The first season for Karl Dorrell is one of the most unique in college football history.
The University of Colorado head football coach gets the job on short notice after Mel Tucker ditched Boulder for Michigan State. If that wasn’t enough, COVID-19 hits to pretty much derail all offseason programs.
Talk about the perfect storm of crazy events for sports and life in general.
Somehow, Dorrell and the Buffaloes made it work. Despite all of the hurdles, CU finished 4-2. We won’t, however, go into detail about the Buffs’ last two games. Out of sight, out mind.
But now that life seems like it’s back to normal, college football will as well.
The hope is that the experience of last year’s unique season will transfer to 2021.
As this story from the university points out:
“Given the circumstances leading up to last season, Dorrell had almost no time to develop anything past a two-deep depth chart. CU had no spring session, an abbreviated summer session and a rushed fall camp. Colorado coaches were forced into hurry-up mode to prepare for the season — which they did with admirable results.”
CU football odds
College football betting in Colorado has some interesting markets on the Buffs right now.
At the FanDuel online sportsbook, the odds are +6,000 for CU to win the Pac-12.
At the SportsBetting.com Colorado app, the odds are +2,000.
As for the conference favorite, the consensus is Oregon.
Not all of the Colorado sports betting apps in the state have odds on the Pac-12 for some reason. So if you’re looking to place a bet, you’ll have to shop around.
But those two markets on the Buffs are drastic changes.
If that’s an indication of what the season could hold, who knows what to think?
And that makes sense given how crazy 2020 was.
Is the Colorado team really a 4-2 team? Or does it more resemble the team that lost to Utah and Texas to close out the season?
What to expect from the Buffs
Those two questions are the keys to the season.
Dorrell and CU finished up spring practice in early May.
And while most think of the summer grind as not having much to bet or watch, it’s also about the work programs put in now that can pay off in the fall.
But as the same story linked above said about what the 2021 team could look like:
“Much improved. Much deeper. And, if their summer session goes as planned, much more confident. Those improvements will all be an extension of the Buffs’ first spring session under Dorrell, one he and his assistant coaches utilized as a springboard to summer and fall camp.”
The other factor to consider in all of this is Folsom Field will have full attendance in the fall. How much that impacts the product on the field is debatable, but there will be excitement around this team. To finally watch live football again at one of the best venues in college football will be a welcomed occurrence.
What will CU do at QB?
While Colorado has depth at the skill positions, namely running back, it all comes down to quarterback.
By all accounts, the competition for the starting job will go down to the wire.
Sam Noyer was the starter in 2020, but missed the spring due to surgery. So freshman Brendon Lewis and sophomore J.T. Shrout took advantage of the opportunity and had excellent spring sessions.
Whoever wins the starting job will have the expectation they take that depth on offense and lead the team to success (and points).
There are questions around the defense, especially middle linebacker, but that side of the ball hasn’t been an issue for the Buffaloes. Consistency on offense will help in that regard.
From a betting perspective, there’s a dilemma around this team. The markets around Colorado sports betting indicate those sentiments.
At the very least, fans and bettors alike are in for an exciting season that is back to normal.
