2 and 0. Undefeated. Best Record in the Nation.
What can you determine from a 2 and 0 start to the college football season, or pro season for that matter? Not much, but it is still entertaining to ask; is my team elite, solid, ok, or wretched? Let’s take a look at the Dentroiter college teams thus far:
Michigan State Spartans: 2-0
Their offense is absolutely anemic. They will struggle to score points all season long. An old coach of mine once said, “if they don’t score, they can’t win.” Spartan fans better hope their D posts numerous goose eggs this year.
Coach Dantonio needs to simply ask himself this question when deciding a quarterback; when the receivers don’t get open, or the O-line misses a block, who gives me the best chance to still make a play? Based on my observation, it is Connor Cook.
The handful of series I watched these past two weeks has reminded me of just how boring Big Ten football can be. The entire Big Ten with the exception, with the possible exceptions of Ohio State and Michigan, has a recruiting problem. Michigan State needs to recruit some receivers.
The Spartans are OK. I am predicting a 6 and 6 season.
Colorado Buffaloes: 2-0
Double the wins, double the fun.
The Buffs have already doubled their wins from last season. They have the leading receiver in the country. They have had numerous long passes for touchdowns, and defensive scores – these things did not happen last year! It is easy for the Buff faithful to be excited for this week’s game against Fresno State.
Yes, they are undefeated and have big play potential with Paul Richardson. Yes, there is reason to believe their schedule now looks a little more favorable (WSU beat USC at home last week). Yes, they have a coach who seems to know the method(s) of switching the mindset from losing to winning, but they still are not at the ‘good‘ level just yet. The Buffs are ok.
Keep playing Buffs. I am predicting a 4 and 8 season.
Michigan Wolverines: 2-0
Uh. Who cares? Please visit (mgoblue.com).
Colorado State Rams: 0-2
I like their coach – Jim McElwain. He speaks like he fully expects his team to win and he believes he can build a winner in The Fort. Read these comments.
Still wretched, but better than last year. I am predicting a 3 and 9 season.
Dentroiter NFL teams next week….I can’t wait to write for myself.
Two Wishes for the Buffs after Victory Number One …
Five years from now, when fans and commentators reflect on Mike MacIntyre’s career at CU, his first game will be hard to forget. There is no doubt that MacIntyre had the Buffs more prepared for the Rams than his predecessor. There was some doubt leading into the fourth quarter that the Buffs were not fully committed to MacIntyre’s system, but that doubt vanquished as they took the lead and held on in the fourth. Coach MacIntyre likes to keep things simple, “just keep playing” and they did just that outplaying the Rams in two of the three phases of the game (offense and defense). When teams win two out of the three, they usually win. Game number one portends good things for the Buffs.
(Paul Richardson is a difference-maker; that kind that allows you to win a couple more games than you probably should – or deserve – over the course of a season. He is that good. The best coaching in the world cannot make up for the one thing the Buffs have clearly lack in the last decade: talent).
It is a long season with eleven more games to go and CSU is a second or third tier team in their own non-major conference (Mountain West). The Buffs have a difficult schedule for any team, let alone a team coming off a 1-11 campaign from a year ago. Buffs fans should be proud this week and definitely more optimistic about the future.
Here are two small, but important wishes for the Buffs as they enter into week 2:
1.) I want to read in the Daily Camera about how Coach MacIntrye conducted the most difficult, intense, and grueling practice after a victory this season. (I hope it happened today Tuesday, September 3rd). I would like to hear quotes from players along the line of:
“It was like we lost to CSU by 50 points and turned the ball over 8 times.”
“Honestly, that was the most difficult practice of my life.”
“Coach Mac definitely instilled in us that what we did against CSU, will not be good enough the rest of the season.”
“Glad it (this week’s practice) is over.”
2) When the Buffs defeat an opponent they are predicted to lose to this year at Folsom Field, I wish for Buff fans – students specifically – to not rush the field. A good program expects to win at home. A good program expects to upset favored opponents, especially at home.
Keep playing.
Tuesday, December 18th (Part II on the Buffs)
So much has changed since I last wrote about what plagues the CU Football Program that I am tempted to not write this post at all. After all the Buffs fired a failing coach and hired a coach with a proven track record of rebuilding. I guess there is a clear roadmap in place for future success.
I must admit that I loved Mike MacIntyre’s press conference. Not that it was much different from the normal, optimistic platitudes spewed at a press conference by new head coach, but he did utter one line that made me feel good based on the topic of my previous post. Coach MacIntyre stated that he wanted to, ‘shake the hands of every high school coach in Colorado.’ Awesome news, but Coach Mac must start even closer to home – he must introduce himself to every member of the CU athletic department.
The employees of the athletic department are essentially extensions of the head football coach. They represent the football program directly in their jobs and indirectly in every interaction they have with people outside of their jobs. At this moment CU needs every passionate, committed supporter they can get in rebuilding this program and it must start with those folks closest to the program.
A simple ‘hello’ will go a long way Coach. This is something you can get done this week or next when recruiting football players is not possible.
Lastly, I will quickly address the controversy surrounding the firing of former CU coach Jon Embree. The reason for his firing was based on one word that begins with a “R” – results. The results produced by the CU Buffs over the past two seasons were simply not acceptable. Life is not always fair.
Saturday, November 3rd (Part I on the Buffs)
As CU loses another football game today against Stanford, I am tempted to proffer my opinion on why CU football may be the worst major program in the country. I believe it is a cultural problem.
The problem is not the culture within the locker room or the program itself as I am sure all the coaches and players are doing all they can to be successful on the field. The cultural problem lies more outside the program than inside.
Colorado as a state attracts many people who are not from Colorado. (Hence, the moniker, Dentroiter). The same is true for Colorado’s flagship institution of higher learning – CU-Boulder – as it has close half of its student population hailing from outside of Colorado. This makeup of student population is bound to influence the support and expectations of a football program when it is assumed that over half current CU students did not grow up being Buff fans. The problem is further exacerbated when the program has not fielded a win team since 2005, which means most students can never recall a time when CU was relevant (ranked in the 25).
This same cultural problem exists in the larger confines of the City of Boulder and the State of Colorado. Boulder attracts many people not from Boulder. Colorado attracts many non-natives. Thus, a similar assumption is that there are even more residents of Boulder and Colorado who did not grow up being Buff fans.
So what does this mean? Coaches are still able to recruit better players. Fans are still showing up at Folsom Field despite the pitiful record. I believe that CU football does not fulfill the same cultural need that football plays in so many other locations across the country of bringing people together through supporting the program.
Unlike Lincoln, Athens, Iowa City, Austin, State College and other citieswith major football programs, Boulder has many other institutions, or activities, that are fulfilling this coalescing need. CU football competes with the mountains, four professional sports teams and many other Colorado activities (running, cycling, hiking, rooting for your ‘home’ team, ect). In short, CU football faces much stiffer competition off the field than other programs.
So how is this remedied? How can CU football be a sustained winner with support noticeable in the student population and surrounding communities? Winning and winning consistently would be panacea, but how does CU get there? Simply put, I am not sure of the particulars, but I do know that change begins with recruiting the high schools of Colorado more thoroughly and passionately than CU has ever done before.
When we see the best Colorado high school football players consistently playing for the Buffs each year, we know that the culture is changing. It will be changing because there will now be legions of youngsters who saw their local star football player go on to play for the Buffs. Emulation is the best form of flattery, or so they say.
Wednesday, October 24th
Whenever they win, I hear his voice. Whenever they do something special, it makes me cry.
I love you Grandpa.
It was October 4th, 2006 that my Grandpa passed away and the Tigers were in the midst of their magical run to the World Series. I thought it was meant to be; that the Tigers would win it all as a way to honor the kindest, most humane and decent person I will ever know.
Although the Tigers did not win in all, that season had will have a lasting influence on my life. That season made me realize that the Tigers may not win every game, or make the playoffs every year, but win or lose; I will forever have my Grandpa to share the ups and downs of the Tigers’ season.
I love you Grandpa.
Of course, Tigers baseball was not the only connection between us, we could talk about family, friends, school or current affairs, but the Tigers’ success – or lack thereof – always seemed to surface. We could also talk about the other Detroit teams, but the Tigers were different. Maybe it was because I remember him taking me to games to Tiger Stadium when I was a kid. Another likely culprit was Pass Sports; it always seemed to be on. Whatever the reason, the Tigers were special to Grandpa.
As all Tigers fans get set for Wednesday, I have been asking myself; I cannot be the only one? There must be countless other Tiger fans who are rejoicing in their success with a loved one(s) who have passed. I’ll admit it; when Prince Fielder caught that pop-up to clinch the American League Championship I cried. I cried because at that moment I knew my Grandpa and I were sharing something special – happiness.
Go Tigers!