Recapping Colorado Buffaloes Football and Pac-12 News, Links, and Stories
Jon Embree Press Conference - CUBuffs.com - Video
Some quotes that I found particularly interesting:
About Ohio State and their biggest weakness:
"I haven't looked at all of their special teams yet. There are not a lot of weaknesses with that team and with that program. I know people are down on them around their program, but to me, it is more that they have been so successful and they have done so well and all of a sudden they lose a game and it is supposed to change, I don't see it. I think they are very good defensively. They are very physical. They are very good upfront. When you look at their offensive line, every guy is at least 6-5 and every guy is 305, 315, 320-they are some great looking guys, very athletic. Of course I always look at the other team's tight end and see what they do, and their tight end has been a threat in the red zone and he has done some good things and they have some speed on the edge.
About the Ohio State quarterback situation:
"I hate cliche, but too much credit is given to the quarterback when it is good and too much blame when it goes bad. It takes a lot of people. A passing game from a throwing standpoint is protection, it is guys catching the ball, it is guys running the routes at the right depth, so there are a lot of things that can go into their issues. I don't think it is just a one guy problem with the passing game. The other games they were doing ok with it, so I'm not buying the sky is falling in Columbus."
PS, here's what Embree thinks of the importance of QB play when it's our guy:
"It is important every game. At home, away, neutral site, it doesn't matter. When you are the quarterback, those decisions, you have to be good at that at all time to give your team a chance to win."
Sounds kinda important if you ask me. I think someone is downplaying Ohio State's 'problem.' And by 'problem,' I of course mean 'Massive Lack of Talent at Quarterback.'
This Week in College Football Explained In Graphs looks at the raw data of the college football week and explains it in visual terms you can understand in a single glance. There are ten graphs, one for each member of the current Big 12 conference, and one less than the current Big Ten. Enjoy.
First up: Taylor Martinez's Throwing Motion
Pac-12 Affirms Decision Not To Expand > Pac12 > Pac-12 News - Want to hear it from the source? Here ya go.
In light of the widespread speculation about potential scenarios for Conference re-alignment, the Pac-12 Presidents and Chancellors have affirmed their decision to remain a 12-team conference., Pac-12
Commissioner Larry Scott said, "After careful review we have determined that it is in the best interests of our member institutions, student-athletes and fans to remain a 12-team conference. While we have great respect for all of the institutions that have contacted us, and certain expansion proposals were financially attractive, we have a strong conference structure and culture of equality that we are committed to preserve. With new landmark TV agreements and plans to launch our innovative television networks, we are going to focus solely on these great assets, our strong heritage and the bright future in front of us."
Don't want to watch the video? There's more quotes after the jump...
The College Football Super-Conference BUZZ MAP - Anchor Of Gold - This awesome map was relevant until 10:12pm last night. That doesn't make it any less cool...
Simply put, when the dust settles, what is the landscape of major college football going to look like ... on a map!?
Conference Realignment: Pac-12 Nixes Nationwide Shift, Smaller Moves Continue - SBNation.com
The Pac-12 isn't adding Oklahoma and Texas...yet. This should mean no total chaos for now, but the Big 12 and Big East still have to rebuild. So you woke up this morning to discover the Big 12 is going to have to try to work together, as the Pac-12 is skipping this round of expansion, pretty much because of the Longhorn Network. Good morning! The big stuff is over for now, but the smaller stuff continues.
This means we're right back to the Big 12 needing to replace the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Colorado Buffaloes and Texas A&M Aggies.
For those of you sick of conference realignment talk, especially during the college football season, here's a piece of good news: the AP's Jim Vertuno reports Texas and Oklahoma will meet soon to come up with a five-year plan for the Big 12. Also, magical coincidence! That's how long the Big 12's current TV deal lasts. Five years doesn't sound like all that long of a time once you put it that way.
College Football Rankings: BlogPoll Has Oklahoma At No. 1; Clemson Surges To No. 19 - SBNation.com
Oklahoma moves to the top of the BlogPoll in Week 4 after heading into hostile Tallahassee and knocking off the Seminoles, while the biggest mover this week is Clemson, which rises 20 spots after beating Auburn.
This Week In Schadenfreude: Buckeyes Locate Bauserman - SBNation.com
An Ohio State fan wants to use his kids' clean records to revenge himself on Like A Baus. We get a mission statement. BC fans issue words never before heard. Kansas fans openly pine for Mangino, use Simpsons references to make their case. Polkamatic, Folkamatic, two tight end jumbo set: break!
Related to that, what some Georgia fans are resorting to in an attempt to help their team out: Announcing the Dawg Sports Literary Competition to Bring the Georgia Bulldogs Good Luck Through Poetry - Dawg Sports
Morning Tailgate: I'm Not Thinking About Numbers - SBNation.com
Introducing a new morning college football column by Bill Connelly, The Morning Tailgate. Sometimes it will involve numbers, but there's much more to it than that...
College football is, literally and figuratively, an antique; the flaws, no matter how serious, just accentuate the charm. Shady academic dealings? Free tattoos? Envelopes of cash in recruits' pockets? Okay, sure, but ... fight songs! Bratwurst! Friends! Homecoming! Jumbotrons! Hugs from strangers after touchdowns! The local R.O.T.C. unit firing off a cannon!
The Numerical: Comebacks, Interceptions And A Dink-And-Dunk Masterpiece - SBNation.com
Looking at the numbers from a week that saw crazy comebacks, a heavyweight slugfest in Tallahassee, and some video game statistics.
2: Passes Ohio State quarterback Joe Bauserman completed in 15 dropbacks during the Buckeyes' 24-6 whipping at the hands of Miami. He completed two of 14 passes for 13 yards and was sacked once. That's a per-attempt average of 0.4. Freshman Braxton Miller might not be ready for prime time, but I think we've pretty clearly defined Bauserman's limits at this point: if the opposing defense is better than Akron's, Bauserman isn't going to thrive.
Emphasis added, with relish.
Embree Press Conference Quotes - CUBuffs.com - Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado - There's more quotes in the write-up if you want to just read a transcript of the press conference
On LB Doug Rippy
"Doug has played very well. Doug is kind of the emotional leader of that defense. He has done a very good job of tackling; he has gotten better each week at that. He does a good job of getting guys lined up and getting the calls in. He has a lot of responsibilities put on him and he has handled them all very well."
On Rippy being more of a leader this year
"I've tried for him to take more control of it. I don't believe that you have to be a senior to be a leader. I don't believe that you have to be the starting quarterback or starting middle linebacker to be the leader. There are guys who are at other positions that can fill that role as far as leadership and leadership is a lot of different things and Doug, because of the nature of his position and I believe because of his personality and how well he plays and how he prepares and how he handles himself off the field, that he is a guy that can be a leader for us."
On using more screen passes
"I don't know whose idea it was. To me, that is the most underused play in college football because unlike in the NFL, you can be down the field blocking. I'm a big screen guy and I think a lot of guys on our staff are big screen guys. It is another way to get the ball to [No.] 5, get the ball to [No.] 6; we can use other guys on screens. I look at it a couple of ways. One, having our linemen down the field helps with the pass rush and my philosophy is some people look at screens as trying to create big plays and all that, to me, let's just get four yards. It is an extension of the run game to me. I think as long as you have that rule in college football, that you should be using it to your advantage. It is a big advantage for the offense."
On offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy getting comfortable calling the game in the box
"Yeah he is and he is definitely comfortable up there and is doing a good job of seeing things. I think him and [quarterbacks coach] Rip [Scherer] do a very good job up there. I think that is part of the reason of why we have been successful in the second half of football games, the ability to make some adjustments, ability to tweak a few things here and there and take advantage of what we are seeing and what is happening."
On how big of an issue the penalties are
"We'll see this week. The team is just trying to do what I'm asking them to do. I'm not going to overreact on some of the things. I made a statement at halftime that if there were any more personal fouls that they wouldn't be going to Ohio State. We didn't have any in the second half. I'm not overly concerned about those. Holding, it happens here and there; it is what it is. The kicking the ball out of bounds, being offsides, those are the ones we have to fix. We might have a solution to kicking the ball out of bounds, we'll see this week."
On QB Tyler Hansen running more
"I think part of it is Tyler becoming more comfortable and I've told him that it is ok to run. I think he is just making good decisions at the opportune time, when to run and when to throw it away. He is very good in being aware of down and distance. I think what Tyler has done so far this season so far is making good decisions. Understanding when it is ok to throw it away and live for another down, when it is, 'Oh, I better get something out of this.'
A good example was right before half (versus Colorado State) in the two-minute, faking like he was going to go out of bounds and then stayed and cut back and picked up the first down and moved the chains. Understanding what the clock situation was then, understanding our timeout situations, us not having any. All those things I think he does a good job of understanding that and making good decisions to go with it, and then when he threw that touchdown pass to Kyle [Cefalo], moving with his feet and just being patient and not panicking and giving Kyle a chance where if he didn't get it, we could still get some points with the field goal."
Go Buffs!