Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#41 Colorado Buffaloes 7-6 SU; 6-7 ATS

Fargos Take Scandals have marred a once proud Colorado program and the Buffaloes hope that all of those negatives are gone for good. The last one to hit the road was head coach Gary Barnett who was involved in more than one downbeat issue surrounding the team. Former Boise St. head coach Dan Hawkins takes over and he has vowed to turn this team around, both on and off the field. The Buffaloes did make it to a bowl game last year but it wasnt because of solid play down the stretch. They were outscored 100-6 in their final two games but won the Big XII North thanks to other teams falling down the stretch as well. Colorado will be implementing new systems on both sides of the ball and if it can pick things up in a hurry, there is the possibility of a repeat in the North. However, the schedule is tough and there are a lot of question marks, namely on offense, that must be answered in order to make it back to the postseason.

Returning Starters on Offense 5 The offense at Boise St. flourished under Hawkins and he is hoping that the new wide open scheme will cause problems for unfamiliar Big XII defenses. In order for the offense to succeed, a quarterback must emerge. Juniors Brian White and Bernard Jackson are in line to replace Joel Klatt and the battle likely wont be decided until late in fall camp. Hawkins relies on balance in both the passing game and the running game and the latter will be in good shape with the return of running back Hugh Charles. Charles rushed for 842 yards last season and he could have a breakout junior season under the new attack. The offensive line is strong on the right side, with three returning starters but the left side will be manned by young newcomers. Veteran receivers are in place to make the quarterback transition run smoother.

Returning Starters on Defense 8 Colorado had one of the best rushing defenses in the country a season ago, finishing 11th in the nation but that ranking will be hard to replicate in 2006. The defensive line needs to replace three starters and youth will be present throughout. Three of the four linebackers are back so whatever deficiencies the line may have will be made up in the middle. The secondary lost Gerett Burl to suspension but it does get Terrence Wheatley back who missed all of last season with an injury. The passing defense was a disappointing 87th in the country last season so getting pressure on the quarterback, something new defensive coordinator Ron Collins vows to accomplish, will need to occur. It will likely be up to this unit to carry the team for the early part of the year until the offense and the new quarterback can get its head around the new scheme.

Schedule Playing in the Big XII North gives the Buffaloes an easier schedule than most but it is still extremely demanding. Colorado hosts Montana St. in its opener before facing rival Colorado St. in a neutral site game in Denver. The end of the non-conference slate is extremely tough with a home game against Arizona St. before traveling to Georgia. If the Buffaloes can come out of that stretch with a 2-2 record, it will be considered a success. The Big XII schedule starts off with two winnable games against Missouri and Baylor but then strengthens with a home game against Texas Tech and a road contest at Oklahoma. The end of the season will likely determine who wins the North as the Buffaloes host Iowa St. before traveling to Nebraska in its season finale.

You can bet on The Colorado program is heading in the right direction but it isnt going to succeed overnight. Hawkins is the perfect fit for the head coaching job as he has had success wherever he has coached and he takes pride in the character of his team, which is actually more important at this point. The first three lined games of the season are against non-conference teams and the Buffaloes are just 10-22 against the number since 1996 in those situations. Colorado has not had a profitable season since 2002 but that could change this year if the Buffaloes can improve upon their 1-5 ATS record on the road from a season ago. Good things will happen in Boulder but it could take some time.