How low does it go?

[Derek]

There's definately some truth to that statement. The true fans stick with a team even when they blow a lead on Tenn.

Keep the faith!

[Spence]

Look to the left. We couldn't even beat Baylor, with 3 OTs. Props to Baylor that is definately on the up and up.... but how far down can we go? This was the one game I looked at that was our best chance to win. Now what?

I'm fairly new to college football: been a fan since 2000. Some of you folks that have been through this with your teams, do you have any advice? Is there anything other than just sit and wait? I'll be a Colorado fan for life; it's my school; my alma mater. But seasons like this make it not so fun.

I seriously think 0-12 is possible now. Colorado doesn't belong in the same sentence with Temple, or other bottom feders. Perhaps you can't enjoy the good without going through the bad?

You have to hold the line. Losing isn't fun, but it happens to everyone sooner or later. My advice, get into recruiting. See who Colorado is going after, who they get and follow them through their career. It helps you get through the tough spots.

I think Hawkins will be successful at CU, but it isn't going to be an overnight thing. It is going to take a while to clean up after Barnett and Co. You are going to have to be patient.

[mountainman]

I'm fairly new to college football: been a fan since 2000. Some of you folks that have been through this with your teams, do you have any advice?

Build the program, not the team, and winning will follow.

[RazorHawk]

Now what?

I'm fairly new to college football: been a fan since 2000. Some of you folks that have been through this with your teams, do you have any advice? Is there anything other than just sit and wait? I'll be a Colorado fan for life; it's my school; my alma mater. But seasons like this make it not so fun.

Adopt a second team, as I have. I actually have never adopted a second team, as I attended both Arkansas and Iowa. Or another alternative is to add a team that you hate (ND, NE, OK etc) and be a fan of whoever is playing your hated team.

[Vileborg]

Wow, I looked at Colorado's schedule, and they have nothing to be ashamed about. I'll put the Big Twelve in the same boat as SEC. Any team that survives that conference undefeated deserves a NC shot. Thats a bad place to have a down year.

[Eric]

I wouldn't really agree with that. The 2 best teams in the conference are likely Texas and Oklahoma. Missouri and Nebraska are in the same level as OU and that pretty much does it for the good teams. Baylor is bad, OSU is bad, Kansas is bad, Kansas State is bad, A&M is average, ISU is average, Tech is average, and Colorado is not very good.

I think this is a down year for the conference. I thought they would be one of the best coming into this season with Nebraska, Iowa State, and Texas Tech being really good, but I guess that isn't the case.

[colorado_loves_football]

You have to hold the line. Losing isn't fun, but it happens to everyone sooner or later. My advice, get into recruiting. See who Colorado is going after, who they get and follow them through their career. It helps you get through the tough spots.

I think Hawkins will be successful at CU, but it isn't going to be an overnight thing. It is going to take a while to clean up after Barnett and Co. You are going to have to be patient.

Compliments to Spence, I agree wholeheartedly with what he's saying, here (hey, there's a first time for everything).
Buff fans deserved better, and so far, I think Hawkins has delivered, but unfortunately, the results don't reflect that. Baylor isn't a bad team. Don't let anyone fool you, they 'pounded' K-State pretty good (17-3) in Manhattan, if memory serves. No, Baylor isn't going to win the Big XII anytime soon, but they are improving. Losing to Washington St, away, by a small margin (10-9?), when they nearly upset USC in the same locale, tells me the Bears are likely 'pretty good'. Colorado, will finally get out from under the doormat, this week, at home, against Texas Tech. Missouri did beat Colorado, 28-13, credit Missouri's scoring offense, & red-zone defense for keeping Colorado from making it a game.

[Eric]

Baylor isn't a good football team. They lost to Army at their place in overtime. Beating Kansas State is nothing special. That game was in Waco, BTW. Washington State isn't a very good team either.

[Spence]

I never said that Hawkins was a bad hire. I just said, early on, that he would have a tough time. It will take a while to turn that ship around. There were tons of problems at Colorado. Bear Bryant couldn't have turned that program around in a year.

Colorado fans are going to want a two year turn around, but it is going to take Hawkins longer then that. At least four years to get past the problems. Colorado football is going to have the whole administration of the school nosing around the football program and trying to extract their pound of flesh. Hawkins has to build a team, then a power base, and then a program. That won't happen quick.

[Eric]

Well, the reason why CU fans are upset is that this is still a team that won the Big 12 North last year and what is it? 4 of the last 5? Anyway, he inherited a pretty good team.

I actually don't think CU needs a total overhaul. If the Buffs can get a QB, they should contend for the North. Brenard Jackson is not good enough for the system, he's just the guy that Hawkins has to go to by default.

[Spence]

Well, the reason why CU fans are upset is that this is still a team that won the Big 12 North last year and what is it? 4 of the last 5? Anyway, he inherited a pretty good team.

I actually don't think CU needs a total overhaul. If the Buffs can get a QB, they should contend for the North. Brenard Jackson is not good enough for the system, he's just the guy that Hawkins has to go to by default.

I understand that, but they couldn't have recruited well last season with everything up in the air. Also the problems run a lot deeper then players. Colorado football got away with a lot under Barnett. That breeds jealousy within the university and the athletics programs. Hawkins has to fight those battles as well and prove that he can run a clean program under a big microscope. Anything that happens will be proof to some that he is failing. It is mostly the politics that are involved and that is a tougher battle then signing a five star quarterback.

Thad Matta had a lot of the same hurdles at Ohio State, coming in after the O'Brien mess. Matta was lucky enough to have full support of a strong AD and the fact that he hit the ground running didn't hurt him. Hawkins is a system coach. He won't change for the talent. He will have to get the talent to work within his system. That isn't saying he is a bad coach, he just believes so much in his way of doing things that he is unwilling to change. Woody Hayes was a system coach, so was Tom Osborne.