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Will the Buffs Offense Huddle in 2019?

Jayne Cobb

Jayne Cobb

One Damn Dirty Ape
Club Member
Colorado football teams have one, physics based, natural home field advantage over sea-level (or below 3000 feet) teams--the altitude. It is obviously not an advantage over Colorado A&M, or Wyoming, or Air Force, or Utah. But for everyone else, it is a measurable, science-based, advantage. When I see the Donkeys huddling, I have to leave the room, meaning that I have had a welcome reprieve from the NFL for the past couple years. In my opinion CU needs to take advantage of this with a no-huddle offense. And, yeah, I realize we have had that for a number of years, but not all no-huddle offenses are created equal.

So here's my question--has anyone heard whether our new staff is going to stay no-huddle, or are they going to go all Vance Joseph and give up the one, true, natural advantage that CU has playing in Boulder?

I would (respectfully) really like to know.

Merry Christmas.
 
Are we talking about no-huddle, or up-tempo? I can see them being predominantly a no-huddle team, but not necessarily moving at the high tempo Chev was trying to implement over the last couple years. Line up and then check with the sidelines for what play to run.
 
how about line up and run the same play over and over until the other team stops it?
 
What kind of question is that? You doubt the huddle's powers? You compare the huddle to a tea party, that holy moment of silence before all hell breaks loose?
:)
 
I am going to go out on a limb and say they will huddle at least once in 2019. Call me old fashioned, but I’d be ok with it.
 
lawdogg said:
Are we talking about no-huddle, or up-tempo? I can see them being predominantly a no-huddle team, but not necessarily moving at the high tempo Chev was trying to implement over the last couple years. Line up and then check with the sidelines for what play to run.
Click to expand...

I think you will see a mix of tempos and there will be huddling at times. And yes, this is not going to be an offense that moves at hyper speed, which is a good thing.

Being physical with teams at altitude can be very effective when that 4th quarter rolls around. Utah has been doing it for years.
 
No huddle has more to do with keeping the Defense from substituting it seems.

Has science caught on how to minimize the altitude disadvantage? Teams don't seem to get as gassed as they used to.
 
This article from a CU doctor confirms yes, it matters and suggests skinny linemen are the answer!

Link
 
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Duff Man said:
I think you will see a mix of tempos and there will be huddling at times. And yes, this is not going to be an offense that moves at hyper speed, which is a good thing.

Being physical with teams at altitude can be very effective when that 4th quarter rolls around. Utah has been doing it for years.
Click to expand...
^^this. We don't have to be chip Kelly's ducks to take advantage of the altitude. Id love to see a power run team that just grounds and pounds until the opponent is exhausted
 
Most college programs don't huddle anymore. It still happens and seems the best ones have a variety of huddle/no huddle/tempo's.
 
buffaholic said:
Has science caught on how to minimize the altitude disadvantage? Teams don't seem to get as gassed as they used to.
Click to expand...
Just-Inject-It-lance-armstrong.jpg


Lance Armstrong says yes.
 
Highlander said:
Nothing in that article said anything about skinny lineman being better when training at altitude.
Click to expand...
One of the things we are trying figure out is those, especially the lineman, they are not very fit to start with. The training for them even at this altitude that they are adapted might not as tolerable as for other lineman at sea level,” Millan said. “And they might travel through the week more fatigued or accumulate more fatigue towards the weekend compared to other lineman coming from sea level.”
Click to expand...
Read between the tea leaves amigo.
 
buffaholic said:
Read between the tea leaves amigo.
Click to expand...
What I read there is that it's a much bigger deal for opponents - especially the less fit and higher BMI players - to come to altitude and not be acclimated.

I'll take "massive + acclimated" over "massive + un-acclimated" every time. I also believe that "massive > slender" is so true of play in the football trenches that any altitude advantage you get from being slender is easily overwhelmed by how much more the slender guy wears down when having to butt heads for 3+ hours against a guy who is a lot bigger than him.
 
It also is meant to say that fit OL can dominate later in the game vs being a fatty. That WAS in fact the theory according to several OL who had to abstain from the late night Alex Kelly Pancake feasts a few years ago.

That theory seems to have some holes in it? Just saying what out OL were taught.
 
buffaholic said:
It also is meant to say that fit OL can dominate later in the game vs being a fatty. That WAS in fact the theory according to several OL who had to abstain from the late night Alex Kelly Pancake feasts a few years ago.

That theory seems to have some holes in it? Just saying what out OL were taught.
Click to expand...
I agree that is what they were taught and what they put confidence in.
 
buffaholic said:
It also is meant to say that fit OL can dominate later in the game vs being a fatty. That WAS in fact the theory according to several OL who had to abstain from the late night Alex Kelly Pancake feasts a few years ago.

That theory seems to have some holes in it? Just saying what out OL were taught.
Click to expand...
It’s a bad theory that was trying to outsmart everyone and was part of what ultimately cost MM his job.
 
Buffnik said:
What I read there is that it's a much bigger deal for opponents - especially the less fit and higher BMI players - to come to altitude and not be acclimated.

I'll take "massive + acclimated" over "massive + un-acclimated" every time. I also believe that "massive > slender" is so true of play in the football trenches that any altitude advantage you get from being slender is easily overwhelmed by how much more the slender guy wears down when having to butt heads for 3+ hours against a guy who is a lot bigger than him.
Click to expand...

The failure in the theory that MM was trying to use is the idea that a big guy can't be conditioned. Yes, hauling around extra weight takes more energy but big guys can be conditioned to hold up over a game.

There is also a big advantage in that extra bulk because it tires out the opponent trying to move it. There are guys in the NFL who on certain plays simply lean on their man and force him to try to deal with their weight. Pushing your own weight around is tiring, pushing somebody else's weight is exhausting.

The only time the excess weight is a real detriment is if it prevents a guy from getting off the ball quickly enough or prevents him from having good technique (think Javier Edwards at NT in 2017.)
 
If/when CU huddles, I hope it a short, upright muddle 3 yards from ball just like UGA.

Best huddle since KC Chiefs old choir huddle.
 
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