Buffalo Football: Preview, prediction for 2019 season

After losing a large portion of a 10-win team from a year ago, can Lance Leipold reload and sustain his success with Buffalo football?

In Lance Leipold’s fourth season at Buffalo, the Bulls won ten games and claimed the MAC East title, his second at the school. They fell to Northern Illinois by a single point in the MAC Championship, and lost to Troy in the Dollar General Bowl, but it was a special season nonetheless.

It was the first ten-win season at the school, and only the third bowl bid since the school’s return to the FBS. While building on that success would be ideal, maintaining it is currently the focus.

Leipold must replace most of that special team. Quarterback Tyree Jackson, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, is gone. He is just one of many key departures up and down this roster. The defense only returns two starters. The starting center will be a freshman.

This is, in many spots, a brand new team. The 2019 season will be a test of Leipold’s ability to recruit and develop. A strong season could convince bigger schools to give him a shot.