Recapping Colorado Buffaloes Athletics and Pac-12 News, Links, and Stories
Pac-12 South
Season recap: Colorado - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
The first year of Pac-12 play for Colorado under new coach Jon Embree was, well, bad. Things, however, didn't completely fall apart. The Buffs rallied to win two of their final three games, beating Arizona at home and then ending that 24-game losing streak outside their home state with a 17-14 upset of the Utes.
Offensive MVP: Running back Rodney Stewart rushed for 854 yards, caught 45 passes for 571 yards and piled up 1,686 all-purpose yards. He was one of only four players in the nation to have 500 rush/500 receiving yards this season...
Season recap: Utah - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
In its first year of Pac-12 play, Utah rolled three seasons into one and then ended badly, so it's a good thing there's a Hyundai Sun Bowl ahead to ease the embarrassment of a season-ending loss to Colorado...
Make the jump to see if I'm the new head coach at Arizona State!
Season recap: Arizona - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
A 10-game losing streak to FBS foes -- starting with the final five games of 2010 -- did in coach Mike Stoops. It's worth noting that 10-game losing streak included Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford and USC in eight of those games, with a back-ended schedule in 2010 and a front-loaded one in 2011 doing in Stoops. No other team in the nation even approached that degree of difficulty during a 10-game stretch...
Season recap: Arizona State - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Arizona State had two seasons. The good one and the bad one. The bad one, however, is the one that counts because it got coach Dennis Erickson fired. The good one was a 6-2 start that featured quality wins over Missouri and USC and had the fan base energized. The offense was high-powered with quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Cameron Marshall and the defense was fast and opportunistic. Then the Sun Devils collapsed...
Season recap: UCLA - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Did any other team in the country have a more bizarre season than the Bruins? Quarterback switches/injuries, head-scratching wins -- and losses -- and a lame duck coach in a conference championship game. Things certainly got weird in Westwood...
Season recap: USC - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
USC returned to the nation's elite in year two under coach Lane Kiffin, and it's a pity that the Trojans can't represent the Pac-12 in the bowl season due to dubious NCAA sanctions because few teams played better at season's end...
Pac-12 North
Season recap: California - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
California did something it hasn't done the previous two years: Finish strong. The Bears, who lost three of their final five in 2009 and their last three in 2010, won three of four to earn a berth in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl opposite Texas. Things look pretty bad for Cal, coach Jeff Tedford and quarterback Zach Maynard on Oct. 29 after a 31-14 loss to UCLA. It was their fourth loss in five games, and the season appeared close to swirling down the toilet, which would have only increased fan frustration with Tedford...
Season recap: Stanford - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
The 2011 Stanford Cardinal looked a lot like the 2010 team. Andrew Luck tossing touchdowns to Coby Fleener. An 11-1 record. Stepfan Taylor rushing for 1,000 yards behind Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro. Another BCS bowl game. But the main difference this season was that expectation was higher, the spotlight brighter and every play over-scrutinized...
Season recap: Oregon - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
A third consecutive conference title has Oregon flying higher than it's ever been as a program, and the Ducks show no signs of slowing down. Of course, to get their proper respect they need to avoid going 0-3 in BCS bowl games under coach Chip Kelly when they face Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl...
Season recap: Oregon State - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Once thought to have the most secure job in the conference, Mike Riley's seat might be a little toastier next year after back-to-back disappointing seasons. It started with an overtime loss to Sacramento State in Week 1 and quickly snowballed as the Beavers lost five of their first six. Freshman Sean Mannion showed glimpses of what could be, tossing for 3,328 yards. But 18 interceptions to 16 touchdowns stains his 64.5 percent completion percentage...
Season recap: Washington - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
After blowing out of the gates -- winning five of their first six and six of their first eight, the surprisingly hot Huskies cooled down with a three-game losing streak against Oregon, USC and Oregon State. Washington looks to be on the verge of cracking into the upper echelon of the Pac-12. But to do that, it's going to have to learn to win sans Seattle. Washington went 6-1 in its hometown — with five of those victories at Husky Stadium and the Apple Cup win over Washington State coming at the Seahawks' CenturyLink Field — but just 1-4 away from home. To get to the next level, they are going to have to find ways to win games like Oregon State on the road -- even if there are injuries and adversity...
Season recap: Washington State - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
After winning three of their first four to start the season, there was cautious optimism that Paul Wulff might have actually turned things around in Pullman. Then came the UCLA debacle -- coughing up an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter. That opened up the flood gates, and the Cougars went on to lose six of their final seven and eventually Wulff, who was fired after a 38-21 loss to Washington in the season finale...