Linebacker Jashon Sykes gave strong consideration to bypassing his senior season for the NFL.

Ditto for tight end Daniel Graham.

Guard Andre Gurode, offensive tackle Victor Rogers and strong safety Michael Lewis are talented enough that they could have bolted, too.

But they didn't want to leave Colorado with a 3-8 record attached to their legacy -- the Buffs' worst record since 1984.

That wasn't their sole reason for not turning pro, but it certainly was a major factor.

"What the 3-8 season did," said coach Gary Barnett, "was burn into everybody's mind what they don't want."

Looking back, there are plenty of reasons for Barnett and the Buffs to expect a turnaround in 2001.

• Four of the losses were by four points or fewer, with two more by eight points.
• CU lost only five starters and six seniors.
• Craig Ochs, who won the quarterback job five games into his true freshman season, has a world of potential.
• Nine more of Ochs' classmates, including touted running back Marcus Houston, got experience last season.
• The 2001 senior class, which includes all those guys who came back plus standouts such as defensive tackle Justin Bannan and receiver John Minardi, promises to be one of the best in recent CU history.
• The schedule is seemingly softer than last year's, which was rated the fourth toughest in the nation.

"We've got the nucleus of a really good football team," Barnett said.

A healthy corps of tailbacks certainly would help. Senior Cortlen Johnson might not be in that group; he was suspended after spring ball.

A torn hip flexor ended Houston's season after three games, but that was enough time for him to show why he was considered the nation's top prep running back following the 1999 season. He gained 332 yards in 66 carries, with games of 100, 150 and 82 yards.

He was withheld from contact during the spring, but all signs point to him being back to his old self by August.

A broken foot in freshman camp last summer limited running back Bobby Purify to the final five games of last season. He showed good skills, and likely will start the season as the second-stringer, provided Houston is healthy.

For the offense to hum, the continued development of Ochs is crucial. He threw for 1,778 yards and seven touchdowns in his debut season.

"Craig had just dabbled in the very basics of our offense," Barnett said. "Within each play there's different levels, and Craig operated really on the first level of each play. We'd like to see him be able to go to Level 2, Level 3."

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson will try to make it easier for Ochs. The Buffs have reduced both their offensive and defensive schemes in hopes of curtailing mistakes.

Gone is wideout Javon Green, who shared the team lead with 48 catches and led the squad with four touchdown catches. Roman Hollowell, CU's fourth-leading receiver (26 catches) returns along with Minardi, and Barnett is counting on a big senior season from speedster Cedric Cormier (10 catches), who has struggled to regain his form since tearing an ACL in the 1999 opener.

Graham, who caught 33 passes, should become a prime target, especially if he can avoid the nagging injuries that have bugged him the past two years.

On defense, Colorado's biggest holes to fill are in the front four.

Bannan (39 tackles, 30 solo) got double-teamed often and can expect more of the same if junior Sam Taulealea (who was in academic trouble in the summer) or junior college transfer DeAndre Fluellen don't come through. Fluellen, from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, wasn't enrolled for the spring but is being counted on to start the other tackle position.

Both starting defensive ends are gone, but sophomore Marques Harris is a very active, undersized player who makes big plays, and junior Tyler Brayton is a 6-6, 265-pounder who was expected to emerge as a star last season but ran into an early disciplinary problem, then injuries.

Linebacking should be the strength of the defense, led by the 6-3, 230-pound Sykes. He is loaded with talent but hasn't put together the full season coaches believe he's capable of.

The secondary again will be an issue. Colorado finished 11th in the Big 12 and 104th in pass defense, yielding 247.0 yards per game and often getting burned by the big play.

Inexperience on the corners proved costly. But all the primary players are back, and if Donald Strickland can overcome an injury bug, this could be a decent group of cornerbacks.

Lewis led the team tackles with 117, and is one of the best strong safeties in the nation.

The kicking game was another area of post-2000 emphasis. Mark Mariscal, whose miss of a 28-yard field goal helped USC pull out a win, will focus on the punting, with Jeremy Flores, last year's punter, concentrating on placekicking.

Lindy's Football Annuals (National, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, plus Pro) are available at newsstands regionally, or can be ordered as a set at www.lindyssports.com, or by calling 1-205-871-1182.