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Preseason Magazines
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Athlon rates Boulder as the fourth-best college town in the nation
Athlon enlisted its panel of experts to rate the best college towns in the nation.
The rankings: 1. Athens, Georgia … 2. Madison, Wisconsin … 3. Austin, Texas …
4. Boulder, Colorado
“Located in the foothills of the great Rocky Mountains, Boulder is one of the most gorgeous college settings in the country. No major college football town is more intertwined with nature and the outdoors than the home of the Buffaloes. Which may be why Boulder – with its clean mountain air and mild temperatures – is routinely ranked highly in health, quality of life and general happiness. Take the Chautauqua Trailhead to the top of Green Mountain for a view of Folsom Field; it’s a vista few campuses in college football can match”.
5. Ann Arbor, Michigan … 6. Oxford, Mississippi … 7. Eugene, Oregon … 8. Palo Alto, California … 9. Chapel Hill, North Carolina … 10. Charlottesville, Virginia … 11. Seattle, Washington … 12. Knoxville, Tennessee … 13. State College, Pennsylvania … 14. Berkeley, California … 15. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Athlon: Scouting the Buffaloes
Opposing coach sizes up Colorado … “I think they’ll surprise some people, especially at home. They’ll struggle on the road, but they can beat some people in Boulder because it’s a tough place to play with the altitude, and this is the year that [Mike MacIntyre] sort of circled because they’re schedule is a little more favorable. It’s still tough to break through when you haven’t been able to get over the hump, but they’re getting close … They bring back a lot of guys on defense, but I’m predicating everything on [Sefo Liufau] coming back from that foot injury. He can throw it pretty well and has been really productive for them, so if he can’t play that’s a game-changer … They do a good job with their offensive scheme. It’s like a spread offense, similar to what they do at Arizona State, and they’ll go fast at times. There’s a little more of a drop-back passing game because that kid can throw it pretty well. But they need to get better up front. They didn’t run the ball very well, and struggled in pass protection, and they’re in a division where everybody’s got good defensive linemen, so that’s a big challenge for them to figure out … Jim Leavitt made a big difference coming in to run the defense. They did a lot of blitzing, a lot of stunting and put a big focus on stopping the run, so they were totally different. I think they’ll build on that with just about everybody coming back. That will give them a chance to be in some games, but they’re still fighting uphill from a talent standpoint so it’s crucial they stay healthy”.
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The Sporting News … Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Ohio State
5. Baylor
6. Florida State
7. Ole Miss
8. Michigan
9. Stanford … Stanford was playing as well as anybody in the country at the end of last season, and it doesn’t hurt to have the NCAA’s single-season record-holder for all-purpose yards, Christian McCaffrey, back in the fold. Junior Keller Chryst and senior Ryan Burns, both 6’5″ and around 235 pounds, will battle for the starting job at quarterback. The Cardinal are solid on both sides of the ball, and will be favored to win the Pac-12. Stanford faces a tough road schedule, though, and an intriguing Friday night opener against Kansas State.
10. Notre Dame
11. Michigan State
12. LSU
13. Tennessee
14. Houston
15. USC … Last year, Clay Helton took over for embattled coach Steve Sarkisian halfway through a turmoil-filled campaign to flip USC’s season and lead it to the Pac-12 championship game. But the Trojans are still coming off a six-loss season and face a show-me opener at AT&T Stadium against Alabama. The quarterback battle between the Max Browne and Sam Donald should be interesting, and cornerback/wideout Adoree Jackson is one of the most exciting players. Give Helton the benefit of the doubt in his first full season.
16. Oklahoma State
17. Iowa
18. North Carolina
19. Georgia
20. Washington … Chris Petersen has led the Huskies to back-to-back winning seasons, but that’s come with a 4-5 record in the Pac-12. The sophomore tandem of quarterback Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin operates behind an experienced line, and the Pac-12’s top defense returns. Washington appears to be on the cusp of a breakthrough, but the schedule is brutal. No game looms larger than the trip to Oregon, a rival the Huskies haven’t beaten since 2003.
21. Oregon … Oregon allowed 37.5 points per game in 2015, and that was a big reason the Ducks slid to 9-4. So defensive coordinator Don Pellum was demoted and former Michigan head coach Brady Hoke was brought in to run the defense. Another FCS transfer – this time it’s Montana State’s Dakota Prukop – is the favorite to start at quarterback after the graduation of Vernon Adams (ex-FCS Eastern Washington). Those are the keys to figuring out whether coach Mark Helfrich can take the Ducks back to the top of the Pac-12.
22. Louisville
23. Arkansas
24. Texas
25. TCU
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Stuart
Continue reading...
Preseason Magazines
—
Athlon rates Boulder as the fourth-best college town in the nation
Athlon enlisted its panel of experts to rate the best college towns in the nation.
The rankings: 1. Athens, Georgia … 2. Madison, Wisconsin … 3. Austin, Texas …
4. Boulder, Colorado
“Located in the foothills of the great Rocky Mountains, Boulder is one of the most gorgeous college settings in the country. No major college football town is more intertwined with nature and the outdoors than the home of the Buffaloes. Which may be why Boulder – with its clean mountain air and mild temperatures – is routinely ranked highly in health, quality of life and general happiness. Take the Chautauqua Trailhead to the top of Green Mountain for a view of Folsom Field; it’s a vista few campuses in college football can match”.
5. Ann Arbor, Michigan … 6. Oxford, Mississippi … 7. Eugene, Oregon … 8. Palo Alto, California … 9. Chapel Hill, North Carolina … 10. Charlottesville, Virginia … 11. Seattle, Washington … 12. Knoxville, Tennessee … 13. State College, Pennsylvania … 14. Berkeley, California … 15. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Athlon: Scouting the Buffaloes
Opposing coach sizes up Colorado … “I think they’ll surprise some people, especially at home. They’ll struggle on the road, but they can beat some people in Boulder because it’s a tough place to play with the altitude, and this is the year that [Mike MacIntyre] sort of circled because they’re schedule is a little more favorable. It’s still tough to break through when you haven’t been able to get over the hump, but they’re getting close … They bring back a lot of guys on defense, but I’m predicating everything on [Sefo Liufau] coming back from that foot injury. He can throw it pretty well and has been really productive for them, so if he can’t play that’s a game-changer … They do a good job with their offensive scheme. It’s like a spread offense, similar to what they do at Arizona State, and they’ll go fast at times. There’s a little more of a drop-back passing game because that kid can throw it pretty well. But they need to get better up front. They didn’t run the ball very well, and struggled in pass protection, and they’re in a division where everybody’s got good defensive linemen, so that’s a big challenge for them to figure out … Jim Leavitt made a big difference coming in to run the defense. They did a lot of blitzing, a lot of stunting and put a big focus on stopping the run, so they were totally different. I think they’ll build on that with just about everybody coming back. That will give them a chance to be in some games, but they’re still fighting uphill from a talent standpoint so it’s crucial they stay healthy”.
—
The Sporting News … Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Ohio State
5. Baylor
6. Florida State
7. Ole Miss
8. Michigan
9. Stanford … Stanford was playing as well as anybody in the country at the end of last season, and it doesn’t hurt to have the NCAA’s single-season record-holder for all-purpose yards, Christian McCaffrey, back in the fold. Junior Keller Chryst and senior Ryan Burns, both 6’5″ and around 235 pounds, will battle for the starting job at quarterback. The Cardinal are solid on both sides of the ball, and will be favored to win the Pac-12. Stanford faces a tough road schedule, though, and an intriguing Friday night opener against Kansas State.
10. Notre Dame
11. Michigan State
12. LSU
13. Tennessee
14. Houston
15. USC … Last year, Clay Helton took over for embattled coach Steve Sarkisian halfway through a turmoil-filled campaign to flip USC’s season and lead it to the Pac-12 championship game. But the Trojans are still coming off a six-loss season and face a show-me opener at AT&T Stadium against Alabama. The quarterback battle between the Max Browne and Sam Donald should be interesting, and cornerback/wideout Adoree Jackson is one of the most exciting players. Give Helton the benefit of the doubt in his first full season.
16. Oklahoma State
17. Iowa
18. North Carolina
19. Georgia
20. Washington … Chris Petersen has led the Huskies to back-to-back winning seasons, but that’s come with a 4-5 record in the Pac-12. The sophomore tandem of quarterback Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin operates behind an experienced line, and the Pac-12’s top defense returns. Washington appears to be on the cusp of a breakthrough, but the schedule is brutal. No game looms larger than the trip to Oregon, a rival the Huskies haven’t beaten since 2003.
21. Oregon … Oregon allowed 37.5 points per game in 2015, and that was a big reason the Ducks slid to 9-4. So defensive coordinator Don Pellum was demoted and former Michigan head coach Brady Hoke was brought in to run the defense. Another FCS transfer – this time it’s Montana State’s Dakota Prukop – is the favorite to start at quarterback after the graduation of Vernon Adams (ex-FCS Eastern Washington). Those are the keys to figuring out whether coach Mark Helfrich can take the Ducks back to the top of the Pac-12.
22. Louisville
23. Arkansas
24. Texas
25. TCU
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Stuart
Continue reading...