Menu
What's new
By:
Filters
AllBuffs | Unofficial fan site for the University of Colorado at Boulder Athletics programs

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Prime Time. Prime Time. Its a new era for Colorado football. Consider signing up for a club membership! For $20/year, you can get access to all the special features at Allbuffs, including club member only forums, dark mode, avatars and best of all no ads ! But seriously, please sign up so that we can pay the bills. No one earns money here, and we can use your $20 to keep this hellhole running. You can sign up for a club membership by navigating to your account in the upper right and clicking on "Account Upgrades". Make it happen!

The Buffs "most important" player

RK

RK

UBL
Scrolling through the newsroom today and I came across this article:

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/88380/most-important-player-colorado-buffaloes

The article says that Nelson Spruce is the Buffs most important player (QBs not included), and "it really isn't up for debate."

I thought it was up for debate, so I debated it:

http://bsndenver.com/who-is-the-buffs-most-important-player/

I think there are a bunch of different angles that could be taken here, so I'm curious to hear who you guys think is the Buffs (second) most important player for this upcoming season?
 
Nice article, RK.

I think the mere fact that Spruce had himself a career year in 2014, basically maxing out his statistical potential, and the team still went 2-10 and winless in P12 play, should demonstrate that he is not CU's "most important player".

It's hard not to choose someone from the defensive side of the ball for this "title". I would have to agree with you and say Gillam is that guy right now. If Tupou wasn't suspended, I would have said he is far and away the most important guy on the team, but in his absence, all 3 base DL (as a unit) should fit that title as well.
 
The difference between going to a bowl and not probably falls on whether Gillam plays a full and productive year or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Gillam his tackles to amount of plays ratio is by far best on the team. He can do things at his position others cant and he probably frees up people behind him make bigger plays. That being said, the same could be said for Tupou.
 
Buffalo Born said:
Gillam his tackles to amount of plays ratio is by far best on the team. He can do things at his position others cant and he probably frees up people behind him make bigger plays. That being said, the same could be said for Tupou.
Click to expand...

Tupou was important, but one of the biggest reasons we gave up consistent rushing yards last season is that the LB's couldn't make the tackle. They either weren't there, or were bouncing off guys when they met them in the hole. That's on Olugbode as well.
 
Sefo is, and by a lot, the most important person to the teams success this year. There are only 2 players that touch the ball on every offensive snap, and as much as I like Kelley, Sefo will make or break us this year.

for me on Defense, it's Leavitt. Can he take our limited talent and make them winners. Linebackers should shine in his scheme so gillam is a good choice for defense.
 
I agree that it's not Spruce, on offense it would definitely be Sefo, because if he gets hurt, our above average offense becomes putrid.

On defense, I'd probably say Tedric Thompson, because we saw last year, starting with the play after he was injured, what an impact he has. He also produced the team's only interceptions and had a fumble-6 negated by whistle (in what would/could/should have been a season-defining moment). Gillam perhaps, but I have a feeling that we're not going to see Gillam return to his prior rising-star play, just due to injuries. However, I also have a feeling that someone else or someone new is going to breakout this year at LB under Leavitt.
 
Whoever the standout pass rusher is in whatever defense we run is going to be my choice. We will really miss that guy the most if he's not available. Unfortunately, we've had to play without that guy for numerous years in a row.
 
buffaholic said:
Whoever the standout pass rusher is in whatever defense we run is going to be my choice. We will really miss that guy the most if he's not available. Unfortunately, we've had to play without that guy for numerous years in a row.
Click to expand...

Success in defending the pass starts with stopping the run. Having a great individual pass rusher is nice, but won't make a difference if opposing offenses are constantly in 2nd or 3rd and short.

Thats why, to me, if you have to nail down an individual player it I would say Gillam (Tupou had he not been suspended). From a positional stand point, the rotation at NT is the key to the season on defense.
 
If we lose Sefo, we will not have a successful season. We could lose anybody else, including Spruce and accomplish that still.
 
it is sefo. if he cuts down on the INTs, he could be the factor that adds several wins to our tally.
 
From non-QB like the piece said, I agree with Spruce. If I think of the other 21 starters besides Sefo and what the impact would be if the Buffs didn't have one of those guys for a game, Spruce is the guy whose absence would cause the most problems for us. Would completely change the CU gameplan and completely change the gameplan of the opponent. Much more than any other guy.

So I'm with ESPN. I don't see how there is much debate on this one as I look at it from a pre-season perspective. Hopefully we have a guy rush for 1,500 yards or get 10 sacks or make over 75 tackles while forcing a bunch of turnovers... but until that happens it's Spruce. Period.
 
Ya I agree on Spruce. Has that Edelman precise route running for us that opens up a lot of offense for everyone. Obviously Sefo would be the biggest piece to our offense, but after that a guy like Spruce probably has the next biggest impact. Defensively, I'm most excited about our corners.
 
With the suspension of Tupuo, an argument could be made for Solis. He needs to anchor the middle and consume multiple blockers so that lb's can stop the run. He needs to create a push in the middle on pass plays so the edge rushers can create pressure.

Tupuo is capable of doing these things. Can Solis (and any of the back-ups)?
 
Without throwing too much gasoline on a combustible situation, we are 3 wins better last year without some key ints. Now I say that with the acknowledgment that it is a team game but a qb playing at an elite level can change everything. I believe this guy has a chance to take a big step this year.
 
Nembot's name needs to be thrown in the ring. He is NFL material, and plays an important role buying time for the QBs and WRs, as well as blocking for the running game. Without Nembot, the O-Line loses the first guy you want to see getting off the bus.
 
From a non QB perspective, we need to have Spruce be consistent game in and game out. He cannot disappear for a single game this year and needs to put the numbers up each game. I think with an improvement in our running game and some additional help in the WR area, it frees him up to be the most valuable guy on the field.
 
TDbuff said:
Tupou was important, but one of the biggest reasons we gave up consistent rushing yards last season is that the LB's couldn't make the tackle. They either weren't there, or were bouncing off guys when they met them in the hole. That's on Olugbode as well.
Click to expand...

Olugbode was learning the position (from K. Baer unfortunately) and was usually a step or two out of position whenever he had a chance to make a stop. Plus he was just hitting people, not wrapping up.

Best example I can think of was against ASU on QB Kelly's long TD run: Olugbode bit badly on the fake inside and Kelly ran right past him in the area vacated by Olugbode! A half-step in the direction would have left the area covered, but Olugbode took two steps inside, and thus ran right out of the play!

Stuff like that should stop now that Leavitt is in charge.
 
Last edited:
Buffalo Brad said:
From a non QB perspective, we need to have Spruce be consistent game in and game out. He cannot disappear for a single game this year and needs to put the numbers up each game. I think with an improvement in our running game and some additional help in the WR area, it frees him up to be the most valuable guy on the field.
Click to expand...
We need other receivers to step up and take pressure off of Spruce. He can't be consistently double covered with no one else stepping up. I am not too worried about Spruce, IMO.
 
Well, if Spruce gets consistent double coverage, someone else sure as hell BETTER step up.
 
Last edited:
Liver said:
Without throwing too much gasoline on a combustible situation, we are 3 wins better last year without some key ints. Now I say that with the acknowledgment that it is a team game but a qb playing at an elite level can change everything. I believe this guy has a chance to take a big step this year.
Click to expand...

Agreed. There are 10 mistakes Sefo made last year that cost us 3-4 wins. When it comes to most important player, he has to be the guy.
 
azbuff said:
Agreed. There are 10 mistakes Sefo made last year that cost us 3-4 wins. When it comes to most important player, he has to be the guy.
Click to expand...

Completely true, but I'd like to see us improve everywhere (defense, running game, special teams), so as not to rely on Sefo having a great year. I think he's capable and has a great chance of doing so, but I want to have some "insurance". It's a very important year for the program, and I expect significant improvement all over the field. If we get that and Sefo takes a step forward then this season may just be fun.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Jered Bell (or someone else to take over leadership of the defense, especially the secondary.)
 
whomever backs up Gillam on D may not be the most important player for the team, but he could be the most important nonqb backup.

as for non qb, give me Spruce on O and Thompson on D.
 
Sefo is the guy. Ironically, I'm not worried about him. My worry is special teams. Field position and extra points are huge for a team on the cusp.
 
I am absolutely astounded at how many people apparently didn't read the bolded part of the third line of the very first post.

The credibility of their opinions on this and all other allbuffs threads is lessened dramatically by their poor reading comprehension skills.
 
skibum said:
I am absolutely astounded at how many people apparently didn't read the bolded part of the third line of the very first post.

The credibility of their opinions on this and all other allbuffs threads is lessened dramatically by their poor reading comprehension skills.
Click to expand...

Yep. Half the posts in here are irrelevant to the actual topic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top