I'm feeling pulled back to the dark side....must resist ...

[Pale Ale]

I have never been anything but positive re: the Buffs. This year we will lose to CSU, UGA, CAL, KU, MU, KSU, ISU, NU and OU. UH and TTU are the only wins this year. Half of you will be hospitalized with alcohol poisoning the other half will jump off of Long's Peak and never be heard from again. The basketball team will run the table and win the BXII tourney and we will forever be a basketball/ski school.

Seriously, hopes are high, but if the last 4 years have taught me anything it is that DH cannot coach, CH will start the season at QB and never complete a pass beyond 4 yds. We will fail to establish a run game and our D, which should be a liability will man up and keep games close than they should be. We will avg less than 200 yds passing and just over 100 yds rushing per game, the Oline will fail to gel and will be depleted by injuries before we even suit up for the first game.

I can't stand to get my hopes up for another year, only to be crushed before October rolls around. This year Hawkins has to show me something. Until he can win a road game or show an ounce of emotion, I'm not getting my hopes up for one second. That ****sucker owes me 4 seasons of blow out wins over DII competion before I'll get my hopes up again. ***hole!

 

[Buffarino]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Hawk has to actually win a few games (including at least one on the road) before I'll believe the Buffs can win more than they lose. Last year I let myself buy into the hype and get all jazzed only to see 3 wins. Not gonna happen this year.

 

[Buffsfan09]

I know I'll get plenty of flack for this. I just hate to see our program limp into the Pac 12.

with everybody hating on a seemingly likable guy, I'm pulling for Hawk this season and hope we really surprise everybody. A couple early wins could do a hell of a lot for recruiting as well.

 

[96 Buff]

I'm expecting 0-12 so I can be happy when they win the usual 3 or 4.

 

[leftybuff]

Well, I really can't say I have any expectations from a DH coached team. I see about 4-5 wins. It is the culture and approach of DH that is killing this team IMO. There is a fair amount of talent, certainly enough talent to be winning against teams like Toledo, CSU and ISU, but they lack fire. Things go wrong and it's almost like, oh well, there is always next week. I honestly cannot remember a game, win or lose, under Hawk in the last two years where I came away saying, "They just wanted it worse than the other team". Probably the last time I saw that was OU in '07. There were a lot of Barney guys on that team, you have to wonder...

 

[leftybuff]

with everybody hating on a seemingly likable guy, I'm pulling for Hawk this season and hope we really surprise everybody. A couple early wins could do a hell of a lot for recruiting as well.

No doubt DH is, in person, a likeable guy. I don't hate, nor do I wish to see him fail. But up until now, he has failed...miserably. I detest watching the Buffs drop 2 out of every three games. I want them to be competitive, and to me that means being a team that is in the thick of the conference race well into October, a team that other teams fear, not view as an opportunity to get healthy and play reserves in the final quarter.

Watching Grandpa Snyder coach circles around DH last year with RP's players pretty much did it for me. When Paul Rhodes did the same with the ISU squad, I finally gave up and concluded DH just can't get it done here.

 

[Unleash Hell]

Hawk has been terrible on the road. I agree that we can't use the inexperience excuse anymore, but the road schedule doesn't look that tough outside of OU and kNU.

Kansas will be a road win

 

[Unleash Hell]

We are fans, it is our nature to be optimistic. We are also serious fans and look at the potential of the players we have on the team and can't help but to get excited, this is why we are fans.

Unfortunately we saw an awful lot of the same stuff the past two off-seasons and Hawk and Co. managed to beat the enthusiasm out of us by Oct. I hope I am wrong and the team gets it together but I am not getting my hopes up as long as Hawk is in charge.

It's not just fans. A few preseason publications are picking us to have a winning season. Phil Steele struck out on us as one of the most improved teams last year, he didn't give up on us, he picked us again. I think if you're a true student of the game, you can see some positive things for this team going into this season. Hope Phil is right the second time around.

 

[Deleted member 807]

This one goes out to all you kool aid drinkers.

[video=youtube;IbEy-Fzm6Ns]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbEy-Fzm6Ns&feature=youtube_gdata[/video]

 

[BlackNGold]

I just want to see if the Buffs have fixed any of their problems.

 

[leftybuff]

I just want to see if the Buffs have fixed any of their problems.

They are not problems, they are little things. Get your terminology straight. You can't be negative about anything, because that will prevent the proper flow of your FB chakras....

 

[4DemBuffs]

fine. **** it. 10-2 with a bowl win over ohio state and a thorpe, butkis and national coach of the year award to boot.

 

[NW Buff]

Nope, sorry, not going to fall for it. I can go back over the last 2-3 years and look at posts about how we'll come out and crush CSU and our OL will be much improved and we have experience at QB and whatever else. The fact is there's been nothing that has happened in this off season to lead me to believe that next year will start out any different than the last year.

I will always root for the Buffs but I will not approach this season believing they can beat anybody (Toledo cured me of that once and for all). It's time to prove it.

 

[GoBuffs08]

I'm going into the new season expecting to lose every game. It is up to Hawkins to show me the team is better.

 

[buffalo30]

Not setting sights on top 25. For me it's top 20 or nothing. Top 20 should set the program up to where it needs to be for the next coach.

 

[Sexton Hardcastle]

I always fall into the same trap every year. I look at the roster and see so much talent there. Look at our Jr class. We seem to be loaded there. So these are experienced guys that hawk is using here. I hope some guys can step up. Especially Hansen.

 

[SanDiegoBuff]

I really think, that without Hawkins, this team is talented enough to go 7-5/8-4. I just don't know how to factor in the Hawkins factor which makes me keep my hopes down.

 

[PhillyBuff]

No F'ing way we have a winning season.... the people that think we will have deluded yourselves into believing that we have the players and coaches in positions to win several games... we don't and you dont get it overnight by doing the same wrong things 5 years in a row. Sit back and be angry all season.... we have the Pac-10 and a new coach NEXT year.

 

[buff4bcs1985]

Arrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!

This is the year we're going to pull it off! Hansen has a good handle on the offense, and the Oline has had more than enough time to gel. I'm starting to get excited this year. Maybe last years asswhuppins we received will be the major motivation for this years squad.

GO BUFFS!


QB- This is Hansen's year to finally prove himself. I'm sure Kiesau has worked all year long on his arm. He needs to make better decisions on the fly. Hopefully his experience will be the difference.

RB- We all know what Rodney is capable of. Hopefully we can give him some time to find some holes in the line. It's pretty exciting to think of all the things this kid could accomplish with a decent OL.
I'm not sure who'll step up behind him. Hawk has placed a ton of praise on BLock, hopefully he will stay healthy and give Speedy a rest from time to time.

TE's- I really feel Deehan will be playing on Sunday's. He's taken his lumps and should be ready to produce. He's the man this year. So hopefully he can handle it. I know we'll definitely miss Riar.
Everyone seems to be high on Thorton. He's definitely athletic enough, I just have my doubts.

WR's - Clemons seems to be the real deal. I guess we'll find out. I'm just glad McKnight had one year of eligibility remaining. We'd be screwed if he wasn't here imo. Someone has to step up. My pick is Darden.

OL- Step the **** up. Period. I'm really sick of hearing all the excuses. There's so much talent on paper, they just don't seem to get it. I hope Richter can step up and fill a huge hole in our interior, but thats asking a lot. MTM seems to be healthy heading into camp, but I really don't want to get my hopes up. He's lucky to still be playing ball. I thought he'd be done after tearing up his other knee. Bryce Givens is a bit of a unknown imo.
Overall there are too many holes. It's hard to say if they will put all the pieces together this year. Hopefully Coach Johnson will prove everyone wrong.

Now the defense.....that's a different story. :smile2:

:drink::gobuffs: :drink:

valdez not only did you drink the kool-aide... but is this your mug shot???

way to hit that gold paint!!

all jokes aside... i hope your right but i expect a failure... sad times

 

[Sexton Hardcastle]

Say hello to my new avatar. Huffing the gold koolaide. :lol:

 

[buff4bcs1985]

Say hello to my new avatar. Huffing the gold koolaide. :lol:

im glad you liked it

:rofl: :rofl:

 

[DesertDawg526]

There's definitely some talent on this team.

There's really only one question though, IMO, and it has nothing to do with the players...

 

[BuffsRising]

Our problem last year was execution, plain and simple. Thats obviously fixable. However, the problem has been execution for 4 years, and it hasn't gotten fixed. I'm one of the few people on this board who doesn't think Hawk is an incompetent dolt, and he's been a pretty good recruiter, but the straightforward fact of the matter is that what he has been doing hasn't worked on the field. We have an excellent chance at a very good season this year. But we had an excellent chance at a very good season last year too. So I'll happily drink kool-aid when I see us play a clean game without a bazillion penalties, no punt returners fielding punts over their shoulders inside the 5 yd line, or qb's only seeing one receiver, receivers having no idea what the snap count is or what route they are running, running backs tripping over their own feet going through (rare) open holes or blown tackles on 4th down. Or missed field goals. Or the opposing team running a fake field goal for a TD. Or the punter playing hot potato with the ball for several seconds and getting it blocked.

If I see us play a clean game twice in a row I'll be ready to snort kool-aid powder, preferably off the back of a stripper wearing black and gold pasties. If I see us play a clean game on the road I'll probably have to check into kool-aid rehab.

 

[Darth Snow]

Our problem last year was execution, plain and simple. Thats obviously fixable. However, the problem has been execution for 4 years, and it hasn't gotten fixed. I'm one of the few people on this board who doesn't think Hawk is an incompetent dolt, and he's been a pretty good recruiter, but the straightforward fact of the matter is that what he has been doing hasn't worked on the field. We have an excellent chance at a very good season this year. But we had an excellent chance at a very good season last year too. So I'll happily drink kool-aid when I see us play a clean game without a bazillion penalties, no punt returners fielding punts over their shoulders inside the 5 yd line, or qb's only seeing one receiver, receivers having no idea what the snap count is or what route they are running, running backs tripping over their own feet going through (rare) open holes or blown tackles on 4th down. Or missed field goals. Or the opposing team running a fake field goal for a TD. Or the punter playing hot potato with the ball for several seconds and getting it blocked.

If I see us play a clean game twice in a row I'll be ready to snort kool-aid powder, preferably off the back of a stripper wearing black and gold pasties. If I see us play a clean game on the road I'll probably have to check into kool-aid rehab.

My stripper would be wearing black and gold paint.