College Football Countdown | No. 101: Colorado

I could try to explain how Colorado improved, how the Buffaloes seemed energized, driven and supremely motivated by the change to Mike MacIntyre, formerly of San Jose State, but there's a simpler way to address the program's step forward since the end of a miserable 2012 season.

Let's give this a shot: In the team's first season under MacIntyre and his staff, CU improved in 29 statistical categories. Twenty-nine, as in one fewer than 30; that's everything and the kitchen sink, pretty much, even if the Buffaloes could only move in one direction – up, that is.

It's easier to list the categories where CU didn't improve: passing yards allowed per game, fourth-down offense, net punting, punt returns, punt return defense and time of possession – the latter an antiquated way to gauge success.

In comparison, the Buffaloes made enormous strides in passing offense, scoring offense, pass efficiency defense, third-down offense and total three-and-out possessions on defense, improvements that underline MacIntyre's blueprint for returning this program to its place among the nation's upper crust.

But improvement is relative, of course. Colorado improved, yes, but let's remember where MacIntyre started. Let's also remember where CU plans to go, not to mention how many more next-step strides must be taken before CU contends in the Pac-12 South Division.

This was just the start: MacIntyre has inched the needle past zero and into the positive, though the Buffaloes remain very much on the non-Oregon end of the Pac-12 spectrum – a spot ahead of California, perhaps, but behind the rest of the pack in the nation's deepest conference.

LAST YEAR'S PREDICTION :

I'm not even going to discuss wins and losses. If nothing else, CU is not talented enough to beat the Pac-12 opponents on this schedule, with a team like California at home perhaps the Buffaloes' best chance at a victory. A rivalry game with Colorado State (even if the Rams are no juggernaut) is a toss-up, especially because it's the opener; even if the Bulldogs come to Boulder, and even if CU has a chip on its shoulder from last season, it's going to be tough to knock off Fresno State. Ugliness will ensue, but it'll be ugliness with a silver lining.

2013 RECAP :

In a nutshell: This program has never been so happy to win four games. That the Buffaloes found happiness in a four-win finish illustrates two facts: one, MacIntyre's predecessor might have been the worst hire in major-conference history, and two, CU is smart enough to understand that contention isn't developed overnight. Instead, the Buffaloes flashed signs of promise on the field and off last fall, beating a Pac-12 foe for the fourth time as a member of the conference, showing a degree of explosiveness on offense and trimming some of the fat on defense, even if that side of the ball remains behind the curve. In the bigger view, the program started the process of reversing a putrid mentality, a shocking lack of depth and obscenely ineffective player development – steps that will pay off in spades down the road.

High point: Topping Colorado State in the opener. Not a bad way for MacIntyre to kick off his tenure.

Low point: Another series of embarrassments in Pac-12 play. The top four league opponents on CU's schedule – Oregon, Arizona State, UCLA and USC – would outscore the Buffaloes by a combined 203-81.

Tidbit: It's all good in Boulder, but one area MacIntyre and this staff must address is CU's recruiting. The Buffaloes' three classes as a member of the Pac-12 – including the 2012 group signed before the program's debut – have ranked eighth, 12th and 10th, respectively, in the conference. Regardless of MacIntyre's steady touch with his inherited roster, CU clearly needs to replenish its ranks on the recruiting trail.

Tidbit (passing edition): Colorado was one of 22 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision to start a true freshman quarterback in at least one game – a group that includes three teams from the Southeastern Conference, notably Auburn – and one of 12 to start a true freshman in five or more games. Of the 12 teams in the latter group, only four reached postseason eligibility: Houston, Penn State, Texas Tech and Utah State.

Tidbit (father-son edition): One of Colorado's 22 signees in February was MacIntyre's son, Jay, a three-star athlete who could eventually contribute on either side of the ball. This is a family tradition: MacIntyre himself played for his father, George, at Vanderbilt.

ARBITRARY TOP FIVE LIST :

U.S. Presidents, 1837-57

1. James K. Polk
2. John Tyler
3. Martin Van Buren
4. Millard Fillmore
5. Franklin Pierce

PLAYERS TO WATCH :

Offense: This is Sefo Liufau's team. As such, Colorado needs to surround the sophomore – 1,779 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie – with a solid cast at the skill positions and a stouter top seven or eight up front, giving Liufau the tools and support he needs to continue his growth as the Buffaloes' centerpiece. Make no mistake: CU views Liufau as the program's most promising quarterback in years, perhaps as much as a decade, and he flashed signs in 2013 of developing into the must-have presence this program demands in its quest to gain a foothold in an offense-driven Pac-12. Now, Liufau today is a work in progress; he's not strong enough, not careful enough in his decisions and not quick enough in his reads to be considered an all-conference contender this fall, for example. But to say the potential isn't there would be silly: Liufau is the concrete beam around which MacIntyre and coordinator Brian Lindgren plan to build an offense. I envision his development mirroring Colorado's growth as a whole – baby step by baby step, Liufau and CU are moving in the right direction. He's an intriguing piece of the puzzle.

One position of monumental concern is this offensive front, which is due for an overhaul when the Buffaloes retake the field in August. Over on the blind side, for one, look for sophomore Jeromy Irwin to return to full strength and push junior Marc Mustoe into a reserve role. Or CU could start senior Kaiwi Crabb, moving the returning starter out from left guard to tackle. Then CU would move senior Daniel Munyer to left guard and start JUCO transfer Sully Wiefels at right guard; better yet, CU could move Munyer to center, replacing sophomore Alex Kelly, and start Wiefels at right guard. Yeah, expect some changes. The constants will be Crabb and Munyer, who will occupy two spots, and junior right tackle Stephane Nembot – though Nembot must be replaced in the early going if he doesn't show drastic improvement on the strong side. There's work to be done up front.

Meanwhile, the backfield features CU's best depth in years. There's a top two: Christian Powell (562 yards) and Michael Adkins (535 yards) are going to split carries on the first-team offense, though I like the idea of pitting the two together in the same backfield, with Powell a bruiser and Adkins a burner. The depth extends beyond this pair to include Tony Jones (249 yards), Malcolm Creer, Donta Abron, Terrance Crowder and Phillip Lindsay, the latter a redshirt freshman coming off a strong spring. What this gives MacIntyre and Lindgren are options: CU could go big – Powell behind fullback George Frazier – or quick, putting Adkins into space, and should the line cooperate, this backfield has the talent to take enormous pressure off Liufau's shoulders.

As a whole, the offense has its bright spots and low notes – fitting, considering CU forward-moving process remains at least partially tied down by the mistakes and missteps of MacIntyre's predecessor. Depth is a concern across the board everywhere but running back: Colorado will fall to shreds if Liufau misses time, for example, and the receiver corps – more below – is heavily reliant on redshirt and true freshmen. The good news? Oh, that's clear. Colorado has found its quarterback, has added talent at the skill positions and has a younger core up front with the potential to develop nicely in the near future. More than anything, this offense has found an identity.

Defense: The defense, on the other hand, is playing catchup. Consider the fact that Colorado allowed nearly 100 fewer points last fall than in 2012 – and still allowed 38.3 points per game, including 43.4 points per game against FBS competition. So there's room for growth, cause for concern and reason for optimism, as is the case throughout the entire program. When it comes to positivity, no unit smells of sunniness more than the linebacker corps, a group headlined by sophomore Addison Gillam (119 tackles). After setting a new school record for tackles as a freshman, Gillam stands as Liufau's equivalent on the defensive side of the ball – a young, tone-setting piece for this entire defense. It's fitting that both were elected team captains despite their limited experience.

Gillam will start in the middle, cleaning up mess after mess, while senior Woodson Greer (34 tackles) returns on the strong side. On the weak side, CU will replace Derrick Webb with sophomore Kenneth Olugbode, a change that will cost the Buffaloes experience while adding a needed dose of speed and athleticism on the second level. With this starting trio in place, Colorado can spend the fall adding depth. To survive a rash of injuries – though CU can't survive without Gillam for an extended time – MacIntyre and coordinator Kent Baer must get sophomores Ryan Severson and Deayshawn Rippy up to speed.

The effectiveness of this defensive front depends on the play of junior tackle Josh Tupou (38 tackles), who seems poised to translate his all-conference potential into all-conference production. His effectiveness in the middle will make things easier on fellow tackles Juda Parker and Justin Solis, who should face single blockers, as well as ends Samson Kafovalu, Derek McCartney, Tyler Hennington and Jimmie Gilbert. One position change that made total sense: Parker moved from end to tackle, where his speed could be an asset on passing downs. The lack of proven production is a worry, as is the health of CU's pass rush on the edges. Perhaps McCartney carries his terrific spring into the fall and gives the Buffaloes a burst of explosiveness off the corner.

After a sluggish start to 2013, CU's secondary played its best football down the stretch – not that there isn't room for continued improvement, but the subtle progression bodes well for this fall. With several starters and reserves back in the fold, the key for this defense will be the pass rush; with the pass rush comes stickier coverage in the secondary; from that coverage comes turnovers; from stickiness and turnovers comes a stouter run defense, and so on down the line. The best part of this group: CU can go four deep at cornerback with senior Greg Henderson, junior Kenneth Crawley and sophomores Chidobe Awuzie and Akhello Witherspoon, though Awuzie will spend much of his time as the Buffaloes' nickel back. The situation's a little weaker at safety, where Colorado returns Tedric Thompson and Jared Bell, but the overall depth in the secondary is solid – which is a good place for CU to start. Now, I don't think this group is going to turn elite overnight, but look for Pac-12 teams – say, those other than Oregon, Arizona State, USC and UCLA – to work a little harder to churn out yards through air. Again, that's a good next step for this defense.

Special teams: For my money, I'd call punter Darragh O'Neill, kicker Will Oliver and kickoff specialist Diego Gonzalez the best specialists crop in the Pac-12. By year's end, I'd be surprised if both O'Neill and Oliver don't earn some sort of all-conference honors. The return game is fine, nothing more, but Colorado has enough freshmen coming off redshirt seasons to add some speed, athleticism and pursuit to the coverage teams.

POSITION(S) TO WATCH :

Wide receiver: Colorado bids a bittersweet farewell to all-conference wide receiver Paul Richardson, who worked his way back from injury to land in the opening stages of this month's NFL draft but left Boulder a year ahead of schedule – taking with him the brunt of CU's pass-game production a season ago. If not starting from scratch out wide, CU is going to find Richardson's production, consistency, big-play ability and attention-grabbing effectiveness impossible to replace; this is a bad thing for Liufau's statistical growth, though it may end up forcing the sophomore to widen his gaze through his entire cast of potential targets – so not great in the short run but ultimately beneficial, in a way. The new leader at receiver is junior Nelson Spruce (55 receptions for 650 yards), who earns a promotion from understudy to new go-to target on passing downs.

It's a role Spruce needs to fill as CU looks to break in a largely unproven cast of holdovers and new additions. A few returnees of note: D.D. Goodson (22 for 306) and Tyler McCulloch (14 for 138) will assume starting roles, one would imagine, though McCulloch needs to bounce back from the injury that curtailed his spring. Outside of this threesome, however, the Buffaloes are leaning heavily on freshmen and sophomores. One is incoming freshman Shay Fields, the four-star gem of February's recruiting class. Others spent last season either on the scout team, taking a redshirt, or contributing little on the offensive side of the ball: Bryce Bobo, Elijah Dunston, Robert Orban and Devin Ross, for example. You'd call the receiver corps top-heavy, but that's not entirely true; CU's group is lagging behind from top to bottom, making this a position of concern heading into summer conditioning.

GAME(S) TO WATCH :

California: The Golden Bears remain Colorado's best shot at a Pac-12 win, though I imagine the Buffaloes will play more competitively during league play this fall – still lose, obviously, but make things a touch more interesting. The year again begins with Colorado State, which has sights on another bowl berth, and features five home games during Pac-12 action. Unfortunately, the Buffaloes draw UCLA and USC from the South Division.

SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION :

In a nutshell: The idea of what tomorrow could bring to this program should – or will, even – help Colorado smile despite another season spent on the outer edges of the Pac-12 race. Tomorrow will be better than today: CU was better in 2013 than in 2012, will be better in 2014 than in 2013 and will be better in 2015 than 2014, continuing the multiple-year rebuilding project placed on MacIntyre's plate upon his arrival 18 months ago. With a stronger identity in place, the priority this fall should be developing talent, finding another set of answers and locating the sort of depth this team needs to battle for six wins in the nation's deepest conference.

Now, eight – yes, eight – fairly obvious facts: Colorado's offense is improved, the defense is improved, the offense is deeper, the defense is deeper, the offense has potential, the defense has potential, the offense is ahead of the defense and both sides of the ball aren't quite up to the challenge. It's a step-by-step process both offensively and defensively, but the latter remains a step behind in the push for increased competitiveness. But you have to think about where things were, where things have gone and where things can be once MacIntyre's team fully grasps the system and the staff adds enough depth to run with the Pac-12. In total, the basic foundation has been set; next, Colorado needs to be finely tuned.

Certain players are part of a winning future. One is Liufau, who should be measured more by overall command of the offense rather than his statistical output – for one more year, at least. Another is the backfield pair, as well as the younger crop of receivers. Likewise with Tupou, Gillam, the underclassmen ends and the sophomore defensive backs. To be blunt, there are other areas where CU still seems to be trimming the excess weight left over from the previous regime; at some point, MacIntyre will recycle the roster with his players. I would fully expect Colorado to be ready for a realistic push at the postseason in 2015. This season, however, will be another spent outside the bowl picture, scratching and clawing for wins inside and out of the Pac-12.

Dream season: Colorado sneaks into bowl play with a 3-0 mark in non-conference play and league wins against California, Oregon State and Utah.

Nightmare season: The Buffaloes from 4-8 to 2-10. That'd be sour.

UP NEXT :

Who's No. 100? Ten individuals who either played or coached at this school are in the College Football Hall of Fame. Of these 10 inductees, seven played on the offensive side of the ball.