2025 Colorado Buffaloes season wins and outlook

[spottie2935]

The big time players that have elevated this team are gone. They also lost:

their best RB Isaiah Augustive
A young talented rush end Taje McCoy
Center, young guy that filled in nicely last season in Cash Cleveland.

I listen and watch 90 to 95% of the articles and video. That are produced by people close to the team. I saw the spring game. Spring game has some meaning but have to temper some of the dysfunction is the off-season.

Play is under 6.5 season wins.

Deions spring “game” post interview gives me a few more reasons to come to this decision. He discussed long wish list of targeted players that CU will need to come up from their current roster talent, lack of depth and young developing talent. They have some outstanding talent at some positions. Other positions will struggle and look terrible at times.


Pat Shurmur has had the luxury to have $.$anders make a lot of in play calls and thus will not be available for him and the offense. They made all or most of the big plays to change some losses into wins last season. This will not be the case this season. I still think the pass catchers will be outstanding but the QB changes will hamper some of the winning production. Big plays and the 2024 offense turned the 2024 season from A 6 win team into 9 wins.

The BYU bowl game blowout loss is significant to what is going to be more present for CU this season. For one reason the lines. CU wasn’t close to the talent level as BYU and the line was CU-4. Coming into this season they will be a home dog and win vs. Geo Tech but the next 3 games will find them struggling to win and cover.

Defense strengths will be D line mostly the edge rushers. The D line will miss Chidozie Nwankwo was a fire plug in the middle last season. That allowed their strong linebackers success. Gone are Hill-Green and Bentley. This could be a huge difference in getting off the field this season. The edge rushers are very strong and the other strength is at Corner. Middle D line power and safety could be where the inconsistent plays take place.

Special teams as in Punter has plenty of college experience and credibility. Place kicker Mara is consistently successful at the short yo mid-distance kicks. They did add a distance kicker and kick off touchdown back specialist. The kicking game will be improved. Kick coverage was a sore spot last season. If the kicker can execute touchbacks problem solved. Kicking field goal should be similar but in question is the distant kicking. He has a big leg but only seeing kicking attempts in long distance situations might be difficult because consistent.

Offense continued next.

 

[spottie2935]

Offense 2 QB’s and Shurmur. This might be a problem. They have a load of skilled Wr’s but both QBs have never played big conference football. Lewis is 17 year old 5star and Salter is in From Liberty. Also of note both QBs are different styles. Salter is a RPO guy and Lewis is a pocket passer. There doesn’t seem to be any playing time animosity at this point but it could be if struggles occur. I think Shurmur has to be much more involved with the offensive approach and could be in for a long season. It clearly won’t be plugged and play as it was with $.$anders.

The running game and talent. TBD. Only 2 backs on the roster at this point. Both of which have not had a lot of touches. To carry the team rushing the ball also could be a struggle. It depends on if they can get a highly successful transfer and how the offensive line gels. They do have more talented and bigger studs on the O’Line but Prime and Shurmur have had not had to run to win.

Penalties have been a big issue the last few seasons do this will have to improve.

Lastly I don’t have to list the schedule but the teams they play this year in conference will completely change in difficulty levels. I saw, we saw how bad the first 3 quarters were against Kansas and BYU last year. Playing A 9 win schedule will over power CU at times.

The last 2 years they had an easy schedule with 2 top NFL players and more experienced players as well. Also a key was very few long term injuries. Add all this up and looking hard at the schedule I feel trouble ahead for CU

Shurmur and Prime will have difficulty firing all the problems out without Shedeur and Travis.

Under 6.5 wins and I predict 5 or less.

They will start the season with A win over the Rambling Wreck. The rest is execution and consistency playing a much more difficult conference schedule.