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The coaches at Colorado State and Miami (Ohio) have been multitasking all month long leading up to the Snoop Dogg ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl on Saturday.

The early signing period for high school and junior college players ran from Dec. 4-6 — relatively convenient for those whose seasons ended the preceding Saturday, Nov. 30.

Miami was not one of those teams. The RedHawks played in the on Dec. 7. Nine league titles were decided that weekend.

“For the 18 teams playing that weekend, that was a little bit challenging,� Miami coach Chuck Martin said. “Everyone else is just getting ready for the portal and watching kids. So you’re a week behind. But I hope I’m a week behind every year.�

‘Tis the season ... of tradeoffs. Under different circumstances, the following day might have been a rare day off for Martin and his staff. But the transfer portal opened the next day, Dec. 9.

“I’d say I probably worked 16 hours (that) Sunday,� Martin said. “You think maybe (it’s) your first day off since July. But the portal was opening the next day. And other people had been doing that all week.�

Miami, Colorado State and every other program in the country lined up visits with potential transfers from Dec. 9-22. It didn’t matter whether they were playing in a bowl game, a College Football Playoff Game or, as was the case with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, their season was over. It had to be done.

“Starting that Tuesday (Dec. 10), we’ve had kids in every day, seven days a week, for the last two weeks,� Martin said Monday. “The fewest was two, and the highest was nine in one day. And it’s every day.

“A recruiting weekend is pretty busy. Well, we had a recruiting weekend nonstop for two weeks. Plus, at the same time, you’re getting ready for a bowl game. Plus, at the same time, you gotta watch all these kids.

“We probably watched over 2,000 kids on tape. As my wife said, ‘I’ve been married to you for 30-some years; this is the busiest I’ve ever seen you.’�

Colorado State coach Jay Norvell recalled something colleague Jeff Traylor, the head coach at UTSA, : “This is not the kids’ fault; this is the adults’ fault.�

The powers-that-be moved the early signing period up two weeks so recruits could sign their paperwork before the portal floodgates opened. It helped alleviate the logjam, but only to a degree.

“We created this schedule, and there’s a lot of problems with it,â€� Norvell said during a pre-ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl news conference in Fort Collins on Monday.

“I saw Coach (Nick) Saban say we have to align the football transfer portal with the end of the semester for kids. We’re putting kids in a bad situation where they are making decisions about leaving a school before their season is over.�

This season is the first that ends with the expanded version of the CFP. The national championship game is Jan. 20. Last season’s game took place Jan. 8. The latest it’s ever been is Jan. 13.

Top seed Oregon operates on the quarter system. Its winter term begins Jan. 6. Current rules prohibit “midseason� transfers ... for now.

“We’re looking at scenarios where a kid could play for one school, get in the transfer portal, enroll in school and play for another school in the playoffs. That’s not far-fetched,� Norvell said. “If they keep pushing the championship game back, there’s gonna be kids that could do that, and that’s insane.

“There’s just so many scenarios that people didn’t think about. We’re forced to live with them, and we’ll do the best we can. But there’s a lot of things that need to be considered and fixed ... so we can put some sanity back into college football. I’m hopeful that we’ll adjust and we’ll get there. But right now, we’re not there.�

Some form of normalcy arrived this week. Dec. 23-31 is a “dead period� — i.e., no in-person recruiting or on-campus visits.

“It’s game week,� Norvell said. “We’re all dialed in to play football now. We’re not hiring coaches. We’re not worried about the transfer portal. We’re worried about winning the game.�

Miami held its last on-campus practice Monday morning and boarded a plane for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on Tuesday. As much as Martin would like to focus solely on the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl, he knows that’s not possible. Transfers are allowed to visit again from Jan. 1-5.

“We filled a lot of needs in the portal, but we’re not done yet,� Martin said. “I’ll be talking to kids tonight, probably, on the phone. I’ll be talking to them tomorrow, the next day and the next day.

“You got to. You cannot not do it and say, ‘Hey, I want to take time off and relax after the season.’ Well, see where that gets you.�

Not new for Norvell

This isn’t Norvell’s first rodeo in the Old Pueblo.

Norvell was the head coach at Nevada when the Wolf Pack played in the 2018 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl. Nevada defeated Arkansas State 16-13 in overtime.

Tight end Reagan Roberson scored the winning touchdown — the only TD of his college career. Walk-on receiver Ben Putnam, who never had caught a pass at Nevada, had four receptions for 114 yards. After the game, .

“I just remember me and Matt Mumme (Norvell’s top offensive assistant then and now) hugging as that ball was going in the end zone.

“Special, special memories of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl,â€� Norvell said.

“We love the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl. There’s not another bowl we’d rather be in unless we were playing in the Playoff. We’re really excited to be coming.â€�

Wouldn’t that be grand?

Fifth-year senior Avery Morrow has a chance to accomplish something in the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl that hasn’t happened at CSU since 2017.

Morrow needs 44 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season. The last Rams running back to reach quadruple figures was Dalyn Dawkins seven years ago.

“I don’t really want to talk about it too much, but it’s been on my mind a lot,� Morrow said.

“It’s been a while since there’s been a 1,000-yard back. That’s always been a personal goal.�

Morrow played for Norvell at Nevada before transferring to CSU. Morrow recalled their first meeting.

Norvell asked him to write down his goals. They included Morrow becoming the first 1,000-yard back under Norvell, who’s never had one as a head coach.

“It’d be really cool to check that off my checklist,� Morrow said.