Are the Buffs Improving?

[Buffnik]

Rick George's "Fall Update" newsletter didn't have much to say about football, but he did say the team is showing progress:

While we are all disappointed that the football team did not reach its goal of making a bowl game for the first time since 2007, there is obvious progress within the program in several areas. But we also know there are other areas we still need to improve upon; no one is pleased with a 4-8 record with just one win in the Pac-12. The seniors on this team have represented the school well and have fought hard to the very end. Nelson Spruce will set around 50 receiving records here and also made his mark in the Pac-12 and nationally.

 

[SINKRATZ]

There is a chicken/egg argument that always occurs with this.

Do you need to win first before you can start recruiting, or do you need to recruit first before you can start winning. The answer to me is that it seems you need a coach that falls into one of those two categories. You either find a coach that is good enough to win with the talent he has and recruiting will come naturally, or you find a coach that can recruit lights out and puts the incoming talent to good use through proper scheme.

Still unsure of which category HCMM falls into, or if he falls into either.

All summer long the narrative was that we just needed to win a few games for recruiting to improve. Now that the season is almost over the narrative has changed to needing more talent in order to get over the hump.

I agree it's a chicken and egg scenario, but so far there are no chickens and there are no eggs.

 

[Duff Man]

Let me start by saying this is not an apologist post, but a post that I'm hoping paints a more complete picture of the season and our current position.

When making predictions for this season, I would say that most predictions fell between the 4-6 win range, with outliers on both sides. With this in mind, CU has underperformed slightly, or achieved the low bar set by the majority of posters on this site.

Now imagine if I came to you before the season and asked you to make a prediction based upon the following info.
- Sefo would miss 3 games
- Jeromy Irwin would miss nearly the entire year
- Irwins backup, Kronshage would miss significant time
- Gillam would miss basically the entire season
- Olugbode would miss games
- Josh Tupou would never see the field
-Shay Fields would be hobbled for a good part of the season
- Ryan Moeller would miss 4 games
-Michael Adkins would miss nearly the entire season

With this new information and knowing that depth is the one thing that we do not have, would you revise your prediction at all? If so, how many games would you think that we would win?

Before the response of, "other teams have injuries too" comes along, I get that. The difference between UCLA losing so many key players and the Buffs losing so many, is depth. They have a 4 star on the bench waiting to go. CU is walking a tight rope and it only takes a stiff breeze to send us over. I am not satisfied at all with how this season turned out, but based upon the information I have at hand, I can't say I am terribly surprised.

My expectations would have been the same.

 

[BuffUp]

I expected about the same 4/5 wins. It just seems different vs after watching the games and losing to uh

 

[BuffUp]

and if we were right this year? I am only seeing 3/4 wins next season...so, should we RIP off the bandaid now? or have a lame duck coach? which is better?

 

[Colorado Track Fan]

Every post game it is always "we need to fix X " pick turnovers, mistakes, etc. to fill in the blanks. But it is not getting fixed.

The opposing team has a say in the matter.

 

[CUFan]

Recruit for O-line and D-line and run the damn ball. That's how we improve. Throw the rest of the fancy offense stuff in later after we've established good O-line and D-line play and a good running game.