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HC Mike Sanford emphasizes the importance of a transfer portal quarterback, talks about his conversations with AD Rick George and preparing for Washington.

Tommy Brown discusses his future and Washington's defensive front.

Nikko Reed touches on his interception against USC on Friday.

This is per MaxPreps, the numbers in () are the seeds, this highest seed is the home team.

5A playoffs:
Friday, November 18
(7) Regis Jesuit @ (2) Valor Christian - 7:00 PM

Saturday, November 19
(9) ThunderRidge vs (1) Cherry Creek - 1:00 PM - Stutler Bowl
(5) Pine Creek @ (4) Grandview - 1:00 PM
(6) Columbine vs (3) Ralston Valley - 1:00 PM - North Area Athletics Complex

4A Playoffs:
Friday, November 18
(8) Vista Ridge vs (1) Palmer Ridge - 7:00 PM - Don Breese Stadium
(5) Montrose vs (4) Loveland - 7:00 PM - Ray Patterson Stadium

Saturday, November 19
(7) Heritage @ (2) Broomfield - 1:00 PM
(11) Erie @ (3) Ponderosa - 1:00 PM

3A Playoffs:
Saturday, November 19
(10) George Washington @ (2) Durango - 1:00 PM
(11) Frederick @ (3) Lutheran - 1:00 PM
(9) Evergreen @ (1) Roosevelt - 1:00 PM
(13) Palisade @ (5) Green Mountain - 1:00 PM

2A Playoffs:
Saturday, November 19
(11) Montezuma-Cortez @ (2) Eaton - 1:00 PM
(4) The Classical Academy @ (1) Delta - 1:00 PM

1A Playoffs
Saturday, November 19
(6) Wray @ (2) Strasburg - 1:00 PM
(13) Colorado Springs Christian @ (1) Limon - 1:00 PM

A-8 man playoffs:
Saturday, November 19
(4) Simla @ (1) Haxtun - 1:00 PM
(3) Mancos @ (2) Dove Creek - 1:00 PM

A-6 man playoffs:
Saturday, November 19
(5) Otis @ (1) Stratton - 1:00 PM
(3) Granada @ (2) Fleming - 1:00 PM

Buffs pull off a huge upset against #11 Tennessee.

More on today’s exhilarating game in Nashville:

BZ: MBB - Honors: Colorado guard KJ Simpson named Pac-12 Player of the Week

BZ: FB - Colorado football: Amid uncertain future, Buffs interim coach Mike Sanford trying to focus on present

BZ: FB - CU Buffs football notes: Transfer QBs making impact in Pac-12

BZ: WBB - Women’s basketball: Balanced CU Buffs hit road for preseason WNIT

BZ: Chat replay: CU Buffs beat writer Brian Howell (Nov. 14, 2022)

CU AD: MBB - Simpson Named Pac-12 Player Of The Week

CU AD: WBB - Buffs Return to Lubbock for Preseason WNIT

CUATG Blog: FB - Pac-12 Notes – Washington Week - Ex-Washington State coach Nick Rolovich files $25 million lawsuit over firing

Buffs Wire: FB - Colorado football head coach candidate profile: Bryan Harsin

Cheers!

Congrats, KJ! This will be the first of many to come.

2 tied for the lead with 9 wins - ldbuff and NCBuff1, but ldbuff wins it on the 1st tiebreaker. He picked 5 TFL's and it was exactly 5.
Note that players shown in gold are paid, those in red are playing for fun. Season Standings are at the bottom.

Only two weeks left and it's anyone's game - well, not anyone's, but it is tight at the top.

Week 10 results:
1) 9 pts - ldbuff, NCBuff1
2) 8 pts - buffskickbutt, dtownbuff, Longtimebuff1, CRBuff, Original Stats
3) 7 pts - SoCoBuff, Gopokes242424
4) 5 pts - Buff Aloha, BuffFan42, BuffTicket
5) 0 pts - CoachCody27, buffalo52565, rward, DBBUFF, Forecast6236

Items:
1) CU Total Points - 15.5 : Actual =17 Over
2) USC Total Points - 48.5 : Actual = 55 Over
3) CU Pass Comp % - 50.15 : Actual = 52.3 Over
4) USC Total YDs - 485.5 : Actual = 515 yards Over
5) CU 3rd Down % - 43.55 yds : Actual = 25 Under
6) CU Total Punt Yds - 173.5 yards : Actual = 196 Over
7) CU Avg Yds per Pass Compl - 9.35 - Actual = 11.3 Over
8) CU 1st Downs - 18.5 : Actual = 14 Under
9) CU times in Red Zone - 4.5 : Actual = 3 Under
10) CU Receiving Yards for TEs - 27.5 : Actual = 22 Under

Tiebreaker #1 - CU TFLs - Actual = 5
Tiebreaker #2 - Total yards by Fontenot = 124

Season Standings:
1) 60 pts - SoCoBuff
2) 59 pts - GoPokes242424, Longtimebuff1
3) 57 pts - ldbuff
4) 56 pts - Buffskickbut
5) 55 pts - CRBuff, Dtownbuff, BuffTicket, Original Stats
7) 52 pts - Bufffan42
8) 48 pts - Buff Aloha
9) 40pts - rward
10) 39 pts - NCBuff1
11) 18 pts - buffalo52565
12) 13 pts - Coachcody27
13) 10 pts - DBBUFF
14) 5 pts - Forecast6236

If you think I made a mistake let me know asap.

The conference owns technology that could be valuable for media companies.

The following is from a July 26, 2022 Mercury News article that may have been overlooked but considering a Pac 12 media deal is near, might be of interest to some:
The equipment powering the Pac-12’s wholly-owned media platforms (both linear and digital) forms the backbone of a cutting-edge technological infrastructure that’s lauded throughout the sports media industry and could prove beneficial during the ongoing media rights negotiations that will make or break its future.


“The Pac-12 has everything you could want in a production facility and can produce all the games for much less than the media companies usually pay,” said a TV sports production veteran who asked not to be identified.

In other words: Bargaining chips.

Over the past 26 days, the Hotline has attempted to outline all possible end-games for the Pac-12, from extinction to survival, so readers are not surprised by any outcome.

We have assessed expansion candidates from the Mountain West, plunged into TV ratings, examined potential mergers and partnerships with the Big 12, analyzed presidential leadership (or lack thereof) and detailed the value of the Saturday night kickoffs.

But we saved the biggest whopper for last: The Pac-12 Networks as savior, and ESPN as their suitor.


It’s just this side of crazy, which happens to be prime territory for realignment strategy and execution.

Consider this Feb. ’22 description from the Sports Video Group, an industry website:

“Upon launching in 2012, Pac-12 Networks instantly established itself as a pioneer in remote-production techniques. Its groundbreaking Multicam production model was a precursor of the remote-production revolution the industry has experienced in recent years, and the centralized-production model has allowed Pac-12 Networks to produce thousands of live events from its San Francisco headquarters for a fraction of the cost of traditional production.”

So advanced is the technology that the Pac-12 Networks have produced games for ESPN and Fox from the San Francisco facility, which features eight control rooms and the ability to broadcast five games at once.

The technology cuts costs because there is no need for production trucks at the competition venues. Only the on-air talent and camera operators are required, whether it’s a gymnastic meet or football game.

A transmission box the size of a mini-fridge — there’s one on each campus — serves as the nerve center for the on-site production.

Video and audio feeds are sent to San Francisco, where the director, producer and graphics designer are based.

The latency is about half a second.

Once one event is completed, the transmission box moves to the venue for the next broadcast on the campus.

Based on what Sports Video Group described as “a dramatic leap forward in production efficiency,” the technology has sliced the cost of producing an event by as much as 50 percent, according to the source.

How does it all fit into the Pac-12’s fight for survival?

Well, the ready-made infrastructure might be tempting if you’re ESPN, which already owns the ACC Network.

ESPN could rent or purchase the Pac-12 Networks facility and create a bicoastal operation that provides cash and stability for the Pac-12 and adds subscriber revenue for the ACC.

(Under that scenario, the conference would remain distinct and thus preserve the ACC’s grant-of-rights agreement.)

On a broader scale, the Pac-12 Networks facility could be turned into an operations hub for ESPN for all West Coast sporting events.

Hello Apple or Amazon!

Oregon loses to Washington at home. Bo Nix hurt and comes back in, but can’t get the job done. Runs out of time. Michael Pennix Jr. was amazing. He made some amazing throws in the win. The best was in the fourth quarter. He threw a rope all the way across the field, and the receiver caught it and took it to the house. He will play in the NFL.

I thought I had it for the first time all year, 52 to 16 only off 4 pts
But the very last entry from @Buff Fan42 had 57 -17 only off 2 points!

Congrats @Buff Fan42 your this weeks big winner

This season has not been easy for Alex Fontenot. A chest injury took him out for eight weeks, but in his second game back, he ran for over 100 yards for the first time since 2019 vs. Washington. He is making the most of the time he has left.

Good morning San Francisco, my Niners play tonight. Very excited for that, but before then the Buffs are taking on No. 11 Tennessee.

Last year Colorado struggled against the Vols, 34-24 Tennessee in the first and the Vols maintained their pace in the second 35-30, winning 69-54.

After Grambling on Friday, I’m predicting that the Buffs will struggle in the first and pick it up in the second. A win for Colorado may be a reach as Tennessee is on a winning streak beating No. 2 Gonzaga 99-80 and Tennessee Tech this past Monday 75-43.

Anyone want to me to list off my sister’s ambitious parlay this football Sunday?

BZ: MBB - Upset special: Colorado men’s basketball knocks off No. 11 Tennessee

BZ: MBB - Game day notes: Colorado men’s basketball may not be done adding to ’23 recruiting class

CU AD: MBB - Buffs Knock Off No. 11 Tennessee

CU AD: VB - Colorado Sweeps Oregon State

CUATG Blog: MBB - Upset! Buffs knock off No. 11 Tennessee on the road, 78-66

CUATG Blog: FB - (Scroll Down) Transcript: Mike Sanford’s Post-Game Comments: “We’re going to come back to work and find resolve to go play two more really good football teams”

Ralphie Report: MBB - Colorado knocks off #11 Tennessee behind Simpson’s 23 points

Buffs Wire: FB - Colorado football head coach search buzz: Donte Williams might make sense for Buffs

Buffs Wire: FB - Five takeaways from Colorado's loss to USC

Cheers!

The Wolverines beat the crap out of the Corn, the Razorbacks give LSU all they can handle, the Tide comes back from a loss last week to win over Ole Miss, the Cowboys devastate CSU, and Washington beats the Dicks, oops, the Ducks, in a thriller.

While knowing that Oregon going in was likely the only shot at being a Pac 12 player the end of the season, I love the Huskies putting them out of the picture. To watch those arrogant SOBs lose in those ridiculous yellow highlighter costumes (thanks for that term 59) is very gratifying. Screw that pompous program. I love college football. Fun day.

No dominant teams and no national interest so won’t get a bump.
USC our last hope. But never fear this will be such a powerful conference led by the stuffed shirt and 8 teams in 2-3 years.

Another year of no playoff and bowl irrelevance at an important time is not good

Ft. Lewis at Colorado School of Mines - 12:00 PM - Channel 2

Both CU men's basketball and football experiencing some difficult matchups tonight. As I said in the staff roundtable, I'm hoping the Buffs' can make the most out of this daunting situation by mixing it up offensively. They have nothing to loose so let's get creative and have some fun this Friday night, shall we?

Deion Smith is in uniform tonight, but Trevor Woods is not this evening after they both experienced some bumps against Oregon. I'm looking for Montana Lemonious-Craig to have a big game tonight as he is the honorary captain, he is playing in his hometown and of course, with Tyson's absence the receiver position.

I'm at USC 45, Colorado 17 and Craig's calling the game with a dominant Trojans win 52-16.

Anyone excited to see Brenden Rice and Mehki Blackmon? And overall how are we feeling mentally?

Meant to post this here earlier, but ESPN's Adam Rittenberg dropped a new coaching carousel story this morning with some interesting updates on CU. It's behind a paywall and as a longtime newspaper writer who now works for a subscription site, I can't bring myself to copy and paste it, but here are the big takeaways:

- CU has been having "initial conversations" with candidates for several weeks

- Bronco Mendenhall has "generated buzz as a strong candidate"

- Tom Herman, Ryan Walters, Jim Mora (the son, not the "Playoffs?!" guy) and Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor are also mentioned

If you have an ESPN+ subscription, you can read the full thing here

Utes are sitting pretty. Hopefully the Huskies left everything on the field and their tank will be empty next weekend.

Entering as a 14-point favorite to Grambling State, Colorado didn't take the lead once staying behind about 10 points or more the majority of the game. A total 19 turnovers and missteps on defense allowed Grambling State to shoot 50 percent and beat the Buffs 83-74.

BZ: FB - Football: CU Buffs’ Alex Fontenot has resurgent performance in loss to USC

BZ: FB - Football notes: CU Buffs better in red zone, but early missed opportunity costly

BZ: MBB - Tough challenge for CU Buffs men’s basketball to bounce back against No. 11 Tennessee

BZ: WBB - Women’s basketball: Colorado storms past Jackson State as four score in double figures

CU AD: FB - Takeaways From Buffs Loss At USC

CU AD: WBB - Strong Second Half Propels Buffs to Victory

CU AD: XC - Colorado Selected For NCAA Championship

CU AD: TEN - Buffs Join Team Impact And Sign Chi-Hasselbach Sisters

CUATG Blog: FB - Essay: Serenity NOW!

Ralphie Report: MBB - Buffs can’t tame Tigers on road, 83-74

Cheers!

There were some technical snafus on CU's end last night, so we weren't able to be in on the Mike Sanford presser live on Zoom, but here's a transcript of the CU interim head coach's postgame interview session from last night

Colorado experienced another long and strenuous game trying to maintain the Trojans' versatile offense. A productive 1st quarter on defense evolved into a more familiar CU matchup as USC went on to beat the Buffs 55-17.

A breakdown of the game in LA: