The Colorado Buffaloes were one of the most pleasant surprises in college football last season. Coming from obscurity the season before, the Buffaloes exploded onto the scene and won the Pac-12 South Division title for the first time in school history. They took advantage of USC’s slow start to the season and reached the Pac-12 Championship Game. Coach Mike MacIntyre fully justified Colorado’s decision to hire him years earlier. Now, though, fresh and daunting challenges await.
How Did They End 2016
The Buffaloes beat Utah at home in a close game to win the Pac-12 South title. Then Colorado had the chance to win its first Pac-12 title, but the Washington Huskies hammered them in Santa Clara, California. An injury to quarterback Sefo Liufau did not help CU against the playoff-bound Huskies. Colorado had one more chance to get a statement win in its bowl game against Oklahoma State, but the Buffs’ offense didn’t show up, and CU was pounded. The season was still a spectacular success, but elite teams regularly got the better of Colorado this past season.
Offseason Changes
Cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon plus safety Tedric Thompson are all gone. Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt – a big source of the program’s success last season – left for the same position at Oregon, a big blow to the team. Colorado won a 10-5 game at Stanford last season and held USC to 21 points on the road. The Buffaloes were a great red-zone defensive team and consistently stayed ahead of the opposition. This loss will probably matter a lot. MacIntyre hired D.J. Eliot from Kentucky to be CU’s new offensive coordinator.
Meanwhile, former defensive backs coach Joe Tumpkin was fired in the wake of a scandal which almost took down head coach Mike MacIntyre. The defensive staff will look very different, and it’s up to players to make substantial adjustments.
Team X-Factor
Safety Nick Fisher could become the linchpin of this new defense, and he will need to be. Colorado’s pass defense was exceptionally good last year. The talent in the secondary might be good enough to replace the three key departures, and Fisher stands at the forefront of that effort to restock the secondary. If his positive and encouraging spring game performance carries over to the fall, the Buffaloes’ worries might be short-lived. If he wobbles, however, Sam Darnold and USC – who will visit Boulder during the coming regular season – will be able to clean up against Colorado’s 2017 defense.
What To Expect From The Buffaloes This Year
The loss of Jim Leavitt figures to be very important. He was an elite defensive coordinator who changed the culture and the competence of the Buffaloes’ defense. Eliot could prove to be a strong coordinator, but it is hard to expect him to meet the same standard Leavitt set. Then consider the fact that the Tumpkin scandal embarrassed the program and took away from MacIntyre’s time managing players. He had to do damage control. That can’t be seen as a positive in any sense. Regression for this team is very likely.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 10-4
2015: 4-9
2014: 2-10
2013: 4-8
2012: 1-11
Schedule & Outlook
Colorado’s schedule gives them an opportunity to somewhat ease into the season. They’ll start with a rivalry game against Colorado State but they’re the better team these days. Then they’ll have two weeks to fine tune against Texas State and Northern Colorado before hosting Washington. The back end of the schedule isn’t tougher, but it features far more road games. Four of their final six will be on the road, which is always tough in the Pac-12. They’ll have one of the best offenses in the league leading the way, though.
The Buffaloes face a lot of obstacles this season – the off-field distractions, the negative coaching changes, the increased focus from opponents Colorado ambushed last year, and the losses to personnel in the secondary. The team won’t fall off the cliff, but it is hard to see how Colorado will win double-digit games again. An 8-4 regular season sounds about right. A 9-3 season is within the realm of possibility.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Over 7.5
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