Plodding along in January

There is not a lot to report but the Pac-12 2013 conference schedule has been released with Colorado’s full schedule now posted at right and everyone can start digging for some wins.  It lines up to be another excellent tailgating season, with two bye weeks for traveling or relaxing. For the first time since 1995, the Buffs will play all their games on Saturdays.  They were not given any of the league’s Thursday night games (big surprise there) and the Utah game has been moved to the Saturday after Thanksgiving, with the Oregon Civil War and Washington Apple Cup garnering the Friday slots now on ESPN.  The Buffs will spend the first month of the season in Colorado with the csu game, home tilts against Central Arkansas (no DII pushover) and Fresno St. before their first bye, leading up to conference play.  Their first road game is not until Sept. 28, their Pac-12 opener vs. Oregon State, the only team we have not faced yet as a member of the conference.  They will have five games in the month of November, only two at home, closing the season at Utah.  Also, not that it is likely to affect the Buffs for awhile, but the Pac-12 Championship game has also been moved to Saturday.

There is nothing really new on the coaching front.  However, it did officially come out that no CU staffers will be retained from the previous staff.  MacIntyre said a few members of that staff were being considered (ask Alfred Williams if he believes that one), but he has decided to go elsewhere after the coaches’ convention in Nashville and hopes to have the last two coaches named by “this weekend”-who’s holding their breath for that announcement?  

There just does not appear to be any urgency to fill the last two positions, RB and some other defensive assistant.  We may not hear anything on an RB coach until after signing day, especially since the position is fairly well stocked on the roster and one already committed (Denver South’s Philip Lindsay).

However, MacIntyre did fill out much of the rest of the program’s staff by bringing over four more from San Jose State: Director of Football Operations Bryan McGinnis (previously reported here, 8 years at SJSU), Football Academics Coordinator Katie Bason (two years as whatever a “learning specialist” is at SJSU), and Adam Toyoma will be the recruiting coordinator, even though he only joined SJSU two years ago as “student support assistant in recruiting” (again, whatever the heck that is?!);  Kerry Johnson, who was an offensive operations assistant (great titles MacIntyre has for his staff) last year at SJSU, will help Dave Forman as assistant strength and conditioning coach, a position he previously held at Duke.  Not sure if I am so excited about so much inexperience at these support positions, especially the recruiting.

Eric Bienemy is indeed going to Kansas City to be the new RB coach under Andy Reid.  That is probably all he ever should have been-I would be surprised if he ever got another shot at coordinator anywhere.  Bienemy played for Reid his last season in the NFL, and also worked with Brad Childress (also expected to be hired) at Minnesota.

Bobby Kennedy appears headed to Iowa to coach wide receivers there.

Recruiting: There is a little less than a month to go until the February 6^th signing day, with four weekends to host official visits to woo and impress prospects.  DE/LB Markeis Reed visited from California last week and committed.  Embree and his staff had held off on most of their visits for January anyway, so MacIntyre has most of them to use now.

There are five visiting this weekend, four of them previous verbal commitments: Lindsay, Columbine’s John Lisella (also solidly committed), CA WR Bryce Bobo (still feeling things out with new staff) and OL Gunnar Graham (not sure how he feels, or how much he will ever help).

The fifth official visitor this weekend is DE Timothy Coleman, a csu commit from Mullen who is an intriguing case as he only played a small amount of defense this year before tearing up his knee (he had only played offensive line in the past).  Most guys, when they get a Pac-12 offer, will choose the bigger, better school over a smaller school from conferences like the MWC, who have less chance of getting into the big bowls and big bucks from future playoff revenue.

Next weekend is setting up to be the biggest weekend with at least eleven prospects scheduled to visit Boulder, including two-star RB/DB Michael Adkins (CA).

It does not look like any of the verbal commits is enrolling early to participate in spring drills.

WR/TE Jason Gaines, who grew up with, was best friends with and has lived with QB Shane Dillon’s family, will eventually come to CU when he finishes up at his JC in California (not sure which one).  This is according to Dillon’s parents (in depth interview with them by Stuart: http://www.cuatthegame.com/2013/qa-with-shani-and-patrick-dillon/) and I assume it will be as a walk-on unless he really develops.  Embree’s staff recruited him with Dillon, but it wasn’t clear if it was talent or academics, or both, that kept him from coming here.

From NetBuffs.com, poster cu70, although s/he has no idea how to use English punctuation, wrote this in an email to CU President Bruce Benson about the university’s commitment and support: “If CU was really interested in athletic excellence as your letter dated January 2013 appears to state. The first thing the university would do is forgive the 22 million owed it by the athletic department. It would be a good will gesture that would speak very loudly about the university’s dedication to excellence on the field. If the university is not willing to make the investment, why should I donate my money to the athletic department.(?) Thus, I will continue to donate to the Red Cross, American Heart Association, etc and continue to skip donating to CU.” (my bold & ?)

Go Buffs!