I understand you think Hawk deserves five years to turn this thing around. What is it that you think is going to turn around between now and the end of 2010 that is going to lead to a bowl game and the start of a CU resurgence? Is it getting more talent into the program, or are we still just too young to win and another season will let this talent win? Or are the coaches maybe going to improve and start getting more out of the talent on hand? I don't mean that sarcastically or as an attack, I'm really curious exactly where you would be looking for the improvement to come from...
I really think experience is going to play a huge roll in year 5. I think there is a big difference between a line that has 3 people starting for the first time and a 4th person coming off a lost season due to a broken leg and an OL that will have 4 people who have played together for 1 full season.
I think there is a big difference in having a WR corp made up of 2 walk-ons, several talented freshman, and 1 Juco who joined with the team late and having a WR corp that has some talented Sophmores and a talented JUCO who has spent an entire time in a system.
I really think this team will grow up this year before our eyes and is going to be ready to do some really good things next year.
This team is not that different from last year. The last 4 years of recruiting has been about getting back the spacings and depth between classes. that is why I think it is important for TH to redshirt this year. We are going to need this guy next year. My understanding is that he made some big strides between last year and this year. I am fully expecting him to take the next step and beat out Cody for the starting QB position.
How many teams have you seen at CU that have been this young at SO many positions? I can't really think of any. How many WR do you recall who came into CU and made an impact their Freshman year? Our best OL have always had a surplus of upperclassman starting.
I am not claiming I have some crystal ball and that this is how things will play out. It is just my personal take on the where we are right now. If we want to call them excuses fine. But I never bought into the 10 win hype for this year. I saw this team finishing somewhere around 7-6 this year with a lower tier bowl.
I will fully admit I did not expect a loss to Toledo, but this game scared me the second we took it. CSU scares me every year anymore. We can talk all we want about them not deserving to be in this game, but the last 10 years this series has been very very good between the schools. What funny is that way we talk about CSU reminds me so much of the kNU fans talk about us. They fail to admit that the last 20 years has produced some great football between our two school. The same goes for the series with CSU.
I also think you have to take Hawkins overall record into account. Not just at CU but also in his previous two coaching stints. Look football is football. I don't care what division you play in. The only difference between Big12 football and WAC football is the overall talent pool top to bottom. But you don't leave coach 2 different programs in 10 years and put together a cumulative record of 92-23-1 without know a little bit about what you are doing. It' s not like Hawkins only had a few good years prior to coming to CU. The guy has been a solid winner every where is was. I don't think you just stop forgetting how to win. If Hawkins had stepped into the CU job with a more suspect resume, I would be a lot less likely to be this patient.
and this is all that matters) Our four year coach at a big 12 school with 3 1/2 recruiting classes loses badly to a mwc 2nd year coach and a mac 1st year coach. We are not even competitive. Coaching, experience, talent, whatever it is it isn't working. Hawk has the rest of this year (because I don't think our boosters or ad has the balls to pull the trigger) to turn this team into something that resembles a div 1 football team. 
