Ochs done for Season
filed in Injuries on Sep.23, 2002 by Marc
QB Craig Ochs has decided to sit out the rest of the season. He will withdraw from CU, relinquish his scholarhip, and seek a medical redshirt.
“I don’t know that Craig’s career is over, but it is for this year. He is stepping away, that’s what it is,” Barnett said. “I think this whole thing has been hard on him because he is such a competitor and he wants to play.”
Wow this is big news considering all signs pointed to a return. I have to say I think this is the best decision for Craig’s health. More details to come soon.
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September 23rd, 2002 on 8:28 pm
Well, Marc and I have debated this at length now and I think we have a few points we agree on and a few we still disagree on.
On the agree side is the fact that we are all a little queasy about the whole QB situation and very uneasy about what might happen if Hodge was to go down as well. I think we both agreed that Ochs was not performing to his potential before he went down but he probably had more potential than Hodge does. However, we disagree on how much potential Hodge has.
I believe we saw some glimpses of the real Hodge in the second half vs UCLA. I think 11 completions for 117 yards or so in more or less 1 half of play in an offense that runs on probably 75% of its snaps is pretty good. I thought I saw a better long range arm, some throwing speed and some touch in the second half. Not to mention he can run and catch! I think he has talent and I think he will get better with more snaps and more time with his receivers and coaches. I think the game plan will morph to better suit his skill set as the coaches figure out what that skill set is and what plays we have for him. Along with that will come more pocket plays and more elaborate schemes. No he doesn’t read coverages as well as Ochs did. But he might someday. Time is our real enemy here.
Marc thinks he sucks, can’t hit a receiver more than 10 yards out and comes out of the pocket too much. He thinks it will take way to long for him to mature into a useable QB or a suitable Ochs replacement.
One thing is for certain, Buff fans have reason to be nervous. But the debate as to how nervous we should be rages on.
September 24th, 2002 on 8:32 am
I’m going to agree with Ryno. I think Hodge will be fine in our offense. We are a running team that just needs to have a QB that can throw deep on occasion to keep the defense honest and hit the 10 yard out patterns. I was impressed with Hodge in the second half of the last game, and think he will continue to improve. I think the key to our season rests on the offensive line, not the QB.
On another note, I hope the coaching staff has plans to bring in a highly rated QB or two next year or we’ll be in big trouble in 2003.
September 24th, 2002 on 9:07 am
To clarify I don’t think that Hodge sucks. Not at all. But I also don’t think that his performance was spectacular either.
Yes, Hodge had great strength in his arm for throwing the long ball, but he didn’t complete a single one. In fact most times they weren’t even that close to the receivers.
I think he was much better this week at staying in the pocket when he was supposed to, but I would love to see the stats on the actual number of times the plays were designed for him to stay in the pocket to throw. Most of the passes he completed were off of sprintouts and bootlegs.
This was way different than anything we ran all season long and I’m sure caught UCLA a bit off guard. We aren’t going to have that luxury on Oct 5.
I am excited about the possibilites for Hodge and where he is going to take this team. I have no other choice.
September 24th, 2002 on 9:09 am
I agree with Gampp, the key this year is the O-line. With 2 strong running backs, the pass is really only needed for a change of pace. I think Hodge did a fine job settling in. He looked confident that he could run the show. The key for the rest of the season is for the team to play within their abilities and not try to make the players fit the playbook, but the other way around.
September 24th, 2002 on 9:12 am
Hodge played well in the second half. It was nice to see a couple of option plays in there. The reverse passback to hodge was great, nice to see some imagination from the coaches. Hodge is a very good athlete, and with more reps in practice and games, he can be pretty good, and a decent fit in the offense. Im bummed to see Ochs done for the year, but you cant take chances with concussions.
Looking ahead to next year, I think we have to worry. Hodge will be gone, Colvin will be gone, and we have a walk-on freshman as the only QB on the roster. I fear going to FSU with that kind of QB early in the season. Need to get some high profile JuCo transfer or top HS QB.
September 27th, 2002 on 3:21 pm
Everyone’s seems to see the negative side of this.We WILL get some top notch QB becuase going into this next season, they won’t have to worry about riding the pine. Everyone and their grandmother knows that kick ass players would rather play than wait a couple of years to “develop.” What do they have to develop, a throwing arm? Learning a new system, especial one as predictable as the Buffs, should not be that hard, therefore going to FSU should not be that big a fucking deal. Besides, see FSU choke last night against Louisville!! That team is not what they used to be, they are the Randy Mosses of the College Football world.
September 27th, 2002 on 3:55 pm
I also fogot, the only good football player that will ever come out of Fairview high school will be Tony Boselli. As for Ochs, go be a dirty box at Montana, I’m sure the loads of talent up there will make you such a better player. Oh by the way, whining always come back to hurt you, so watch out for your next concussion.