It’s not any single player that hurts, but it’s the number and positions.

So while I was away camping for the weekend Lance Leipold and company decided to raid the transfer portal looking for players who liked wearing blue, and had a history with Leipold.

The Bulls success under Leipold had two defining characteristics. An aggressive defense that forces the issue at the line of scrimmage, and a power run game set up by an offensive line that basically guaranteed the back a full head of steam and a yard or two before the other defense got a hand on them.

Having guys like Kyle Vantrease to manage the offense and talents like Patterson and Marks running the ball sure does not hurt. But the Bulls were built in the trenches.

The unites Leipold so carefully assembled in Buffalo he has now taken apart.

• Offensive lineman Michael Ford, all-MAC center Mike Novitsky
• linebacker Rich Miller
• Defensive linemen Ronald McGee, Eddie Wilson
• Receiver Trevor Wilson.

Throw in what Buffalo lost to graduation, and to other teams in the portal, and the trench players are going to look a lot different in 2021.

Matt Stansfield and Cedric Douglas have their work cut out for them. They have to virtually rebuild those units.

But help is starting to trickle in. Josh Rogers, a defensive lineman from Texas A&M has announced he will be transferring to Buffalo. Because of the covid eligibility process he has two years left at Buffalo.

A lot of people are still picking Buffalo as a favorite in the MAC East, but more and more I see a rebuilding year. Hopefully not an awful one given our schedule, and hopefully just a year, but to lose the core of the team this close to the season kickoff and play at a top 25 level?

It’s hard to see that happening.

If Buffalo finishes at or near the top of the MAC east than Coach Linguist needs to win the MAC coach of the year.