While the Buffs went 5-7 in 2019, the future of CU football is bright
For the third straight year, the Colorado Buffaloes entered the final regular season game of the year in do-or-die mode, fighting for bowl eligibility. After Saturday's 45-15 loss at the hands of No. 6 Utah, for the third straight year, the Buffs have fallen one game short of playing in the postseason.
While the losing record and end of the season no doubt is frustrating, evidence of the "culture change" Mel Tucker often talks about implementing at CU are very visible.
For me, when I look back at this season, I can't help but come to the conclusion that at face value, it falls right in line with many (negative) trends that you can trace back to the Mike MacIntyre admin.
It simply is a matter of fact that the Buffs in 2019 had a good handful of shoulda, coulda, woulda games that they ultimately blew, and as was the case in 2017 and 2018, and even earlier in 2014 and 2015, all those little mistakes and mishaps (resulting in losses to AFA, Zona, and USC) piled up to a point of a mortal wound that ultimately tanked Colorado's campaigns.
Once again, to make a bowl, the Buffs had a do-or-die game in the final week of the season.This year, Colorado had the misfortune of a top ten team on the road standing between them and the postseason. Now for the third straight year, we're left with a 5-7 football team with so many "what ifs" regarding how we got to this point.
It's definitely easy to despair and it's no doubt frustrating that Colorado, after beating Nebraska, winning on the road at ASU, taking down UW for the first time since the mid-90s, is somehow not making it to a bowl game.
But Tucker put it best: "Our record doesn’t necessarily reflect everything about this particular football team."
Recruiting, first and foremost, has been so exciting to watch. Kordell Stewart was correct when he said before the Washington game that at the end of the day, we've got to give Tucker time to get "his guys" at CU, of course via recruiting.
And it is exactly on that note why the future of Colorado football is bright.
It truly does feel like the culture at Colorado is on the verge of changing and much of that has to do with how effective Tucker's initial recruiting efforts have gone.I think at the end of the day, recruits pay attention to far more than just Ws and Ls.
Furthermore, these young men can detect programs that are gaining momentum and/or taking steps in the right direction. That's exactly the way I'd describe the Buffs here and now.
Perhaps Tucker summed it up best after the Utah loss.
"Moving forward, we know what we need to do — we know what we need to do in recruiting, in our offseason program and four-quarter conditioning program, our nutrition, in the weight room, scheme evaluation — we know exactly what needs to be done and we’re not going to take any days off in getting that done.This is just a starting point for us. We know exactly where we are in this league and what we need to do."
I really think in a few years' we'll be able to reflect on the 2019 season as a time that threw a lot of guys into the fire.
The 2016 season didn't happen out of nowhere. There were a select members of that squad that were also present for a 70-14 whooping at the hands of Oregon in 2012. This year's team certainly doesn't have as extreme of a slope to climb in terms of being competitive in-league, but there is something to be said about players and teams benefitting in the long-term from situations or games akin to what we saw this year.
I personally foresee great stuff on the horizon and believe Tucker is the guy capable of creating a successful new chapter for the University of Colorado football program.
Tucker and Co. aren't taking days off.
The 2019 season is over. As Tucker likes to say, he operates under a "24-hour rule." Soon, thoughts about this Utah game will be gone and attention will be turned to continuing to do everything possible in bringing in the best recruits that'll help turn the program around. It's no doubt a bummer that the Buffs won't be bowling in 2019, but hang in there everyone — Tucker's going to right the ship.