Colorado Buffaloes 2022 College Football Preview
June 15, 2022
2021 Recap
Record – 4-8
ATS – 6-6
That was pretty ugly.
The Buffs haven’t booked a winning campaign in a full season of work since 2016 and they struggled mightily last year en route to a four-win season. They only won a pair of games in their first eight contests, one vs Arizona, and another vs something called Northern Colorado. November was a bit better as they managed to take down Oregon St and Washington, so maybe, just maybe, there’s MOMO heading into 2022. Maybe.
Colorado Buffaloes 2022 Outlook
OFFENSE
The deafening sound of MASS VOMITING you heard on numerous Saturdays last fall was the result of thousands of college football fans watching Colorado attempt to SCORE the FOOTBALL. The Buffs averaged an impossible 257 YPG (#129 FBS) and ranked #126 in passing offense (131 YPG). It didn’t help to lose projected starting QB JT Shrout before the season started and they had to roll with a raw Brendon Lewis who threw for just 1,540 yards in 12 starts (10-3 TD to INT). It looks like Lewis and Shrout will battle it out for the starting gig and they might work with a BARREN WASTELAND at WR/TE once again. TE Brady Russell led the team in receiving yards LY with a mere 307 (!) and they lose their most explosive WR in Brenden Rice. Adding RJ Sneed from Baylor will help but we don’t expect much from the THROW GAME in 2022. It gets better. #1 RB Jarek Broussard is off to Michigan St (to probably gain 2,000 yards…..just kidding….not really) and the OL returns three starters to a group that paved the way for just 3.7 YPC LY whilst allowing 32 sacks. Hopefully, a pair of Power 5 transfers including one from ROLL TIDE will be a plus. They’ll need big time improvement at the QB position if they plan on being competitive in more than a small handful of games.
DEFENSE
The defense deserves quite a bit of credit for what they managed to do last year considering how much time they spent on the field (Buffs #122 TOP). They allowed a respectable 27 PPG (#73) and were pretty good vs the pass (#56 pass efficiency D, 17-9 TD to INT). They return five starters on this side of the football and just two of their top-seven tacklers. Nobody on the roster booked more than two sacks with the Buffs LY. It’s not all a lost cause tho as they have decent size up front, boast a pair of talented senior LBs including #2 tackler Quinn Perry, and return #1 tackler Isaiah Lewis and underrated CB Nigel Bethel to the secondary. We’ll call for a slight decrease in production as it’ll be tough to overcome the loss of three of their best defenders from 2021 (Landman, Wells, Gonzalez).
SPECIAL TEAMS
It’s mostly bad news. The INTREPID Phil Steele rated the Buffs’ special teams group at #22 in America last year but they lose their primary KR, PR, and fine punter Josh Watts. Thankfully, PK Cole Becker is back and he was 14-20 on FGs LY (25-25 XP) including a lethal 3-4 from 50+.
Schedule Analysis
Overall – RUH ROH. It’s gonna be a test. The non-conference slate is a bear (TCU, at Air Force, at Minnesota) and they draw the top-four teams from the former North division. November has the look of a CRUEL MISTRESS (Oregon, at USC, at Washington, Utah).
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – Nothing overly heinous noted.
Season Win Total
5Dimes June 15
Over 3.5 +125
Under 3.5 -155
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage. It’s not easy to find four wins on the docket but that’s a low number, yo.
MEGAmazing Tidbit
The Buffs have won more than three conference games just once in the L10Y (2016: 8-2) and are below .500 at home (27-30, .474) over that time horizon.
MEGALOCKS Outlook:
Colorado is almost certainly in for a long year. The offense will be better (it HAS to be, AMIRITE?) but the defense looks a bit sketchy. There’s enough talent to pull an upset or two but making a bowl game just seems like a REALLY tall order.
Want more Colorado Football ?
WEBSITE
https://cubuffs.com/sports/football
FORUM
http://www.allbuffs.com/forums/colorado-football-message-board.3/
http://chat.colorado.sportswar.com/message_board/netbuffsfootball/
NEWS
https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/38/colorado-buffaloes