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The Buffaloes haven't moved in yet, but they already have their favorite parts of their new multimillion dollar football facility.
Coach MacIntyre loves the weight room, and its proximity to the indoor practice field. Linebacker Kenneth Olugbode loves the tunnel onto Folsom Field, which promises to amp up the players as they run into their home stadium right below a large cheering section.
The anticipation has been building for the complex, much in the way that anticipation has been building for the program itself. After years of struggle, CU coaches, players and fans alike are feeling more positive than ever. A foundation of experience has been laid.
All that's left is to win — no easy task, but one the Buffs are ready to take on.
"We saw what we could do as a team this summer," Olugbode said. "We know how much harder we worked, and we know we'll be that much better."
It's tricky to get expectations too high. MacIntyre surprised by winning four games in his first year in Boulder, then just won two in 2014. The Buffs are 1-17 over the last two seasons in the Pac-12, and were again voted to finish last in the cutthroat Pac-12 South.
But experience may just be a boon to CU, which now has nine players back on defense and six on offense. Asked whether it's more important to secure a high-profile upset or improve an overall win total, MacIntyre said, "Yes."
"We definitely could've won a few last year, but couldn't do it," he said. "But now our junior and sophomore class is probably one of the biggest in the school. … We've got to win some of the close games this year and try to do better the next year."
Colorado outtakes
• One of Stephane Nembot's favorite American meals is In-N-Out, which he's planning to get plenty of after he's done with his Pac-12 media days responsibilities. His favorite order? "Double-double."
• Nembot is billed as knowing 13 languages, including his native French. He said the most difficult to learn was English: "I took two years of ESL classes. I knew how to talk, but the writing part … I had to translate my homework into French, then try to do it in English."
• Mike MacIntyre said he first found out Nelson Spruce's dad was a bodybuilder when he tried to recruit Spruce to San Jose State as a junior in high school. "He picked up some good habits from him."
In Stanford's five losses last season, they scored 10, 14, 10, 16 and 17 points, the last of those in double overtime, when the Utes visited on Nov. 15.
Head coach David Shaw was addressing the media about that loss when he heard shouting coming through the walls, from the locker room.
Oh no, he thought. We're fracturing.
But when he listened closer, what he heard was fifth-year safety John Flacco telling his teammates "It's not about what you get, it's what you give."
The Cardinal, picked to finish second in the north after a down season and the loss of six players to the NFL draft, feels that it can improve, in part, just by thinking positively.
Senior linebacker Blake Martinez admits that there was friction last season between the defense — which felt they needed to hold teams to 10 points to win — and the struggling offense.
In mid-November, Martinez said, they decided to make a concerted effort to stop blaming each other. What followed were 114 points in the next three games, including a 45-21 rout of Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl.
This year, Martinez said, they're going to let the offense know they have their back.
And if they have to hold the opponent to less than 10 points, so be it.
Stanford tidbits
• Senior wideout Devon Cajuste never had surgery, contrary to social media rumor, and is expected to return from a high ankle injury early in camp, Shaw said. Stanford will be without inside linebacker Noor Davis, however, until about midseason after he injured a lower leg tendon during training.
• The injury to Davis may open the door for Woods Cross product Sean Barton, a freshman after an LDS mission to West Africa. Martinez spoke highly of Barton's summer work: "He's one of the few freshmen that we have right now who are coming in the weight room in their off time and putting the work in."
• Sophomore Brandon Fanaika, a Pleasant Grove graduate who is the younger brother of Utah defensive end Jason, also won raves from left tackle Kyle Murphy. He's down to about 300 pounds after weighing as much as 330, Murphy said, and "he's got that real natural strength." Murphy said he sees Fanaika as a younger version of senior guard Joshua Garnett, a preseason Rotary Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy watch-lister.
— Matthew Piper
The NFL Draft was bittersweet for the Huskies.
On one hand, the NFL pipeline from Seattle was on center stage: Four UW products were taken in the first two rounds of the draft.
But with all that talent, Washington fans asked, how did the team still manage to have a losing record in the Pac-12?
"It was definitely disappointing to me because we didn't win out," linebacker Travis Feeney said. "But there were positives, too. We had close games we could've won, and now we know how to finish."
Voted fourth in the Pac-12 North in a preseason media poll, the Huskies warn to underestimate them at your own risk.
Coach Chris Petersen said most bought in to his system and coaching last year, "but not everyone." Players at media days confirmed that Year 2 under their head coach has been going a little more smoothly than Year 1.
"There's always difficulty with a coaching change," running back Deontae Cooper said. "The great thing about Coach Pete has been consistent message, the same day-in and day-out."
The Huskies undeniably have great challenges replacing NFL caliber talent on their defense. They're also thin at the receiving corps, and lost two quarterbacks in the offseason (to transfer and retirement). Players like Cooper, who is in his sixth year in the program, take on more importance as veterans who can give continuity and leadership.
It will be an intriguing opening match-up for Petersen, who will take UW to his last stop at Boise State for the season opener. But at the least, Washington is beginning to feel more comfortable to him.
"It takes a while for a place to feel like [home]," Petersen said. "But I think we're at a place where we can say, 'OK, this feels comfortable to me now.'"
Washington outtakes
• Deontae Cooper joked that he would get reps at passer, throwing "50-yard bombs." Chris Petersen retorted: "I've seen his arm, and if we have to go with him, we're in trouble."
• Cooper wore large gold-colored "DC" earrings to his media day session. Talking about finding the earrings: "It's originality. You like these? I stumbled onto them in a jewelry store. We fell in love."
• Travis Feeney said he never played offense in football, but if he could, he would play wide receiver. "I'm tall and I can run fast. But no hands."
— Kyle Goon
That UCLA would be picked to finish third in the Pac-12, behind USC, who they've beaten three straight years, "befuddles me," said linebacker Deon Hollins.
"But we love that. It buys into our blue-collar mentality."
Hollins' theory: The media loves USC.
How, then, would you explain the 2014 preseason media poll, in which the Bruins received 37 of 39 votes to finish first in the Pac-12 South?
More likely, it has something to do with jarring October losses to Utah and Oregon and the feeling, as Hollins articulated, that "they're going to show a little bit and then they're going to fall off the map."
This year's Utah game, on Nov. 21, is circled on Hollins' calendar, he said.
UCLA didn't play to its potential in Pasadena last year, Hollins felt. They didn't have an answer for Kendal Thompson's read-option.
Under new defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, Hollins expects the defense to be more "exotic" and live up to the talent that they've had at UCLA for years — which this year includes Myles Jack, Ishmael Adams, Eddie Vanderdoes and Kenny Clark.
— Matthew Piper
In his opening statement, Jim Mora pre-empted the odds-on favorite to be his first question: Is it going to be freshman quarterback Josh Rosen or junior Jerry Neuheisel?
"When I know, I'll let you know," he said.
Of course, we asked about it anyway.
"I think the thing that gives me some measure of confidence is we've got a veteran group around that player, whoever it may be," he said.
UCLA likes to think that with 19 starters returning — most in the Power 5 — from a three-loss season, there's a lot to like.
"A lot of people think the quarterback is the only thing that matters on the offense, said center Jake Brendel, who leads a unit that returns every starter.
And Hollins feels that both Neuheisel and Rosen — who is up to 215 pounds, Mora said — "could lead us to the promise land."
— Matthew Piper
It didn't take long for Storm Barrs-Woods to figure out plenty about his new coach Gary Andersen.
A quick Google search revealed that the former Wisconsin head man had won a lot of games in his brief tenure in Madison, and he coached top rusher Melvin Gordon with the Badgers.
But what really won the senior running back over was the first phone conversation they had back in January. Andersen talked frankly about Barrs-Woods' highlights from the previous year — and what he thought he could improve.
"We talked about 30 minutes, and everything he was saying just kind of blew me away," he said. "I knew from the depth of what he was telling me how much film he had watched. Our bond started right there."
The two players Oregon State brought to media days weren't shy about how they feel about their new coach: They "love" him, even though they haven't played a game for him.
How does a brand new coach inspire such admiration in only a few months?
"He's just genuine, loyal," cornerback Larry Scott said. "He just comes to you and tells you exactly what you need to fix, what you need to work on, what you need to do. … Being genuine and 100 [percent] out there, it gets people to buy in."
Andersen said there's a lot to do anytime you take over a program: setting up core values, expectations, and building trust through coaching. It also helped, he said, that former coach Mike Riley paid respect to the new staff and helped his former players open up to Andersen.
Obviously, on-field issues loom. The Beavers don't have a starting quarterback decided, are replacing four NFL Draftees on defense, and are looking to rebound from a losing season. Most don't expect them to turn it around: They were voted last in the North division.
But Andersen said as far as developing culture, things are going well.
"The only way you build a family environment is through time and doing things together," he said. "We've now had 8 months to do that, and I think we've accomplished that."
Oregon State outtakes
• A reporter asked Gary Andersen if freshman quarterback Seth Collins bore resemblance to Chuckie Keeton. His response: "Oh gosh, I hope so. That would be fantastic."
• Storm Barrs-Woods changed his name in the offseason to take "Barrs," the name of his mother who raised him while working three jobs and hasn't missed a single one of his games home or away. Said Barrs-Woods: "Me reflecting on where I was, there's reasons for that: Her and God. I can't put God on my jersey, so I have to put my mom."
• A reporter asked cornerback Larry Scott if he would like to see a live beaver as Oregon State's mascot. "I haven't seen a live one up close. I've seen one from afar, but not up close."
— Kyle Goon
There's a different perception of football players in Tempe, said senior quarterback Mike Bercovici.
He loves the previous boss, Utah running backs coach Dennis Erickson, to death.
But now, players tuck in their shirts.
They don't wear earrings.
They go to class, they stay out of trouble, and they have an obsessive focus on the message written in the team room: "ONE PURPOSE: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP."
"You might meet [ASU coach Todd Graham] and think, 'Wow, this guy said the words national championship 15 times in 30 seconds,' but that's just who he is."
Bercovici credits Graham for his decision to stick around with Taylor Kelly the likely starter last season, throwing for 1,445 yards, 12 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions in spot duty.
"He's a Sun Devil all the way down to his core and couldn't get himself to leave," said safety Jordan Simone.
Now, he takes the helm of what Graham calls "the best football team that we've had since we've been at Arizona State."
Bercovici won't be able to lean on wideout Jaelen Strong, as Arizona State did at times last year, but he said he's surrounded by guys who "can take 1-yard passes 90 yards," including roommates D.J. Foster and Ellis Jefferson, and UCLA transfer Devin Lucien (whom Utah also coveted this spring).
As for late-game heroics like Bercovici's 46-yard game-winning toss to Strong to beat USC, he hopes to avoid those this year.
Early game heroics are better, he said.
"Because the completion percentage on those is not very good."
ASU outtakes:
• The first question asked of a coach at Pac-12 media days was about Todd Graham's custom-made alligator skin boots, featuring a fork on the front and Sparky on the back. "Obviously, I'm from Texas, so I wear boots. That's what I wear." There you have it.
• NFL quarterbacks might buy their offensive linemen matching Rolexes. Mike Bercovici, on a student's budget, buys them In-N-Out on Fridays. The burger joint is near their bubble practice facility, and the bill runs him $40, he said. "I messed up a little bit, because once you do it once …"
• Simone was asked about his decision to transfer from Washington State to Arizona State, where he had to walk on and earn a scholarship. At WSU, he said, "the coaches came in and it wasn't what I wanted to be. … I was done with it. My love for the game was gone." The son of an ASU player, Simone said he was a Sun Devil all his life, with a year off to be a Cougar. There's a lot to love about ASU, he said, listing off its many virtues. What about the beautiful women, he was asked? "We've got a lot of good-looking girls, probably. I don't know. I don't go out."
— Matthew Piper
Larry Scott touts Pac-12 reforms • The Pac-12 commissioner came out firing at Pac-12 Media Days on Thursday morning, decrying the "cynicism" against the NCAA athletics model while touting the conference's progress of the last year.
Celebrating the Pac-12's 100-year anniversary, Scott set the agenda for the start of the upcoming century. Claiming that the conference "can come out stronger," Scott said the Pac-12 has been pushing progressive reforms, including increased medical coverage, full cost of attendance stipends and guaranteed four-year scholarships.
Specific to football, Scott announced that fans will see the same video as referees on video boards whenever there's an official review. He also reiterated that the Pac-12 is hiring injury spotters for each game to identify when athletes are hurt and should come out of the game.
In the question session, Scott said he was "delighted" about AT&T's acquisition of DirecTV, which has been in a standoff over a distribution deal for the Pac-12 Networks. Although Scott said he couldn't predict when a deal might be hammered out, he said the conference is more optimistic that negotiations will move forward for the first time in years.
He also fielded questions about officiating, contending that the hiring of former NFL ref David Coleman as a full-time employee will help the conference fight negative perception of its referees. He also commented that he didn't imagine the Pac-12 would look to expand "in the foreseeable future."
— Kyle Goon
Utes picked 5th in Pac-12 South in media poll • A preseason media poll picked the Utah football team to finish fifth in the Pac-12 South, the Pac-12 announced Thursday morning.
The USC Trojans were picked as the overall conference champions, leading the voting in the South Division with 32 first-place votes and 21 votes to win the Pac-12 title. Last year's champ Oregon, which was runner-up in the national championship game, was voted to win the North with 37 first-place votes.
In the South, Arizona State, UCLA and Arizona all were voted ahead of Utah. The Utes once again were voted ahead of Colorado.
The Utes finished 9-4 last season, its best ever Pac-12 record, but still was fifth in the division.
In the North, Stanford was picked second behind Oregon, while Cal, Washington, Washington State and Oregon State followed up in order.
— Kyle Goon
Twitter: @kylegoon