November 22, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Pac 12 Predictions & Picks

Straight Up: 65-18, ATS: 41-34

Washington State at Washington

Time: 3:30 pm TV: Fox
Line: No Line, o/u: No Line
– Preview & Fearless Prediction

Oregon State at Oregon

Time: 3:30 pm TV: Fox Sports 1
Line: 34.5, o/u: 68.5
– Preview & Fearless Prediction

UCLA at USC

Time: 3:30 pm TV: ABC
Line: USC -3.5, o/u: 62
– Preview & Fearless Prediction

Colorado at Utah

Time: 2:30 pm TV: Pac-12 Networks
Line: Utah -16.5, o/u: 49.5
– Preview & Fearless Prediction

Notre Dame at Stanford

Time: 7:30 pm TV: Fox
Line: Stanford -3.5, o/u: 55
– Preview & Fearless Prediction

Arizona State at Cal

Time: 10:00 pm TV: Fox Sports 1
Line: Cal -3.5, o/u: 66
– Preview & Fearless Prediction

Nov 27, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers linebacker Jonathan Willis (32) watches as Oregon Ducks wide receiver Kirk Merritt runs the ball at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Games In Order From Best To Worst

Oregon State at Oregon

Final Score: Oregon 52, Oregon State 42
Pick: Oregon 52, Oregon State 13
Line: Oregon -34.5, o/u: 68.5

Oregon was rolling, cranking up a 31-7 halftime lead with two of Bralon Addison’s four touchdowns with a 13-yard run and a 37-yard catch, but Oregon State came roaring back. Seth Collins ran for two short scores and Victor Bolden returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to pull the team within three early in the fourth, but Addison came up with a four-yard scoring grab. OSU answered right back with a 66-yard touchdown run from Ryan Nall to make it 45-42 Ducks, but Addison struck again with a 24-yard score to finally put it away. Oregon outgained Oregon State 674 yards to 427.

Player of the Game: Oregon WR Bralon Addison caught eight passes for 106 yards and three scores, and ran twice for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Washington State at Washington

Final Score: Washington 45, Washington State 10
Pick: Washington 28, Washington State 27
Line: No Line, o/u: No Line

Washington used a bruising running game and a tough day from the defense to beat the Luke Falk-less Cougars to become bowl eligible. The Huskies scored 24 straight after Wazzu scored first on a 41-yard Erik Powell field goal, with Myles Gaskin running for a score and Chico McClatcher taking the ball 26 yards for a touchdown. The defense got into the act with Sidney Jones taking a pick 69 yards for a touchdown, Darren Gardenhire returning a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown and Azeem Victor taking a pick for a score to put the game well out of reach. In place of Falk, Peyton Bender threw for 288 yards and a score two interception returns for scores. Wazzu turned it over seven times and was outgained 443 yards to 319.

Player of the Game: Washington RB Myles Gaskin ran 32 times for 138 yards and two scores.

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Rankings & Bowl Projections

ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC

Good luck trying to figure out the Pac-12 bowl picture with way too many eligible teams for contracted spots.

Pac-12 Football Rankings After Week 13

1. Stanford 10-2
2. Oregon 9-3
3. USC 8-4
4. Utah 9-3
5. UCLA 8-4
6. Washington State 8-4
7. California 7-5
8. Washington 6-6
9. Arizona State 6-6
10. Arizona 6-6
11. Colorado 4-9
12. Oregon State 2-10

Pac-12 Bowl Projections, Week 14, Nov. 29

Admittedly, the Pac-12 bowl picture is a total guess.

It’s a good problem to have with ten of the 12 teams eligible for bowl games, but now they all need a spot.
The Stanford-USC winner in the Pac-12 Championship will end up in the Rose Bowl, but will the loser make a New Year’s Six Bowl? Will Oregon slip into the NY6? If that happens, then the bowl picture becomes a total disaster with at least three teams looking for a home. Arizona, Arizona State, California and Washington will all likely be in the mix for three spots – and yes, Cal will end up being bowl eligible this season with few available teams.

Stanford

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual vs. Big Ten

Oregon

Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Big 12

USC

National University Holiday Bowl vs. Big Ten

Washington

Foster Farms Bowl vs. Big Ten

Utah

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl vs. BYU or Mountain West

UCLA

Hyundai Sun Bowl vs. ACC

Arizona State

Cactus Bowl vs. Big 12

Arizona

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Washington

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Mountain West

California

AutoNation Cure Bowl vs. American Athletic

Dec 5, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) tries to avoid being tackled by Southern California Trojans cornerback Kevon Seymour (13) after running for a first down in the second quarter in the Pac-12 Conference football championship game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Final Pac-12 bowl projections with way too many available teams. The rankings are easy, bowl picture – that’s a different story.

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Final Pac-12 Football Rankings

1. Stanford 11-2
2. Oregon 9-3
3. USC 8-5
4. Utah 9-3
5. UCLA 8-4
6. Washington State 8-4
7. California 7-5
8. Washington 6-6
9. Arizona State 6-6
10. Arizona 6-6
11. Colorado 4-9
12. Oregon State 2-10

Pac-12 Bowl Projections

Possibly the hardest of the Power Five conferences to figure out, Stanford is going to the Rose Bowl, and then after that it’s an educated guess.

The conference has a good problem with way too many bowl eligible teams, needing to find homes for three – most likely Arizona, Washington and California. Arizona is easy with good geographic bowls like the New Mexico there to get into, but Washington and Cal will likely have to make a big trip.

Will the Pac-12 put USC close to home in the Holiday? Will it look to give Oregon the good matchup in the Alamo, or keep it close to home with the Foster Farms?

Everyone will find a post-season home, but it’s all going to be up in the air until the last moment.

Stanford

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual vs. Big Ten

Oregon

Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Big 12

USC

National University Holiday Bowl vs. Big Ten

Washington

Foster Farms Bowl vs. Big Ten

Utah

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl vs. BYU or Mountain West

UCLA

Hyundai Sun Bowl vs. ACC

Arizona State

Cactus Bowl vs. Big 12

Arizona

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Washington

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Mountain West

California

Birmingham Bowl vs. American Athletic

Oct 31, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (center) waits on the sideline during the third quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Rose Bowl. The UCLA Bruins won 35-31. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

How good are the Pac-12 teams going into the 2016 season? Based on who’s coming back, here’s the early look at the season just eight months away.

Pac-12 Way-Too-Early Lookahead

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How good are the Pac-12 teams going into the 2016 season? It’s too early to know what’s going to happen or to make any definitive calls, but with the 2015 campaign just ending, here’s the way-too-early look at how the conference appears in January.

1. UCLA

The injury problems of last year on defense turn out to be a plus with 19 of the top 20 tacklers back. The defense is loaded with experience and depth, but it needs to find more star power. Playmakers aren’t a problem on offense with QB Josh Rosen back along with six of his top eight receivers. RB Paul Perkins is done, and the line loses Alex Redman early to the NFL, but the O should blow up.

2. USC

QB Cody Kessler might be gone, but the rest of the offense should be unbelievable with all the other skill guys back including the top ten pass catchers and all five starters up front. The defensive front will be a problem in the opener against Alabama, but the secondary gets all for starters back – the Trojans should have one of the Pac-12’s top pass defenses.

3. Oregon

If the quarterback situation is solid – okay, Montana State’s Dakota Prukop, your turn – the Duck attack should blow up with RB Royce Freeman leading a devastating group in the backfield working behind an okay line. Three starters are gone up front, but the depth was there. The receiving corps should be outstanding. The defensive front seven needs work with all the starters gone up front, but the secondary gets everyone back.

4. Stanford

Christian McCaffrey is back and will be the national signature star, but he needs help. Four starters are gone off an NFL defensive front and longtime starting QB Kevin Hogan is finally done. The defense also takes a few major hits with three starters gone off the secondary and four key factors done off the front seven. Finding depth behind McCaffrey will be a key, too.

5. Washington

It’s Year Three under Chris Petersen and it’s going to be strong. 2015 was supposed to be a rebuilding year and the defense still rocked. Now it should be dominant with seven starters back led by a potentially devastating back seven. Four starters are back on the offensive line paving the way for a deep group of running backs. The quarterbacks are all there with two of the top three targets returning.

6. Arizona State

QB Mike Bercovici is done, and four starters are finished on the offensive line, but the running game should still be okay with the four key running backs returning. Enough good receivers are back for the passing game to be okay, but ASU needs a steady quarterback. All the linebackers return and the line should be solid, but the secondary has to replace three starters after getting lit up by West Virginia.

7. Utah

The Utes need a new quarterback to replace Travis Wilson, and the hope is for Joseph Williams to become a strong back, but the line should be terrific with four starters back and the passing game solid with three key parts returning. All the linebackers are gone, but three starters are back on the line and three starters are back in the secondary. Losing P Tom Hackett is a problem, but PK Andy Phillips is back.

8. Washington State

The passing game will go ballistic again with QB Luke Falk returning with three starters back at receiver. Just enough returns on the O line to give Falk time, while the starting backs should provide some semblance of a ground game from time to time. The secondary will be the strength of the defense with three starters back, and two of the four starting linebackers return, but the line will be a problem.

9. Arizona

QB Anu Solomon is back along with four of the five starting receivers to make the passing game shine, while the ground attack will be a killer again from time to time with enough good backs returning behind a line with three starters. Scooby Wright is gone from the linebacking corps, but three starters are back in the secondary and the line should be okay with two of the three starters back.

10. California

The Bears won’t drop off the map, but it’ll have to be the defense that rocks early on with all four starters return to the linebacking corps and three key parts back up front. The offense will be fine because it’s the Sonny Dykes offense, and four starters return on the line, but the four starting receivers are gone and QB Jared Goff bolted to the NFL. The top running backs return.

11. Colorado

This HAS to be the year the corner is turned, especially on defense with all seven starters returning to the front seven along with two starters in the secondary. The offense starts with four starters returning up front to help pave the way for what should be a good ground game with the key running backs returning. The young quarterbacks should be far better after another offseason, and they have some decent options to throw to.

12. Oregon State

Gary Andersen’s defense should rock with all four starters returning in the secondary and three of the top four linebackers back, but the line needs a little bit of an overhaul. Will the offense be any better? All the key receivers are back and four starters are back on the line, but the young quarterbacks have to be better and a steady running back has to emerge.

Oct 31, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Shon Carson (7) rushes during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

How good were the seasons? Based on schedules, wins, and how hard the victories were – and how bad the losses were – the 2015 College Football Season Rankings

2015 College Football Season Rankings: No. 91-100

Follow and/or Contact @PeteFiutak

– Explanation of the 2015 College Football Season Rankings & the components

100. Old Dominion Monarchs, Conference USA

That the Monarchs were in the hunt for a possible bowl game late in the season showed improvement, but they couldn’t close with a crushing home loss – a Bad Loss that killed the Season Score – to Florida Atlantic to close things out. Four of the five wins were Bad Wins, and they weren’t even close in most games, but all it would’ve taken was one win over FAU, and they couldn’t get it done.

2015 Season Ranking Score 2.04
2015 Record 5-7
2015 Preseason Prediction 4-8
2015 Preseason Ranking 123
2014 Final Season Ranking 83

99. South Carolina Gamecocks, SEC

A meltdown of a campaign, Steve Spurrier jumped off a sinking ship he created and the team never recovered. The Gamecocks came up with a strong season-opening win over North Carolina, but the other two wins came against a winless UCF and Vanderbilt. Give credit to the team for not giving up, and there is hope for a turnaround considering five of the losses were by a touchdown or less, including defeats to Clemson, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Kentucky. However, the Bad Loss home loss to Citadel was disastrous to the overall score.

2015 Season Ranking Score 2.08
2015 Record 3-9
2015 Preseason Prediction 9-3
2015 Preseason Ranking 30
2014 Final Season Ranking 51

98. Rice Owls, Conference USA

The Owls had several chances to come up with a win and go bowling, but they couldn’t do it over the finishing kick until it was too late. All five wins were Bad Wins, but it was the Bad Loss to UTSA that killed the shot at a winning season. They weren’t even close against the good teams losing 70-17 against Baylor, 49-10 to WKU and 65-10 to Southern Miss.

2015 Season Ranking Score 2.25
2015 Record 5-7
2015 Preseason Prediction 8-4
2015 Preseason Ranking 94
2014 Final Season Ranking 58

97. FIU Golden Panthers, Conference USA

FIU just needed to win one of its final two games to get to a bowl, and it couldn’t do it. But there were two other easier chances than Marshall and WKU to get that sixth win, gacking away layups against UMass and Florida Atlantic that could’ve gotten the job done. There wasn’t any special win, but the Golden Panthers won most of the games that were there for the taking. Competitive in losses to Indiana, Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee, the team played better than expected, and then it lost to the Thundering Herd and Hilltoppers by a combined score of 115-7.

2015 Season Ranking Score 2.40
2015 Record 5-7
2015 Preseason Prediction 3-9
2015 Preseason Ranking 107
2014 Final Season Ranking 106

96. Florida Atlantic Owls, Conference USA

The schedule wasn’t easy, but FAU didn’t help itself with a struggling offense that scored 20 points or fewer eight times. There weren’t any Bad Losses and the only Bad Win came against Charlotte, but the Owls couldn’t win the 50/50 games. They were good enough to beat Buffalo at home, and couldn’t. Rice was lousy and UTEP was beatable, but they couldn’t get it done.

2015 Season Ranking Score 2.50
2015 Record 3-9
2015 Preseason Prediction 3-9
2015 Preseason Ranking 106
2014 Final Season Ranking 97

95. Iowa State Cyclones, Big 12

It’s rough to be a bad team in the Big 12. Not only did the Cyclones have to deal with Oklahoma, Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State, but they had to play a Rose Bowl-bound Iowa, too, in non-conference play. The win over Texas was the high point, but the other two wins came against Northern Iowa and Kansas – there weren’t any massive surprises. The losses to OSU and Kansas State were close fights, and the 30-23 loss to Toledo wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good enough.

2015 Season Ranking Score 2.83
2015 Record 3-9
2015 Preseason Prediction 3-9
2015 Preseason Ranking 60
2014 Final Season Ranking 115

94. Georgia State Panthers, Sun Belt

Forgetting the bowl loss to San Jose State, it was a phenomenal breakthrough season for the program just to get a 13th game. All of a sudden, the team turned it on in the second half of the season with a four-game winning streak to become bowl eligible, highlighted by a 34-7 blowout win over Georgia Southern on the road. The loss to Liberty and the opening day loss to Charlotte hurt the overall score, but considering this looked like one of the worst teams in college football coming into the season, the 6-7 record is tremendous.

2015 Season Ranking Score 3.28
2015 Record 6-7
2015 Preseason Prediction 2-10
2015 Preseason Ranking 124
2014 Final Season Ranking 128

93. Colorado Buffaloes, Pac-12

The season started out with a loss the Buffs couldn’t afford to a bad Hawaii team, but even after the win over Colorado State and with a 3-1 start they couldn’t keep the momentum going. They gave Arizona a tough time and came close against UCLA, USC and Utah losing each by six points or fewer, but they still lost eight of the final nine games. Three of the wins were Bad Wins, and the team wasn’t awful overall, but it was still another disappointing year.

2015 Season Ranking Score 3.44
2015 Record 4-9
2015 Preseason Prediction 5-8
2015 Preseason Ranking 63
2014 Final Season Ranking 112

92. Maryland Terrapins, Big Ten

The Terps started out 2-1 and looked promising, and then the offense stopped working and the losses started to come fast and furious. There weren’t any Bad Losses, but the Terps didn’t have many close calls in all the losses, either, losing 31-30 to Penn State and losing by seven to Wisconsin – but that wasn’t all that close. The offense turned out to be the difference going 3-0 when scoring 35 points or more, and 0-9 when going under the mark.

2015 Season Ranking Score 3.58
2015 Record 3-9
2015 Preseason Prediction 7-5
2015 Preseason Ranking 47
2014 Final Season Ranking 68

91. Troy Trojans, Sun Belt

It wasn’t a bad first season under Neal Brown even with just four wins. The offense worked at times – even if it was inconsistent – and the team was outscored by just four points all year. Three of the four wins were Bad Wins with just the 41-17 season-ender against Louisiana-Lafayette the decent victory. Close home losses to South Alabama and Idaho hurt – it shouldn’t take too much to get to a winning season in 2015.

2015 Season Ranking Score 3.79
2015 Record 4-8
2015 Preseason Prediction 4-8
2015 Preseason Ranking 116
2014 Final Season Ranking 117

– Explanation of the 2015 College Football Season Rankings & the components

Nov 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; during the game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

What are the biggest and best games of the 2016 Pac-12 season? What are the best conference and non-conference games?

Rankings The 2016 Pac-12 Football Schedule

Follow and/or Contact @PeteFiutak | @ColFootballNews

2016 Pac-12 Analysis & 5 Keys To The Schedule
NORTH California | Oregon | Oregon State | Stanford | Washington | Washington State
SOUTH Arizona | Arizona State | Colorado | UCLA | USC | Utah

Ten Best Pac-12 Non-Conference Games

1. Alabama vs. USC (in Arlington, TX), Sept. 3
2. Notre Dame at USC, Nov. 26
3. Stanford at Notre Dame, Oct. 15
4. Oregon at Nebraska, Sept. 17
5. UCLA at Texas A&M, Sept. 3
6. BYU at Utah, Sept. 10
7. Washington State at Boise State. Sept. 3
8. UCLA at BYU, Sept. 17
9. Texas at California, Sept. 17
10. Texas Tech at Arizona State, Sept. 10

Ten Best Pac-12 Conference Games

1. USC at UCLA, Nov. 19
2. Oregon at USC, Nov. 5
3. Stanford at Oregon, Nov. 12
4. USC at Stanford, Sept. 17
5. Utah at UCLA, Oct. 22
6. Arizona State at USC, Oct. 1
7. USC at Washington, Nov. 12
8. Washington at Oregon, Oct. 8
9. USC at Utah, Sept. 23
10. Stanford at Washington, Sept. 30

Week-By-Week Ranking Of Every Pac-12 Game

Saturday, August 27

Hawai’i vs. California (in Sydney, Australia)

Thursday, September 1

7. Oregon State at Minnesota
10. Southern Utah at Utah

Friday, September 2

4. Kansas State at Stanford
5. Colorado State vs. Colorado (in Denver)

Saturday, September 3

1. Alabama vs. USC (in Arlington, TX)
2. UCLA at Texas A&M
3. Arizona vs. BYU (in Glendale, AZ)
6. Rutgers at Washington
8. Eastern Washington at Washington State
9. Northern Arizona at Arizona State
11. UC Davis at Oregon

Saturday, September 10

1. BYU at Utah
2. Washington State at Boise State
3. Texas Tech at Arizona State
4. California at San Diego State
5. Utah State at USC
6. Virginia at Oregon
7. UNLV at UCLA
8. Idaho at Washington
9. Grambling State at Arizona
10. Idaho State at Colorado

Saturday, September 17

1. USC at Stanford
2. Oregon at Nebraska
3. UCLA at BYU
4. Texas at California
5. Colorado at Michigan
6. Utah at San Jose State
7. Hawai’i at Arizona
8. Idaho at Washington State
9. Arizona State at UTSA
10. Portland State at Washington
11. Idaho State at Oregon State

Friday, September 23

1. USC at Utah

Saturday, September 24

2. Stanford at UCLA
3. Washington at Arizona
4. California at Arizona State
5. Colorado at Oregon
6. Boise State at Oregon State

Friday, September 30

1. Stanford at Washington

Saturday, October 1

2. Arizona State at USC
3. Arizona at UCLA
4. Oregon at Washington State
5. Utah at California
6. Oregon State at Colorado

Saturday, October 8

1. Washington at Oregon
2. Washington State at Stanford
3. UCLA at Arizona State
4. Arizona at Utah
5. Colorado at USC
6. California at Oregon State

Saturday, October 15

1. Stanford at Notre Dame
2. USC at Arizona
3. UCLA at Washington State
4. Arizona State at Colorado
5. Utah at Oregon State

Friday, Oct. 21

3. Oregon at California

Saturday, October 22

1. Utah at UCLA
2. Washington State at Arizona State
4. Colorado at Stanford
5. Oregon State at Washington

Thursday, October 27

2. California at USC

Saturday, October 29

1. Arizona State at Oregon
3. Washington at Utah
4. Stanford at Arizona
5. Washington State at Oregon State

Thursday, November 3

4. UCLA at Colorado

Saturday, November 5

1. Oregon at USC
2. Arizona at Washington State
3. Washington at California
5. Oregon State at Stanford

Thursday, November 10

3. Utah at Arizona State

Saturday, November 12

1. Stanford at Oregon
2. USC at Washington
4. California at Washington State
5. Colorado at Arizona
6. Oregon State at UCLA

Saturday, November 19

1. USC at UCLA
2. Arizona State at Washington
3. Oregon at Utah
4. Stanford at California
5. Arizona at Oregon State
6. Washington State at Colorado

Friday, November 25

2. Arizona State at Arizona
3. Washington at Washington State

Saturday, November 26

1. Notre Dame at USC
4. UCLA at California
5. Oregon at Oregon State
6. Utah at Colorado
7. Rice at Stanford

Saturday, December 3

Pac-12 Championship (in Santa Clara, CA)

Nov 21, 2015; Pullman, WA, USA; Colorado Buffaloes helmet sits during a game against the Washington State Cougars during the second half at Martin Stadium. The Cougars won 27-3. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

2016 Colorado Football Recruiting Class: The Colorado recruiting class might not have the big names, but can the offensive-heavy class boost up the attack that hasn’t been consistent enough in the Mike MacIntyre era?

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Colorado Football Recruiting Class Overview

Once again, Colorado will have the worst recruiting class in the Pac-12 with a lack of top star prospects and without the true playmakers to make a huge difference. However, it’s a class built for the offense after going bigger on defense last year, and there are plenty of good prospects who fit. It would be nice, though, to get a few killer four-stars.

The Class Is Heavy On …

Wide receivers. The Buffs are getting a few good running back prospects, and picking up QB Sam Noyer is potentially big, but the receiving corps is getting the biggest boost starting with Johnny Huntly, a big and fast No. 1 option, while Trey Udoffia, Caron Baham and Derrion Rakestraw are coming in bringing good size in a big – literally – group that should rise up soon.

The Star of the Class Is …

WR Johnny Huntley, 6-3, 190 – TCU, Tennessee and Washington were the star programs who wanted him, but the Florida prospect was an early commitment who should be a difference-maker who becomes the main man for the passing game. While he wasn’t wanted by the Florida schools, with his impressive size, speed, and upside, with a little bit of tweaking and work he should be terrific.

The Team’s Biggest 2016 Depth Chart Hole Is …

Defensive back. The Buffs don’t lose all that much, having to replace top receiver Nelson Spruce and LT Stephane Nembot, but everyone else returns on offense. The defense welcomes back the entire front seven and all the key backups, and the secondary shouldn’t be all that bad getting two starters back. However, they lose CB Kenneth Crawley – their best defensive back – and FS Jered Bell. Fix that, and this is a team loaded with veterans.

Oct 10, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Phillip Lindsay (23) runs with the ball during the first half at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils won 48-23. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

2016 Colorado Spring Football: What’s the big deal, what to worry about, and what’s all set.

2016 Colorado Spring Football Storylines

Mike MacIntyre needs results this year at Colorado

The Buffs would be better served in the Mountain West, so, yeah, this is one of the tougher Power Five Jobs. But MacIntyre really needs to make a run at .500 after starting 2-25 in Pac-12 play in his first three years. He’ll have a good quarterback in Texas Tech transfer Davis Webb, a veteran two-deep and a second year with Jim Leavitt as the head of the defense. No one is expecting miracles in Boulder, but if the Buffs are unable to get to six wins it’s fair to wonder if MacIntyre will earn a fifth season as the head of the program.

No One Is Worried About …

The secondary. The Buffaloes engineered a quantum leap in pass defense in 2015, rising from No. 10 in the pass defense to No. 4 a year ago. And three talented starters are back from that unit, including all-league CB Chidobe Awuzie and S Tedric Thompson. Progress is expected to continue this fall.

Extra Attention Must Be Given To …

Stopping the run. It’s an annual thing for the Buffaloes, which have given up at least 4.9 yards per carry in each of the last five seasons. DT Justin Solis is the only significant loss from the front seven, so there is cautious optimism that Colorado can finally begin making strides at the point of attack.

MORE: Colorado Football Schedule 2016: 5 Keys For The Buffaloes

Sep 5, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; A general view of the stadium as the Oregon Ducks play the Eastern Washington Eagles at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

How did each Pac-12 football stadium get its name? What are the stories behind the names to college football’s shrines?

Names Behind The Football Stadiums
ACC | American | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USA
MAC | Mountain West | SEC | Sun Belt

From benefactors to memorials, each Pac-12 football stadium has its own unique flavor and history.

So what’s in a name?

Their names are as much a part of the sport as the players that wear the school colors or the coaches that prowl the sidelines – with the exception of those places named after nicknames or schools. They’re integral fragments of your autumn vernacular, yet you often know not who they are. You’ve spent countless hours and memorable moments in their houses, but you’d struggle to identify them in a photo.

They are the names behind the football stadium names. The men, women and corporations, who’ve been honored for their unwavering service, dedication and generosity to institutions of higher learning.

Those surnames on the outside facing of your favorite Pac-12 football stadiums and the face of your Saturday afternoon ticket stubs are real people. Real special—and philanthropic—people in most instances. Their backgrounds and paths to immortality are as diverse as the architecture of the arenas themselves. Their drive for success and love for a school are the ties that bind this unique collection of individuals.

Arizona State – Frank Kush Field at Sun Devil Stadium

Named for … Frank Kush
Who is he? In 1996, ASU honored its winningest all-time head coach, Kush, by naming the field after him. From 1958-1979, he won 176 games and nine conference titles in Tempe, two in the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association and seven as a member of the WAC.

Colorado – Folsom Field

Named for … Frederick Folsom
Who was he? On and off between 1895 and 1915, Folsom was the head coach of the Buffs for 15 seasons. To this day, his .765 winning percentage remains the highest in school history.

Oregon – Autzen Stadium

Named for … Tom Autzen
Who was he? Autzen was a wealthy Portland benefactor, who made his fortune in plywood. He provided $250,000 toward the original construction of the stadium in 1966.

Oregon State– Reser Stadium

Named for … Al and Pat Reser
Who were they? Formerly known as Parker Stadium, the building’s name was changed in 1999 in honor of the family that made a seven-figure donation to the Beaver athletic department. They accumulated their wealth from the family-owned Reser’s Fine Foods, which was founded in 1960.

Utah – Rice-Eccles Stadium

Named for … Robert L. Rice and George S. Eccles
Who were they? The stadium bears the name of its two primary benefactors. In 1972, Rice gave $1 million to the university for a stadium renovation project. The late Eccles, through his foundation, contributed $10 million in 1997 toward the stadium as it was receiving a facelift for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Washington State – Martin Stadium

Named for … Dan and Charlotte Martin
Who were they? The Martins were a wealthy and generous couple that funded many youth projects during their lives. They had a particular interest in athletics, and provided the capital needed to build the Cougars’ home stadium.

MORE: Pac-12 Football Schedule Analysis

Who are the best picks from each of the Pac-12 programs? Here’s a look with the 2016 NFL Draft approaching.

USC is as good as anyone when it comes to cranking out historic NFL draft picks, and the Pac-12 overall isn’t bad, but some programs are shockingly a little light. So who are the greatest draft picks ever from the Pac-12 programs?

This isn’t a list of the top pro players to come from the Pac-12 schools – these are the best draft picks.

That means no undrafted free agents, and it also means that guys who had great careers for someone other than the teams that drafted them get knocked down a peg, or aren’t on the list at all.

The goal for any draft pick is to get a player who performs at a high level for a long period of time, so longevity matters over one short burst of greatness. You’ll get the idea.

Arizona

TE Rob Gronkowski
2010, 2nd round, 42nd pick overall, New England

Silver: LB Lance Briggs, 2003, 3rd round, 68th pick overall, Chicago
Bronze: CB Chris McAlister, 1999, 1st round, 10th pick overall, Baltimore

Rob Gronkowski reinvented the tight end position as a three-time All-Pro in his first six years catching 380 passes as Tom Brady’s main man.

A Hall of Fame-caliber baller for the Bears for 12 years, Lance Briggs went to seven Pro Bowls and was named to the 2005 All-Pro team. He finished his career with 936 tackles, while Chris McAlister went to three Pro Bowls and was a 2003 All-Pro as a key part of several all-timer defenses.

Arizona State

OG Randall McDaniel
1988, 1st round, 19th pick overall, Minnesota

Silver: DE Terrell Suggs, 2003, 1st round, 10th pick overall
Bronze: WR Charley Taylor, 1964, 1st round, 3rd pick overall, 1964

Arizona State has five NFL Hall of Famers, but Mike Haynes spent a bulk of his career with the Raiders, and not everyone could make the cut.

The mainstay of the Minnesota offensive line for 12 years, Randall McDaniel was a seven-time All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler for the Vikings on the way to the Hall of Fame.

Charley Taylor played 14 years for Washington catching 649 passes for 9,110 yards and 79 scores in his Hall of Fame career. The 1967 All-Pro went to eight Pro Bowls, while Terrell Suggs is on his way to Canton whenever he’s done after coming up with 106 sacks and 511 tackles in his first 13 years. Suggs was the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

California

QB Aaron Rodgers
2005, 1st round, 24th pick overall, Green Bay

Silver: TE Tony Gonzalez, 1997, 1st round, 13th pick overall Kansas City
Bronze: CB Nnamdi Asomugha, 1st round, 31st pick overall, Oakland

So here’s the problem. Hall of Fame LB Les Richter was drafted by the Dallas Texans, but spent his career with the Los Angeles Rams. Hardy Nickerson didn’t do most of his big things with Pittsburgh, and Marshawn Lynch did his best work for Seattle, not Buffalo.

Aaron Rodgers was worth the wait until the 24th pick. The 2011 and 2014 NFL MVP, two-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowler, and 2010 Super Bowl MVP is a first-ballot Hall of Famer with well over 32,000 yards and 257 touchdowns with just 65 picks so far.

Tony Gonzalez finished his career as the most productive tight end of all-time catching 1,325 passes for over 15,000 yards and 111 touchdowns. The future Hall of Famer was named to five All-Pro teams with Kansas City going to ten Pro Bowls. Nnamdi Asomugha finished up his career with a few dud seasons, but in his eight years in Oakland he went to three Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro.

Colorado

WR Cliff Branch
1972, 4th round, 98th pick overall, Oakland

Silver: S Dick Anderson, 3rd round, 73rd pick overall, Miami
Bronze: CB Mark Haynes, 1st round, 8th pick overall, New York Giants

The deep threat of deep threats for the Oakland vertical passing game, Cliff Branch averaged over 17 yards per catch making 501 grabs in a career that was just outside of being good enough for the Hall of Fame. The three-time All-Pro also won three Super Bowls.

Dick Anderson was a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro as a dangerous pickoff artist for several elite defenses including two Super Bowl champs. He picked off eight passes in three different seasons. Mark Haynes only played six years with the Giants, but he was part of a Super Bowl winner and was named to two All-Pro teams highlighted by a seven-pick 1984.

Oregon

QB Dan Fouts
1973, 3rd round, 64th pick overall, San Diego

Silver: DT Haloti Ngata, 2006, 1st round, 12th pick overall
Bronze: QB Norm Van Brocklin, 1949, 4th round, 37th pick overall

While he never played in a Super Bowl, much less win one, Dan Fouts was a sure-thing Hall of Famer threw for over 43,000 yards with 254 touchdowns earning his way onto two All-Pro teams and going to six Pro Bowls.

Haloti Ngata will be a sure-thing Hall of Famer after anchoring the great Baltimore defense for nine years with a Super Bowl, two All-Pro seasons, and six Pro Bowl honors. Norm Van Brocklin was a Hall of Fame bomber who did some big things for Philadelphia, but he spent the first nine years of his career with the Los Angeles Rams going to six Pro Bowls.

Oregon State

WR Chad Johnson
2001, 2nd round, 36th pick overall, Cincinnati

Silver: RB Steven Jackson, 2004, 1st round, 24th pick overall, St. Louis Rams
Bronze: WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, 2001, 7th round, 204th overall, Cincinnati

Forgetting all the weirdness and the painfully unfunny self-promotion, Chad Johnson was a whale of a receiver for Cincinnati catching 751 passes for 10,783 yards and 66 scores in his ten years, being named to two All-Pro teams and going to six Pro Bowls.

Steven Jackson turned into one of the best all-around backs in the 2000s catching 407 passes and running for 10,138 yards for the Rams on the way to three Pro Bowls. T.J. Houshmandzadeh was always second banana next to Johnson, but he put up some massive numbers of his own catching 507 passes in his eight years with the Bengals.

Stanford

QB John Elway, 1983, 1st round, 1st pick, Baltimore
pick overall,

Silver: WR James Lofton, 1978, 1st round, 6th pick overall, Green Bay
Bronze: CB Richard Sherman, 2011, 5th round, 154th pick overall, Seattle

Okay, yeah. John Elway probably shouldn’t count according to the criteria. He was Baltimore’s draft pick, and the franchise famously botched it, but it was a post-draft trade that Denver was able to make, so a slight exception is being made to give the Cardinal credit for their top star. Tom Brady might have more Super Bowls, and name a slew of other quarterbacks and they could be in the Greatest of All-Time category, but in terms of drama, and what he had to work with early in his career, Elway belongs in the discussion.

James Lofton finished up putting up some huge numbers or the Raiders and Buffalo, but the Hall of Famer was dominant for Green Bay catching 530 passes for 9,656 yards and 49 scores going to six Pro Bowls and getting on the 1981 All-Pro team. Richard Sherman has only played for five years, but with three Pro Bowls and three All-Pro nods, he’s been among the game’s elite corners.

UCLA

QB Troy Aikman
1989, 1st round, 1st pick overall, Dallas

Silver: CB Jimmy Johnson, 1961, 1st round, 6th pick overall, San Francisco
Bronze: OT Jonathan Ogden, 1st round, 4th pick overall, Baltimore

UCLA gets credit for Troy Aikman – Oklahoma doesn’t. The three-time Super Bowl winner and six-time Pro Bowler was a wee bit overshadowed stat-wise by Emmitt Smith, but throwing close to 33,000 yards and with all his wins made him an easy Hall of Famer.

As much of a rock for a secondary as any team could dream of, Jimmy Johnson played for 16 yards being named to four All-Pro teams picking off 47 passes. Ultra-consistent and able to play at a high level up until the end, he was an easy Hall of Famer. Jonathan Ogden was a shoo-in for Canton, too, starting 176 times going to 11 Pro Bowls in and being named to four All-Pro teams in his 12 years.

USC

OT Anthony Munoz
1980, 1st round, 3rd pick overall, Cincinnati

Silver: S Ronnie Lott, 1981, 1st round, 8th pick overall, San Francisco
Bronze: OT Bruce Matthews, 1st round, 9th pick overall, Houston

Seriously? How do you pick from a program with 12 Hall of Famers? How do you leave off Marcus Allen, O.J. Simpson, Troy Polamalu, Junior Seau and Frank Gifford?

Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz spent 13 years as a dominant starter for Cincinnati, being named to nine All-Pro teams and going to 11 Pro Bowls – he was the gold standard for left tackles.

If you want to argue that Ronnie Lott deserves to be the No. 1 Trojan, you’re probably right. Arguably the greatest safety in NFL history plated ten years for the 49ers picking off 51 passes and being a tone-setting tackler making 721 stops with five All-Pro nods and nine Pro Bowl appearances for them. Bruce Matthews turned in an all-timer of a Hall of Fame career playing 19 years and getting better and better as it went on, finishing up 14 Pro Bowls and getting on seven All-Pro teams.

Utah

WR Steve Smith
2001, 3rd round, 74th pick overall, Carolina

Silver: S Larry Wilson, 1960, 7th round, 74th pick overall, St. Louis
Bronze: S Eric Weddle, 2007, 2nd round, 37th pick overall, San Diego

Pound-for-pound, Steve Smith might be the toughest and most productive player in NFL history, catching 836 passes for over 12,000 yards with 67 touchdowns for Carolina in what should be a Hall of Fame career.

Larry Wilson was a 13-year mainstay for the Cardinal defense through the 1960s making 52 interceptions and earning his way onto five All-Pro teams. Eric Weddle was a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl talent for San Diego, making 680 tackles in his nine years.

Washington

RB Hugh McElhenny
1952, 1st round, 9th pick overall, San Francisco

Silver: DT Arnie Weinmeister, 1945, 17th round, 166th pick overall, New York Yanks
Bronze: C Olin Kreutz, 1998, 3rd round, 64th pick, Chicago

Hugh McElhenny ended his career with three other teams, but for nine years he was a force for San Francisco named to two All-Pro teams and going to five Pro Bowls in his Hall of Fame career.

Arnie Weinmeister started out with the New York Yanks and slid over to the New York Giants once the Yanks went away. A five-time All-Pro defensive tackle was an easy lock for the Hall of Fame as a devastating interior pass rusher. Olin Kreutz was the mainstay and leader for the Chicago line for 13 years going to six Pro Bowls and being named an All-Pro in 2006.

Remember, Hall of Famer Warren Moon went to the CFL first and wasn’t drafted, and Mark Brunell was drafted by Green Bay, not Jacksonville.

Washington State

QB Drew Bledsoe
1993, 1st round, 1st pick overall, New England

Silver: DT Keith Millard, 1984, 1st round, 13th pick overall, Minnesota
Bronze: FB Keith Lincoln, 1961, 2nd round, 15th pick overall, San Diego

Drew Bledsoe did some nice things with Buffalo and Dallas to end his career, and he’s most famous for getting hurt and allowing Tom Brady to be Tom Brady, but he still put up an amazing run for the Patriots, throwing for close to 30,000 yards and helping get them to two Super Bowls.

Keith Millard only played for six years with the Vikings, but he was the 1989 NFL Defensive Player of the Year with two All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearances. He was a rock next to Chris Doleman in the interior of the line. Keith Lincoln played seven years or San Diego going to four Pro Bowls and being named to the 1963 and 1964 All-Pro teams finishing his time with the Chargers running for close to 2,700 yards and catching 123 passes.

Which Pac-12 football programs are the biggest NFL draft factories? Which ones crank out the most pro prospects, the best draft picks, and the bulk bodies for the big league?

It’s a really, really big deal on the recruiting trail – how good are schools to sending players to the next level? That’s what every top high school prospect is thinking about, and they all notice who’s good at developing guys to make the next move. So which Pac-12 programs send the most and best players to the NFL?

12. Washington State

Last Four Years: 4
Last Ten Years: 10

Wazzu did a nice job of coming up with a few top picks here and there through the years, but there haven’t been the bulk selections on a regular basis with just five players going from 2007 to 2014. Deone Bucannon in 2014 and Marcus Trufant in 2003 were the last two first-rounders since Ryan Leaf went in 1998 – defensive backs have been the main men coming from the Cougars.

11. Colorado

Last Four Years: 5
Last Ten Years: 18

There was a time when Colorado dominated the draft world – or at least was a massive part of it. Lately, not so much. Ten Buffaloes went in the 1995 draft, but just ten have been selected since 2009. So far, at least talent-wise, the move to the Pac-12 hasn’t been a plus, but there’s a history in Boulder. It’s possible to get the talent there.

10. Washington

Last Four Years: 9
Last Ten Years: 16

The bounceback in talent returned last season with three Huskies going in the first round and four in the top 44. Only seven players have been taken over the last four seasons, but all went in the second round or better. Chris Petersen is starting to bring in the recruits, and things are changing around after a rough run with just 11 players taken from 2004 to 2011, but when the Huskies send players to the next level they’re almost always high picks.

9. Arizona

Last Four Years: 6
Last Ten Years: 27

The Wildcats didn’t get anyone taken in 2015 and with just two players going over the last three drafts. Worse yet, CB Antoine Cason in 2008 was the only first rounder going since 2000. However, defensive ends and defensive backs have been drafted over the last ten years, and Arizona has the selling point of all selling points – Rob Gronkowski going in the second round in the 2010 draft.

8. Arizona State

Last Four Years: 9
Last Ten Years: 24

Four Sun Devils were drafted in 2015 and seven in the last two years – that’s not all that bad. There haven’t been too many stars, but with the emergence of Brock Osweiler there’s at least a high-profile name to point to. There’s enough of a steady stream of draft picks over the years to pitch the potential of prospect being developed for the chance at the next level.

7. Utah

Last Four Years: 9
Last Ten Years: 25

The Utes have been alright lately – they’ve held their own when sending the picks off to the next level with five going last year. These aren’t just late round picks, either, with plenty of top 100 selections highlighted by Star Lotulelei going in the first round in 2013 and with Eric Rowe and Nate Orchard each going in the second round last year.

6. Oregon State

Last Four Years: 10
Last Ten Years: 27

The Beavers haven’t been all that bad at cranking out pro prospects with seven going in 2009 and with enough talent going off to the next level year after year to be a factor. Brandin Cooks in 2014 was the only first rounder since Steven Jackson in 2004, and there haven’t been a lot of stars – and a ton of the picks coming late – but you can go to Oregon State and end up being drafted.

5. UCLA

Last Four Years: 12
Last Ten Years: 25

How is UCLA so mediocre when it comes to cranking up the draft picks? The program used to be outstanding in the 1980s and 1990s, and it hasn’t dropped off the map lately, but it’s not good enough. That’s changing under Jim Mora Jr., but considering all the positives, UCLA should have more than just three first round picks since 2001. It’s hard to sell recruits on too many recent Bruin NFL stars outside of Anthony Barr, but again, that’s changing starting with Myles Jack this year.

4. California

Last Four Years: 12
Last Ten Years: 35

Cal can sell quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t fall into the last ten years of draft picks, but he’s obviously the big gun, and now Jared Goff will be the big gun to pitch to recruits. Every running back wants to be Marshawn Lynch, and with five first-rounders since 2007 – Goff will make it eight – there’s a lot to chirp about.

3. Stanford

Last Four Years: 19
Last Ten Years: 33

Wait a minute. With the academic standards and the private school and the national scope of recruiting, how is Stanford supposed to come up with enough talent to continue to win, much less send players to the NFL? The program does it, and it’s becoming amazing at churning on offensive linemen who get drafted, and it’s a total factory for tight ends. The Cardinal have had three or more players taken in every year since 2010 – that’s not bad.

2. Oregon

Last Four Years: 18
Last Ten Years: 38

Not a surprise considering all the success, the draft picks have followed with four first rounders in the last two years – DeForest Buckner will be another this year – and with a steady stream of prospects rolling in over the last 15 years. There haven’t been too many NFL superstars, but all that matters to recruits is just getting to the league, and Oregon can do it.

1. USC

Last Four Years: 16
Last Ten Years: 69

USC is still like an NFL minor league team when it comes to putting together pro prospects. The program might not be quite like it was in the Pete Carroll era, but even with the NCAA sanctions from the Reggie Bush era, there still was never a problem getting in the talent with two first-rounders last year, five in the last four years. Strangely enough, there aren’t too many NFL impact players in the group – Tyron Smith is the best of the recent lot – but whatever. When you’re sending this many players to the league, recruits will care.

ddd

Going into the summer, welcome to the post-spring football rankings for all the Pac-12 teams.

Based on how good the teams appear to be after spring ball, welcome to the Pac-12 post-spring football rankings. The 2015 record is next to each team.

12. Oregon State

Will the zone-read offense head coach Gary Andersen loves really start to work? How good can the defense be after a horrific year? Andersen is too good and his coaching staff too strong not to make the Beavers the thorn in the Pac-12’s side, and with 17 starters returning overall, they just might be a factor.

11. Colorado

Is this the season when Colorado finally starts to produce and be a factor? The experience is in place, especially on offense with ten starters back. The veterans couldn’t come through in the second part of last year, but now the Buffs have to be more explosive and have to be able to consistently keep up the pace.

10. California

Is the system strong enough and the coaching staff good enough to overcome the loss of Jared Goff? The passing game will still work and the offense will have its moments, but the heavy-lifting will likely be done by a defense that gets back almost everyone.

9. Arizona State

Can the Sun Devils overcome the massive personnel losses? The secondary was a disaster last season, and now it’s starting from scratch. The offense will always be terrific, but the stars of last year are done – just four starters are back. It’s a true rebuilding campaign.

8. Arizona

You know what you’re about to see. The experienced offense will be outstanding with lots of home runs and lots of big numbers with nine returning starters, but the Scooby Wright-less defense is going to struggle. Get ready for games with the team with the ball last getting the win.

7. Washington State

After a breakthrough season, the offense should continue to be fantastic with Luke Falk growing into a stronger pro prospect quarterback. The D will be more than just an afterthought, but it’ll hardly be a rock – the offense will have to bomb its way to wins.

6. Utah

Can the Utes get over the loss of RB Deontae Booker? Can they find a steady quarterback? Enough parts are there offensively to be solid, and the defense is always going to be fantastic under this coaching staff, but it’s going to be a step-back season.

5. Washington

This should be the bounceback year after having to rebuild, and it should be Chris Petersen’s best campaign yet with the Huskies. The defense is going to be outstanding, and just about everyone of note is back on offense. It’s going to be a very, very dangerous team in the Pac-12 race.

4. Stanford

The Cardinal are getting the benefit of the doubt that they’re going to rebuild in a hurry after losing way, way too much talent on both sides of the ball. The defending Pac-12 champs will be solid again, but it’s going to be a fight to stay in the title hunt.

3. USC

It’ll be tempting to blow off the Trojans after losing QB Cody Kessler and coming off a disappointing season, but the coaching situation is settled and the talent is in place to expect a far better season now that there won’t be so much drama.

2. Oregon

It’s all about the quarterback situation going into fall camp with Dakota Prukop coming in from Montana State to battle with Travis Jonsen – Prukop has the experience. The offense will mostly work around RB Royce Freeman early on, but the receivers are there to explode. It’ll have to with DeForest Buckner and six starters gone from the defensive front seven.

1. UCLA

Josh Rosen isn’t just a new, fun freshman anymore – he’s a veteran quarterback who could turn into enough of a difference-maker to overcome the loss of RB Paul Perkins, his main receivers, and a few key linemen. The defense should pick up the slack early on led by a terrific back eight that returns everyone. This is where the good recruiting classes under Jim Mora Jr. start to kick in.

Your 2016 Pac-12 football preview, featuring the key games, players, pro prospects and coaches on the hot seat.

After being shut out of the 2015 College Football Playoff, the Pac-12 is eager to get back into the national title hunt. Will it, once again, all be up to North Division to supply contenders, or is this the year that the South Division becomes a player as well?

Rather remarkably, either Oregon or Stanford has won the Pac-12 championship in each of the last seven seasons – three for the Ducks and four for the Cardinal, including last season. The South crew? A nice, parity-infused mix of schools that took it on the chin when the NCAA sacked USC for four years at the beginning of the decade. The division lost its signature program, its best answer to Oregon and Stanford.

Well, the sleeping giant’s slumber ended two years ago, yet the Trojans are still looking to become the South Division bell cow. They knocked on the door in 2015 by reaching the Pac-12 Championship Game, but were outclassed by Stanford, lost the bowl game to Wisconsin and wound up with a mediocre 8-6 record.

Now the program moves forward without quarterback Cody Kessler and with a coach, Clay Helton, who needs to prove he has championship chops.

Across town, UCLA is attempting to make a case that it, too, belongs in the title discussion. Blue-chip quarterback Josh Rosen is an important year older, and Jim Mora continues to haul in highly-rated recruiting classes. However, the Bruins are still looking to get over the hump and into a new stratosphere of contention.

Ranking the current Pac-12 head coaches who are both a perfect fit at the moment, as well as five years from now.

You’re the athletic director at a Pac-12 school and you need to find a head coach for your football team. You’re only able to look at the head men currently running the other conference teams, and you have to decide who the best fit would be for the next five years and beyond.

Obviously you want to win right now, but your job is to set the course for the next half-decade and build the team into something big. You have to find a guy who can sell a prospect on the idea of continuity – who’s going to be the guy recruits want to have running the show when they’re fifth-year seniors? Who could be a strong coach for the future, while also winning right now? Who’s got the right combination?

Only 29 current head coaches have been around for five years or more, so the chances are overwhelming that most of these guys won’t be manning the post when the current recruiting class exhausts its eligibility.

Going into the 2016 season, here’s the ranking of the Pac-12 coaches to build around, while still trying to win this year.

12. Mike MacIntyre, Colorado

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Colorado needed a massive rebuilding job, and now it’s his fourth year at the helm with the pieces he wants in place.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: He’s a one-hit wonder. In his six seasons as a head coach, at both San Jose State and Colorado, he has just one winning season – 2012 SJSU – and is just 10-27 at Colorado. There won’t be a fourth year in Boulder if he has another losing season.

11. Gary Andersen, Oregon State

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Still young, he’s only 52 and has a long way to go. Utah State was nothing before he turned it into a WAC champion. He reached a Big Ten championship game at Wisconsin, and now he’s trying to turn around Oregon State.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: After going 2-10 in his first season with the Beavers – and 0-9 in Pac-12 play – he has a long way to go. The Pac-12 North is only getting better.

10. Mike Leach, Washington State

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: He’s still as innovative and productive as any offensive coach in football. He never had a losing season in his 10 years at Texas Tech, and in four seasons he turned Wazzu into a winner.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: For all the firepower and all the fun and all the numbers and all the passing yards, he hasn’t won a conference championship in his 14 years of coaching. He also has just one double-digit win campaign. He’ll be on a hot seat with a clunker – he has two 3-9 campaigns in his first four seasons with the Cougars.

9. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: It took a little while to get Utah used to life in the Pac-12, but he appears to have the right formula with his tough defensive style and power running game working. Most impressively, in his 11 years as the head man he’s won eight of his nine bowl games – he’s growing into a Utah legend.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: He’ll be 62 in the 2021 season. While he won 19 games in his last two seasons, before that he came up with two 5-7 campaigns – he won’t be fired with another, but the program can’t start slipping.

8. Sonny Dykes, California

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Only 47 this season, he’s still just getting rolling. He turned Louisiana Tech into a winner again, and in three years got a sleeping Cal team to eight wins, all while growing his reputation as a quarterback guru.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: He had the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft at quarterback and still struggled to get to get to eight wins. He has two losing seasons in his first three in Berkeley – but he might be destined for a bigger gig if he has any real success.

7. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: You know exactly what you’re getting from the Arizona offense. His attack is going to rock, as always, and he’s going to have the Wildcats in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title – his teams are always competitive. He has 11 winning seasons in his last 13 – the two losing seasons came at Michigan.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: You know exactly what you’re getting from the Arizona defense. If the offense isn’t dominating at the highest of levels, there’s a hard ceiling on what RichRod’s teams can do. He lost five games or more in three of his four years in Tucson and in six of his last seven seasons as a head coach.

6. Todd Graham, Arizona State

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Turning 52 this December, he’s a young head man who built up the ASU street cred with two 10-win seasons before going 6-7 last year. He has some rebuilding to do, but he’s dealt with worse – he has five double-digit win campaigns in his last nine years as a head man.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: Arizona State isn’t known as a patient place when things start to go wrong for its head coaches. One losing season was okay, but another will put the pressure on.

5. Clay Helton, USC

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Energy, energy, energy. Turning 44 this summer, he’s the type of head man who’ll bring the combination of personality and fire the program needs, especially when it comes to hitting the recruiting trail. He was able to go on a run last year to get USC to the Pac-12 Championship Game, and he’s got enough talent in place to take another Pac-12 South title.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: It’s the USC job which means he … can’t … lose. Not a big name for a program that has its pick of the litter, if he’s not winning Pac-12 championships and getting into the national title debate, he’ll be politely left off the bus.

4. Jim Mora, UCLA

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: He has UCLA really, really close to being fantastic. He’s recruiting well, he won the Pac-12 South in his first season, and he has absolutely everything in place for the program to take off and become something amazing. A pro coach at the college level, he was a big-name get for UCLA four years ago, and he continues to be a big national figure.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: 37-16. He has two 10-win seasons, and his team was hit by a ton of injuries last year, but he hasn’t won a Pac-12 championship yet and hasn’t done enough with all the pieces he has in place. UCLA is a sleeping giant, but Mora has to wake it up. And then if he does, he might be back in the NFL.

3. Mark Helfrich, Oregon

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Going 33-8 in three years with a national title appearance isn’t a bad way to start things out. Only 43 years old this football season, he’s a rising superstar head coach able to keep the Chip Kelly-era fun going – but with an emphasis on actually having fun with this. The system still works, and even with last year’s blip, this is still a superpower under his watch.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: Kelly set an impossible standard to keep up. When you go 9-4 and the pressure is on – relatively speaking – there won’t be much room for any true disasters. He won’t be fired if he goes 7-6, but Oregon has to win 10 games or more. On the flip side, if he can get the Ducks back to the College Football Playoff, he’ll be seen as a next-level coach who can do all the things everyone wants, only without the Chip Kelly vibe.

2. David Shaw, Stanford

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Shaw took what Jim Harbaugh created and ran with it. Only turning 44 this summer, he’s one of the brightest young head coaches in all of football, winning four Pac-12 North titles, three conference championships and two Rose Bowls. You don’t just go 54-14 at Stanford with four seasons of 11 wins or more.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: Yeah, he’s one of the brightest young head coaches in all of football. He’d be the No. 1 coach in the Pac-12, but he’s not going to be on The Farm in 2021 – the NFL is going to take him very, very soon. If you’re drafting coaches, you want a guy who’s proven, elite, and is going to be around for a while, which is why …

1. Chris Petersen, Washington

Why He’s The Head Coach For Right Now: Taking national titles out of the equation, there are few more accomplished head coaches in college football. Petersen went 92-12 at Boise State with five conference championships, seven 10-win seasons, and two Fiesta Bowls – he was a terrific get for Washington. Only turning 52 this football season, he’s the right age, entering his coaching prime, and now he’s building up the program with his first recruiting classes showing the potential to create a superpower.

Why He Won’t Be The Head Coach Five Years From Now: He lost 12 games in seven years at Boise State, and he lost 12 games in two seasons at Washington. His defenses have been fantastic, and he’s done a nice job in his first two seasons recreating Washington, but a third straight six-loss season will get Dawg fans grumbling and put the pressure on in 2017.

Nov 13, 2015; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Mike MacIntyre disputes a call during the first half against the USC Trojans at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Preview 2016: Is this finally when Mike MacIntyre and the Buffs start to win again?

– 2016 Colorado Preview
– 2016 Colorado Preview: Top 10 Buffalo Players

Are we there yet?

Colorado has been building for what seems like a generation. Actually, it’s been just the past decade that the one-time Big Eight power under Bill McCartney has been flat-lining. The Buffaloes haven’t bowled since 2007, and they last finished above .500 in 2005. As a member of the Pac-12, one of the nation’s toughest conferences, turnarounds occur slowly.

Finances aside, the Buffs would probably be better served in the Mountain West Conference, so, yeah, this is one of the hardest Power Five coaching gigs. Football will never be the priority it is at, say, USC or Oregon, which is reflected in the facilities and the caliber of recruits the program attracts.

Still, winning here is not impossible. Gary Barnett went to five bowl games over seven years. Rick Neuheisel twice won 10 in a season. And McCartney’s last six teams finished ranked.

So, fourth-year head coach Mike MacIntyre, a program builder, will need to make a run at .500 at some point after starting 2-25 in Pac-12 play in his first three seasons.

The promising news for MacIntyre is that the personnel is decidedly better than when he arrived from San Jose State in 2013. His fourth team is flush in upperclassmen and returning starters, who now know what’s needed to compete in the league. Provided a bad wheel doesn’t blow up the plan, the offense will be in the capable hands of a fourth-year starting quarterback, Sefo Liufau.

On defense, coordinator Jim Leavitt is back for a second season after piloting an impressive improvement last fall. In fact, this could be the program’s toughest D in ages, led by CB Chidobe Awuzie, LB Kenneth Olugbode and a scrappy front seven. With a full offseason of preparation, Leavitt is primed to have his kids ready to catch the rest of the league off guard in 2016.

MacIntyre needs tangible gains this season. He knows it, as do his assistants and players. And while no one is looking for a miracle run, especially if the quarterback situation experiences hiccups, the Buffaloes possess enough quality veterans to surpass last year’s four-win mark and contend for a bowl game.

If, on the other hand, Colorado regresses, it’ll be hard to justify a fifth season for the man hired to clean up predecessor Jon Embree’s mess.

Sep 20, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Tedric Thompson (9) intercepts the ball late in the fourth quarter against the Hawaii Warriors at Folsom Field. The Buffaloes defeated the Warriors 21-12. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The top 10 Colorado football players you need to know for the 2016 season.

– 2016 Colorado Preview
– 2016 Colorado Preview: The Buffs are overdue to win again

CB Chidobe Awuzie, Sr.

Awuzie is the standard by which every other Colorado defender will be measured this fall. He’s a do-it-all cornerback, defending the run like a hard-hitting safety, while serving as one of the Buffaloes’ most dependable cover guys. The 6-0, 205-pounder is also savvy and smart enough to play any position in the secondary, a luxury for the staff. In a statistical reflection of his skill set, Awuzie racked up 90 tackles, nine stops for loss, four sacks and 10 pass breakups to earn a spot on the All-Pac-12 Second Team.

QB Sefo Liufau, Sr.

Liufau is Colorado’s most important offensive player. However, whether or not he plays in 2016 remains to be seen, a level of uncertainty tied to a tricky foot injury. A harried Liufau struggled before getting hurt last year, his production plummeting to nine touchdowns and 2,401 yards on 213-of-344 passing. But the 6-4, 230-pound veteran knows the system and has nearly three seasons of starting experience. If Liufau is not healthy enough to suit up, he could redshirt and temporarily serve as a mentor for the other options.

SS Tedric Thompson, Sr.

Thompson has quietly evolved into one of the more complete Colorado players on either side of the ball. Playing as a full-timer for the first time in his career, he was steady in both key phases of the safety position. At 6-0 and 205 pounds, Thompson possesses the size and strength to fill running lanes, yet he’s also capable in coverage. The All-Pac-12 honorable mention pick’s versatility was born out in his personal box score, 80 tackles, five stops for loss and nine pass breakups.

LB Kenneth Olugbode, Sr.

Olugbode missed time with a leg injury last season, yet still managed to tie for third on the Buffs with 80 tackles. He was especially adept at forcing punts, the trademark of a clutch leader who can step up when his team needs the ball back. Just 6-1 and 215 pounds, Olugbode can cover a large area of the field from middle linebacker, both as a run stopper and a pass defender.

LB Derek McCartney, Jr.

McCartney is an edge guy, whether that means he’s lining up at D-end or outside linebacker. At 6-3 and 240 pounds, he’s built more for the second level, though he’ll put his hand in the dirt and lock horns with offensive linemen. McCartney has been one of the program’s steadiest pass rushers the last two seasons, collecting 70 tackles, 10 stops for loss, five sacks and a team-high 16 pressures in 2015. The staff wants to move around No. 95 to best utilize his range and athleticism.

RB Phillip Lindsay, Jr.

Lindsay is one of the hardest working and most dedicated athletes in Boulder. And it’s beginning to show in the results. Despite being only 5-8 and 180 pounds, he graded out well in all three phases of his position, as a rusher, a receiver and a blocker. Lindsay led the 2015 team with 653 rushing yards and six scores on 140 carries, while also adding 26 catches and a TD reception. And he’s tougher than assumed for a player of his stature.

LB Rick Gamboa, Soph.

When oft-injured Addison Gillam went down last season, Gamboa stepped up to far exceed expectations for a rookie. Lightly recruited out of high school, Gamboa was supposed to watch and learn from the bench. Instead, he went on to lead the Buffs with 96 tackles. Yeah, the 6-0, 230-pound Gamboa needs to become a lot more consistent, but the ground floor of his future is down now that he’s been a starter for almost a full year.

LB Jimmie Gilbert, Sr.

With Gilbert on one side and Derek McCartney on the other, the Buffaloes boast an underrated bookend at outside linebacker. The former, an athletic 6-5, 225-pounder, led the team with six sacks a season ago. He also chipped in with 47 tackles, displaying an ability to support against the run. Gilbert is the kind of athlete Colorado can move around, allowing him to freelance and impact the game in a number of different areas.

WR Shay Fields, Jr.

All-timer Nelson Spruce is headed to the NFL, which means Fields will get a chance to be the new No. 1 receiver in the Colorado passing game. Fields has been a steady target in each of his first two seasons, ranking second to Spruce in 2015 with 42 receptions for 598 yards and four touchdowns. The 5-11, 180-pounder flashes big-play potential, whereas junior Bryce Bobo has similar size on the outside as Spruce did in Boulder.

OT Jeromy Irwin, Sr.

The Colorado O-line wasn’t the same after Irwin was lost for the season in Week 2 to a knee injury. Besides Stephane Nembot, who has now exhausted his eligibility, Irwin was the Buffaloes’ most competent overall blocker. He’s a tenacious 6-5, 300-pounder who was just beginning to emerge into a fringe all-league performer when he went down in the game with UMass.

Sep 19, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Phillip Lindsay (23) carries the ball in the first quarter against the Colorado State Rams at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado football preview for 2016, including keys to success for the Buffaloes, best players and season prediction.

– 2016 Colorado Preview: Top 10 Buffalo Players
– 2016 Colorado Preview: The Buffs are overdue to win again

What You Need to Know About the Colorado Offense

The Buffalo offense trended south in 2015, a bona fide concern that needs to be addressed quickly. After early showing signs of progress running the modified Pistol offense, Colorado suffered a dip in scoring and yards per play.

Explosiveness was virtually non-existent, and now the attack will regroup without its most feared weapon, all-league WR Nelson Spruce. Among the many issues facing co-coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini is an absence of sure things. The Buffs’ closest thing to a lock is veteran starting QB Sefo Liufau, and he’s been rehabbing a foot injury since last November.

Otherwise, this unit is a collection of undersized skill players, such as backs Phillip Lindsay and Patrick Carr and receivers Shay Fields and Devin Ross, and a sketchy offensive line. A year ago, Colorado was No. 11 in the Pac-12 in yards per carry and sacks allowed, a direct indictment of a middling lot of blockers.

Biggest Key To The Colorado Offense
Who’s on the mound opening day? When it comes to quarterback, uncertainty is the offseason buzzword in Boulder. The incumbent, Sefo Liufau, missed spring and is still recovering from a difficult foot injury. While senior Jordan Gehrke has nicely held down the fort, his experience—and his upside—is limited. More than any other position, the QB battle will be front and center when the Buffs reconvene in August.

What You Need to Know About the Colorado Defense

Jim Leavitt, you’ve still got it. The one-time architect of South Florida Bulls football proved in 2015 he can still coach up talent. Despite joining Mike MacIntyre’s staff just before the start of spring practice, Leavitt was a difference-maker as Colorado’s new coordinator.

The Buffs, sans any preseason hype, allowed their fewest points per game in nine years. And now that the 3-4 base is fully installed, no one is playing catch-up and nine starters return, anything less than additional progress would be a disappointment. If, and it’s a big ask, this D can remain healthy from front to back, the parts are in place for it be one of the four or five toughest units in the Pac-12.

If there’s an area that needs to be further stress-tested, it’s a run defense that yielded more than five yards a carry in 2015. Now more than ever, Leavitt will ask safeties Tedric Thompson and Ryan Moeller and inside linebackers Kenneth Olugbode and Rick Gamboa to pitch in closing running lanes.

Biggest Key To The Colorado Defense
Front seven potential. Defense has been an ongoing problem for the Buffaloes, and still might be in 2016. But while depth remains an issue, the Buffs are not without returning talent, especially in the front seven. Kenneth Olugbode headlines a productive group of linebackers, and the three-man line boasts good size. Still, the D needs to be fully staffed in 2016, which means oft-injured LB Addison Gillam finally playing an entire season and valuable run-stopping DE Samson Kafovalu returning from an April suspension.

Colorado Will Be Much Better If …

it learns how to close. The Buffaloes are improving under Mike MacIntyre, though an inability to finish games resulted in last year’s 4-9 mark, including 1-8 in Pac-12 play. Against Arizona, UCLA, USC and Utah, league opponents that bowled in 2015, Colorado lost by an average of only five points. Those four painful defeats exhibited just how close the team is to becoming more competitive … and how far it is from actually getting over the hump.

Best Offensive Player

Senior QB Sefo Liufau. Colorado’s best offensive player is still not 100% certain he’ll be 100% healthy this season. And therein lies a major worry for the Buffs this offseason. The program needs Liufau, a three-year starter behind center, to be whole again after he suffered a Lisfranc foot injury last November. It needs to once again see the confident playmaker who accounted for 28 touchdowns and 3,200 yards through the air just a couple of seasons ago.

Best Defensive Player

Senior CB Chidobe Awuzie. Awuzie is Colorado’s top all-around defensive player and a candidate to be drafted next April for his coverage skills. But he’s also one of the team’s most visible and important leaders, an essential intangible for a defense that’s struggled for so many years. After earning All-Pac-12 honors in 2015, Awuzie could be even tougher to throw on now that he’s surrounded by so many fellow experienced Buffaloes.

Key Players to a Successful Season

Junior RB Phillip Lindsay and sophomore Patrick Carr. The quarterback situation is uncertain. The defense, while distinctly improved in 2015, still has holes. The Buffaloes can support both areas with a more consistent running game. Whether it’s Lindsay or Carr who gets the starting nod is somewhat irrelevant, because both are going to see snaps in 2016. The hope is that both backs can spark a ground game that hasn’t finished higher than ninth in the Pac-12 since joining the conference in 2011.

The Season Will Be a Success If …

the Buffaloes find the right formula to snap their nine-year bowl drought. It will not be easy, and it will require an upset or two along the way. But Colorado is a veteran squad with a fourth-year coach and the knowledge that it almost knocked off a few Pac-12 heavyweights in 2016. The road schedule is a bear, including trips to Michigan, Oregon, USC and Stanford, but the Buffs have a puncher’s shot at six wins if they can take care of business when playing inside the state borders.

Key Game

Sept. 2 vs. Colorado State. Saddled with a five-game losing streak, the Buffs can use a fast start in 2016, and the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown is always rife with meaning and intensity. September is going to be crucial for a program faced with a shortage of confidence and momentum. And since the back end of the month features treks to Ann Arbor and Eugene, Colorado must capture a tailwind in its first two games with the Rams and Idaho State.

2015 Fun Stats

– Yards per carry: Colorado 3.7 – Opponents 5.0
– Sacks: Colorado 28 – Opponents 41
– Passes broken up: Colorado 63 – Opponents 34

Nov 21, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) high fives teammates after a Cardinal touchdown against the California Golden Bears during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Stanford defeated California 35-22. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Pac-12 Media Preseason Poll announced. What are the five things that matter about the media’s choices for the Pac-12’s finish?

– In a bit of a shocker, Stanford was picked to win by the media at Pac-12 media days to repeat as conference champs. Christian McCaffrey returns, but that’s about it. Even so, the Cardinal were selected to beat UCLA for the title.

– The other big stunner? No respect for Oregon, while Washington is starting to get some love. The Ducks got just one vote to win the Pac-12 North, while Washington was selected to finish second getting eight votes.

– The media likes UCLA, with 19 votes to win the Pac-12 South and USC getting 12 votes. Utah was the only other team to receive any first place votes, getting two.

– According to the Pac-12, the media has whiffed on seven of the last nine preseason polls, while correctly picking the conference champ in 29 of the first 55 polls.

– Who’ll actually going to win the Pac-12 divisions? Check out the CFN preseason Pac-12 picks for every team and every game.

2016 Media Preseason Pac-12 Football Poll

Pac-12 Championship: Stanford over UCLA

2016 Pac-12 Preseason North Division Media Prediction

1. Stanford (24) 186
2. Washington (8) 163
3. Oregon (1) 132
4. Washington State 112
5. California 67
6. Oregon State 33

2016 Pac-12 Preseason South Division Media Prediction

1. UCLA (19) 180
2. USC (12) 173
3. Utah (2) 127
4. Arizona 87
5. Arizona State 85
6. Colorado 63

It’s always one of the most fun and intense early rivalry games when the two neighbors fight it out. Check out the Colorado vs. Colorado State fearless prediction and preview.

Colorado vs. Colorado State Game Preview

Broadcast

Date: Friday, September 2nd
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
Venue: Sports Authority Field, Denver, CO
Network: ESPN

Why Colorado Will Win

Does Colorado State have the defense to be able to hold up if the Buffs can get the offense rolling? The Ram offense will turn out to be fine in time, but the defensive side has the most work to do after losing the entire front four.

The CSU coaching staff is changing the system up to take advantage of the personnel, but it’s never a plus to try working out the kinks against a Power 5 conference team. Colorado doesn’t have the firepower to blow up offensively and put up massive numbers, but it’s got a nice enough receiving corps to take advantage of an okay Ram secondary that’ll have a rough day if the pass rush isn’t getting the job done.

And then there’s the defense that should be the best in the Mike MacIntyre era as the season goes on. Colorado, overall, is far ahead of Colorado State in terms of having the right pieces in place.

Why Colorado State Will Win

Yeah, Colorado might be looking far stronger than normal, but the run defense gave up yards in chunks and it might have a few issues early on. If Colorado State can get powerful right away, it should be able to take advantage of the lack of Colorado’s proven depth up front.

The Rams always want to wing the ball around under head coach Mike Bobo, but the ground attack should shine with a good group of backs working behind a good line. Making life harder is the CSU quarterback situation with Nick Stevens in place, but Georgia transfer Faton Bauta good enough to add a rushing element to the mix. The Buffs have to prepare for both.

What’s Going To Happen?

It’s Colorado State vs. Colorado – it’s going to be a good game.

Fine, so two of the last three haven’t been so hot, but for the most part the showdown has been a one-score-difference dogfight that always delivers, especially when the two teams are relatively even.

Colorado will pull it off with a great game from the defense that keeps the Ram attack from doing anything consistently well, but the Buff offense won’t quite be able to pull away to get comfortable.

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Colorado vs. Colorado State Prediction

Final Score: Colorado 27, Colorado State 23

Line: Colorado -8, o/u: 54.5

ATS Confidence: 5: Lock of the Century – 1: Move Along … 3

Must See Rating: 5: Any Ryan Lochte interview – 1: Bridget Jones’s Baby … 3