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CU at the Game Mailbag

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News Junkie
By Stuart

[h=2][/h] CU at the Game Mailbag
Have a question about CU football? How about a comment or concern? Here’s your opportunity to be heard. Once or twice a week I will be updating the CU at the Game mailbag with your questions, and my best efforts at an answer. If you have a question or comment, just drop me an email at cuathegame@gmail.com.
April 8th
Tucson Buff writes … Where is the love for Josh Ford? He has been a great back when given the opportunity – witness the eight carries for 136 yards on Friday. How can Ford be third on the depth chart at running back? What am I missing?
I don’t think you are missing anything. While much of our attention has been focused on the quarterback depth chart, the running back depth chart, which currently lists Christian Powell and Tony Jones ahead of Josh Ford, is equally fluid. Coach MacIntyre has stated that he will be using multiple players and multiple sets, so Ford will certainly get his chances. Last season at San Jose State, Coach Mac-2′s offense had a 1,000-yard rusher in De’Leon Eskridge, but also found three other backs with over 30 carries on the season. Powell, Jones, and Ford bring different skill sets to the table, and each will get their carries (with the one who proves to be the best receiver out of the backfield perhaps getting more touches in the long run in this offense.
Demis writes … Factoring in financial resources, recruiting capabilities, the new playoff format, and other strengths/weaknesses of the CU football program, which program is the best template or model for CU? That is, for the goal of CU football having a consistent top 25 program that is at least in the conversation for national championships every couple of years?
Colorado will never be USC or Nebraska, as much as many in the Buff Nation would like for us to be. Assuming there isn’t a $100 million sugar daddy out there, putting CU in position to emulate Nike U in Eugene, you have to look for schools which have an identity like that of Colorado.
One place to look would be Seattle. The University of Washington have similar resumes: both have played in conferences with dominant, over-shadowing programs (Nebraska; USC), but both have had their moments in the sun. The Huskies have 678 all-time wins and won a national championship 22 years ago; CU has 675 all-time wins and won a national championship 23 years ago. The Huskies also play in a large city, also competing with an NFL team for attention. Washington just spent millions upgrading its stadium and facilities. CU …
As for the product on the field, I would say teams to emulate would be Wisconsin or Virginia Tech. Both are also (historically) in the “second tier” status in their conferences, but have carved out a niche (Wisconsin with a power running game; Virginia Tech with defense) which separates them in the eyes of recruits. If Coach Mac-2 could make the pistol a consistent winner in Boulder, who knows?
Demis writes … If we look at the early 90′s as a recent peak of the football program (if not the peak) and the last several years as a nadir or bottom for the program, would you say the Neuheisel or Hawkins hiring was more damaging to the program? Most would likely say Hawkins, but an argument could be made that the Neuheisel hire (particularly at that point in history) was critical miss step. Not so much for the hire itself, but what a different/more successful hire (other than Neuheisel) would have meant to the program. A hire that stays longer and is somewhat more successful than Neuheisel and CU may have gone down a much more successful path, as well as become a hot/”destination” program.
The problem is that both hires – at the time of the hire – looked like good fits. Neuheisel was a risky pick, but the alternative at the time was Bill McCartney’s first choice, Bill Simmons. Oklahoma State hired Simmons when CU didn’t, but Simmons went 30-38 in six years in Stillwater, with only one bowl game. Would he have fared better than Neuheisel’s 33-14 (with admittedly better players)? Hard to say.
Hawkins, though, was almost everyone’s first choice in 2006. Hawkins had 50 wins in five seasons in Boise, and was heralded as a great pickup at the time. Who would have been a better pick? Certainly Boise State’s choice as a successor, Chris Peterson, worked out well, as did 2006 hires Bret Bielema at Wisconsin and Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern. By the same token, Ron Prince was hired by Kansas State in 2006, as was Chuck Long at San Diego State.
What would have helped the program the most over the past 20 years? McCartney not leaving with ten years left on his contract … CU having enough financial support not to have Neuheisel leave town for greener pastures in Seattle … Gary Barnett having better support from the school and Boulder community over a “sex scandal” which netted nary a single criminal charge … Hawkins not being given a fifth season, screwing up not one but two recruiting classes, leaving CU in its deepest hole in history … sigh …

Agree? Disagree? Let us know your thoughts. Send an email to cuatthegame@gmail.com. Two notes … First, let me know how you would like your name to be mentioned (e.g., “94Buff” or “Steve M.”) … Second, no personal attacks on players or other posters. It’s fair to be disappointed or frustrated in a player’s performance, but questioning effort or desire? No place for it here.


Originally posted by CU At the Game
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