CU At The Game Podcast

Send a text

Considering the 31.5-point spread, the 49-10 loss to No. 8 Oregon was all too predictable. The Ducks showcased their Heisman trophy candidate quarterback, Bo Nix, and generally had their way with the Buffs. I am joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will start with a recap of the Oregon game, including a discussion of the trick plays the Ducks used to score, and the quotes from CU defector Christian Gonzalez after the game.

Next, before diving into our “T.I.P.S.” for the game against the new No. 8 team in the nation, USC, we will discuss the interview given by CU President Todd Saliman, and whether there is enough going on behind the scenes to improve CU’s chances at improving its transfer rules, and to hire the right coach to give the Buffs a chance at a quick turnaround in 2023. 

There is also a discussion of how the interim coaching staff under Mike Sanford has, despite all of CU’s shortcomings, managed to bring in three new commitments to the CU Recruiting Class of 2023. What’s even more impressive is that these new recruits are some of the highest-rated in CU’s current 19-member Class. 

So ... Can CU, which has never beaten USC in 15 previous attempts, make a game of it on Friday night on national television? ... Can the Buff offense, without star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, exploit the nation’s 95th-ranked defense? ... Will the Trojans, who have big games against UCLA and Notre Dame to close out the season, be looking past Colorado, at least enough for the Buffs to cover the 34.0-point spread? ... 

... Let’s find out ... 

Support the show

Send a text

It may have been CU’s last best hope for a victory last weekend, but the Buffs fell at home to Arizona State, 42-34. I am joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will start with a recap of the loss to Arizona State, including the failings of the defense to get off the field, which were only slightly offset by CU's best offensive output of the season, and some special plays by the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week and the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week, Jordyn Tyson.

Next, before diving into our “T.I.P.S.” for the game against No. 8 Oregon, we will debate the pros and cons of sitting freshman quarterback Owen McCown. McCown has played in four games this season, and, if he sits out the last four, will preserve his redshirt, and still have four years of eligibility remaining. If he’s healthy, should he play?

There is also a discussion of the creation of the Buffs4Life NIL Collective. CU fans have been clamoring for the past 16 months for a Collective, a pool of dollars to lure high school recruits and transfers to play at CU, and now one exists. Will this Collective be the light at the end of CU’s long dark tunnel?

So ... Can the Buffs find a way to beat the 30-point spread that Las Vegas has put on the game? ... Or will the Ducks, playing before a national ESPN audience with a 1:30 p.m., MT, kickoff, be looking to impress the College Football Playoff committee with an eyebrow raising rout? ... Will J.T. Shrout be CU’s quarterback the remainder of the season, or will Owen McCown be allowed back onto the field when he’s able? ... Is the Buffs4Life Collective a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating fall for the Buff Nation, or is this going to prove to be yet another example of Colorado - and its fan base - failing to compete in the new age of college football? 

... Let’s find out ... 

Support the show

Send a text

Rain was in the forecast last weekend when CU took the field against Oregon State, but, like the rain, the Buff offense failed to materialize in a 42-9 whitewashing by the Beavers. Stuart Whitehair is joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and they start with a recap of the lopsided loss in Corvallis, including a discussion on who should be the CU starting quarterback the remainder of the season. 

Interim head coach Mike Sanford previously stated that Owen McCown was his quarterback, and would be the starter when he returned from injury ... but has J.T. Shrout earned the right for a home start? Or, from a more practical standpoint, would it be better to sit McCown, both to preserve his redshirt year, and to protect his slight body from the impacts he will take against Arizona State and the formidable defenses CU will play in November? 

We will then present our “T.I.P.S.” for the Arizona State game. The Sun Devils are 2-5 on the season, fresh off of a disappointing 15-14 loss on the road against Stanford.

So ... Can the Buff offense finally get past the 20-point mark, facing a ASU defense which is ranked 98th in the country in total yards allowed? ... Can the CU defense finally make a statement, playing against an Arizona State offense ranked 99th nationally? ... Can the Buffs get enough healthy running backs on the field, so they are not handing the ball off to a converted freshman walk-on defensive back - like they did against Oregon State? ... Can the Buffs find a way on Homecoming to post victory No. 2, playing a game which might represent the last best chance at a win this season? 

... Let’s find out ... 

Support the show

Send a text

Well, it was a great day to be a Buff last Saturday, with Colorado picking up win No. 1 on the 2022 season with a 20-13 overtime win over Cal. I am joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will start with a recap of the Buffs’ big victory, including thoughts on what interim head coach Mike Sanford, who has rejuvenated the CU locker room, would have to do to earn an interview for the full time position as CU’s head coach.  

We will then present our “T.I.P.S.” for the Oregon State game. Oregon State is 5-2 on the season, and the Beavers are coming off of a high of their own - their first win over Washington State since 2013. 

So ... What is it about Oregon State, a team which is not great at anything, but good at everything? ... How will the forecast for a wet Saturday night in Corvallis play into the strategies for the game? ... Can the CU offense, not noted for its red zone prowess, get into the end zone against one of the top red zone defenses in the country? ... And the real question: Was the CU victory over Cal a “one-and-done” for the 2022 Buffs, or will the momentum carry the Buffs to more wins in the second half of the season? ... 

... Let’s find out ... 

Support the show

Send a text

With the bye week behind us, it’s time to resume our regular review/preview episodes. Neil Langland gets the week off, so Stuart Whitehair is joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger. To start, there is a quick recap of the 40-23 loss to Arizona, before moving on to our “T.I.P.S.” for the CU game against the Cal Bears. 

Cal is 3-2 on the season, and is coming off of a 28-9 loss to Washington State. The Bears have been inconsistent this fall, with a dominating performance on offense against Arizona before falling flat against the Cougars. 

So ... Can the Buffs rally, and post a victory against arguably the easiest opponent left on the schedule? ... Will Colorado - and its weary fan base - get a “Interim Coach Bump” like other Power Five schools who have fired their coaches so far this fall (a surprising 6-3 overall record, including two wins over ranked teams)? ... Will the Buffs show improvement - or at least some creativity - on both sides of the ball, coming into the game with the 129th ranked scoring offense, and the 130th ranked scoring defense, or will the Buff Nation be left searching for moral victories for the rest of the season? ... 

... Let’s find out ... 

Support the show

Send a text

Well, so much for the bye week ... Welcome to a special edition of the podcast. I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will discuss the dismissal of Karl Dorrell as the head coach at the University of Colorado, as well as the future of the program.

We start by taking a look back at the Karl Dorrell era. Dorrell had an 8-15 record at CU (6-9 in Pac-12 play), earning Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors in 2020. Yet, after a 4-0 start in Boulder, things went south in a hurry, with the start of the 2022 season setting records ... historically bad records.

We then move on to the press conference conducted by CU athletic director Rick George, Chancellor Phil DiStefano, and interim head coach Mike Sanford. So eyebrow raising - and discouraging - were the comments from George and DiStefano that Sanford and the remainder of the 2022 season quickly became afterthoughts.

So ... Is Rick George really going to go forward with his next hire without any outside consultation? ... Is Phil DiStefano so out of touch with regard to present day recruiting and transfer needs that the next head coach is doomed to failure even before he is hired? ... How important will the debate over Progress Toward Degree (PTD) become in the next two months? ... Should the next head coach at Colorado have head coaching experience - or is a hot young coordinator the way to go? ... Should previous connections to CU be a prerequisite for the job - or a disqualifying characteristic? ... Which names on the compiled lists of potential candidates jump out as the most enticing? ...  

... Let’s find out ... 

Support the show