CU Football 2023 – Hate is Good

Buff Nation –

“Nebraska”.  Has there ever been a word that Buff Nation says with such disdain?  It’s a word that is nearly spit out of one’s mouth.  There is nothing better than a storied college rivalry to bring out the best in us. 

It’s good to hate.  It’s a healthy habit many adopt come the Fall season in support of their alma mater.  To hate for no reason is for the uneducated.  That is not what we are talking about here.  To hate for rivalry reasons in college football is a privilege and an honor.  It must be earned.  It must fester into being personal.  Echoing the theme of Gordon Gekko, hate, for lack of a better word, is good.  It facilitates a team and their respective fanbase to focus on a common purpose – to win. Hate creates an emotion in us which is second only to Love (I have no scientific evidence to back this up).

Colorado (CO) and Nebraska (NE) are like brothers separated at birth.  They were original members of the Big 8 (1960-1995) and original members of the Big 12 (1996-2010).  While they hated each other, they were stronger because of it.  In 2011 the brothers were separated.  One shipped off to the Pac-12 and the other to the Big Ten.  Neither program has been the same since.  Hate is good.

In the 50 years (1960-2010) that CU and NE played each other on an annual basis, NE was in the Top 25 national ranking 72% of the time. CU was in the Top 25 national ranking 30% of the time, and 15 times during that span, they were both ranked in the Top 25.  They were great together.  Hate was good for both teams.

Since the split in 2011, Nebraska’s Annual (Top 25) Ranking Percentage (ARP) has dropped to 15%, and CU’s ARP has dropped down to 8%.  That is a decline of 79% and 73% respectively.  The lack of a true rival, a rival the team and fanbase loves to hate had a negative impact on their respective football success. For CU, the forced Pac-12 rival Utah was never able to supplant the hatred we had for Nebraska. We yearned for our lost brother who we loved to hate. One could argue, Nebraska also never found it’s true soulmate in the Big Ten. Stronger together. Even if they hated each other, that hate fueled success on the field, and brotherhood in the stands.

This Saturday, Nebraska returns to Boulder (6:30 AM Tailgate / 10 AM Kickoff). Both programs are trying to claw their way back to a level of domination they once had.  This game will be a clash of titans. Nebraska won’t be able to stop CU’s offense, and CU is going to struggle to stop Nebraska’s run game. Nebraska is going to come in angry that they let a victory over Minnesota slip through their fingers, and CU will be coming into Folsom determine to prove last week’s win over TCU wasn’t a fluke. Do you believe?

Saturday will also mark the 100^th anniversary of football at Folsom field, Coach Prime’s home debut, and on the heels of a glorious victory at TCU. The fact that it’s Nebraska who is our scheduled opponent is near divine intervention.  This is a match made in heaven. Nothing could be more perfect. 

Most of the Colorado players and coaches (Coach Hagan excluded) won’t fondly recall when CU beat NE in ’86 (QB-Hatcher) and we rushed the field.  Or when CU beat NE in ’89 (QB-Hagen), and we rushed the field.  Or when CU beat NE in ’01 (QB-Pesavento), and we…rushed the field.  Or when CU beat NE in ’19 (QB-Montez) we rushed the field. 

Come this Saturday when CU beats NE by double digits (QB-Sanders) …we will rush the field.  It’s what Buff Nation does when NE goes down in Boulder.  So, make sure your shoes are laced up. Let’s meet at the 50 for a selfie.

Go Buffs!  We Got Now!

Doug