Woelk: Buffs Have Reasons For Optimism As Training Camp Nears

BOULDER — While the general consensus from the outside leans toward 2022 being a tough season for the Colorado Buffaloes, there exists within the program a strong undercurrent of optimism as CU heads into its third season under head coach Karl Dorrell.

Certainly, CU Athletic Director Rick George isn't shy about his expectations. At a media roundtable last week, George said he expected the Buffaloes to be playing in the postseason.

"We've got a really good football staff. I think we've got solid veterans coming back and we've got some really good young guys on this team," George said. "So my expectation is that we'll be in a bowl game in December or January and I think Karl probably has those same expectations."

The reasons behind the low expectations from the outside are understandable. The Buffs are coming off a disappointing 4-8 finish last year, which was followed by an offseason that saw a handful of key players depart via the transfer portal (an issue certainly not particular to Colorado).

But that quiet optimism within the program is also more than just wishful thinking. The Buffs made some solid improvement in key areas in the offseason and given the unknowns surrounding a number of Pac-12 teams, a bowl season is by no means an impossibility for Dorrell's team.

So, with training camp just around the corner — the Buffs report Aug. 1 and open practice the next day — here are five reasons to embrace Colorado's quiet optimism.

1. Upgraded coaching staff. When Dorrell was hired in February 2020, he had precious little time to cobble together a staff — and he had to manage the feat when most staffs around the nation were already locked in place.

But he did what he could, then took the time to carefully evaluate what he had in place.

Last fall, he began to make changes, first taking aim at an offensive line that was underperforming.

Then, in the offseason, he brought in six new assistants, including a new offensive coordinator, a new O-line boss (Kyle DeVan) and a new wide receivers coach, Phil McGeoghan, who Dorrell just recently elevated to assistant head coach.

The changes were sweeping and by nearly every account, a solid step up in every area. Dorrell now has veteran, proven assistants on both sides of the ball whose eye for detail and stress of fundamentals will be critical.

Their impact should be apparent early.

2. New offense. Colorado's offensive woes last year were well-documented. The Buffs struggled to run the ball consistently and their passing game seldom found anything resembling a rhythm. The resulting numbers were historically low.

Enter Mike Sanford, whose resume has a long list of impressive stops and a history of well-balanced attacks and productive results.

That the Buffaloes badly needed an offensive reset was not a question. Sanford has quickly reshaped the offense to better utilize the strengths of its skill players and has also provided numerous options within the scheme to provide for rapid adjustments.

CU fans saw barely a glimpse of the possibilities in the spring game. But after a summer of work and a month of training camp, the guess here is that Colorado's offense will be more productive, more consistent — and far less frustrating as the season progresses.

3. Improved quarterback play. For some inexplicable reason, Dorrell's statement last week that Brendon Lewis was "in the driver's seat" in the QB competition was met with surprise, both from the media and the CU fan base.

What did anyone expect? Lewis is the incumbent, having started in every game last year. While he did experience his share of struggles, by no means were they all his fault. An inconsistent offensive line and some underwhelming efforts from other skill positions no doubt contributed, and despite consistently being under pressure in the pocket, he finished with just three interceptions — the school's all-time low for quarterbacks with at least 250 attempts.

Lewis was also the clear No. 1 throughout spring ball, as main challenger J.T. Shrout was not yet cleared for full participation after a knee injury. To say that Lewis was anything but "in the driver's seat" would be an insult to the player, the process and the program.

But that's not to say Shrout won't be challenging for the starter's job come August. The transfer from Tennessee was having an excellent camp last year and by most accounts, was neck-and-neck with Lewis for the job until he was sidelined by the knee injury.

It doesn't hurt that offensive coordinator Sanford is also the QBs coach. While it's by no means a prerequisite for the position, having the coordinator also in charge of the quarterbacks means the daily hands-on communication will be a direct line to what's expected and what's ahead, and perhaps most importantly, the play calling will be geared to the strengths of the most important position on the field.

The upshot is that no matter who wins the starting job, the production should take a nice step forward this fall.

4. More comfortable on defense. It's hard to think that this year's defense could be better than the 2021 version. The Buffs lost a host of key starters from last year, including anchor linebacker Nate Landman, edge rusher Carson Wells and blossoming corner Christian Gonzalez.

But the good news is that CU's returning defenders are far more comfortable with coordinator Chris Wilson's scheme in its second year — and there are enough returning vets to provide the foundation for what could be a sneaky good defense.

The Buffs are solid up front, and they've developed a little depth there as well. They also have some quality players on the edge who had productive springs and they added a key transfer at inside linebacker in Josh Chandler-Semedo (West Virginia), who will boost a group that already has some solid players.

The question will be in the secondary, particularly at the corners, where they will need some talented but relatively inexperienced youngsters to step up. If they can make some quick strides there and get some production on the back end — in particular from veteran safety Isaiah Lewis — this could be a group that will keep the Buffs in games.

5. The schedule. Wait … what? A difficult non-conference lineup and a brutal four-game conference stretch run is a plus?

That's correct. While CU's slate is no doubt a difficult one, it's set up to give the Buffs a potential quick start that could create some momentum as they had into the home stretch.

We love the Friday night season opener with TCU at Folsom Field to be nationally televised on ESPN (Sept. 3, 8 p.m.).

The game provides a matchup against a well-regarded Power 5 opponent — but one that is also coming off a tough 2021 campaign (5-7) and will be playing its first game under a new head coach. Throw in a raucous evening crowd at Folsom and the recipé is there for a successful season opener.

If the Buffs can get a win in the opener, it should build confidence for the next two non-conference affairs, both on the road (Air Force on Sept. 10 and Minnesota on Sept. 17). Both will be difficult matchups but both are also winnable.

Then will come three Pac-12 contests that are all well within CU's grasp — UCLA at home, at Arizona and Cal at home.

There's some momentum to be built in that stretch.

After that, it's a road trip to Oregon State before a homecoming contest against Arizona State. Again, two games that are by no means beyond CU's reach.

Then comes what might be one of the more brutal conference stretches the Buffs have seen in years: home vs. Oregon, at USC and Washington, and the season finale at home vs. Utah.

But if the Buffs have built some confidence by that stretch, they have the chance to be competitive in every one of those games.

That could very well be enough to get them to the goal Rick George has set: a return to the postseason.