The University of Colorado men’s basketball team tips off for the first time this afternoon, November 13, against the Iowa State Cyclones, but for the Buffs, the real season doesn’t begin until next week.

As the No. 7 ranked team in the country, the Cyclones are heavy favorites over the Buffs; meaning, a win would be fantastic, but … don’t count on it.

Really, this game should be looked at as the warmup for the most important part of the Buffs’ schedule, an 11-game stretch where CU won’t face a single ranked opponent. Starting with their second consecutive nationally televised game on Tuesday vs. Auburn (1:00 p.m. MST on ESPN), the Buffs will face off against powerhouses such as Portland, Omaha, Ft. Lewis, Nicholls State and Hampton (notice the sarcasm).

If the Buffs want to gain some momentum heading into conference play, they need dominate that stretch, winning somewhere between eight and 10 games.

Is it a lot to ask? Sure. But it’s not out of the realm of possibilities, and more importantly, they’ll need it, as their Pac-12 schedule is a tough one.

Last season, the Buffs faced a similar stretch of unranked opponents heading into conference play, and it did not go well. The Buffs only managed seven wins — losing to Wyoming, Georgia, Colorado State, George Washington and Hawaii — placing themselves behind the eight ball from the start. And after losing Josh Scott with an injury as they headed into Pac-12 play, the Buffs finished 7-11 down the stretch, giving them their first sub-.500 record in five years.

It’d be easy to just predict the Buffs to follow the same path this season, but head coach Tad Boyle believes there is a distinct difference this season: Him.

At media day this offseason, Boyle admitted that he failed to coach up his young team as much as they probably needed it last year. After four straight 20-win seasons, Boyle believed that his team’s early season struggles would be self-corrected as the year went on, but they never were. So far this season, he’s made it clear that he’s going to take a more hands-on approach when it comes to coaching, and he believes that’ll get his team headed back in the right direction.

So make sure you’re tuned in throughout the season, as the Buffs look to begin their trip back to the NCAA tournament.