Road to Redemption: Coach Jeff Callahan and the Colorado Buffaloes (NCAA 14/XBOX 360)

[RoyHahn]

ESPN College Football Weekly
Week 5, 2013


Coaches Poll – Week 5

NCAA Football Rankings - Coaches Poll - Updated: Sep 22, 2013
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	2	Ohio State (37)	3	0	1501
2	1	Alabama (23)	3	0	1466
3	3	Georgia (1)	3	0	1344
4	5	LSU	4	0	1226
5	6	Oklahoma	2	0	1169
6	7	Florida State	3	0	1152
7	8	Texas	3	0	1082
8	9	Notre Dame	3	1	978
9	10	Boise State	4	0	968
10	11	Texas A&M	3	1	875
11	12	Michigan	2	0	865
12	4	Stanford	2	1	819
13	15	UCLA	3	0	705
14	19	Oregon	2	1	500
15	16	Kansas State	2	1	428
16	22	Miami FL	4	0	406
17	21	Clemson	1	2	393
18	18	Nebraska	3	1	387
19	13	North Carolina	2	1	372
20	--	Arizona State	2	0	367
21	23	South Carolina	2	2	341
22	24	Utah	4	0	341
23	17	Louisville	1	2	337
24	14	Florida	1	2	298
25	25	Virginia Tech	2	1	270

Others Receiving Votes: Georgia Tech (270), Mississippi State (225), Oregon State (185), Tennessee (158), Oklahoma State (139), Ole Miss (114), Texas Tech (71), Arizona (37), Iowa (17)

Dropped Out: Northwestern (#20)

Pac-12 Conference Standings

Pac-12 North Conference Standings - Updated: Sep 22, 2013
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIV
Oregon State	3-1	0.750	0-1	118	65	0-0
No. 12 Stanford	2-1	0.660	0-1	73	51	0-0
California	2-1	0.660	0-0	77	54	0-0
No. 14 Oregon	2-1	0.660	0-0	87	71	0-0
Washington	2-1	0.660	0-0	97	61	0-0
Washington State	2-2	0.500	0-1	93	109	0-0

Pac-12 South Conference Standings - Updated: Sep 22, 2013
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STRK
No. 20 Arizona State	2-0	1.000	1-0	58	36	0-0
No. 22 Utah	4-0	1.000	1-0	149	43	0-0
USC	2-1	0.660	1-0	113	44	0-0
No. 13 UCLA	3-0	1.000	0-0	103	42	0-0
Arizona	3-0	1.000	0-0	104	41	0-0
Colorado	3-0	1.000	0-0	91	75	0-0

Heisman Watch – Week 5



QB Mike Booker
Texas A&M – Sophomore (RS)

HB Herman Powell
LSU – Sophomore

HB Eric Morrow
Georgia Tech – Junior (RS)

QB Mario Johnson
Boise State – Senior (RS)

QB Scott Franklin
Ohio State – Junior

Note: Candidates are colored orange if their position has not changed, green if they have moved up and red if they have moved down.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

NCAA Players of the Week
Offense: QB Andy Smith, SO (RS), Virginia
Defense: RE Adam Pierce, JR (RS), UL Monroe

Pac-12 Players of the Week
Offense: HB Justin Kiniry, SO, Washington State
Defense: ROLB Cory Harris, SO (RS), Utah


COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP STORIES



BUCKEYES REMAIN UNBEATEN UNDER MEYER

In perhaps their toughest challenge yet under second-year head coach Urban Meyer, the Ohio State Buckeyes rose to the No. 1 spot in the polls after a comeback win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Huskers, at home in the Sea of Red, led the Buckeyes 28–20 going into the third quarter. However, Ohio State’s Heisman candidate under center, QB Scott Franklin quickly ran it in for the touchdown and the 2-point conversion to tie the game. Nebraska would kick a field goal, but the Buckeyes would kick one of their own plus a touchdown pass thrown by Franklin to give them the final touchdown margin of victory over red-hot Nebraska. The Buckeyes are now 15–0 under Meyer and host the San Diego State Aztecs this Saturday in the Horseshoe.

TOP FIVE SEC BATTLE

The 4 LSU Tigers travel to Athens this weekend to face the 3 Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges in Sanford Stadium. Both teams roll into this matchup unbeaten at this early point in the season. Georgia boasts wins over Clemson and South Carolina, two teams still ranked in the Top 25, while LSU’s biggest victory is last week over Auburn by a touchdown. Based on talent alone, the Tigers are projected to come out on top. But for two programs who have lived under Alabama’s shadow the past few seasons, both Les Miles and Mark Richt could use a statement win here to set their squad apart in the SEC.

SOONERS AND IRISH COLLIDE IN SOUTH BEND

History will be on the line as two of college football’s most storied programs face each other on the gridiron as the 5 Oklahoma Sooners travel to face the 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Last year’s result was a 30–13 Irish victory en route to the BCS National Championship Game. Can the Sooners avenge that loss and prove that they are a Top 5 team? With both teams loaded with future NFL talent, expect a clinic in Notre Dame Stadium.

MAKE OR BREAK WEEKEND

The weekend’s second biggest non-conference matchup sees the 7 Texas Longhorns, fresh off a Top 25 win against Kansas State, travel to the Big House to face the 11 Michigan Wolverines. Like their SEC counterparts, both Mack Brown and Brady Hoke could use a big win here, though in the case of these coaches, it would be useful primarily to cool their seats. With bigger expectations for these two legacy programs than they have had in several seasons, expect both teams to leave it all on the field in Ann Arbor. We predict the Longhorns come out on top at the end of the day.

OTHER UPCOMING GAMES
Ole Miss at 2 Alabama
Boston College at 6 Florida State
Southern Miss at 9 Boise State
10 Texas A&M at Arkansas
12 Stanford at Washington State
California at 14 Oregon
UL Lafayette at 15 Kansas State
17 Clemson at Wake Forest
18 Nebraska at Indiana
19 North Carolina at Syracuse
USC at 20 Arizona State
FIU at 23 Lousville
24 Florida at Kentucky
25 Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
Colorado at Oregon State
Arizona at Washington

[RoyHahn]

RECRUITING UPDATE

The Colorado Buffaloes have signed their second recruit of the 2014 recruiting class. One-star SS Brad Wright has joined the class, filling one of Buffs' four team needs.

[RoyHahn]

[RoyHahn]

GAME PREVIEW

Matchup Preview *|* September 28, 2013
	@
Colorado Buffaloes (3-0, 0-0 Away)		Oregon State Beavers (3-1, 2-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 30.3 (#40) Points Per Game 29.5 (#43) 459.7 (#15) Total Offensive Yards 354.5 (#77) 196.3 (#23) Rushing Yards 175.3 (#41) 263.3 (#26) Passing Yards 179.3 (#97) Defensive Stats Comparison 346.0 (#67) Total Yards Allowed 314.3 (#37) 131.0 (#49) Rushing Yards Allowed 163.5 (#93) 215.0 (#76) Passing Yards Allowed 150.8 (#15) Injury Report WR J. Gray QST CB B. Pace SEA Game Notes TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Colorado: 5 (#8) Oregon State: 2 (#34)

Colorado Buffaloes
Overall: 79
Offense: 81
Defense: 78

Oregon State Beavers
Overall: 84
Offense: 86
Defense: 83

Predicted Winner: Oregon State
Predicted Score: 34–24


Oregon State head coach Mike Riley

The Colorado Buffaloes have impressed so far these season, rolling through their non-conference slate a perfect 3–0. However, the real work is about to start. A paramount goal of any team is to win their confererence title, and the Buffs can start moving towards that goal this Saturday as they travel to Corvallis, Oregon to take on the Oregon State Beavers.

After a strong 2012 campaign, head coach Mike Riley and the Beavers have come out so far in 2013 with a 3–1 record, losing only to Utah, who is now 4–0 and ranked in the Top 25. Like Colorado, Oregon State has seen their offensive production slide as the season has progressed. After putting up 38 points against Eastern Washington and 49 points against Hawaii, the Beavers limped to put up 14 points in regulation each against Utah and San Diego State, scoring an additional field goal to beat the Aztecs in overtime last week.

Here’s an important stat for this game: Colorado quarterback Danny Roberts has scored 5 passing touchdowns and thrown 4 interceptions. Meanwhile, Oregon State quarterback David Williams has thrown 9 touchdowns and only a single pick. Yet, for all that means, the Buffs still have the advantage in yards per game in both rushing and passing. However, the 15th-ranked Oregon State pass defense is sure to give Roberts a world of problems. That defense will start up front with big men like LE Dan Coles and continue in the secondary led by playmakers like ROLB Mark Wallace.

It will be up to the inconsistent Colorado offense to make up for the talent differential across the board. With Oregon State being so weak in terms of defending the rush, expect the Buffs to utilize running back David Robinson a great deal rather than risking it through the air. And you can’t expect a Colorado win without expecting the team to add to its +5 turnover differential, 8th best in the country.

All in all, expect Colorado to hold its own and not get blown out, but the skilled and experienced Oregon State roster will outweigh the improvement the Buffaloes have seen so far this season. Combine that with the fact that this is Colorado’s first true road game, and you can expect the Beavers to hand the Buffs their first loss.

[RoyHahn]

I played the Oregon State game the day before I left for another trip. I am loving these trips but excited to be posting on a more regular basis, which will be the case starting tomorrow. In the meantime, without revealing the winner, I'll tell you that the Oregon State game was not close. The score was 47-21 and even that made it seem closer than it really was.

[RoyHahn]

BEAVERS STEAMROLL THE BUFFS
OREGON STATE HANDS COLORADO A 47–21 FIRST LOSS

Colorado Buffaloes at Oregon State Beavers
Sep 28, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Colorado Buffaloes (3-1)	7	7	7	0	21
Oregon State Beavers (4-1)	21	20	0	6	47

Team Stats Comparison
	COLO	ORST
Total Offense	349	568
Rushing Yards	16	241
Passing Yards	333	327
First Downs	13	23
Punt Return Yards	30	95
Kick Return Yards	134	81
Total Yards	513	744
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Conversion	5-15 (33%)	6-14 (42%)
4th Down Conversion	1-2 (50%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-0-0 (0%)	5-1-4 (100%)
Penalties	3-45	4-28
Possession Time	17:17	22:43

Oregon State’s offense torched the overmatched Colorado defense

The Oregon State Beavers have handed the Colorado Buffaloes their first defeat of the season, a 47–21 score which was actually more of a blowout than the score indicates. Despite significant improvement so far this season for the Buffs, this result in their conference opener shows the long road ahead for Jeff Callahan, his staff and his players.

The Beavers came to play from the moment the game began. Oregon State scored on their very first drive. The Buffs were able to respond via a 51-yard touchdown pass from QB Danny Roberts to WR Bobby Thornton. That duo was one of the few bright spots for Colorado, and after their first of two touchdown connections, the game stood briefly at a 7–7 tie. The game would become a 38–7 blowout before the Buffs would score again, this time via a pick-six from MLB Sam Reed. The teams went into halftime with the Beavers leading 41–14.

Oregon State’s offensive explosion is mostly due to QB David Williams, who threw for 327 yards in the game. Colorado’s Roberts threw for 333, though was far less accurate, being picked off twice as opposed to Williams’ only once. Roberts connected with Thornton for a touchdown reception in the middle of the third quarter to make the game 41–21, but would not score again while the Beavers added two more field goals to give the game its final score. Oregon State running back Tim Clark also had some highlights in the game, rushing for 159 yards and a touchdown.

Of all of the ugly stats for Colorado from this game, the most concerning should be 16: the number of rushing yards the Buffs were able to gain. The Beaver defense denied the Buffs any semblance of a rushing attack, putting all of the pressure on the redshirt freshman quarterback Roberts. Oregon State is not known for having one of the Pac-12’s elite defenses, and this should be a major concern for Callahan and defensive coordinator Alvin Gresham moving forward.

This is a big win for Oregon State head coach Mike Riley, whose squad moves to 4–1 and stays alive in the Pac-12 North. Meanwhile, Colorado won’t have much time to nurse their wounds: they return home to host the Oregon Ducks for homecoming next week.

Players of the Game
Colorado Offense: WR Bobby Thornton
Colorado Defense: LE Jesse Hamilton
Oregon State Offense: QB David Williams
Oregon State Defense: LE Dan Coles

[RoyHahn]

SCORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WEEK 5, 2013


1 Ohio State defeats San Diego State
44–20


2 Alabama defeats Ole Miss
37–17


3 Georgia defeats 4 LSU
52–10


8 Notre Dame defeats 5 Oklahoma
34–13


UPSET ALERT!
Boston College defeats 6 Florida State
45–35


11 Michigan defeats 7 Texas
37–27


9 Boise State defeats Southern Miss
42–14


10 Texas A&M defeats Arkansas
41–31


UPSET ALERT!
Washington State defeats 12 Stanford
38–29


UPSET ALERT!
California defeats 14 Oregon
28–26


15 Kansas State defeats UL Lafayette
49–14


UPSET ALERT!
Wake Forest defeats 17 Clemson
21–0


18 Nebraska defeats Indiana
40–17


UPSET ALERT!
Syracuse defeats 19 North Carolina
24–23


20 Arizona State defeats USC
38–28


23 Louisville defeats FIU
35–18


UPSET ALERT!
Kentucky defeats 24 Florida
24–20


UPSET ALERT!
Georgia Tech defeats 25 Virginia Tech
21–17


Arizona defeats Washington
45–38

[RoyHahn]

ESPN College Football Weekly
Week 6, 2013


Coaches Poll – Week 6

NCAA Football Rankings - Coaches Poll - Updated: Sep 29, 2013
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	3	Georgia (38)	4	0	1502
2	1	Ohio State (22)	4	0	1474
3	2	Alabama (1)	4	0	1420
4	8	Notre Dame	4	1	1235
5	11	Michigan	3	0	1084
6	9	Boise State	5	0	1060
7	10	Texas A&M	4	1	1006
8	4	LSU	4	1	944
9	5	Oklahoma	2	1	917
10	13	UCLA	3	0	869
11	7	Texas	3	1	840
12	15	Kansas State	3	1	756
13	16	Miami FL	4	0	734
14	18	Nebraska	4	1	642
15	6	Florida State	3	1	601
16	20	Arizona State	3	0	563
17	21	South Carolina	2	2	481
18	22	Utah	4	0	481
19	14	Oregon	2	2	410
20	23	Louisville	2	2	403
21	--	Georgia Tech	4	0	346
22	--	California	3	1	322
23	--	Mississippi State	4	0	290
24	--	Oregon State	4	1	240
25	12	Stanford	2	2	215

Others Receiving Votes: Tennessee (201), Oklahoma State (183), North Carolina (177), Texas Tech (116), Virginia Tech (109), Arizona (94), Iowa (61), Northwestern (28), Ole Miss (4)

Dropped Out: Clemson (#17), North Carolina (#19), Florida (#24), Virginia Tech (#25)

Pac-12 Conference Standings

Pac-12 North Conference Standings - Updated: Sep 29, 2013
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIV
No. 22 California	3-1	0.750	1-0	105	80	1-0
No. 24 Oregon State	4-1	0.800	1-1	165	86	0-0
Washington State	3-2	0.600	1-1	131	138	1-0
No. 25 Stanford	2-2	0.500	0-2	102	89	0-1
Washington	2-2	0.500	0-1	135	106	0-0
No. 19 Oregon	2-2	0.500	0-1	113	99	0-1

Pac-12 South Conference Standings - Updated: Sep 29, 2013
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIV
Arizona	4-0	1.000	1-0	149	79	0-0
No. 16 Arizona State	3-0	1.000	2-0	96	64	1-0
No. 18 Utah	4-0	1.000	1-0	149	43	0-0
USC	2-2	0.500	1-1	141	82	0-1
No. 10 UCLA	3-0	1.000	0-0	103	42	0-0
Colorado	3-1	0.750	0-1	112	122	0-0

Heisman Watch – Week 6



QB Mike Booker
Texas A&M – Sophomore (RS)

QB Mario Johnson
Boise State – Senior (RS)

QB Cameron Hurd
Nebraska – Senior (RS)

QB Scott Franklin
Ohio State – Junior

HB Eric Morrow
Georgia Tech – Junior (RS)

Note: Candidates are colored orange if their position has not changed, green if they have moved up and red if they have moved down.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

NCAA Players of the Week
Offense: TE Shawn Mason, SR (RS), Cincinnati
Defense: CB Jeff Green, SR (RS), FAU

Pac-12 Players of the Week
Offense: QB David Williams, SR (RS), Oregon State
Defense: LE Dan Coles, JR (RS), Oregon State


COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP STORIES



GEORGIA DOMINATES LSU, BULLDOGS ON WARPATH

The Georgia Bulldogs rose to the No. 1 spot in the country over the weekend by crushing then-No. 4 LSU 52–10 between the hedges. The game was 10–7 midway through the second quarter, but two unanswered touchdowns before halftime gave the Bulldogs the momentum to outscore the Tigers 28–3 in the second half. After barely missing out on the BCS National Championship Game last year, head coach Mark Richt and the Bulldogs are looking to win it all in 2013. However, the path ahead is not smooth. This week, the Dawgs travel to Knoxville to take on the red-hot Tennessee Volunteers, the first team outside the Top 25 with upsets this season over Florida and Oregon. If Georgia can keep their cool, a rematch against the Tide in Atlanta will begin to look like their destiny.

PAC-12 SOUTH POWERS TEST THEIR METTLE

Out of the six teams in the Pac-12 South Division, four of them remain undefeated. Three of them will put that status on the line this weekend. 10 UCLA will take on 18 Utah while the 16 Arizona State Wildcats will travel to South Bend to face the 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, fresh off a whooping of Oklahoma. (The other undefeated team, Arizona, has a bye week). While only the first game will matter in the Pac-12 standings, both games should give us an idea of the pecking order in the division, which has had a surprisingly strong start to the season.

GEORGIA TECH AND MIAMI FACE OFF IN ACC COASTAL SHOWDOWN

The ACC Coastal Division’s two undefeated teams will play each other this Saturday as the 21 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets travel to sunny South Florida to face the 13 Miami Hurricanes. While both teams are off to solid 4–0 starts, Tech’s schedule has been stronger, with wins over North Carolina and Virginia Tech. With this season being very important for both Al Golden and Paul Johnson, expect the game plans to be executed with excellence.

OTHER UPCOMING GAMES
Georgia State at 3 Alabama
5 Michigan at Minnesota
8 LSU at 23 Mississippi State
TCU at 9 Oklahoma
11 Texas at Iowa State
12 Kansas State at Oklahoma State
14 Nebraska at Illinois
Maryland at 15 Florida State
Kentucky at 17 South Carolina
19 Oregon at Colorado
20 Louisville at Connecticut
Washington State at 22 California
Washington at 25 Stanford