2011 Colorado Buffaloes Football Predictions, Odds, Picks and Schedule – 2011 Colorado NCAA Football Preview

2011 Colorado Buffaloes College Football Expert Predictions, Picks, Vegas Odds and Schedule – Colorado NCAA Football Preview: Change will be a theme for the Colorado football program in 2011-12. Jon Embree begins his first year as head coach of the Buffaloes, replacing Dan Hawkins. Hawkins never came close to matching the success he had in his tenure at Boise State in his five years in Boulder, and a 5-7 season in 2010-11 was the final nail in his coffin. Along with a new coach, Colorado is entering its inaugural season in the PAC-12 Conference as members of the South Division. Fans of the struggling program have to hope that all the change off the field leads to a change of fortune on it.

The good news for Embree is that he inherits a team that returns nine starters on offense. The bad news is that the same group managed less than 25 points a game last season. Quarterback Tyler Hansen will be given the reins of the offense, but he is more of a game manager than a game breaker. He doesn’t have an explosive arm, but he is an accurate passer. Last season, he completed nearly 70 percent of his throws.

At the end of the day, Colorado will be a run-first team this season. Senior running back Rodney Stewart rushed for more than 1,300 yards last season, and he will be the focal point of the offensive attack once again. The loss of offensive lineman Nate Solder will hurt a bit, but guard Ryan Miller leads an otherwise experienced unit. Regardless of the Buffaloes’ overall success, Stewart should be in for a productive season.

Colorado had all kinds of issues defensively last season, giving up more than 30 points per game to opponents. The Buffaloes were especially vulnerable to the pass, ranking as one of the 10-worst teams in the nation. Losing star cornerback Jimmy Smith won’t help the cause, and unless the front seven can pressure opposing quarterbacks on a consistent basis, the secondary is going to get picked apart by the pass-first offenses in the PAC-12.

As for the schedule, the Buffaloes enjoy a manageable beginning to the season before things heat up. Colorado opens with a road game against Hawaii before returning home for games against California and Colorado St. The six games will be a true test for Embree’s team. The slate includes road games against Ohio State, Stanford and Arizona State, along with a home game against Orgeon. The season ends with home games against USC and Arizona, followed by road games against UCLA and Utah.

Despite the new coach, the Buffaloes outlook doesn’t change much this season. The offense is experienced, but the same unit has failed to put up points in the past. Life in the PAC-12 will be just as difficult if not more so than life in the Big 12 North has been in recent years. When it comes down to it, the Buffaloes just don’t have the firepower on offense or the talent on defense to keep up with or slow down the other offenses in the conference. Reaching bowl eligibility would be a huge step in the right direction, but Colorado will likely fall just short this season as Embree begins to put his stamp on the program.

2011 Colorado Buffaloes College Football Predictions: 5-7 Record

Preseason 2011 Colorado Buffaloes NCAA Football Odds:
Odds to Win 2012 BCS Championship: NA/Off the Board
Odds to Win 2011 PAC 12 Championship: +2200
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2011 Colorado Buffaloes College Football Schedule
Sat, Sep 3 Fresno State 7:00 pm —
Sat, Sep 10 at Colorado 3:30 pm —
Sat, Sep 17 Presbyterian TBA —
Sat, Sep 24 at Washington TBA —
Thu, Oct 6 at Oregon 9:00 pm —
Thu, Oct 13 USC 9:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 22 Utah TBA —
Sat, Oct 29 at UCLA TBA —
Sat, Nov 5 Washington State TBA —
Sat, Nov 12 Oregon State TBA —
Sat, Nov 19 at Stanford TBA —
Fri, Nov 25 at Arizona State 10:15 pm —

Check out NSAwins.com’s official 2011 College Football Over Under Team Wins Odds and Predictions and 2011 PAC 12 Football Odds and Predictions articles.

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