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 Friday, December 13, 2002
Colorado ready to compete again
By Terry Bowden
Special to BCSfootball.com
Bowden's Weekly Chat Show
Skip to your team: Colorado, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and the BCS
Gary Barnett's first two years at Colorado were shaky to say the least. When you build a program, you want to be heading in the right direction at all times. Last year's team did nothing but head south with a disappointing 3-8 record.
Much of Colorado's 10-13 record during Barnett's tenure can be attributed to numerous injuries and a ridiculous schedule.
|  | | Craig Ochs threw for 1,778 yards and 7 TDs in eight games last season. |
However, it also seems that coach Barnett contributed to the problem by trying so hard to prove that he was not like former head coach Rick Neuheisel. He tried so hard he failed to prove that he was the right coach for the job. By playing so many freshmen, including true frosh quarterback Craig Ochs, he not only suggested to everyone that the cupboards were left bare, but also virtually guaranteed a rebuilding job was in order.
Whether or not you agree that the last two mediocre seasons were inevitable, good times are on the horizon. Colorado has 18 starters returning and a favorable schedule this fall. The Buffaloes could easily start out 5-0 if they can find a way to beat their in-state rival, Colorado State, in the second game of the season. The big obstacles will be Kansas State and Texas on the road and Nebraska at home in the season finale.
Neither the offense nor the defense was very effective last season as each failed to make it into the top 50. But with Ochs and the return of injured RB Marcus Houston, the offense should make great strides.
Defensively, the strength is at linebacker where all-star candidate Jashon Sykes will be assisted by Sean Tufts, who had an outstanding spring. If the cornerbacks can avoid giving up the big play, the defense will get competitive real quick.
Colorado will not get into the Big XII Championship game or even crack the top three or four in the conference in 2001, but the Buffaloes will get seven or eight victories and a decent bowl bid. That is definitely a step in the right direction.
Gaining respect in Manhattan
I have been trying to decide where Kansas State fits into the Big XII race this year. The Wildcats definitely are one of the usual suspects for the conference crown along with Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas. But, do they have a realistic chance of winning the title?
|  | | Ell Roberson saw action in six games in 2000 and threw 2 TD passes. |
In the biggest battle of the spring, sensational junior college transfer Marc Dunn gave quarterback Ell Roberson all the competition he could handle. Both are very talented, but Coach Bill Snyder's M.O. is to start the guy with the most experience and that should hold true this year as well.
The rest of the offense and defense have some newcomers to deal with but, all in all, I don't see much difference in this bunch than any of the other Wildcat teams I have seen over the last 3-4 years. That is, except in the kicking game. K-State has had the league's top kicker each of the last four years with Jamie Rheem in '99 and '00, and Martin Gramatica the two years before that. Now it looks like K-Sate may have to wait until freshman Joe Rheem shows up in the fall to find a kicker. But, even that should be OK since Joe is Jamie's little brother.
However, the schedule is probably be too strong for the Wildcats to contend for the national championship this season. They have Southern Cal, Oklahoma and Nebraska all on the road -- which makes it tough for them to pick up the Sears Trophy.
Plus, we hear that they may be playing Southern Miss. in the Black Coaches Association Preseason Classic. If this is true, then Kansas State will at least win some national respect for its schedule upgrade.
Much criticism has been directed their way in recent years, and justifiably so, for playing weak non-conference schedules. As a result, K-State has been passed over for an at-large berth in the BCS for teams with lesser records but tougher schedules.
That won't be the case this season. Even if the Wildcats fail to win the Northern Division of the Big XII, but end up 11-1, then they will be a lock for a BCS bid.
That's a much better consolation prize than they have received in the past.
Little chance for a repeat in Norman
Oklahoma will have a better defense next year and better overall team talent, but Sooners will not win another national championship. If 21 of 22 starters were returning next year and the only loss was QB Josh Heupel, the Sooners still could not win it all. Huepel was that special.
After the Red-White Game finished up spring ball, head coach Bob Stoops is still trying to pick his starting quarterback. Nate Hybl and Jason White are competing for the starting position and although their physical talents will be similar to that of Heppel, who was a sixth-round choice in the NFL draft, they are a long way from showing the same intangibles that he displayed. Coincidentally, that is the same distance between Oklahoma and another national title.
The Huskers still lacking a dominant back
Nebraska head coach Frank Solich was pleased with the progress of his football team after Saturday's annual spring game concluded spring drills. The defense looked good, the kicking game looked good and even Eric Crouch's backup quarterback, Jammal Lord, looked pretty good. All this is fine and dandy, but am I the only one that thinks that until the Cornhuskers find a big-time I-back, that's all they are ever going to be -- good?
Lock 'em 'Horns
Speaking of quarterbacks, it looks like the roles are finally reversed at Texas. Chris Simms will go into the season as the cool, confident starter and Major Applewhite will be his trusty backup. However, for the Longhorns to be all they can be -- like Big XII champions and national championship contenders -- this had to happen. Simms is that talented. The role reversal will go smoothly though because of the character of Applewhite. He is the consummate team player.
All about emphasis at Texas Tech
Everything is about emphasis these days at Texas Tech. Spike Dykes believed the emphasis in football ought to be on the running game. Current head coach Mike Leach was hired because everyone wanted the emphasis to be on passing. Running back Shaud Williams is out because he wanted the emphasis to be on himself.
Bobby Knight was hired to coach Tech's basketball program, which leads me to believe the emphasis now has shifted to basketball. In Lubbock, all the fans want is for the emphasis to be on winning.
Messing with a good formula
John Swafford is trying to take margin of victory out of the BCS equation. Fuhgetaboudit. Nothing he does is going to satisfy those that want a playoff. Nothing shows the difference between a dominant team and a good team like margin of victory. At the most, there could be a cutoff, at 21 points or so, after which the margin of victory would not be factored in. Besides, you have to be a coach to understand the feeling on the sideline that no lead is ever good enough. I was watching ESPN Classic the other night and they showed the 1984 game between Miami and Maryland. The Hurricanes were up by 31 points at halftime and ended up losing the game. Besides, there's an old saying that you can't legislate morality. If a coach tacks on a few more points at the end of a game that he already has won it's still a ridiculous thing to do just like it always was.
Terry Bowden was the head coach at Auburn from 1993-98. He is ABC's college football studio analyst and writes a daily notebook for BCSfootball.com.
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