State of the Program 2019: Buffalo Bulls

Illustration: James H. Jimenez | Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig (USA Today Sports)The Buffalo Bulls took a giant leap in 2018, bursting through the program’s previous ceiling while garnering more recognition across the country.

In his first three years at Buffalo, Lance Leipold’s program was nothing more than mundane. But at the end of 2017, when the Bulls rattled off 3-straight wins to close a 6-6 season, it seemed like Leipold was starting to figure things out.

That winning streak carried over into 2018, and Buffalo raced to a 4-0 start. After an ugly, but excusable hiccup at home against Army, Buffalo won five in a row to secure one of the nation’s best records at 9-1. While never appearing in…