A year makes a difference for Hawaii and Colorado

Here’s how overanalyzed the lead-up to the University of Hawaii football season has become. One of the burning questions is if an opposing coach will wear pants to Saturday’s game.

Colorado assistant Brian Cabral won’t say, but of course this will be his annual lavalava game.

Maybe UH head coach Greg McMackin should consider it, too. It would be a sign of commitment or, some would say, provide reason for him to be committed. Maybe it would help him get some from local recruits.

When the Warriors host the Buffs on Saturday, not only is the outcome of this one game at stake. We’re talking the future, and we’re talking hearts and minds. This isn’t just the first battle of the 2011 campaign, it’s a key component in both teams’ marketing campaigns for the long haul.

The most crucial part of recruiting? It’s winning on the field — especially against your competition for homegrown talent. Cabral, a former Saint Louis School and CU star known as “Mr. Buff,” has successfully herded some of Hawaii’s best high school players to Boulder, Colo., for decades.

Techies will tell you Hawaii suffered brain-drain in recent years. It has endured brawn-gone forever with football prospects. Winning this game might slow down some of that, at least toward Colorado.

WHAT DIFFERENCE can a year make? What difference can a location make?

If we’re talking about college football, plenty. Especially if we’re talking about Colorado and Hawaii.

This time, the Warriors catch the Buffaloes at the right place, Aloha Stadium … and, as it turns out, at the right time. We’re not talking specifically about the 4:15 p.m. kickoff, although that should help UH since it will be much more acclimated to the humidity and mid-afternoon heat.

Circumstances are different than when CU won 31-13 in last year’s meeting. The Warriors were coming off a road game at Army the week prior. The Buffs’ coach was Dan Hawkins. Yes, an embattled Dan Hawkins who eventually got his walking papers. But the same Dan Hawkins that Hawaii never beat at Boise State.

A year later, Hawkins is gone. Hawaii’s young coordinators are a year wiser — Nick Rolovich’s charges won’t go 1-for-5 trying to score touchdowns from the red zone this time; Dave Aranda’s will be better conditioned and positioned not to be stampeded in the second half.

UH has homefield advantage against a team that hasn’t won out of its state in 18 games.

Running back Speedy Stewart, who rushed for 106 yards in last year’s win, is back for Colorado, but UH’s defense is better equipped to slow him.

Yes, Hawaii’s offense has huge questions except at quarterback and the new starters must make plays; the defense can’t do it alone.

Hawaii should win, but it’s not a gimme.

Mid-major vs. big conference is no factor. UH led CU at halftime 10-0 at their place last year, and anyone who was there can tell you it should have been 24-0, game over at halftime. The Warriors of the WAC won’t have any problem remembering the Buffs of the Pac-12 put their pants on one leg at a time. All of them other than Brian Cabral, that is.