Colorado vs Texas

Colorado vs. #2 Texas

Now is the time to put up or shut up…for the Buffaloes.

I have blogged a few times this year and last year about how I personally felt that the Colorado Buffaloes have seriously underachieved mainly because the team seems to have been built around one person…the coach’s son, who just happens to be the starting quarterback.

Say what you want about Cody Hawkins’ numbers, the fact remains that this team has done very poorly ever since his dad, Dan Hawkins, got the job. I am all for a father looking out for his son, but when it comes at an expense to an entire university, screw that.

I used to be a big fan of Colorado during the Kordell Stewart days, but the changes the university has gone through leave little impression with me. Sometimes a school makes a “righteous” move in coach changes, but the act was less than righteous. So here is Dan Hawkins, a successful coach from Boise State who comes in with the family oriented style of play. But the wins has been as dysfunctional as “The Simpsons”…

(or “Family Guy” if you watch that too)

So here comes Colorado, to visit Texas today, they bring in their 1-3 record, with their only win at home vs. Wyoming. Losses to Toledo, Colorado State and West Virginia have the Buffaloes on the ropes, looking at perhaps another dismal season…which could seriously threaten the head coach’s job…and maybe his son’s position.

Now, I don’t want Colorado fans to think that I am “hating” on Cody Hawkins, that is not true, he is a decent QB, but is that because Dan Hawkins focused all his resources to MAKE him look decent? I mean, he averages about 3-4 wins a YEAR, that does not cut it in a BCS conference.

With 8 games remaining on the schedule for Colorado, they need 5 more wins quick, fast and in a hurry. After Texas they get #16 Kansas at home, #24 Missouri at home (although no longer ranked because of that loss to Nebraska), and they also have Oklahoma State on the road and Nebraska at home…those two teams are ranked too.

Nobody is expecting Colorado to win, but let’s look at Texas anyway…

Texas is #2 in the land, and will have an eye on that Florida/LSU matchup as well as that Alabama/Mississippi game, but they need to focus on crushing Colorado. Their previous games have been expected wins, but nothing stands out to show that this team is for real…I mean, for REALLY real. I have no qualms of them being #2 because they are that good, it’s just that we have not seen them in a big time game yet. They did beat Texas Tech 34-24, so there is some flair there, but they can’t overlook Colorado. I think Texas needs to send a message that they deserve to be either #2, or possibly #1 if they can beat Colorado by more than 21 points. If they do that, the voters might have to reconsider who they think is the best in the land.

Texas as a huge factor going for it…their starting quarterback is not injured as bad as Florida and Oklahoma. Sometimes the best team is the healthiest, and this is a game Texas needs to win big, but stay healthy.

So there is no question, I have Texas winning this by 17 points, but they need a big beat down to impress voters to possibly push them to #1.