I have read so many nay-saying posts on this site (and others), I had to register and chime in with, perhaps, a different perspective and support the Buffs as they turn an important corner.
Frankly, I could really care less about wins and losses. Sure, I was in Miami for both years way back when, and the later was far more enjoyable than the former. But, I love the "form" of football. I like the chess game. I like the moments, outcome be damned. Enjoying winning is easy, but its also like reading poetry or literature only for the first reaction - and delving no deeper: Yes, Animal Farm was a fun story about pigs and horses, but look at how Crawley now looks back for the ball and locates it quickly compared to his Freshman year; consider that we are able conceive and "game plan" a "corners on an island" scheme; notice that there is almost always at least one receiver open on any play due to good route combinations and well-drilled fundamentals; realize that our receivers rarely drop balls within their "zone" (and are making a good number of circus catches - due to (I believe) a change in practice habits and catching tennis balls as rote: i.e., they have a really good conceptual receiver as receiver's coach); etc.
Most importantly to me, when I watch a play this year, I see players understanding scheme and optimizing their talent far more clearly.
Admittedly, there have been times over the past years when the "form" of CU football was less than satisfying. I think there was some horrible coaching for quite a few years. But, clearly that is no longer the case. The choices and plans that these coaches are working up are fun to watch. I look at the first two offensive plays from the USC game: two long runs off tackle with two different plays, taking advantage of a tendency in a "superior" front seven; I think the CU coaches considered that the USC front seven would have little respect for CU's offensive line and they would attach up-field aggressively right from the start. We didn't even bother to block Williams on the first play. You could see the thinking and the design. It was thoughtful and good chess. There were a great number of those types of concepts in that game.
However, in chess the pieces do exactly what you tell them to do, in football that is not the case. The interception on the third offensive snap was rough, and clearly a mis-read by Sefo.
I think it is often not discussed and overlooked that no player (or coach) is EVER a finished product; talent does not supplant experience, it just raises both the floor and ceiling of the potential. I think one moment in the USC game really brought home to me just how young and inexperienced our Buffs are: once, we took out Sefo and some of the starters at the start of the fourth quarter, there were a few camera shots of the faces of the CU players - especially the receivers; they looked far more like my 15 year old nephew with a huge helmet on than a college football player; they were thin, wide-eyed, and lacked the muscular develop that obviously will come with a few years of Div. I training under their belt. Teams in the Top 25 can introduce true freshmen into their line up in places - as the rest of the team is solid and more experienced (especially in a particular "system") around them. CU is just getting to the point where we have enough talented players with experience on the field to make a unit. In the modern age of football, the difference between good and great, and good and average is incredibly minor - which is why you hear every coach talking about a few plays here and there; it is also about a few players here and there, and a bit of experience here and there, etc.
Football is a game of emotion. Emotional development takes time - in fact, recent brain studies has shown that the human brain is not fully formed until early 20's. While everyone is different, the last thing to develop generally is impulse control. If a Freshman is on a football field with other people who know what they are doing, it is going to "feel" different to him. When USC ends up with a big score quickly, that "feels" very different to someone who has spent little time in a "Coliseum" before. In short, I did not see a blow out in the "form" of football I watched on the field last Saturday.
All that being said, I have enjoyed every game I have watched this season. I love Coach Mac II's passion and choices. If ever there was a coach who was fully engaged in the game at every moment, it's him. I completely respect that. I also would like to reiterate, coaches are NEVER finished products, they learn on the job at each job. The San Jose job was different than the CU job. Football itself has changed remarkably over the past five years.
The question for me in reading (some people) on this site (and others) is, why not enjoy the process more than the result? Why not focus on the form of football - which I assume is why people are football "fans" more than wrestling fans? What is the point of being upset at players and coaches? What part of what's happening on the field do you think you have a say in? It's far more fun to enjoy a game for what it is, than "need" a win.
I admit - I find this twitter-based, "social" media mentality annoying. It's as if a "loss" by "your" team is somehow embarrassing to "you," as if fans have some real stake in the outcome. Get over yourself. In this context, we are not that important. So, dial down the vitriol and cease and desist on "tweeting" vile things to players and coaches. Try to see beyond the score. It may be beneficial to you even outside of football.
I'm out!
