Colorado Football: 5 reasons why Buffaloes will struggle in 2017

Colorado football surprised many to win the Pac-12 South in 2016. Here are five reasons why the Buffaloes will return to struggling in 2017.

Colorado had something of a Cinderella season in 2016. In Mike McIntyre’s first three seasons in Boulder, the Buffaloes went 10-27 overall and 2-25 in Pac-12 play. Then last season rolled around, McIntyre’s fourth with the team. CU became an instant contender, beating out USC and Utah for the Pac-12 South title.

Though they lost to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium, then Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl, it was still a brilliant turnaround by the Buffaloes. There are signs, though, that it was an illusory gain for Colorado.

The Buffaloes lose a lot of talent both on the field and on the sidelines. McIntyre will have a hard time repeating the trick in his fifth season at the helm in Boulder. In the end, Colorado is a prime candidate for regression back to the mean. The team’s best chance at a Pac-12 title is probably behind it for the near-to-mid future, unfortunately.

That will be a tough pill for Buffaloes fans to swallow. After years of futility, they finally tasted a morsel of success. There are hopes that the Buffs can continue to compete with the Trojans and Utes for the division title. But that is merely a pipe dream. Midnight has already hit for last year’s Cinderella. Here are five reasons why the Buffaloes will stink in 2017.