Recapping Colorado Buffaloes Football and Pac-12 News, Links, and Stories
Video: Jon Embree Tuesday Press Conference - CUBuffs.com
"We’ve been physical. From that aspect, I feel that we have been a very physical team. I do think that. For me, I was expecting to be 4-0, that is just me, I expect to win every game. That is how I go into stuff. If I’m playing Michael Jordan in hoops, I’m going to have to figure out a way. Foul him or do something, make him shoot with his left hand or whatever else you can do. That is just my mentality.
"I am disappointed about where we are in the non-conference and now here we are in our conference play, so we can start anew from that standpoint and play for some things. I have been on a team that started 0-4 and played Oklahoma for the Big Eight title [in 1986]. Things happen, but before anything can happen, you have to take care of business at home and find a way to win on the road. I expected us to win on the road by now.
"There are a lot of expectations that I have, but to me, it is getting the rest of the team to truly have these same expectations; to truly have the same feeling and passion that I have for it. There are guys that do, don’t get me wrong, there is a decent amount that do, but obviously not enough of us feel that way. So I have to continue to find a way to get everybody to feel that same way."
Moneyball In College Football: Markets, Statistics And Hal Mumme - SBNation.com
Moneyball has become both a hit movie and a way of life in baseball. Which college programs are exploiting market efficiencies like Billy Beane did, and what will football's statistical revolution look like?
More quotes from the press conference are after the jump, and Pacific Takes advises heavy drinking. We're way ahead of you, buddy...
BCS Two Team Conference Limit Helps The Pac-12 - Pacific Takes
If the two-team limit rule is on the table, it obviously makes perfect sense for Slive to try and do his best to abolish it. The SEC has the biggest fanbases in the country and could obviously fill up almost every Sugar Bowl or Fiesta Bowl if they were given the invites. Jim Delaney would do his best to fight this way for the Big Ten, which probably contains the second largest group of fanbases and some of the top TV markets directly interested in college football. The SEC and Big Ten have earned 18 of the 26 at-large major conference bids, and they would love to see that rule go down so they could get more of their schools involved in the January parades.
Which is why it obviously makes sense that Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott must fight to preserve the current structure.
Pac-12 September Power Rankings, Where My Advice Is To Start Drinking Heavily - Pacific Takes
Pac-12 Heisman Trophy update - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Here's a look at what the Pac-12's top Heisman Trophy candidates did over the weekend. Names will be added or subtracted to the list, as warranted.
Buffs, Cougs trying to rediscover winning - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
A string of losing seasons? It wasn't always like this for Colorado and Washington State. Both programs are trying to crawl out of the dumps, but both fan bases can recall what it's like to be on top. And they're ready to start climbing in a positive direction again.
Jon Embree plays psychologist with CU Buffs after Ohio State loss - Buffzone
"I had a discussion with them about they need to start seeing themselves for what they're capable of," Embree said.
"They need to start seeing themselves how we're telling them what their talent level is and what they're capable of as coaches. "I'm an honest guy and I'm not going to BS the guys and tell them you're this when they're not. We have some good players. We do. Do we have a bunch of them? No. Do we have a lot of depth? No. But we have some good players. And those good players have to see themselves that way and take it upon themselves that when you don't have a bunch of good players, they can't have an off game. They have to have that pressure on themselves that they go out and perform at that level every week."
THORBURN: CU Buffs need to start playing like winners - Buffzone
Contrary to what the 1-3 record screams, the Buffs have some good football players on the roster who are sick and tired of losing. There are also players in the program who work as hard and want to win as much as Embree and Eric Bieniemy did when they were wearing shoulder pads.
How many winners are there? We'll find out who has bought in and who's out this Saturday when CU plays its first official Pac-12 game against Washington State at Folsom Field.
"It's not a right, it's a privilege to play for Colorado. We're not just going to suit you up to suit you up. You've got to earn it and prove that it's important to you," Embree said. "We might be like an NFL team, all of a sudden there are 48 (players) out there."
CU Buffs prepare to deal with Washington State passing attack - The Denver Post
This is not the week to be running thin in the secondary.
Washington State (2-1), ranked fourth among FBS schools by averaging 380 passing yards a game and sixth in total offense at 539.7, comes in as Colorado's Pac-12 opener Saturday.
Starting cornerback Parker Orms is out with a leg injury. Third-teamer Paul Vigo is also out, with a pulled hamstring. The Buffs enter the QB-rich Pac-12 with a true freshman and either a redshirt freshman or sophomore starting at an injury-riddled cornerback position — and with very little depth.
"At least five (defensive backs)," CU defensive coordinator/secondary coach Greg Brown said of the way others play Washington State. "We have the 'help wanted' sign out."
Pac-12 season offers chance at fresh start for CU Buffs - Buffzone
The Buffs can still smell the roses. At least for another week or two. After producing a disheartening 1-3 non-conference record, Colorado has turned the focus to its first Pac-12 schedule, which begins Saturday with Washington State's visit to Folsom Field. "This is a big game for both programs. I talked to our players about it," CU head coach Jon Embree said.
"Playing the first Pac-12 game in the school's history, and with our issues on the road, if we're going to have any chance of accomplishing anything, we've got to win at home."
Brooks: Buffs Planning To Make Good Use Of iPads - CUBuffs.com
This used to be a phrase that no football player wanted to hear: "Coach wants to see you . . . and bring your playbook." Here's what that phrase will soon become: "Coach wants to see you . . . and bring your iPad." In a pilot program that makes CU unique among U.S. universities, 80 Apple iPad2s were acquired for use in the athletic department.
Of that total, 44 were ticketed for football, and a dozen each for men's and women's basketball and volleyball. They are issued to student-athletes on a check-out, check-in process similar to the department's laptop program. "The mobility and accessibility (offered by the iPad2) are unmatched," Guy said.
"Players being able to study practice and game film on planes, hotels with or without the Internet . . . they've never have been able to do it in any sport. There also will be the ability to do digital versions of playbooks, saving cost of printing scouting reports each week and all things that go with that."
This sounds like an awesome system! This has already changed pro baseball, so I'm glad that CU's athletics is at the forefront on this.
Go Buffs