I was actually pretty dismissive of all the Big-XII memoriam stuff back in August; but now that it's here it hit me: This really is the beginning of the end. This might be the last time we play all of these jerkwads for a long while. First up are the CU imitators; Missouri.
Brooks: Collins Believes Buffs ‘D’ Can’t Lag At Start - CUBuffs.com
"Yeah, I take it personally," senior corner Jimmy Smith conceded. "For me, being on defense, I was there for the brutal beat-downs . . . I'm playing with a chip on my shoulder this game." Junior guard Ryan Miller expressed the same feelings: "I think it is (personal) for the older guys - myself included. We've had it taken to us the past couple of years."LOWERING THE FLAG COUNT: CU entered last weekend averaging over nine penalties (9.3) a game. The Buffs were flagged just three times for 21 yards against the Bulldogs. Why the big drop? Hawkins said a high number of weekly penalties can stem from "being desperate, from over-trying . . . you've just to relax and let the game come to you. I think that's part of it." He also said players' concentrating on their specific assignments "and not trying to do other people's jobs" was a factor.
Consistency key on CU Buffs' offensive line - Buffzone
The same five offensive linemen have started the past two games and there is a feeling coaches finally assembled the right group after tinkering and playing seven or eight different players in the first two games. "It`s good to know who is going to play next to you," guard Ryan Miller said. "Just in practice, you get that feeling of this is how (David Bakhtiari) plays or this is how Mike (Iltis) plays. You kind of play off each other`s strengths and you`re building cohesion with the guys playing next to you."
CU’s Hansen: Cody Hawkins has been huge help - The Denver Post
Following Tuesday’s practice, CU quarterback Tyler Hansen said his predecessor, senior Cody Hawkins, has been instrumental in Hansen’s development and improvement this season."We watch film together," Hansen said. "And before games we go over each play and talk about our reads and what (the defense) might do on each play. "I think this is helping him out too. He wants to be a coach. He’s acting out like a coach right now. "He’s really helping out. When I come off the field, he talks to me about he saw, about what I saw. He’s been great. He’s embraced (the situation)."
Buffs determined to trample trend - The Denver Post
Colorado football players said Tuesday they are taking the recent lopsided losses to Missouri "personal" and aim to do what they can Saturday in Columbia, Mo., to reverse the trend.
Stewart, Tremblay Earn CU Athlete of the Week Accolades - CUBuffs.com
Rodney Stewart (football) and Laura Tremblay (cross country) earn CU Athlete of the Week Honor for their performances this past week of competition.
Preview – Missouri " CU At the Game - A CU Football blog by Stuart Whitehair
Colorado has one last chance at Missouri as a member of the Big 12. One last chance at redemption for the 58-0 pasting in 2008. Every play matters. Every series counts. Colorado actually goes into Columbia playing with house money. The longer the Buffs stay within a score against the Tigers, the more their confidence will grow. "This year, we just have to kind of notch it up a little bit more and play at the level that they’ve been bringing it to us," said senior linebacker – and Big 12 co-Defensive Player-of-the-Week – B.J. Beatty. Bring it on, Buffs. You’ve got nothing to lose.
After the Jump, everyone's got a story from the 5th down; and: Larry Scott wants Pac-12 games on TV everywhere, every day.
Pac-10 weighs scheduling issues for more East Coast exposure - ESPN
The Pac-10's TV deals expire at the end of the current school year and the starting times for football games are sure to be part of the conversation. By moving kickoff up to 5:15 p.m., No. 9 Stanford at No. 4 Oregon became a prime-time showcase -- one not involving those Trojans -- that served as the capper to a day filled with premier games. "A year ago when I started in this role, I was told by a lot of people that nationally people see USC and don't see the depth of the conference after that," Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott said. "There's a lot of factors that go into making sure we're visible nationally for our biggest games, but it's something that's a high priority, something that we're spending a lot of time on and something that will receive a very high priority as we're looking at our future broadcast agreements," Scott said.
Around the Pac-10: Options are open as Pac-12 ADs meet
The divisional alignment Scott, who figures to set the tone when he explains to the presidents what will be worth the most money, doesn’t appear to support the "Zipper" plan in which one school from each pair of rivals would be in a division. He wants a North-South, or Coast-Mountain — whatever it’s called. He said the divisions should be split to assure competitive balance and "we have a system that will allow us to market and promote our football system in a way that’s logical and easy to follow for our fans." He doesn’t want people trying to remember if USC is with Oregon and UCLA with OSU, or is it the opposite? This is set: the four Northwest schools will be together, and Arizona and Arizona State will be in the same division as USC and UCLA. Then it’s a matter of where the new members, Utah and Colorado, go. In a compromise, expect the Northwest schools to be put in with Stanford and California, but the Bay Area schools will be guaranteed games every year against both the Bruins and Trojans.
Brooks: ’90 Buffs ‘Took The Fifth,’ Went On Their Way - CUBuffs.com - BG Brooks' re-writeup of the 1990 CU-Missouri game that was first printed in the Rocky:
On a sweltering Missouri afternoon that finally boiled over, Colorado took the fifth, the victory and got out of town...
ESPN - OTL: Fifth-and-goal - E-ticket - And an awesome recount (hur, hur) of the characters of the 5th Down game:
The ref never called the press box because he says it wasn't protocol. But if he had, he would've received some colorful responses.Writers and sports information directors seemed to be on top of the mistake; Colorado's Dave Plati had shouted an F-bomb when Johnson spiked the ball on the real fourth down. And when Buffaloes offensive coordinator Gerry DiNardo stopped by the CU radio booth, where Plati was sitting, the coach asked, "How many plays did we just run there?" "I think five," Plati said.
Eventually, after close to 20 minutes, a pale Louderback made a decision. He wanted the teams back on the field...
Woelk: Buffs need to solve Mizzou hex - Buffzone
The Colorado Buffaloes say they`re taking this week personally. Maybe it will help. It certainly can`t hurt.The Buffs have no explanation -- absolutely none -- as to why they`ve been worked like rented mules the last four times they`ve played Missouri.
Location hasn`t mattered. Momentum hasn`t mattered. No matter the circumstances, the result has always been the same in the Dan Hawkins era.
To wit: Hawkins` Buffs have lost to Missouri twice in weeks following a win (including a road win.) They`ve lost to the Tigers twice following a loss. They`ve lost twice in Boulder. They`ve lost twice in Columbia. Four times, four sound whippings.
Buff fans can only hope the fifth down -- oops, make that the fifth time -- for Hawkins` team is a charm.
Fifth Down's a Charm. Zing!
Woelk: It's difficult to complain about Buffs` 3-1 start - Buffzone
It`s OK to breathe now, Buff fans. Colorado`s B.J. Beatty really did force Georgia`s Caleb King to fumble, Jon Major actually did recover it and the Colorado Buffaloes are now 3-1.Wait a sec ... 3-1? Seriously? Yep -- and six weeks ago, if you would have offered any Colorado fan a 3-1 record heading into the Big 12 portion of the schedule, they would have taken it.
Pick your three, take the record and run. Which, of course, is exactly what Dan Hawkins` team wants to do. Take a 3-1 record and keep running. Keep running and take aim at another 200-plus yard night on the ground.
I like the sound of that...
Our weekly college football rankings, as voted on by bloggers, has Alabama securely in first, with Oregon taking over the No. 2 spot. We won an award for being close to the actual poll! Ha!
College Football Coaches On The Hot Seat: Tim Brewster Leads The Way - SBNation.com
A look at five college football coaches who are squarely on the hot seat entering Week 6 of the season.
Go Buffs!