The Colorado Golden Buffaloes are coming off a highly frustrating and humiliating
season in which they finished 3-9 straight up and 7-5 against the spread in college football betting odds while missing a bowl for the second consecutive year. Had the recession not been so bad head coach Dan Hawkins would have been fired, but the Buffs lacked the cash to send him away so he gets a reprieve this year after compiling a 4-year record of 16-33 and losing records in college football picks each year. Colorado has opened at online sportsbooks with a longshot price of 300-1 in 2011 BCS odds to win the championship and are 50-1 selections to win the Big 12 conference.
Last year the Buffs were humiliated 38-54 at Toledo on a Friday Night ESPN game that was symbolic of their season. They were also upset in college football picks by intra-state rival Colorado State. It was the worst possible season in Boulder. Interestingly enough, however, Hawkins may pull a Lazarus and rise from the dead as he as 10 starters returning on offense and 7 on defense and has a favorable schedule in college football odds. Hawkins finally benched his son Cody in favor of Tyler Hansen at starting quarterback and Hansen is expected to give the offense a spark. Cody Hawkins poor play was a major problem but also a factor was the lack of breakaway athletes. Hansen had the better numbers at season's end.
The defense is also expected to improve after allowing almost 29 points per game last year. The Buffs do not draw Texas or Texas A&M on the schedule in the Big 12 but do have tough conference road games at Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska. They host Hawaii and Georgia in non-conference play and Baylor, Texas Tech, Iowa State, and Kansas State in Big 12 action while meeting Colorado State in their opener at Mile High in Denver. Hawkins has not proven to be a good recruiter or game coach at the Big 12 level but there could be enough to save his job in 2010 before the Buffs move on to the Pac-10 Conference.