owner Wayne Huizenga to coach for the Crimson Tide and will face CU in the Hardee's Taco Bell KFC Ford PetroSun Independence Bowl at the end of this month. The Dolphins hire Cam Cameron...

...meanwhile, a month or so prior to the end of the season, Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Jim Mora, Jr., stuck his foot in his mouth on a Seattle radio show - hosted by his old roommate - when he mentioned that he'd like Ty Willingham's job at the U of Washington if it were to become available. Arthur Blank and the Atlanta media had a tough time with that, showing him the door at the end of the year...

Enter Bobby Petrino of the U of Louisville. Mr. Petrino was about 2 years into a 10-year extension that he signed with the school and decided that he was too good for his contract and bolted for Atlanta to coach Michael Vick...uh, oops...Joey Harrington (my wife is on her third team jersey with "Harrington" on the back - I'm about to buy her an Oregon jersey instead). Having traded away Matt Schaub for some good draft picks, the team was left in a lurch when Vick went to the big house for messin' with the dawgs. Add in some O-line injuries and the team was doomed from the start...

...now, another sidebar. I might be in the minority here, but I don't think Joey Harrington is that bad of a QB. He's also no Brett Favre, but he gets a bad rap in the media. He's played for the Lions from 2002-2005, the Dolphins in 2006, and the Falcons in 2007. All teams were utter crap. None had a winning record with him starting...or without him starting. They were just bad teams. Period. With, in some cases, really bad coaching (see: Steve Mariucci) that tried to pin the blame on him. Sorry, but Jeff Garcia, Daunte Culpepper, and Byron Leftwich couldn't save these teams. It's important to keep that in mind. That aside, Harrington is of very average NFL QB talent. He'll always have a rating in the 85-95 range without about an equal number of TDs and INTs. As a passer this year, he beat the Vince Young of 2007 and Michael Vick of 2006 and 2005...

...back to Petrino. Despite the above paragraph and having some *decent* talent on the Falcons and some latitude to build a squad his way, Bobby decided that he was going to pack up his balls and go home because he couldn't coach the King of the Canines. He couldn't even finish out the season at Atlanta to get up to Arkansas and pick up the pieces after Houston Nutt "left" Arkansas. Now, he gets to compete in the SEC with the likes of...Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, and Houston Nutt...and he has just proven himself to be of less class than Gary Barnett speaking the to media during the Katie Hnida debacle, and of less reliability than Rick Neuheisel's special teams coach in punt-return formation on 4th-and-12. Who on EARTH is going to sign with this guy after he essentially tells the national sports media that, since he can't coach the fastest QB in the NFL (with a low passer rating), he doesn't want the job anymore because it would just be too difficult. Was he expecting his trip to Atlanta to be easy? Michael Vick, despite his legs, didn't exactly rip it up last year and this year wasn't looking a ton better BEFORE Petrino took the job. The point is that very few people get a chance to coach in the Big Show and this guy treated it like a spoiled child attending his first football practice, finding out he actually had to WORK if he wanted to play in the big game. Friggin' whiner.

...which brings me to my final point. From the time I began attending CU in late 1996 until the time that Hawkins took the reins last season, the athletic program in general went through some serious issues (real or perceived). Whether the direct result of coaching mistakes (Neuheisel with the recruiting violations) or misbehavior (Barnett funding some player fun), the problem necessitated some changes. The CU football (and athletic) program was getting pounded nationally, causing some serious headaches for the university. Despite the past problems, CU Athletics has moved on and appears to be headed in the right direction. It is nice to see that we appear headed in the right direction and that integrity, honesty, and hard work are in style again...on our campus. Thanks, Hawk 'n' Crew.

If You're Heading to Shreveport for the Game...

How about a little news about the University of Alabama football squad, the City of Shreveport, and the Buffs? Try these out...

- If you want to know what Tide fans thought about their football team this year, read this report card for all the gory details.

- How about a little history of the City of Shreveport? I'll see if I can't find a few venues of interest for the younger folks in the group.

- Some commentary on the upcoming game from "The Cecil Hurt Show", featuring none other than Cecil Hurt (whoever that is).

- If you plan on eating or doing a little sightseeing in Shreveport while you're there, click here to get a list of stuff to do. Here's a place that seems to come recommended by a few customers.

- I know it's belated, but I'd like to congratulate our friend, Jimmy Love, for the birth of his first son. I can't find his damn MySpace page, however. I'd like to link to it and can't find my way around MySpace with two hands and flashlight. HELP!!!

My parents are in town to spoil my kids with Xmas gifts, so I don't have a lot of time this week at the Mack house. However, more news coming later. PEACE!!!

The Longest 5 Weeks on the Planet...

Dear GOD, why isn't there just a PLAYOFF if we're going to sit around for over a month, practicing for the big game? Might as well throw in a few games while we're waiting. But I digress...

Just a few things I'm doing to improve the site as I get it off the ground...

As a few of you might have noticed, I've removed the CU logo from the site. Lets just say that CU likes it logos and doesn't want to share them with anyone. I didn't get in trouble, but I found their usage guidelines. Oops. So, I found a snarly picture of a buffalo instead. This one is free and I'm following their guidelines as best I can...Hope you like the picture. He looks pissed enough, right?

I also added a RSS - which stands for "Real Simple Syndication" (yeah, technical...) - feed that is a headline link directly to the Buffs athletic site. So, on the left side of the blog you'll find headlines from CU football. As I start to cover some other sports, I'll add other feeds. Feel free to peruse. Lots of good stuff for you.

Anyway, there is now a comments section at the bottom of each post. If you want to flog me, praise me, kick me, poke fun of me (or anyone else, for that matter), or simply suggest something that you'd like to read about, let me know. I like reading the comments.

Look for more improvements as I figure out Blogger and the rest of the blogging business. Adios...

Lynn Katoa, Linebacker, Commits to Buffs

Looks like Hawk 'n' Crew are puttin' their salesmen boots on and going for the jugular. The last few days netted Linebacker Lynn Katoa as a "solid verbal", according to Rivals.com. Katoa is a linebacker from Salt Lake City's Cottonwood High School. Click here for some video on this guy (the video links are located in the middle of the page).

Apparently, Katoa was returning from a visit to the Oklahoma State campus and Hawk and the herd showed up at his doorstep to sell him on CU. Looks like they succeeded. Expect him in Boulder next August. He won't even have to get accustomed to the altitude :)

Rivals.com has a ranking system of prospects - according to them, this is compiled after "thousands of hours of watching film" - that runs from a low of 4.9 (don't know anything about him or, well, he really sucks) to a high of 6.1 (top dawg). They rank Katoa at 6.0 (top 300 prospects). Basically, this puts him in the Hannibal Navies/Jordon Dizon category of linebacker we're accustomed to seeing in Boulder. Watch some video on this guy. He's fast. Good stuff.

Just one of the many up-and-comers we'll be seeing as Hawk 'n' Crew pick up the pieces from the prior 2 coaches.

CU Recruits for 2008

I totally hijacked these from AllBuffs - a forum for all things CU sports. Here is a list of recruits for 2008 (think we like the West?):

CU class of 2008 commitment list

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S Stephen Hicks, Whitehouse, TX
OT Ryan Dannewitz, San Jacinto, CA
LB Jon Major, Parker, CO
WR Chance Blackmon, Tatum, TX
RB Ray Polk, Phoenix, AZ
LB Will Pericak, Boulder, CO
DT Curtis Cunningham, Littleton, CO
S Vince Ewing, Carlsbad, CA
S Patrick Mahnke, Highlands Ranch, CO
QB Tyler Hansen, Temecula, CA
LB Josh Berard, Torrance, CA
K Jameson Davis

Anyone that wants to take a Google ganders at any of these should do so and comment. I want to know who the budding studs are going to be.

Peace, kidz...

Bowl Names

Please tell me I'm not the only person who thinks that bowl names are getting totally out of hand. Here's a quick list, from ESPN, of some of the bowls on tap for us over the next month:

- San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl - Utah v. Navy
- R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl - Memphis v. Florida Atlantic
- Meineke Car Care Bowl - UConn v. Wake Forest
- Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl - Cal v. Air Force (at least this one features cool equipment)
- Roady's Humanitarian Bowl - Georgia Tech v. Fresno State
- Papajohns.com Bowl - Southern Miss v. Cincinnati

My favorite one, however, involves my wife's alma mater (Oregon) - the Brut Sun Bowl. Honestly, who can play football with the constant smell of an old dude lingering in the air (apologies to Brut users)?

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for sponsorship. However, this is absurd. The football isn't even that bad in 90% of these games...but the names cheapen the whole thing.

I'm boycotting...except for CU. Go Buffs...

Buffs to play in Independence Bowl vs. the Tide

Watch out, Nick Saban. The Buffs are coming to burn your house down. Or someone else's house. Heck, we're just pyromaniacs and we're coming to Shreveport to burn something down. Ralphie will then dine on the ashes...chase it with some gumbo...then wash it all down with some Louisiana swamp water. Amoebas be damned.

The two teams will meet in the PetroSun Independence Bowl. Both teams ended the year with 6-6 records, both 4-4 in conference play. Both had noteworthy games this season - 'Bama nearly taking down LSU in a 41-34 loss and CU stunning the Sooners with Eberhart's last-second FG. All told, it's got the makings of a fun one on the bayou.

In other news, the BCS (yawn...) has selected LSU and Ohio State to play for the "championship". As I said before...

...is it time for playoffs yet?

OU 38, Mizzou 17; Pitt 13, WVU 9

Oops. Oops. Oops.

Is it time for a college football playoff yet? Tonight, the two top-rated teams in the country - our Big XII's University of Missouri Tigers and the ACC's West Virginia Mountaineers - both hit the skids against their opponents, leaving the whole BCS system in a shambles, at best, and somewhere near the Sony Betamax in terms of utility, at worst. You simply cannot have this much parity in a single season (with #2 being the worst spot of them all) and have the championship be decided by a vote. Unacceptable.

I might point anyone who has a few minutes to The Wetzel Plan. If you haven't read it, do so now. Really. Stop reading this blog and read that article. It details how we get from the season to the post-season to a championship without - GASP! - a vote. How do we do it? Playoffs, baby, playoffs. Bring it on home the old fashioned way. They do it in the NFL and every other NCAA division besides FBS (old Div 1-A).

Have a read...then look back at this season and tell me that a playoff won't sort it all out better than a vote.

The Mack

End of the Year Stats for the Coach's Kid

Ya know...I could never stand the kid that started on youth sports teams simply because his dad was the coach. Thankfully for Cody Hawkins, he's able to play through the stigma and put together some pretty decent numbers, especially for a freshman on a 6-6 team that is improving but still needs to work out some kinks. Here are his final numbers for the 2007 season:

- Comp/Att: 239/424 (56.4%)
- Total passing yards: 2,693 (11.3 yds/comp)
- Touchdowns: 19
- Interceptions: 15
- NCAA passer rating: 117.4 (85th in FBS [formerly Div. 1-A])

Looks like we have a keeper (no pun intended). Three more years! Three more years!

The Mack

Jordon Dizon Named Big XII Defensive POY

This guy is a stud. Not only did he play in all 12 games and 796 plays for the season, he doubled his runner-up for the number of unassisted tackles on the season with 120. Add in the 40 assisted tackles, and he figured into an average of 13 tackles per game. In other words, he's a stud...all over the field.

Butkus award, anyone?

For those of you that are not familiar with this award, it has been awarded by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando since 1985 to the most outstanding collegiate linebacker. The ABC crew was calling him a longshot during the Nebraska (ugh) game. However, those numbers are impressive.

Here's hoping for the best. Good luck, Jordon.

The Mack

Welcome to the Buffalo Stampede!!!

Let me tell you something...

The CU Buffs get very little coverage in this great country of ours. Personally, I think the Mountain Time Zone is the dead zone - kinda like some black hole where time stands still - thus rendering it and those that are unlucky enough to reside within it useless to the East- and West-Coast media. I guess when no major city sits within 8 hours of you - no, Omaha and Lincoln do not count - you're bound to be forgotten by a few people across the country. So, we have to work hard to be seen. That said...

Seriously? No serious blogs on CU football? Really? I know Boulderites aren't the world's greatest fans, but I certainly liked CU football when I attended. Hell, still love it. Just don't get much of it without purchasing the sports package from DirecTV (which is great, by the way). I'm sure my wife isn't crazy about it, but I don't care. She's an Oregon Duck...

Anyway, my hope is to bring CU football - and, eventually, CU basketball and maybe even a little skiing news for you junkie types - to your computer screen uncensored and maybe even a little in your face. We put together a couple of impressive wins against Oklahoma and Nebraska - we got clobbered by Mizzou...but they were #1 for a short time in this crazy season and that's to be excused - this year and it'll be nice to see what 2008 has in store for Hawkins and the crew. I'm excited for it. I'll see what I can do to bring CU football from Boulder to the big time and maybe even talk a little smack to the other Big XII blogs on the Internetz.

I hope you all enjoy it. Talk to you all soon...

The Mack