BOULDER It was a football recruiting class in which you should look back and see the foundation for a dynasty, of bowl rings and network TV appearances. The bricks included the best running back in the country, three of the top-12 linebackers and the No. 4 defensive end.

Rivals.com ranked it 15th nationally in 2008. The class had all the markings of a future title contender at most and a consistent bowl team in the least. Which 2012 power is it?

Colorado.

Yes, Colorado's recruiting class of 2008 was going to lift the Buffaloes back to national prominence and coach Dan Hawkins to the kind of status he enjoyed at Boise State.

Instead, Colorado went downhill for three more years and Hawkins got fired. Now, when most of those players would be fifth-year seniors, the Buffaloes stand 1-10 and are a loss to Utah on Friday from their worst record since their inaugural 0-4 season in 1890 and first winless home record in 92 years.

But back in 2008, when the Buffs were merely bad and not embarrassing, what were the expectations?

"Through the roof," said senior Jon Major, PrepStar's No. 3-ranked linebacker from Ponderosa High School. "We wanted to start a dynasty. We had all these great things. But if you also look down the line, you see what happens."

Yes, what did happen?

Defections, washouts and busts from that class have left Colorado with only eight seniors, second-fewest in the country. The dearth of upperclassmen has forced second-year coach Jon Embree to play 13 true freshmen, seventh-most in the country.

Neither of those is a death sentence. Colorado has one less senior than Alabama. Schools that have played more true freshmen include Ohio State and Louisiana State.

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Anatomy of CU Buffs' plunge starts with recruiting gone bad