B igger. Faster. Stronger.

If you want to make an attempt at passing judgment on a football team in spring ball (you'd be better off trying to predict what your wife/girlfriend wants for her birthday), start up front.

Are the hosses in the pits bigger than when you last saw them? A little faster, perhaps? A more cohesive unit?

If so, there's reason to be optimistic. If not, please refer to Colorado spring ball 2006 before you make any rash predictions concerning next fall.

Still, much like baseball, spring is the time for eternal optimism in football. Saturday morning, in Colorado's penultimate scrimmage ofthe spring, there were plenty of flashes, the kind that make fans go giddy.

Wide receiver Josh Smith continues to display that "wow" effect. Cody Hawkins threw some nice balls, tight end Patrick Devenny made some good catches, and the newest phenom, Alamosa walk-on wide receiver Jason Espinoza, seemed to make things happen every time he touched the ball.

If Espinoza continues to turn heads into the fall, we may be asking what's in the water where he grew up.

Or maybe not.

"It's funny the way spring ball has evolved," said CU coach Dan Hawkins. "It's great to have people excited, to have fans come and watch you. It adds a little excitement for the kids."

Indeed, spring ball has turned into a major event in some corners of the world. ESPN televised Florida's spring game on Saturday. Next week, Nebraska expects a full house of 80,000 for the public's first look at the Bo Pelini era. Ohio State wants 100,000 for its spring game.

Coaches, meanwhile, have more modest goals.

"If nobody gets hurt, it's a good spring," Hawkins said. "Seriously. You roll the dice every time you go out there.

"The things you want to accomplish aren't complicated. Implement some things on both sides of the ball. Improve technique. Work on special teams. Just try to get better."

Those are the same things assistant head coach/o-line boss Jeff Grimes wants to see, with a little qualifier.

"We want to have the toughest o-line in the country," Grimes said. "This is a chance to build that mind-set. We want to see what kids are going to compete."

A year ago, the Buffs didn't have enough offensive linemen to actually conduct a full-scale scrimmage. That makes this spring a success already.

Then there's this: "No matter what I do to motivate these kids, nothing motivates them like competition," Grimes said of the additional numbers. "The potential for sitting on the bench is much more of a motivating factor than all the ranting and raving I could ever do."

No doubt, there's some competition up front among the big men, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Guy to watch in next Saturday's spring game? Take your eyes off the ball for a moment and check out tight end-turned-tackle Nate Solder, a young man who when paired with Ryan Miller might give the Buffs the best bookend tackles around in a year or two.

You know about Miller, the prep All-American who stepped into the starting lineup at midseason and should be there until he leaves CU.

Solder has the potential to match Miller. Currently in the 275-pound range, he easily has room for another 30-40 pounds on his frame. When that happens, NFL scouts may be setting up shop in Boulder, drooling for the time when Miller and Solder get ready for the next level.

Already, they give Colorado plenty of reason for optimism.

And the Buffs overall?

Spend enough of your life watching spring practices and spring scrimmages, and you figure out this much: nobody knows. Spring phenoms can fade to the bottom of depth charts by fall -- or become full-blown surprises by September. Freshmen come in and change the equation. The variables are just too great to make anything more than an (un)educated guess.

The best advice might have been offered earlier this week by ESPN's Lee Corso. When asked about making long-term judgments on the basis of spring games, Corso offered this advice: "Buy a season ticket and see you next year."