The 2020 Heisman Trophy was awarded 10 days ago, but odds for the 2021 race are already out. The top tier of candidates is stocked with quarterbacks from the Pac-12 footprint but playing for powerhouse programs elsewhere: Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler, who is from Phoenix, is the favorite, followed by Alabama’s Bryce Young (Mater Dei), Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei (St. John Bosco) and … [Read more...] about Heisman Trophy outlook: Pac-12 faces long odds in 2021 race without a preseason frontrunner
Where Pac-12 teams rank in early top-25 projections for the 2021 season
*** The Pac-12 Hotline newsletter is published twice a week. (Sign up here for a free subscription.) This edition, from Jan. 13, has been made available in archived form. An Eye Forward As it usually does, the national championship game sparked a barrage of projections for the following season, in the form of early top-25 rankings for the fall of 2021. Despite all the … [Read more...] about Where Pac-12 teams rank in early top-25 projections for the 2021 season
CU quarterback Sam Noyer to return for 2021 season following surgery
Sam Noyer is coming back to the Buffaloes. Colorado’s starting quarterback last season will return in 2021, coach Karl Dorrell told reporters Friday during a year-in-review news conference, with Noyer opting in to an NCAA-gifted year of eligibility for senior athletes amid the coronavirus pandemic. Noyer threw for 1,101 yards with 11 total touchdowns over six starts last … [Read more...] about CU quarterback Sam Noyer to return for 2021 season following surgery
Stock report: CU’s rising hoops profile, Utah’s budget update, Oregon’s coordinator search, Arizona on the brink and more
Commentary on Pac-12 developments … Rising: Utah’s budget outlook Encouraging news surfaced this week in Salt Lake City, where athletic director Mark Harlan expects a somewhat diminished budget hit. Instead of a pandemic-created shortfall in the $50 million to $60 million range for the current fiscal year, the revision calls for a $35 million deficit. The Utes can thank … [Read more...] about Stock report: CU’s rising hoops profile, Utah’s budget update, Oregon’s coordinator search, Arizona on the brink and more
Ridiculously early top 25 for next season: Alabama isn’t No. 1, plenty of Pac-12 representation … what the heck?
The Hotline’s 14th annual ridiculously early top-25 rankings — or maybe it’s the 15th annual (I lost track long ago) — rely on more guesswork than usual because of the free year of eligibility granted by the NCAA. We cannot assume seniors are moving on, because they have the option to return. At the same time, we won’t assume underclassmen are returning, because they have the … [Read more...] about Ridiculously early top 25 for next season: Alabama isn’t No. 1, plenty of Pac-12 representation … what the heck?
Best of the West College Football Top 25: Why CU Buffs will be a Pac-12 pest again in 2021
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it: The CU Buffs won’t sneak up on anybody this fall. So what? if the right pieces are in place (knocks on wood once) and healthy (knocks on wood twice) by August, they won’t have to. Nate Landman’s return at linebacker is coach Karl Dorrell’s first big win of 2021, assuming they can get their defensive linchpin running at a decent clip by late summer. … [Read more...] about Best of the West College Football Top 25: Why CU Buffs will be a Pac-12 pest again in 2021
The Pac-12 placed one team in the final AP top-25 poll: What that says and why it matters
Judgment has been rendered. The final Associated Press top-25 poll is out, and it confirms exactly what we pondered, witnessed and discussed: Collectively, the Pac-12 underperformed in 2020, even when accounting for COVID chaos — for the late start and canceled game and truncated postseason. Granted, the end-of-season AP poll is hardly a perfect measure of success. But the … [Read more...] about The Pac-12 placed one team in the final AP top-25 poll: What that says and why it matters
Tyson Summers out as CU Buffs defensive coordinator
Tyson Summers’ run as defensive coordinator at Colorado is over. BuffZone.com sources have confirmed a report by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that Summers is being let go by head coach Karl Dorrell. According to sources, Summers informed players Tuesday morning that he was being let go. Several players reacted on social media with surprise that Summers was out. Safety Isaiah Lewis, … [Read more...] about Tyson Summers out as CU Buffs defensive coordinator
CU’s Karl Dorrell and CSU’s Steve Addazio have a common football opponent in 2021: The Transfer Portal
The hardest part? Like any break-up, it’s making the call. It’s not you, Coach. It’s me. Well, OK, maybe it IS you. “For sure, (it’s) making that call to the coach you spent so much time with and gave all that effort for them, then telling them you’re going to leave,” explained CU Buffs tight end Matt Lynch, who made one of those calls about this time a year ago. “That part … [Read more...] about CU’s Karl Dorrell and CSU’s Steve Addazio have a common football opponent in 2021: The Transfer Portal