CU loses incoming freshman Jon Major, a productive, big-hitting linebacker, for the season and no one really knows how much that's going to hurt. Brian Cabral, the Buffs' backers' coach thinks Major was going to play and as smart as the ex-Ponderosa star is, he may have pushed to start by the end of the season. All that is lost now, at least for 2008. In all honesty, 2009 will likely be a recovery year too even if Major is on the playing field, as it is often said that it takes one full year back to get the strength and range of motion back in a knee. Bottom line for CU is that it just suffered a major loss.
One opponent on the Buffs' schedule and every program's for that matter is Injury U. Right now, CU is taking some big hits. If the injury plague hits a team hard enough, expectations go from tempered to shot to hell. For now, the Buffs might be able to just temper expectations after losing depth and potential difference makers at end (Drew Hudgens) and linebacker (Major and suspended Lynn Katoa).
Offensive tackles Ryan Miller and Nate Solder give the Buffs a chance to put together a dominant offense. Charley Pell, I believe, the old Florida coach once said that "good things happen to teams with good tackles." Miller and Solder are young but physically imposing and talented. While Pell's quote, again checking my memory, was about former Gator star and NFL standout Lomas Brown and some other forgotten player, the tandem I think the Buff bookends could mirror could be two mountains from Tennessee back in the day, Antone Davis and Charles McRae, both of whom excelled for the Vols before going high in the draft. Both busted out at that level but that's an irrelevant point to the discussion.
Secondary coach Greg Brown sounds like he's unsure who his starters are going to be at cornerback, not a good sign, but it also sounds as if he likes the overall collection of guys he has in the secondary. Going to be some breakdowns early in the season. Prescription? Turn up the heat. Get a high-intensity pass rush.
Cheney Larschied
Julie Henderson
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