Woelk: 'Offseason' Will Be Crucial For 2018 Buffs

BOULDER — With just one spring practice remaining and spring break set to begin Saturday, the offseason workout regimen isn't exactly top of mind for the Colorado Buffaloes.

But what happens between now and August camp will go a long way in determining how the 2018 Buffs perform on Saturdays next fall.

CU head coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff will put the Buffs through their final major scrimmage of spring camp Friday morning, then spend some time teaching players how to conduct player-led-practices during spring and summer.

Don't underestimate the value of those voluntary workouts, both from a physical and mental standpoint. It is when leadership kicks in, when a team's true identity is established. Those workouts can be huge difference-makers, with the 2016 Buffs the perfect example. It was during those workouts that the Buffs galvanized as a team, setting the stage for a Pac-12 South title and a 10-4 record — the most successful CU season in well more than a decade.

It is the type of spring and summer CU coaches would love to see again.

The Buffs will return from spring break in early April and have another strength-and-conditioning stretch under the direction of Drew Wilson and his staff. Then comes a break at the end of the spring semester, followed by a summer strength and conditioning session.

Interspersed among those workouts are the voluntary practices, where leadership plays an integral role. MacIntyre saw the 2016 team turn the corner in that stretch.

"They were like little brothers who grew up to be big brothers," MacIntyre said. "They grew up together."

Every team's personality is different. This year, MacIntyre said he has seen some hunger return — something that might not have been as prevalent a year ago in the wake of the 2016 success — as well as a renewed sense of ownership.

"I thought going into spring practice, ownership was a lot better by the players," MacIntyre said. "Hopefully, when they come back in April, they'll keep it going. ... You're either getting better or getting worse, nothing stays the same."

Another difference CU coaches have said they have seen this year is a tighter-knit group, with upperclassmen far more willing to help teach younger players the ropes.

"I've seen a little bit more close-knit (group)," MacIntyre said. "I've seen a little bit more competition, but at the same time, team competition. There's a difference in competition where you want to beat the guy and you don't care what happens to him, and when you want to beat him out but I want to be a team. I've seen a lot of that. You can tell by different things I've seen in practice and off the field, too."

MacIntyre pointed to several instances when he has walked into CU's football offices and seen older players watching film with younger players in one-on-one sessions.

"Instead of worrying about the guy beating him out, (he's) trying to help him," MacIntyre said. "He knows (the younger player) is going to have to play sometime. … We can't make them do that. They have to do it on their own. I've seen that happen a couple times this spring, which I think is really special."

It has indeed been an interesting spring for the Buffs, with a number of starting jobs and playing time up for grabs on both sides of the ball. While competition at a number of those positions has been intense, CU coaches and players have also said this year's group seems to be a closer bunch.

That, of course, can be the result of a 5-7 season that left virtually every returning player more than a little unfulfilled.

"Last year, we kind of spread apart a little bit," MacIntyre said. "We made progress at times, (but) didn't make as much as we would like, of course. Now, I think a lot of those guys are taking the bull by the horns with the younger guys, saying, 'Hey, you have to know how to do this.'"

Coaches can push players in practice. They can teach in film sessions, encourage them to test their limits in strength and conditioning drills, and provide advice and guidance in all kinds of areas.

But coaches can't force players to attend voluntary practice sessions. They can't make a team become more closely knit and they can't manufacture leadership and togetherness in the locker room.

That has to come from players — and it often comes away from the eyes of coaches, during the long days of spring and summer, when fall camp is still a spot on the distant horizon, the spotlight is off and the only motivation comes from within.

It will be interesting to see over the next few months who emerges as team leaders and team captains. It will be those players who take on the role of setting an example every day, who make sure the entire team is on the same page — not just through words, but through actions.

Certainly, there should be no lack of motivation. A last-place finish in the Pac-12 South and a 5-7 record should be sufficient motivation.

The key will be if they can replicate those intangibles from two years ago.

If, as MacIntyre said, the Buffs can grow up from little brothers to big brothers, they can enjoy some success in 2018.

But what happens between now and next fall will be critical in determining that direction.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu