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Another Hawkins era begins on Saturday (12:05 pm ET, FSN) for the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team and we aren’t talking about the head football coach. Red-shirt freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins, second year coach Dan Hawkins’ son, will be starting under center when the Buffaloes play in state arch-rival,  Colorado State University at Invesco Field in Denver. This game is so big inside the Colorado borders; it has a sponsor and a slogan, the Qwest Rocky Mountain Showdown. 

The coaching mantra says to take it one game at a time and that no one game is more important than the other. But this Saturday’s contest in the Qwest Rocky Mountain Showdown will hold a greater significance than most games for a number of reasons. 

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You’ve got so many things,” Hawkins [the coach] said. “You’ve got the first game, which I think is huge, no matter who you play; you’ve got your rival; you’ve got a team coming off a season like we came off of. There are a lot of factors that go into saying ‘You guys better have your horns out and be ready to go here.’” 

Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick pretty much agrees with Hawkins assessment. "I think that over the past few years, a lot of hype has been written about it,” Lubick said. “From the coaches' standpoint, there's no sense in giving a fiery speech today. But the players know the significance of the game. It's the first game, compounded with CU, down in Invesco Field, 70,000 or more people each time we play.

The Auburn Tigers have the third best winning percentage over the last years (.868) in college football. It won’t be easy for the Tigers this season with a mean schedule to contend with and a porous offensive line that hasn’t been able to protect the quarterback. SportsBetting.com has made the Auburn Tigers 100 to 1 betting odds to win the 2008 BCS.

This is a physical running offense that also uses some West-Coast variations southpaw QB Brandon Cox, 6-2 210, took a step back in his sophomore season last year after a very good freshmen campaign. Cox still managed to throw for 2,198 yards and 14 TD’s despite being sacked 35 times. Fortunately for Cox he has some quality backs to hand off to with hard running Brad Lester, 5-11 190, expected to get most of the carries.

There is some depth at receiver with three wideouts that could be starters on most teams. Both TE’s also have solid hands and know how to get open. The O-line has a foundation to build on with gigantic Left tackle King Dunlap, 6-9 321, but overall is a weak link.

The Tigers like to attack with their front four with lots of speed. The D-Line has a first-round NFL prospect with lightning fast DE Quentin Groves, 6-4 254. Opposite DE Sen’Derrick Marks, 6-2 287, is a big DE that looked outstanding in the spring. DT Pat Sims, 6-4 305, is an anchor in the middle and should make things difficult for opposing running backs.