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Lasting Impressions
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Colorado and Utah came into the 2017 “Rumble in the Rockies” (not that anyone calls it that anymore) with 5-6 records.
The winner would be given the opportunity for a bowl game and a winning season; the loser would finish 5-7 and dead last in the Pac-12 South.
In 13 seasons under Kyle Whittingham, the Utes had gone bowling 11 times.
In five seasons under Mike MacIntyre, the Buffs had gone bowling once.
Simply put, the Utes were used to playing in the post-season; the Buffs were not.
It showed on the field Saturday night in Salt Lake City, with the Utes racing out to a 28-0 halftime lead, on their way to a 34-13 rout.
But it also showed in the days leading up to the game.
In a Salt Lake City Tribune article in the week leading up to the game, “For Utah, reaching a bowl game is not about swag — it’s about practice“, there were quotes like: “Me taking all the one reps after the season leading into our next season could give us an extra start,” quarterback Tyler Huntley said, “and I feel like we’ve done learned so much this season all we need to do is get back healthy and people will be back to talking about everybody winning.”
Now, compare that quote to that of another sophomore quarterback, Buff Steven Montez: “Who doesn’t want to make a bowl game, who doesn’t want to get those extra practices and get that extra time and those gifts?’.
Gifts?
It wasn’t just the perception of the CU players which was troubling in the days leading up to the Utah game, it was that of the head coach. Mike MacIntyre was asked about how a bowl game might impact the new early Signing Day, coming December 20th:
“Going to a bowl game will advertise for yourself, because there’ll be commercials and different things out there,” said MacIntyre. “I think they’ll see all that stuff. That helps you I believe. The negative side of it is you’ll be practicing and you won’t be able to get quite out as much. You hardly have enough time to get everywhere. The head coach can only go one time, so it’s hard to get everywhere in that small of time when signing is on the 20th … That will be tough with some of the bowl situations for sure. I still think being in a bowl helps recruiting itself. There’s pros and cons for it.”
After the blowout loss to Utah, coach MacIntyre was still trying to put the importance of recruiting over that of the advantages which come with a bowl invitation.
“You still want to be in a bowl, you want your name out there,” said MacIntyre. “Logistics wise, you don’t have to worry about bowl things like media day and all that. We’ll get out there recruiting starting tomorrow night, we’ll get out there and be ready to go.”
I understand the comments … to an extent.
Sure, moving the Signing Day up from the first Wednesday in February to December 20th will have an impact on recruiting for those teams with bowl practices, but it should not be a primary consideration.
The CU Recruiting Class of 2018 currently has 18 commitments. The Buffs will likely sign 20-23 players this off-season, which means that the next four weeks will be about picking up a handful of additional recruits (and keeping the commitments of those already in the fold).
Important, sure.
But which is more important:
— Worrying about the commitments of a handful of high school players; or
— Getting in another three weeks of practices with the 65 or so players returning for the 2018 season you already have on the roster?
That’s a no-brainer.
Nine teams from the Pac-12 are bowl eligible. Three teams, including only one from the Pac-12 South, are done for the year.
That hurts the Buffs in preparation for the 2018 season, and it also hurts the program in terms of national perception.
Give the average football team the following standings, and ask them how to rate the following hypothetical division:
Most fans would see a division in which there is a dominant team, and a jumble below Team A which has little separation between Team B and the No. 2 position, and Team F, in at No. 6.
Now tell that fan that two coaches from the above list, the coach of Team B and the coach of Team D, were fired, and that the team of coach No. 6 was in no immediate danger of being let go.
Be prepared for curious looks.
The above listing, of course, is how the Pac-12 South standings will read from now bowl season, with all but Team F, Colorado, still having a game to play (or, in the case of Team A, USC, two games). Team B, Arizona State, fired its head coach, Todd Graham, right after Graham and the Sun Devils defeated rival Arizona, in the Territorial Cup. Team E, UCLA, fired its coach, Jim Mora, a week earlier … just in time to get in on the Chip Kelly sweepstakes.
Perception, while not everything in college football, is not to be dismissed.
Colorado went from worst-to-first-to-worst between 2015 and 2017. With the decade of poor production on the field which preceded the 2016 Pac-12 South title run, the perception in the world of college football is that Colorado was a “one-hit wonder” in 2016, and reverted back to true form in 2017.
That will be tough to overcome, both in the homes of recruits, and the offices of potential replacements among the assistant coaches.
Compare two other schools which also finished up play this weekend:
— California … The Bears, like the Buffs, finished their season 5-7, 2-7 in Pac-12 play. Given that Colorado beat Cal, 44-28, this season, it would seem logical that the Buffs would be ranked higher than the Bears when next season’s preseason magazines are printed.
Don’t count on it.
Cal went 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 again this fall. The perception, however, will be that the Bears are an “up-and-coming” team, with new head coach Justin Wilcox being praised for turning the program around.
Colorado, meanwhile, will not be given the benefits of such doubts.
— Nebraska … The Cornhuskers turned a 14-14 halftime tie in their season finale against Iowa into a 56-14 home loss. The rout left Nebraska with a 4-8 record … the worst record for the Cornhuskers since 1961. The loss to Iowa was the fourth consecutive home loss … the first such streak for NU since 1968-69. In each of the final three games of the 2017 campaign, the Nebraska defense gave up at least 50 points (and at least 500 yards of total offense) in each … the first such streak, well, ever.
Remember the 2001 game, when Colorado put up 62 points against the Cornhuskers, breaking a Nebraska school record for points allowed which had stood since 1945?
The “Blackshirts” ain’t what they used to be.
The disappointing season led to the firing of Nebraska head coach Mike Riley after just three seasons in Lincoln.
Now, I don’t know who the new Nebraska head coach will be, and I haven’t taken a deep dive into the Cornhusker lineup to see how many seniors they will be losing.
But I do know that Nebraska, with its 4-8 record in 2017, losers of six of its last seven games, a team which lost 54-21 to Minnesota (a team which subsequently was shutout its final two games of the season), lost 56-44 to Penn State (42-10, PSU, at halftime), and lost 56-14 at home to Iowa …
… will still be ranked higher than Colorado heading into the matchup between the teams next September.
Perception.
Colorado fans know all too well what might have been in the 2017 … which makes the final result all the more frustrating.
Yes, the Buffs could have (should have) beaten Arizona, UCLA, and Arizona State.
But this is also team which, in its last five games:
That ain’t great.
The lasting impression of the 2017 Colorado football team is that it underachieved. There was talent on the roster, but that talent never meshed into a team.
The Buffs lost a great deal of senior talent from the 2016 team, and with it a great deal of leadership. Other than Phillip Lindsay, however, it was hard to discern any true leadership on the 2017 team.
Neill Woelk, who has access to the team, and has attended practices and meetings throughout the year, had this chilling (yet telling) forecast in his “Fast Five Keys” to the CU/Utah game:
Coaches from both teams have spent the week saying this game will come down to how much each team wants to play again this season.
Truth is, it has been a long year for both squads. Both have lost their share of narrow decisions — games they could have won but let slip away. Both entered the year with hopes of playing for a Pac-12 title, and neither believed they would be needing a win in the regular season finale just to become bowl eligible.
No doubt, some of that disappointment has seeped into the psyche of both teams. If there are any players on either team who would secretly like to put this year behind them … they will likely get their wish Saturday night.
Utah played Saturday like a team which wanted to win, a team which wanted the benefits of bowl practices, a team which wanted a positive boost to the 2018 season.
Colorado played Saturday like a team ready to have the season be over.
That’s the impression the Buff Nation was left with as the year came to a close with an embarrassing 34-13 loss to Utah.
That’s the impression CU fans will be left to deal with … unless there are changes in the program between now and next September.
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—–
Stuart
Continue reading...
Lasting Impressions
—
Colorado and Utah came into the 2017 “Rumble in the Rockies” (not that anyone calls it that anymore) with 5-6 records.
The winner would be given the opportunity for a bowl game and a winning season; the loser would finish 5-7 and dead last in the Pac-12 South.
In 13 seasons under Kyle Whittingham, the Utes had gone bowling 11 times.
In five seasons under Mike MacIntyre, the Buffs had gone bowling once.
Simply put, the Utes were used to playing in the post-season; the Buffs were not.
It showed on the field Saturday night in Salt Lake City, with the Utes racing out to a 28-0 halftime lead, on their way to a 34-13 rout.
But it also showed in the days leading up to the game.
In a Salt Lake City Tribune article in the week leading up to the game, “For Utah, reaching a bowl game is not about swag — it’s about practice“, there were quotes like: “Me taking all the one reps after the season leading into our next season could give us an extra start,” quarterback Tyler Huntley said, “and I feel like we’ve done learned so much this season all we need to do is get back healthy and people will be back to talking about everybody winning.”
Now, compare that quote to that of another sophomore quarterback, Buff Steven Montez: “Who doesn’t want to make a bowl game, who doesn’t want to get those extra practices and get that extra time and those gifts?’.
Gifts?
It wasn’t just the perception of the CU players which was troubling in the days leading up to the Utah game, it was that of the head coach. Mike MacIntyre was asked about how a bowl game might impact the new early Signing Day, coming December 20th:
“Going to a bowl game will advertise for yourself, because there’ll be commercials and different things out there,” said MacIntyre. “I think they’ll see all that stuff. That helps you I believe. The negative side of it is you’ll be practicing and you won’t be able to get quite out as much. You hardly have enough time to get everywhere. The head coach can only go one time, so it’s hard to get everywhere in that small of time when signing is on the 20th … That will be tough with some of the bowl situations for sure. I still think being in a bowl helps recruiting itself. There’s pros and cons for it.”
After the blowout loss to Utah, coach MacIntyre was still trying to put the importance of recruiting over that of the advantages which come with a bowl invitation.
“You still want to be in a bowl, you want your name out there,” said MacIntyre. “Logistics wise, you don’t have to worry about bowl things like media day and all that. We’ll get out there recruiting starting tomorrow night, we’ll get out there and be ready to go.”
I understand the comments … to an extent.
Sure, moving the Signing Day up from the first Wednesday in February to December 20th will have an impact on recruiting for those teams with bowl practices, but it should not be a primary consideration.
The CU Recruiting Class of 2018 currently has 18 commitments. The Buffs will likely sign 20-23 players this off-season, which means that the next four weeks will be about picking up a handful of additional recruits (and keeping the commitments of those already in the fold).
Important, sure.
But which is more important:
— Worrying about the commitments of a handful of high school players; or
— Getting in another three weeks of practices with the 65 or so players returning for the 2018 season you already have on the roster?
That’s a no-brainer.
Nine teams from the Pac-12 are bowl eligible. Three teams, including only one from the Pac-12 South, are done for the year.
That hurts the Buffs in preparation for the 2018 season, and it also hurts the program in terms of national perception.
Give the average football team the following standings, and ask them how to rate the following hypothetical division:
- Team A: 10-2
- Team B: 7-5
- Team C: 7-5
- Team D: 6-6
- Team E: 6-6
- Team F: 5-7
Most fans would see a division in which there is a dominant team, and a jumble below Team A which has little separation between Team B and the No. 2 position, and Team F, in at No. 6.
Now tell that fan that two coaches from the above list, the coach of Team B and the coach of Team D, were fired, and that the team of coach No. 6 was in no immediate danger of being let go.
Be prepared for curious looks.
The above listing, of course, is how the Pac-12 South standings will read from now bowl season, with all but Team F, Colorado, still having a game to play (or, in the case of Team A, USC, two games). Team B, Arizona State, fired its head coach, Todd Graham, right after Graham and the Sun Devils defeated rival Arizona, in the Territorial Cup. Team E, UCLA, fired its coach, Jim Mora, a week earlier … just in time to get in on the Chip Kelly sweepstakes.
Perception, while not everything in college football, is not to be dismissed.
Colorado went from worst-to-first-to-worst between 2015 and 2017. With the decade of poor production on the field which preceded the 2016 Pac-12 South title run, the perception in the world of college football is that Colorado was a “one-hit wonder” in 2016, and reverted back to true form in 2017.
That will be tough to overcome, both in the homes of recruits, and the offices of potential replacements among the assistant coaches.
Compare two other schools which also finished up play this weekend:
— California … The Bears, like the Buffs, finished their season 5-7, 2-7 in Pac-12 play. Given that Colorado beat Cal, 44-28, this season, it would seem logical that the Buffs would be ranked higher than the Bears when next season’s preseason magazines are printed.
Don’t count on it.
Cal went 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 again this fall. The perception, however, will be that the Bears are an “up-and-coming” team, with new head coach Justin Wilcox being praised for turning the program around.
Colorado, meanwhile, will not be given the benefits of such doubts.
— Nebraska … The Cornhuskers turned a 14-14 halftime tie in their season finale against Iowa into a 56-14 home loss. The rout left Nebraska with a 4-8 record … the worst record for the Cornhuskers since 1961. The loss to Iowa was the fourth consecutive home loss … the first such streak for NU since 1968-69. In each of the final three games of the 2017 campaign, the Nebraska defense gave up at least 50 points (and at least 500 yards of total offense) in each … the first such streak, well, ever.
Remember the 2001 game, when Colorado put up 62 points against the Cornhuskers, breaking a Nebraska school record for points allowed which had stood since 1945?
The “Blackshirts” ain’t what they used to be.
The disappointing season led to the firing of Nebraska head coach Mike Riley after just three seasons in Lincoln.
Now, I don’t know who the new Nebraska head coach will be, and I haven’t taken a deep dive into the Cornhusker lineup to see how many seniors they will be losing.
But I do know that Nebraska, with its 4-8 record in 2017, losers of six of its last seven games, a team which lost 54-21 to Minnesota (a team which subsequently was shutout its final two games of the season), lost 56-44 to Penn State (42-10, PSU, at halftime), and lost 56-14 at home to Iowa …
… will still be ranked higher than Colorado heading into the matchup between the teams next September.
Perception.
Colorado fans know all too well what might have been in the 2017 … which makes the final result all the more frustrating.
Yes, the Buffs could have (should have) beaten Arizona, UCLA, and Arizona State.
But this is also team which, in its last five games:
- lost to Washington State, 28-0;
- fell behind USC, 27-0, on its way to a 38-24 loss; and
- fell behind Utah, 28-0, on its way to a 34-13 defeat.
That ain’t great.
The lasting impression of the 2017 Colorado football team is that it underachieved. There was talent on the roster, but that talent never meshed into a team.
The Buffs lost a great deal of senior talent from the 2016 team, and with it a great deal of leadership. Other than Phillip Lindsay, however, it was hard to discern any true leadership on the 2017 team.
Neill Woelk, who has access to the team, and has attended practices and meetings throughout the year, had this chilling (yet telling) forecast in his “Fast Five Keys” to the CU/Utah game:
Coaches from both teams have spent the week saying this game will come down to how much each team wants to play again this season.
Truth is, it has been a long year for both squads. Both have lost their share of narrow decisions — games they could have won but let slip away. Both entered the year with hopes of playing for a Pac-12 title, and neither believed they would be needing a win in the regular season finale just to become bowl eligible.
No doubt, some of that disappointment has seeped into the psyche of both teams. If there are any players on either team who would secretly like to put this year behind them … they will likely get their wish Saturday night.
Utah played Saturday like a team which wanted to win, a team which wanted the benefits of bowl practices, a team which wanted a positive boost to the 2018 season.
Colorado played Saturday like a team ready to have the season be over.
That’s the impression the Buff Nation was left with as the year came to a close with an embarrassing 34-13 loss to Utah.
That’s the impression CU fans will be left to deal with … unless there are changes in the program between now and next September.
–
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...