Colorado Was Given One of the Toughest Schedule in the Big 12 | Max Olson

[Music] Max olon ESPN joins us Thursdays most every Thursday depending on his schedule and what's available he joins us on 365 Sports Max we were just talking at the end of the last hour about this transfer window of getting down to one and uh it's all stories about most coaches would like to keep the one in December even though that can be confusing where do you stand on that yeah I mean I've definitely talked to a lot of coaches who have frustration about the spring transfer period and you know I think certainly we anecdotally we saw some stories this spring of players you know Louisville lost a few of like okay we they just got here in January and now for some reason in April they are going back in the portals um and I think that you know I had the conversation with Lane Tiffin this spring who kind of made the point of like not only would you he he he argued look the NFL would never do this the NFL would never have two free agency periods you know they have their business year and they get all this done in one uh one event but also I think on the coaching side the frustration is you feel like these guys are kind of just committing to the next six months with you and not committing to the full year and so um you know I think that there's that's kind of the argument behind it and let's just get this all done so you can get players on campus in January and you have a little bit more certainty about who's going to be on your team next season but obviously as we've seen and as we saw the one time transfer rule like if you're going to try and take this away from people then uh you know you you may have to go to court over it too Max um there is there's just no organization to it like that that's the thing and I get people wanted to have more freedom but can't you kind of maybe get to the fact that like if you're leaving in the spring then Spring football is pointless for both sides yeah and certainly we're now we're you got to think about we're living in a time now where it is unlimited transfers so um I I I just you kind of assume that there's just I I don't know that the number of transfers will keep going up in like a you know I don't think I don't know that it will keep jumping 20% every year like we've seen which is crazy um but I think you have to kind of understand now that it's all on the table in terms of anyone going in the portal whenever they want and now we've got to kind of figure out the financial structure of how we pay them next year like I think you are setting up for a pretty chaotic uh portal in December and I can see why uh just in terms of trying to manage that chaos can you just get all that done over one month Max uh busy Thursday night I know you had a piece on the Colorado buffalos uh they obviously are walking into a situation where um man you love them or you love to hate them is what I kind of keep saying about Colorado they're they're polarizing and people are going to be watching uh here early on uh specifically with a pretty tough opponent right out of the gates uh what What's the vibe check from your standpoint with Colorado and and just you know entering the Big 12 and and all the expectations and talk about them where do you see them as the season begins yeah I mean I think there's still going to be a ton of Fascination around people tuning into Colorado to see can can Deion Sanders pull this off and you know I think that there is confidence not just like internally there but people I've talked to that you know that are in the recruiting space that um the the caliber of players that they took out of the transfer portal this off season they brought in 39 more players um via the portal this off season I think there's a sense that the C player they got is better than the previous year and so like you you kind of trust them and obviously it's going to matter the most on the offensive and defensive line and if they whiff on the offensive line takes then some of this stuff is not going to matter right but like I think there is is a belief that they did a better job of recruiting on defense I think there's a bunch of players that added on the defensive line who will be impactful um and I think that you feel like you know they added more Playmakers and you know you've got a little bit more you know lot a lot of change in terms of the coaching staff and I think that's kind of the xfactor a little bit of like the that all gel but I I think Colorado is just going to be mustat TV yet again and you know you go through the schedule I I really do think they were given one of the toughest schedules in the Big 12 and so um just in terms of who they play and and where they play on the road um I I think that it's going to be a pretty tough road here and you know you talk to some people who feel like oh they could win eight or nine games and you talk to some people who feel like and they're not going to be that much better because the schedule is tougher and uh you know I think it's just going to be thoroughly entertaining no matter what well you know they have so many Playmakers are we not giving them enough credit for what they did bring in yet as far as those who can block and tackle on the front lines you know I I think they did get some proven players on the offensive line I think liil senson I think Justin mayor's a guard like I I I do think that those are guys that definitely power five players um you know I think Jordan seon obviously the five star true freshman is going to be kind of you know trial by fire here a little bit as a as a true freshman starter at left tackle but um you know I will they have the depth and the injury luck and just just consistency up front to protect sh door I'm sure they will you know twak the offense a bit to try to get the ball out B there too and just prevent you know him taking hits and him taking sack like he did last year but um that I'm very interest to see if if what they've got is good enough I I do think so on the defensive line I think that between what they have coming back and and the players they added I think it's a good front on defense um and I you know it's just going to be like okay and then obviously running back it's it's fresh faces a running back too I think they really like Michael wels they're true freshman um you know they picked up D Hayden from Ohio State I'm I'm just you know will it all will the puzzle pieces all fit together I think it's just always been the question to Colorado uh because they they've just been so aggressive in uh getting new puzzle pieces Max um Dylan riola makes that first start he appears to have uh you know a Swagger about him uh for or a freshman that uh is is going to fire up Nebraska fans what are the realistic expectations for him I I think that by all accounts dlan had a really good camp and uh you know the folks I've talked with have you know believe that uh you know he has lived up to the hype this off season and and obviously came in with a lot of expectations and had a lot to prove to this coaching staff um in in since he enrolled in January and you know I I think that there's a real appreciation that the armed Talent is pretty special and uh you know I think for an 18-year-old with the pressure and expectations he's got um I think I've been pretty pretty impressed by the way he's handled everything I think he uh seems like a a very professional like the work ethic has impressed everybody um you know I think that this kid has put in a ton of work to earn starting job and you know again similarly like you can you do a good job protecting him and getting him through the season um did you add enough pieces on offense can you have a lot better injury luck on offense that this can be a pretty functional and dangerous offense I think there's a lot of question marks but uh it's funny in the past couple of weeks I've had a lot of people reach out to me and be like am I crazy to think Nebraska could be like in in the hunt here for a playoff spot and I think a lot of people are looking at the schedule and thinking this is not a hard schedule for Nebraska I I I think beyond the Colorado game like there's not a lot of tough opponents coming to Lincoln um you know certainly they've got a trip to Ohio State and that's a huge deal but like you know I think that there's a lot of optimism right now that that Nebraska's defense is going to be really good and that gives Nebraska's offense a chance to uh be competitive and and can you just find a way to win close games that's that's as you as you guys saw with with Matt Rand year two at Baylor that's the question mark is like can you just figure out a way to win some close games and get to a b game well and and there were some ups and downs like they got beat by TCU and and they had to win their last G be more specific with Baylor I'm sorry I'm sorry in the last 13 years they've lost to TCU 15 times uh except the famous One Max the one thing about Nebraska though they've had expectations since Scott Frost arrived and of course that balloon was popped and so I I'm uh and you know you and I are both the same here I want to see something different before I believe anything about him I know that RI is a hell of a player and I know the defense is stingy and I know what theyve put but I until I see them go out and look like they could dominate somebody I don't I just can't can't believe them I I think at this point Smoky you need to see them win about six games in a row before you're buying in yeah I mean like yeah take a real streak of like oh man these guys really figured it out yeah and like I think that look I don't think the Colorado game if you lose it it's like a season prusher but I think the Colorado game next week is a huge deal in terms of uh sending a message and um you know just just that things have changed if you're Nebraska and and that doesn't I don't say that in terms of like it has nothing to do with Colorado I think in a lot of ways it's Nebraska can you like get out of your own way not shoot yourself in the foot like play a clean football game for 60 minutes because obviously they didn't in Boulder a year ago like I think just the way they play what they can control like it's it's a big deal it's not it doesn't count in the Big 10 record but it's a big deal how they show up on that stage next week I think against the bus speaking of a stage Max how big of one is this for Neil Brown in West Virginia welcomeing in Penn State you know I can't I think that place is going to be rocking um that would be a very fun game to be at and I think that you know when you watched them a year ago when they were playing that that night game uh in Happy Valley on NBC like you just could tell offensively West Virginia was just kind of not ready for that game and I think they got a lot better obviously you saw how they played in in Big 12 Play you saw when when jar green was healthy um when when you know that duo of running backs got going um you felt like man they they can play with anybody in the Big 12 I just don't think they were ready for that matchup in week one last year I think they are this time and uh you know obviously the the expectations and the pressures on Penn State uh as a theme that everyone just expects like all right you've got so many people back you know you you've added Andy C Nicki you've added Tom Allen like this has got to be a playoff team um you know I think the pressure pressures on Penn State to uh to really put it all together and on Drew Val to get a lot better and uh you know I think that's a good spot for West Virginia so I think that is going to be a brawl and uh you know I think if Garrett greens can play pretty clean um I think West has got a chance uh take your pick of these three ranked versus ranked matchups to to wax on uh Clemson and Georgia Notre Dame and Texas A&M USC and LSU which one of those uh Pops to the top for you in terms of Interest levels yeah I mean I think Texas C Notre Dame is is just sort of an incredible match up um the way that that that the univers has set this up with Mike Elco making his debut having to go against Riley Leonard um you know I think that I I think A&M is one of those teams and you know I just think maybe this is more about uh the dysfunction of last year than what they're doing this year but I I just like I think this is one of those teams that you know I know they lost a lot to the transfer portal I know that uh you know there's definitely question marks but I'm high on Tex them like I think that there's a way this can all break where um you know that that that they can be an actual contender in the SEC and and be in the playoff conversation in November because I think Mike ELO has done a really good job of stabilizing things there you know losing Ruben Owens hurts a ton and they've got to kind of figure out what they're doing in the Run game they got to figure out um you know who's going to really lead the way in the receiving group but I think a healthy Conor wigman gives them a chance and I think he's got a CH you know he has a chance to really like I think that you know I'm buying stock on Conor wigman having a big year and uh you know really love the way Colin Klein calls an offense I think that's a great combination of those two and and I think that uh that D1 be among the best in the country um especially with the addition of Nick scorton from Purdue so you know I think uh A&M I'm just fascinated to see can they put it together and uh and give Notre Dame a heck of a fight here I think that's just what a great Showdown I I love there's some just some great games to watch and also we can hash and discuss them and digest them next week I can't wait for that too I want to just enjoy the weekend though with all these games around the country two games have already been delayed Jackson State at Minnesota potential lightning North Carolina and Minnesota severe weather there's a lot of that up and down in certain parts of the country that might delay some games so stay tuned for that uh as you can that's Brett McMurphy with a couple of those thank you very much Max olssen appreciate your time thank guys Max olon