The Kool-Aid was emptied last week. This week, hope became a hard reality...and it came like a freight truck coming 100 mph down the freeway right into Folsom Field. There were so many things to be disappointed with last night, it made all Buff fans take the big pill that was prescribed for those who still maintained the FSU game was an anomaly. This post will be honest and straight forward. It will be different than other wrap ups because it is not all about X and O's anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still believe this team is headed in a positive direction, we are just so far from the talent that the Big 4 in Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Texas put on the field. The question is will the Buffs ever have the talent to compete with Texas and Oklahoma? After sitting 20 rows right behind the Texas sideline (unfortunately with a bunch of Texas fans...thanks for selling your tickets to Texas fans CU donors), you see the eye-popping difference between the two teams. I have to tell you Buff fans, there might be one or two players on Colorado that would start/play at Texas. That is a fact. CU's defensive line would be scout players, that includes DT George Hypolite. I like our linebackers but they would be special teams players. C Daniel Sanders and injured OT Ryan Miller might play for the Longhorns but that is it. And do I have to go into our skill players? Texas backup quarterback John Chiles was bigger than our linebackers. And it isn't just bigger for Texas players, it is faster, taller, stronger, tougher and more physical. And they make plays, they are confident, they have an amazing amount of pride in their university and it shows in their performance. I can't say that for Colorado. It is a complete athlete.

It is really hard to look anywhere other than the talent on the field and blame coaching or play calling but once again I am dumbfounded. I know some of you are sick of WR/KR Josh Smith. He almost made a bad safety last night and had bad kickoff return/fumble against FSU but nothing is bad about his offensive game. Last night, Josh Smith was taken out of the game by the coaches and substituted for Cody Crawford until they went 4 WR in the fourth quarter? Smith is CU's leading statistical WR? The Buffs' coaches have voluntarily taken our best play maker off the field for a possession receiver. Unbelievable. The Buffs already have 2 possession receivers out their in Scotty McKnight and Patrick Williams. CU has no field stretch, no deep threat, nobody who can out run the defense when Smith isn't in there. What is going on...am I missing something?

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It has been a busy week on The Ralphie Report so far...Woodrow and I have put up a lot of information from recruiting to round tables to an exciting podcast that we did with Burnt Orange Nation. But now it is time to get down to business. All the work has been put in during the week. The film has been studied, the game plans set, the schemes understood. Most people aren't giving the Buffs a chance and the popular opinion among Texas blogs is that this Colorado team is a joke, a mediocre team who will be lucky to go to a bowl game this year. Personally,  I like the Buffs position right now. Its like Coach Hawkins said yesterday "So if you want to spend time handing out game balls 'cause you beat West Virginia or having a funeral 'cause you lost to Florida State, that's wrong. You just keep re-pooling, re-tooling, working it out." One bad game against FSU doesn't make a season and I fully expect this Buffs' team to respond against Texas in a strong manner. In either a win or loss result, I believe this team will take a step forward. One thing is for sure, Hawkins has a way to get his team motivated and ready for these types of games (look at Georgia & Texas Tech in his first year and Texas Tech & Oklahoma in his second). Now the keys to the game and The Ralphie Report's prediction! I think the keys of the game sections is the best of the year so far!

CU's Defensive Keys to the Game:

1) Texas has scored 73 of their 198 points (37%) in the second quarter this year compared to only giving up 20. On the flip side, Colorado has allowed more points in the second quarter  (40 of the 94 or 43%) than any other quarter this year. What does this mean...the Buffs need to do a better job with the in game adjustments. Watch for the second quarter points. Last week against FSU, the Buffs gave up 12 points while not putting any on the board. The Buffs were down 12 at half time and never could recover. We talk about half time adjustments being important but this week it is about making the correct in game adjustments once Texas understands the schemes CU's defense is throwing at them.

2) Texas has had 31, count'em 31 plays over 20 yards this year. The Buffs must limit the big play. Texas has good wide receivers on the outside with Shipley and Cosby. Colt McCoy is also a threat to break a big run as he has 5 for over 20 yards. Momentum is going to be a big intangible in this game and nothing quiets a crowd or deflates a team early than a big special teams, defense or offensive play.

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The Ralphie Report has an update on this big recruiting weekend as the Colorado Buffaloes host the Texas Longhorns. Wide receiver Diante Jackson will not be making the trip out to Boulder due to illness. No definite answer on whether he will reschedule. Jackson took an unofficial during preseason practices this year so at least he has seen the facilities and met with the coaches in Boulder. You can read Diante Jackson's profile here.

The Buffs have another recruit attending, though, that was previously not known. That recruit is DE Matt Garin meaning CU will still have 10 total commits and recruits in attendance this weekend.

Matt Garin
Rivals Star Rating - ***
Defensive Lineman - Apple Valley, MN- Eastview High School
Recruiting Sites: Rivals - Scout
Measurables: 6'4" 220 lbs 4.6 forty time
Other offers - Arizona State, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon State, Purdue, Stanford, UCLA, West Virginia, Washington State

Commentary on Garin: For a kid that has been recruited pretty hard by a lot of schools, there is little information about him. Rivals is really high on him, ranking him as the #29 weakside defensive end in the country while scout.com and ESPN have him in the 100's. I think I will go with Rivals take on him considering he is being recruited on both coasts and by big time schools. First thing that jumps out at you is he slightly undersized at 220 lbs but is quick, running a 4.6 forty. The sources like his motor, technique and leverage. Whenever you hear a scouting service list technique and leverage as an attribute, you immediately know the kid is a player as those are two characteristics that usually need work in college. The big thing for Garin is to get in the weight room and add strength so he can rely less on his speed to beat offensive tackles. At the next level, they only get faster. Solid prospect. A good solid redshirt year will do wonders for a kid like this.

For more on all the recruits coming to Boulder this weekend, check out part 1, part 2 and part 3 of the recruiting circus. Here is the final list of attendees:

There wasn't supposed to be a part three but we have also learned that a tenth recruit will be in attendance this weekend as the Colorado Buffaloes host the #5 ranked team, the Texas Longhorns. Lucky number 10 is WR (yes another WR) Diante Jackson from Northern California (Part 1 and Part 2 of the CU Recruit-athon series). Here is The Ralphie Report's take on Diante:

Diante Jackson
Rivals Star Rating - ***
Athlete - Walnut Creek, CA - Las Lomas High School
Recruiting Sites: Rivals - Scout - ESPN.com
Measurables: 6'1" 188lbs 4.5 forty time
Other offers -Arizona State, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State

Commentary on Jackson: A lot of people like the way this kid is put together. Seems like a great energy guy. Jackson has already taken an unofficial to Colorado and afterwords was quoted as saying that Colorado is number one on his list due to his relationship with Coach Keisau and Coach Hawkins, his liking of Boulder and the energy that the program exudes. Since then he has visited the vaunted Oregon Ducks and has similar thoughts about that program. Right now Colorado, Oregon and Arizona State are in his top three. This is one of those kids you don't know what is going to happen. He seems really high on both CU and Oregon. Jackson has good strength and speed to be a successful wide receiver at the college level. He is built well and can best be described as a relatively dynamic wide receiver.

It would be nice to get either Emory Blake or Diante to go along with Jarrod Darden at the wide receiver position. If we could also lock up DT Edward Nuckols and OT Jack Harris on this trip, the Buffs would be in a good spot. It will be interesting to see what happens with Athlete Kyle Van Noy. He looks like the cream of the crop right now of the 8 who are coming that have not committed. Hopefully Jarrod Darden and Jordan Wynn can help convince a couple of these guys to join the team next year.

As a reminder, here are the 10 recruits/commits that will be visiting Colorado this weekend:

Welcome to inaugural edition of The Ralphie Report Live.  For our first edition we talk with Peter Bean from Burnt Orange Nation.  Give it a listen to learn some more about this weekend's opponent and head over to BON to hear our responses to his questions.

Click Here to Download

Saturday will be here before we all know it. Would love to bring to Longhorns' down a notch or two...maybe three.

Is it me or do you need a device to sneak alcohol into sporting events? These CU Grad students are charging 12.95 for a product called the "Booze Belly" that will conceal 750ml of alcohol on your stomach to sneak into sporting events. Good idea, probably going to make a lot of money. So much for girls wearing tight shirts to games, though...thanks guys. Let me give you a suggestion that will save you $12.95. It's called Vodka boobs or whatever alcohol you want. Simply find your coed and fill up a ziploc full of booze and stuff the old bra. No security guard is going to search that area.  

Hawkins on the CU injuries: "Football is like a microcosm of life, nobody said it would be fair." Love this guy. No excuses, go play football. How about this one: "So if you want to spend time handing out game balls 'cause you beat West Virginia or having a funeral 'cause you lost to Florida State, that's wrong. You just keep re-pooling, re-tooling, working it out."

What about this from the Daily Camera?

Hawkins said he could not confirm nor deny whether he was the one voter in the USA Today Coaches' poll who voted Texas No. 1 this week.

Also DE Jason Brace will miss his second consecutive game due to a concussion. OL Ethan Adkins returns from his suspension after he was arrested for driving under the influence. Adkins will not see action this week.

Anyone sick of hearing about this "Q package" that Texas supposedly runs? Talk about the most hyped formation with the least amount of results. For those of you who don't know, it is this little pacakge that is supposed to get Texas backup quarterback John Chiles on the field with Colt McCoy. Please Texas, keep running it. Any time you take the ball out of McCoy's hands would be welcomed by all Buffs fans.

Buffs looking to exploit Texas' youth in the defensive backfield and try to sure up punt & kickoff coverage. Buffs cannot lose the special teams game this week if they want any chance to win the game. Defense and special teams both need to be the offenses' best friend.

Check out our Big 12 Roundtable for today's TRR Daily Jam

Coach: Mack Brown (107-25 in 10 seasons; 193-99-1 overall in 24 seasons).
In 2008: 4 - 0 overall, first Big 12 game of the year
In 2007: 10-3 overall, 5-3 in the Big 12 (second in Big 12 South).
Returning starters: Offense—7. Defense—5. Special teams—1 | Depth Chart
Key losses: Offense—TB Jamaal Charles, TE Jermichael Finley, C Dallas Griffin, T Tony Hills, WR Nate Jones, WR Limas Sweed. Defense—LB Scott Derry, CB Brandon Foster, FS Marcus Griffin, SS Erick Jackson, LB Robert Killebrew, T Derek Lokey, T Frank Okam. Special teams—P Justin Moore.

Actual	National	Category	National	Actual
	Rank		Rank
138.5	79	Rushing Offense	22	205.25
202	71	Passing Offense	18	276.75
340.5	82	Total Offense	10	482
26.75	66	Scoring Offense	6	49.5
172	87	Rushing Defense	2	52.5
103.47	23	Pass Efficiency Defense	40	109.4
335	53	Total Defense	26	303.25
23.5	63	Scoring Defense	6	10.75
32.79	89	Net Punting	3	41.85
11.83	47	Punt Returns	79	7.33
19.95	77	Kickoff Returns	43	22.89
0	58	Turnover Margin	T-49	0.25
163	21	Pass Defense	100	250.75
128.88	53	Passing Efficiency	2	206.77
1.5	66	Sacks	1	4
5.25	T-74	Tackles For Loss	10	8.25
2	78	Sacks Allowed	15	0.75

How scary is this? Really the only glaring advantage for the Buffs or the only weakness for the Texas Longhorns is Pass Defense where they are rated 100th in the nation. If you asked any Longhorn fan what the weakness on the defense is they would say cornerback. That being said, when you are up 30 - 40 points on every team you play, throwing is the only option for Texas' opponents thus far. The four opponents of Texas' thus far has averaged 40 passing attempts/game.

How accurate is this? On the flip side comes the argument of who has Texas played? I will tell you...nobody. Doesn't mean what they have done so far, especially Colt McCoy, hasn't been solid but the Buffaloes have a great opportunity here. Texas does too. Although Colorado might not be that "somebody" that gets the saying "Texas has played anybody" completely removed but it is still an upgrade for Texas over the last four opponents they have played...all in the state of Texas. Another stat for you is that Colt McCoy is 67% of the Texas offense which should be considered even higher because Texas has had a ton of garbage time this year at the end of games with those four 39+ point wins. Again, on the flip side to the Colt McCoy stats, Vondrell McGee who will be starting the game for Texas at running back has a total of 157 yards on 42 carries good for a 3.7 ypc average. That was against four teams that Texas beat by 39 points. Conclusion? Stats can be misleading, very misleading especially in the early part of the season. Texas has to love they are 4 - 0 but what if Colt McCoy struggles in the game...does Texas have the running game to get him through it? I think the Buffs have a better chance than most think.

In continuance of our look at CU recruits who will be in attendance Saturday night for the Texas, we bring you part two. Here is the first part of the story as we looked at WR Emory Blake, WR Jarrod Darden, OT Jack Harris and Ath James Johnson.

Bryce Lamb
Rivals Star Rating - ***
Athlete - Chandler, AZ - Chandler High School
Recruiting Sites: Rivals - Scout - ESPN.com
Measurables: 6'0" 180lbs 4.45 forty time
Other offers - Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon State, Washington State

Commentary on Lamb: There is not a lot of information on Lamb but from what is out there, you can tell he is an incredible athlete that is one of the more highly recruited three stars I have seen. Lamb plays both offense and defense, excelling at wide receiver, running back, defensive back and kick returner. He made All League in wide receiver, defensive back and as a kick returner. I guess he is pretty good friends with Ray Polk. Lamb has great quicks. Lamb is also looking at track teams where Colorado excels as well. Also, one of the nation's top prep triple jumpers and long jumpers. He broke Arizona state triple jump record as a sophomore with a 51' jump. Has jumped 52'2" since then. Lamb is one of the guys you want on your team due to his versatility. Being 6'0", I can see the Buffs loving him at either WR or CB. More to come on Lamb as we get more information.

Edward Nuckols
Rivals Star Rating - ****
Defensive Lineman - San Marcos, CA - Mission Hills High School
Recruiting Sites: Rivals - Scout - ESPN.com
Measurables: 6'2" 290lbs 5.1 forty time
Other offers - Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, USC, Colorado, San Diego State, Minnesota

Commentary on Nuckols: Probably one of my favorite recruits for the Colorado Buffaloes this cycle. I think this kid has great potential. As ESPN says "He is an athlete trapped in a big man's body." Nuckols is nimble enough to line up at running back in goal line situations which is always impressive for a big guy. Of course, a common criticism of all big men is keeping his pad level down but like I always say, that is something that can be taught be a good positional coach in college. ESPN has him ranked as the 12th best DT prospect while Rivals has him at 28. You can tell this kid is strong and has the ability to be very distruptive. Getting Nuckols and Kasa in this years class would go a long way in adding strength and speed to a rather non-impact defensive line currently at CU.

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Nothing beats a night game in Boulder.  Three more days to get through until all day tailgating time and an overconfident Longhorn team.

After a disappointing loss to Florida State, fans have been calling for answers and fixes to the problems that plagued the Buffaloes.

Now fans want a new quarterback, a new offensive game plan, a better defense and, while we're at it, the special teams coach's head on a platter.

But as Neil Woelk writes, the Buffs are 3-1 and entering the most crucial 3 game stretch of the season.  Three ranked teams in three weeks and a chance for Colorado to define the 2008 team.

Darrell Scott has obviously been a focal point of conversations this week, with many Longhorns claiming that they want "Darrell Scott in the game so Brian Orakpo can bury his helmet in his throat," but he is nearing 100% and expects to get more touches on Saturday.

Hagan believes Scott is ready for a breakout game and thinks it could come this week.

"We're going to give him a lot of touches in practice," Hagan said. "You'll see a different back on Saturday."

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