During the fall, the football team, tired of earning the reputation of "losers," shocked the world and won the Mid-American Conference Championship against Ball State.
The successful season, capped with a bowl game against Connecticut, was not solely due to the talent on the field. It took years of hardships and experience for the Bulls to finally persevere and conquer the MAC.
It was senior quarterback Drew Willy getting the proper coaching from head coach Turner Gill before he could run an efficient offense. It was James Starks finally adjusting to the running back position before he could provide the Bulls' offense with an explosive running game. The years of failure built this team up to become champions.
The men's basketball team could very well become the next beneficiary of experience and subpar performances in the past.
The Reggie Witherspoon-led squad that has won only 23 games the last two years combined has emerged as a favorite in the MAC. Buffalo's 9-5 start has fans and players becoming more optimistic about a season that once had no promise.
It was Buffalo's most recent win that rekindled the basketball team's fan interest. Shooting only 36.7 percent and committing 17 turnovers, Buffalo played what might have been their worst game of the season at Akron.
Nonetheless, the Bulls pulled out the victory when Calvin Betts scored on a backdoor cut with 27 seconds left to give Buffalo a 65-63 lead. This victory came in a back-and-forth contest against a team that is 58-7 at home in the last five seasons. If that doesn't make the feat impressive, Buffalo was 3-22 on the road the two seasons before this year.
But this is a new season and Buffalo, which has 11 juniors and seniors on the roster, is now 3-3 on the road.
The .500 road record may not be too impressive, but the Bulls don't need to have an overwhelming road record to succeed this season. Winning on the road in the MAC is easier said than done. MAC teams, according to Witherspoon, win 70 percent of their home games.
If Buffalo can scrape and claw their way to a couple more road wins while maintaining their solid home record, they will be in prime position.
The way the Bulls won the game was the most impressive part. Buffalo found itself in a battle with Akron in the second half. The Bulls lost a six-point lead after a 7-0 Akron run late in the game.
If this were any other year, the Bulls would have choked like a senior citizen on meatloaf surprise. But the Bulls showed their scrappy mentality by battling back against a great home team and picking up their first MAC win.
Despite the poor performance, Buffalo improved on its fundamentals, the elements of basketball that have resulted in many losses in the past. The Bulls converted on 22 of 27 free throws, including many during the clutch. Buffalo continues to outrebound its opponents as well, grabbing nine more rebounds than Akron.
Now the Bulls come back home for the first time in almost a month when they play Ohio, Buffalo's adopted basketball rival after the Bobcats' MAC Championship victory. The Bobcats are the leader in the MAC East after knocking off favorite Miami (OH) on the road. Many Bulls fans' hearts sank when they converted on a tip-in during the 2005 MAC Championship to knock off the Bulls.
A win here and the Bulls instantly become a favorite in the East, by far the superior basketball division in the MAC.
This would be a position in which the Bulls are not experienced.
