CU At The Game Podcast

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Welcome to a special episode of the podcast. I am joined by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we discuss CU’s decision to rejoin the Big 12. We address the criticisms of the move, including leaving the AAU-rich “better fit” of the Pac-12 for the “Truck stop conference” of the Big 12, and CU’s audacity to make the move before the Pac-12 media contracts were announced. We then respond to the pundits, including Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, who have taken their shots at the Buffs as they abandon the ship which is the floundering S.S. Pac-Whatever. 

We then, armed with at least an outline of what the Pac-12 media contracts will look like going forward, take a look at the future of the two conferences. Did Colorado make the right move, choosing the stability of the Big 12 media deals over what appears to be the Pac-12's streaming-centric deal with Apple-Plus? Will the Buffs’ move incite a stampede of realignment? How will the CU programs - including its basketball teams - fare in the newly configured Big 12? 

Let’s find out ... 

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You know that football season is getting close when we start in on our Fall Camp previews. I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we work through a unit-by-unit preview of the Colorado offense. 

Our yardstick for success? Whether each unit should be ranked as one of the top six units in the Pac-12, or whether each room is still to be considered inferior by Power Five standards.

So ... Is Shedeur Sanders one of the top six quarterbacks in the Pac-12? ... Will the improved quality of the running back room produce a “bell cow” back to carry the load as the featured back, or will CU ultimately choose to go with a running back by committee approach? ... Are the wide receivers too similar in size and style to produce break out players, or should this be considered one of the most talented rooms on the roster? ... Does CU even consider tight ends to be a part of the team? ... And ... Ultimately, the most important question: Can the Buff coaching staff cobble together an offensive line which will allow CU’s highly rated skill position players to shine, or will ineffective play along the line prove to be CU’s Achilles heel in 2023? 

Let’s find out ... 

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Welcome to our Potluck Podcast. This episode was supposed to be about the new Pac-12 media contracts, but the Pac-12 continues to disappoint. Instead, I am joined for this podcast by Neil Langland, and we will touch on a number of topics ... 

First, we will try and make sense from the lack of any announced Pac-12 media contracts ... When conference fans can expect some answers ... And whether the deal will ultimately be sufficient to keep the conference together. 

Up next ... The messy “divorce” between San Diego State and the Mountain West conference, and how the posturing between the two sparring parties will likely play out for the suddenly orphaned Aztecs.

Also ... Name, Image and Likeness has been part of collegiate athletics for two years now. How is it working out? What does the future hold for CU, the school which is “not about NIL, but the NFL”? ... Preseason magazines can’t make up their minds about how the 2023 season will play out for the Buffs. Which prognosticators are closest to getting it right? ... And ... What should Buff fans make of USC and UCLA, as the Trojans and Bruins play their final season in the Pac-12? ... 

Let’s find out ... 

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I am joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we discuss the latest news on San Diego State and it’s perilous position as it tries to maneuver its way into a Power Five conference. We also discuss the commitment of journeyman transfer quarterback Gavin Kuld, and what his addition could mean to the CU quarterback room this fall.

The main topic of this podcast, though, is a new “Yea or Nay” segment. In this episode, we take on the following questions about your Buffs:

– Yea or Nay: Shedeur Sanders will set a new school record this fall for passing yards and/or passing touchdowns (current records: 3,200 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns, both records set by Sefo Liufau in 2014);

– Yea or Nay: CU’s Recruiting Class of 2024 will rank in the Top 30 in the nation;

– Yea or Nay: The Buff defense will surpass last season’s sack total (a nation’s worst nine) in the first four games of the 2023 season;

– Yea or Nay: CU will add a scholarship quarterback to the roster before the start of Fall Camp;

– Yea or Nay: Travis Hunter will lead the team this fall in one of the following categories: receiving yards; touchdowns receiving; or receiving yards per catch; and

– Yea or Nay: Shedeur Sanders will be CU’s starting quarterback in 2024.

How would you answer these questions? Do your answers match up with ours? ... 

Let’s find out ... 

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It’s been almost a full year since USC and UCLA shocked their Pac-12 brethren with the announcement that they would be leaving the conference for the Big Ten in 2024. Which means it’s also been almost a full year that Pac-12 fans have been waiting for the conference to decide on expansion, and to sign new media contracts. 

The long wait may soon be over, as it is being reported that one hurdle - equal revenue sharing while making allowances for post-season success - has been cleared. I am joined for this episode by Neil Langland, and we discuss the status of the Pac-12 media contract negotiations. 

We then turn our attention to the current buzz about Colorado leaving the Pac-12 and rejoining the Big 12. We go through the pros and cons of leaving and staying, and what it would take for it to make sense for the Buffs to rejoin their former conference. 

So ... Could disappointing Pac-12 media contracts force CU’s hand? Could grant of rights negotiations still prove to be the sticking point which splinters the conference? Is expansion into southern California and Texas a panacea which could keep the Pac-12 from falling further behind other Power Five conferences in revenue distributions?  

Let’s find out ... 

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With the Pac-12 media contracts still in limbo, and CU’s roster largely in place for the 2023 season, it’s a good time for a mailbag episode (questions always welcome at [email protected]). I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we discuss the burning CU questions of the day: 

– Dan Patrick at Fox Sports says Coach Prime and his Buffs could go 0-5 in September, and yet could still be considered successful. Is that a realistic assessment, or national media hyperbole?;
– With the roster largely in place, and no transfer backup quarterback in sight, is Coach Prime going to need to have Travis Hunter in a Wildcat formation as Plan B for the 2023 campaign? Or will it be Shedeur Sanders and a prayer for his health be CU’s best hope for the season?; 
– Will the Pac-12 media contracts ever get done? Will it contain a number of games which will be exclusively aired by streaming services (and could that actually be considered a good thing for the Pac-12)?; 
– Did CU overreach when it came to pricing the single game tickets for the Nebraska game? Will sticker shock help to keep The Red out? Or will the high prices help CU’s bottom line, but only serve to guarantee more Cornhusker fans in the stands on September 9th? 

Let’s find out ... 

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The CU roster is up to 75 members, with only ten more scholarships available for the 2023 season. I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger, and we will be taking a unit-by-unit look at the current roster, and speculate as to which holes still need to be filled before the start of Fall Camp.

So ... Does CU dare go into the season with only Shedeur Sanders and two true freshmen in the quarterback room? ... Is there a unicorn out there - a quarterback with starting experience who is willing to be a back up to the coach’s son - or is the Buff Nation destined to spend the entire 2023 campaign fearful of an injury to its starting quarterback? ... Will CU close the deal on a running back transfer? ... Can we consider the offensive line significantly upgraded, when five of the 11 new lineman entered college with zero Power Five scholarship offers? ... Will the recent flood of defensive line commitments be sufficient to shore up one of the worst units on the 2022 team? ... Will the star quality in the defensive backfield be enough to carry the defense to significantly improved numbers this fall? ... 

Let’s find out ... 

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