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CU At The Game Podcast – Projecting CU’s Starting Lineup: Offense
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It’s July, which means the college football season is just around the corner. I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we are going to go out on a limb and give you our projected starting lineup for the CU offense for the 2024 season.
We also take our preview a step further, and discuss how each unit of the offense compares to the rest of the Big 12.
Our criteria:
– Tier One: One of the top four units in the Big 12, capable of taking the Buffs to title contention if the rest of the team is equally up to the task;
– Tier Two: 5-8 in the Big 12. A strength, a unit which can help CU to a winning record and a bowl berth;
– Tier Three: 9-12 in the Big 12. A liability, but, if the unit can avoid injury and live up to its potential, can help CU get to a bowl game; and
– Tier Four: 13-16 in the Big 12. A problem area. A unit which might drag CU down to another losing season.
So … Is CU’s completely redone running back room a strength, or a potential weakness? … Are CU’s wide receivers an elite corps, not only for the Big 12, but nationally? … And … Is the rebuilt offensive line, with fresh faces and fresh potential, good enough to carry CU to a winning season? …
Let’s find out …
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Most recent CU at the Game Podcast episodes …
- The In’s and Out’s of CU Spring Football
- CU Spring Game Recap / Plus: Unit-by-Unit Spring Review
- May Mailbag Episode: CU v. The World
- Pet Peeves Bracket Challenge
- June Mailbag – Identifying CU’s Top Transfers/ CU in the post-House world
- Schedule Countdown – Ranking the Buffs’ 2024 Opponents
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Below is Episode 14 of Season 5 for the CU at the Game Podcast. You can listen to the podcast simply by clicking on the play button below, or listen to it at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio … or wherever you find your podcasts!
One Reply to “CUATG Podcast: Projecting CU’s Starting Lineup – Offense”
I’m betting on the O-line’s talent upgrade and coaching to end up a tier 2 as the unit grows during the season. The hope is that the line can debut at a 9 or a 10 and with quick play from Shedeur they look better than they really are resulting in better than expected stats.
One thing you guys didn’t mention is the changes in play calling and how that may help the line look better than expected.
We’ve been reading about a simplified game plan and play calling which is expected to allow Shedeur to make faster reads and decisions; that alone could make this O-line look better if Shedeur can get the ball out quickly and complete plays. Like you mentioned, if they reduced the sacks by half the Buffs would have won a few games more last year and with no Oregon, UW or USC on the schedule and improved line play they better reduce the number of sacks.
Really, Shedeur may be able to make the line look better than sum of it’s parts and if that helps them get any run game going, those positive plays will be a big improvement over last year’s production. We need an improved line to give Shedeur a few more seconds to operate, but we also need better play calling to help that line look better than advertised.
Get that ball out quickly to those talented receivers and the defense will be on their heels when the Buffs do run the ball… that’s my hope and why I think that the line only has to improve enough to give Shedeur a few more seconds and keep him upright, if they can do that, he’ll make them look good too.
A good QB needs a great line, a great QB needs a line that’s good enough to let him make plays.