Tons and tons of information today from Buff land and Big 12 land...enjoy. There are more links after the jump.
No worries with Darrell Scott - Kyle Ringo - Boulder Daily Camera
Kyle Ringo of the BDC ran into Darrell Scott outside of Dal Ward yesterday and this is what he had to say about the Josh Smith transfer situation and him being linked because they are related:
I spoke with Darrell Scott outside the Dal Ward Center today for a few minutes. He said he isn’t ready to do any interviews right now because he knows many of the questions will be about Smith’s decision to transfer. Scott said he doesn’t want to talk about the issue until it’s decided one way or the other, and right now he is still thinking there is a chance Smith will stay with the Buffs. As for whether Smith’s decision will have any impact on Scott, he said, "I’m staying here."
Good news for all Buff fans, especially if Scott could work his magic and get Smith back to Boulder.
Lindy’s Football Buffs to Finish Fourth in North
Well, Phil Steele has the Buffs finishing second in the North, right behind Nebraska with Kansas State tied for second and Kansas fourth. Lindy's picks the Jayhawks to win the North, followed by Nebraska, Missouri and then the Buffs. Moral of the story: it's wide open.
Ambrose digs into new role at CU - Boulder Daily Camera
Future WR coach Ashley Ambrose was already all business. Colorado's future wide receivers coached eyed a couple players passing by who happen to be assigned to the accountability group he now oversees within the program. He called the players over and delivered a friendly warning. Ambrose said if any member of his group is late to class or wanders outside team rules in any way this summer, he will make the entire group run until it pukes.
Gotta love that sort of talk. Ambrose seems extremely dedicated and motivated in this article. Ambrose should be extremely beneficial on the recruiting trail as well due to his extensive experience in the NFL. He also looks to be a mentor to the guys currently on the team:
"Coach Hawkins likes the way I mentor a lot of guys and talk to them, and I think that is one reason why he is choosing me to do this because he knows I relate well to a lot of these guys and the guys look up to me," Ambrose said. "My thing is, I'm all about being a coach. So if coach Hawkins would have told me I have to go to the O-line, that's what I'd do. I'd have to learn it. It's going to make me a better coach in the long run."
The 'Hawk' is never too far from the nest: Dan, Cody and Drew Hawkins
Except for referencing CU as UC in the article, this is a nice piece on the football side of things in the Hawkins family. Both Dan and Cody are immersed at Colorado and Dan's other son, Drew, is heading through the ranks at Boise State as a wide receiver.
Woelk: No rhyme, reason to Buff exodus
Neill Woelk is trying to figure out what is going on in Boulder these days:
Not that a program losing a couple of players is abnormal. Oregon lost two after spring ball. Ditto with Texas. Michigan has had its fair share of recent departures (including one who has landed at Colorado), and the same goes for most other high-profile schools. In a day and age when instant gratification is the rule rather than the exception, kids seem to be quicker on the transfer trigger than ever before. If you don't like it someplace, you leave. But five? I hesitate to call the number alarming, simply because of the wide spectrum of reasons given for the departures.
Oregon Writers Are Really Obsessed With the Buffs Right Now
Oregon Live includes a rap song by former Buff WR Josh Smith, declaring ASU as Smith's favorite for a future destination but still thinks he fits in nicely at Oregon. They also think the signing of WR Toney Clemons shows the Buffs are close to turning to corner. Huh? Close in 2010? I thought he was good but never this good. I expect Oregon Live to announce more revelations soon.
Oregon Live Throws the Round the Idea of Both Smith and Scott Coming to Eugene
Again it is OregonLive. They are stretching it a lot here.
CU's Bzdelik moving forward - Boulder Daily Camera
Jeff Bzdelik is already looking forward to his third season as the Colorado men’s basketball coach according to Ryan Thornburn of the BDC. It has been an interesting offseason with the transfer of two players expected to help the team in the future in G Ryan Kelley and F Toby Veal, the signing of five new Buffs this year and the ever present discussion of when Buff fans can expect to see the light of a program turning around.
Bzdelik has some good quotes in the article like:
"We inherited a basketball team that won seven games, that had no competitive spirit, that was undisciplined, and had bad grades. And you look and say, ‘You’ve had a lot of players leave the program.’ But let me ask you a question: Who out of those players who have left the program have gone on to another BCS school? Name one."
Top 120 Fantasy RBs - AthlonSports.com
In Athlon Sports release of the top 120 fantasy running backs, Rodney Stewart checks in at 76th overall with Darrell Scott at 87. Motivation fellas, motivation. The list ranks Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma St. 6th overall the top running back in the Big 12 followed closely by DeMarco Murray of Oklahoma. Chris Brown of OU is 12th as well. There is no reason the Buffs can't have the same sort of combination if they get any sort of quarterback play.
Top 125 Fantasy WRs - AthlonSports.com
Athlon also released their top fantasy 120 wide receivers. Scotty McKnight catches the tail end of the list at 109.
CU's and Former Broncos Announcer, Larry Zimmer Honored
Larry Zimmer, radio broadcaster for University of Colorado football, has won the 2009 Chris Schenkel Award. Archie Manning, chairman of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, announced the award Wednesday. Congrats to Zimmer.
West Virginia University Mountaineers PreviewThe Buffs fourth opponent of the year in 2009
Rock M' Nation RoundtableThe good guys over at Rock M' Nation, a Missouri blog, have put out another round table asking if the recent departures of WR Josh Smith and OL Devin Head will stop prognosticators from picking the Buffs over the Tigers. There are are some interesting responses:
Well, it hasn't prevented Phil Steele from picking us 5th in the North. I can't see how anyone, even with those players, would put Colorado above Missouri yet. I know Missouri is a different team this year, but for crying out loud we've scored 113 straight on Colorado. The last time that game was a close one was 2006 when we won 28-14, and that was an abysmal effort from the Tigers that day. People are looking for a reason to knock Mizzou down, and I think that's going to set us up for a very enjoyable season.
Miami(OH) to play Missouri in Football
Miami University’s football team will play a home-and-home series against Missouri in 2010 and 2012, MU announced today. Bad idea Missouri, bad idea. They will back out on you and not fulfill their contract.
Scout.com: 2009 CFN Missouri Preview
College Football News by Scout has a 2009 preview of Missouri out. Anyone else think this expectation is a little too high?
The season will be a success if ... the Tigers get back to the Big 12 Championship. This isn't a good enough team to beat Oklahoma, Texas, or the winner from the South unless everything breaks the right way, but with Nebraska coming to Columbia, and with enough speed and athleticism across the board to run with anyone in the conference, there's no reason to shoot for anything lower than a third straight trip to the title game.
So much is new at Mizzou in football - Kansas City StarThe Wiz of Odds: Rich People Have Problems, Too
Pickens, 81, has been taking a lot of hits lately with the collapse of oil prices. He tumbled from 131st on the Forbes list of wealthiest humans in 2008 to a tie for 334th in 2009. But he's confident that his prized investment, Oklahoma State football, is close to paying huge dividends.
Last week, he summoned Cowboy coaches and donors to his Texas ranch for a brainstorming session.
"We talked about how we were going to be better and how we're going to win," Pickens said. "Some great ideas came out of there. Some of our donors were there. It was a good meeting."
Problem is, despite Pickens' enormous investment in Oklahoma State athletics — $265 million by some accounts — the Cowboys are no better than No. 2 in their own state. He acknowledges that Oklahoma is the team to beat.
HuskerExtra.com - Lincoln, Nebraska - Football
Talks about getting rid of the Coaches poll.
KUSports.com is Offended by the Fourth Place Ranking from Phil Steele
Steele has Colorado and, get this, Kansas State tied for second place. Dan Hawkins built a juggernaut at Boise State and based on that it’s easy to project that he’ll do the same at Colorado, if he can convince recruits that the students will come down off the slopes and support the football team in a big way once he puts a powerhouse product on the field. But better than Kansas now?
Huskers Must Find Third Running Back To Compliment Helu, Castille - Corn Nation
Corn Nation wants a third running back to emerge for Nebraska as an insurance policy in case Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille cannot stay healthy.