Friday Buff Bites

Is Dan Hawkins a winner now? | The Boulder Daily Camera
Kyle Ringo asks if Dan Hawkins is now a winner due to the Alabama Crimson Tide vacating an unspecified number of wins in the 2005 - 2007 seasons after the NCAA announced that 16 different sports programs at the university were guilty of improperly obtaining free textbooks for student-athletes during that time period. If you remember, Hawkins lone Bowl appearance was came against the Tide in 2007. Hawk won't get that as a win to add onto his 13 - 24 record but a question must be asked of the NCAA and their double standards. If you remember correctly in 2007, the Buffs had to pay a $100,000 and lost scholarships for discounting training table meals. The Crimson Tide will pay half the fine and will not lose any scholarships. What am I missing?

Fantasy matchups for each Big 12 team - Big 12 - ESPN
Tim Griffin of ESPN went through the Big 12 and picked of an out of conference opponent that he would like each team to play. Here was his pick for the Buffs:

Colorado: Before his youngest son, Drew, decided to leave Boise State because of concussions, it might have been cool to see a Hawkins family reunion on the blue turf in Boise. The game still has much appeal to me as it would be interesting to see Hawkins and his other son, Cody, try to beat the team where he earned much of his early acclaim as a coach.

Not a bad selection but I don't think this is the best option and I am sure that coach Hawkins wouldn't either. My choice for a fantasy non-conference matchup? Oregon, without a doubt. Over the past year the Ducks have stolen our recruits and our coach (although that may not be as bad as it is perceived). I would love to have the opportunity to get some revenge on the field at Folsom. The Oregon matchup is a little more relevant to where we are going and nothing against Boise State, who has had a better program the past couple of years, but a win against Oregon would be much more beneficial to the Buffs on the recruiting trail. I think UCLA and Washington could also be other strong options for recruiting purposes.

Big 12 QB Profiles - AthlonSports.com
Athlon Sports ranks the quarterbacks in the Big 12 based on projected fantasy stats. Cody Hawkins comes in at #10:

10. Cody Hawkins, Colorado (JR) — Bye Week — 4 — No. 75 overall QB Hawkins took a lot of criticism for his play last season and there is no guarantee he will begin the year No. 1 on the depth chart. Sophomore Tyler Hansen saw some playing time last year and is expected to make a push in the fall for the job. Whichever quarterback wins the job will have a thin receiving corps catching passes, but should play behind a solid offensive line and running attack. Hawkins has some potential, but isn’t worth a pick unless he secures the job and is able to push his passing yards and touchdowns a little higher.

2008 stats — 151.98 fantasy points Passing: 1,892 yds., 17 TDs, 10 INTs Rushing: -23 yds., 3 TDs.

YouTube - Colorado Swag
We know it has been out for a while and most of you have probably already seen it but incoming freshmen LB Derrick Webb and DL Forrest West have performed and produced this song, "Colorado Swag." Not bad at all and is a good listen for a Friday:

Why They Won't Win the Big 12 North - A Focus on Weaknesses - Corn Nation, A Nebraska Blog
CornNation takes a look at the weaknesses of each Big 12 North team and why those weaknesses may prevent teams from winning the division. Here is what CornNation said about the Buffs:

Colorado

Primary Weakness: Defensive Line

Colorado lost a combined 130 starts on the defensive line from last season. They have a decent secondary, but any secondary can be beaten if the defensive line can't put pressure on the quarterback. A weak defensive line also exposes the team to the running game, meaning Colorado will need to score a lot of points to win games.

Secondary Weakness: The Passing Game

The Buffalo passing game took a big step backwards when playmaker Josh Smith unexpectedly transferred. The Buffs' two choices at quarterback, Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen, haven't exactly been consistent. Some of that can be blamed on the ton of injuries that happened last year - it's hard to get settled when you don't have the same guys in front of you throughout the year. If Colorado can't find an answer here, they'll suffer the same fate as the Cornhuskers - a one-dimensional offense and another mediocre season.

Pretty spot on if you ask me.

More Buff links and Big 12 links after the jump...

CU Golfing Duo Named Honorable Mention All Americans
University of Colorado seniors-turned-professionals Patrick Grady and Derek Tolan have both been named honorable mention PING All-Americans, as well as earning first-team All-Central Region honors, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Wednesday.

Nos. 81-90 - AthlonSports.com
Athlon Sports continues their countdown from 120 to 1. Checking in at #81 is fellow Big 12 foe, the Iowa State Cyclones:

81: Iowa State — ISU’s chances of improving on its 2–10 mark from 2008 are good. How much better the record will be will very much depend on how far the defense has come from last year’s group that couldn’t stop Ames High School in the red zone. The new offense will put points on the scoreboard quickly with quarterback Austen Arnaud directing traffic. The Cyclones’ schedule is not overly daunting, and with the Big 12’s divisional rotation in their favor (ISU plays Baylor, A&M and Oklahoma State instead of Texas, OU and Texas Tech) a shot at the postseason is not out of the realm of possibility.

KUsports.com | "Summer gridiron report: Time for KU to make history"
Surprise, surprise. KUsports.com, who picked the Buffs to finish fourth in the Big 12 North last week, has tabbed Kansas as their favorite to win the North. They failed to mention the difficult schedule and the lack of experience on the offensive line in their write up, making it sound like a slam dunk choice for Kansas to win the North. They also feel that the most explosive offense wins the division:

The most explosive Big 12 North offense in 2009 should win the division, and that ought to be Kansas. In combining experience, offensive prowess and a game against Nebraska on Nov. 14 in Lawrence, the pick here is the Jayhawks.

Finally, big night for Woodrow as the Pens head into Detroit to try and take Game 7.  In honor of the event he added two new songs to the TRR Player on the right side of the page.

Dirty Projectors - No Intention

Sunset Rubdown - You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)