BOULDER — It’s not like Jon Embree doesn’t have enough to catch up on. Colorado’s first-year football coach spent the spring studying his new players, establishing recruiting contacts and reacquainting himself with college football after years of working in the NFL.
At least his alma mater’s campus layout has barely changed.
Piling on like a USC linebacker is a task that burdens few first-year coaches. Embree is boning up on a Pac-12 Conference in which Colorado is a virtual stranger. If you think his roster’s depth is bare, you should see the cupboard with Pac-12 opponent information. In the last five seasons, Colorado has played two Pac-12 teams — and we all know how the last game turned out.
Embree hopes the Buffaloes’ 52-7 pratfall last September at Cal isn’t an omen for what’s ahead in CU’s maiden Pac-12 season. While Utah is sticking to its routine of waiting until game week to study its next opponent, Embree has made scouting the Pac-12 a priority this offseason.
How much time?
“Over five days a week,” he said.
Thanks to modern technology, he can scout as much as he wants, wherever he wants. Gone are the days when schools sent their latest game film overnight to their next opponent. Since 2005, Colorado has uploaded all of its game film onto a website that any conference school can access. Rivals go to the Colorado folder and pull up its games, just as CU did in the Big 12 and will do now starting with the Pac-12.
Embree doesn’t even have to be in his office. He can watch video at a stoplight or on his cellphone. The videos are organized to the point Embree can see an opponent’s nickel defense for an entire season. The players can too.
“It’s unbelievable to have the ability to watch all the film, online, anywhere,” Colorado video director Jamie Guy said. “When players used to have to study film, they’d have to come into the building and watch it in either their position meeting room, or on their own in the meeting room when no one’s around.
“Now they can practice, eat dinner, study and go home and watch the film. They’re further ahead of the game.”
The CU staff won’t need subtitles to understand what they’re watching. Embree is one of seven coaches on the Buffs’ staff who’ve coached in the Pac-10, which becomes the Pac-12 this fall when CU and Utah officially join.
Embree may have coached in the NFL the past five years, but he and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy coached at UCLA from 2003-05. And Embree’s son, Taylor, is a senior receiver for UCLA, so the coach has watched the Bruins extra-close the last three years.
Embree is so ingrained in the Pac-12 he calls Washington by its local handle, U-Dub.
“You’re going to get a league that’s very diverse on both sides of the football,” he said. “You might see the same scheme twice during the year.”
Embree is either taking notes or watching teams on video four or five times a week. He has assigned each assistant two teams to scout as if they’re playing them this Saturday. He watched Stanford’s spring game on TV.
This year, the league may be as deep as any BCS conference. Washington State, the traditional bottom feeder, has nine starters back from a vastly improved offense, and Arizona State could be a national sleeper with 19 starters back. Oregon returns nearly all of its skill-position players from the team that played for the national championship.
Then there’s Stanford, where quarterback Andrew Luck is the undisputed No. 1 NFL draft prospect.
“Those two teams?” Embree said. “Gotta pack a lunch.”
When the preseason magazines come out this summer, look for Colorado to get a lot of last-place votes for the South Division. The Buffs return 17 starters, but the five starters who are gone include two cornerbacks who were drafted last week, a left tackle taken in the first round and their best linebacker.
Said Embree: “We’re the biggest question mark coming in.”
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
