It felt like an away game in our home state. Texas A&M fans vastly outnumbered buff fans last Saturday at Mile High. Given it was #5 vs #53, the odds were stacked against us. I don’t do well in hostile crowds when my team is losing, and when the crowd started swaying to the Aggie War Hymn, I could feel my blood pressure rise as it dawned on me that I could be in for a long day if CU didn’t hold their own. Thankfully, the Buffs Defense showed up and single handedly kept the Texas A&M fans at bay for 57 of the 60 minutes of play.
The Buffs were able to take an early lead, but failed to build on it, and ultimately couldn’t hold on to it. It was a scene right out of Seinfeld, anyone can take the lead, but holding on to the lead is the most important part of the lead.
CU does not yet know how to win. It will come, hopefully this season, but right now, CU is a middling college football team that is trying to find its way out of a scene from Glengarry Glen Ross. Texas A&M, while probably overrated, and outplayed for 97% of the game, knows how to close. You don’t get to be ranked #5, by settling for the steak knives on any given Saturday.
So, onward, and upward. The Buffs showed promise. If the Buffs defense, led by Nate Landman continues playing like they did, we are going to be in every single game the rest of this season, so we have that going for us. If Offensive Coordinator Darin Chiaverini and the offense can figure out how to play big boy football, we may be on to something.
Week Three Preview
#51 CU (1-1) vs. #63 Minnesota Gophers (1-1) – Saturday, 11:00 AM Folsom Field
Kudos to CU for scheduling two non-conference Big 5 Teams (a member of the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 Pac-12 conferences). Most Big 5 teams don’t do that because it lowers the odds of having a winning record heading into conference play.
Tomorrow the Minnesota Gophers come into town. An average Big Ten team, Minnesota is a lot like CU. They have a strong running game; they’ve played an easy opponent and won (Miami OH) and played a ranked opponent (#9 Ohio State) and barely lost.
Like CU, it’s hard to tell how good MN really is. The winner of this game will be the team that establishes the run and makes the fewest mistakes. While the bookmakers have CU as a slim 2.5-point favorite (basically accounting for home field advantage), I see CU winning this game by more than a touchdown. CU needs to close this one out going into Pac-12 play. No more steak knives please.
Not bad. Not great, but not bad. Yes, the Buffs effectively dismantled the UNC…Bears, but they were supposed to.
The glass half-full guy would say a win is a win, the Buffs had no turnovers, after some initial (expected) hiccups the Buffs got the ground game going (four backs scored touchdowns), and Frosh QB1 Lewis had zero turnovers and played a relatively respectable first game. The Buffs were up 14-0 at half, and in full control of the game by mid-third quarter, won by four touchdowns (as predicted here last week). A solid smackdown.
Glass half-empty guy would say, yeah but with that performance and number of penalties (12), no way you beat a Pac-12 team, let alone a top 5 Texas A&M team (more on that below).
One thing which was not debatable in terms of half full or half-empty was Folsom field. Packed to the tune of 45K plus fans. It was a site to be seen, and one to be repeated (often). It was an epic day/night for tailgating and FNL college fotball viewing (see below) .
Week Two Preview
CU (1-0) vs. #5 Texas A&M (1-0) – Saturday, 1:30 PM Mile High Stadium
Want respect? Beat the #5 team in the nation and forever have the respect and admiration of your peers (well, maybe not forever, but for this season at least).
On Saturday at 1:30 PM at Mile High Stadium (regardless of sponsor, it will always be Mile High Stadium), the Buffs take on the #5, yup #5 Texas A&M Aggies. To put #5 into context, there are 130 FBS (top college football division) teams. The last time CU beat a top 5 team was 2007 Oklahoma. The last time CU was ranked in the top five was at the end of 2001 on the heels of beating Texas in the Big 12 Championship. These rankings aren’t to be taken lightly, nor should be taken for granted. For the record, CU is currently ranked #53 in the nation (top 25 if they beat TAM).
So, with an eye on the past (we are a storied program), and an eye on the future (which could be the present if the Buffs win tomorrow), the Buffs have an opportunity to be somebody. While not as daunting as one in a million , they are actually 3 in 22 (12%). Montana was a bigger underdog than that last week and knocked off Washington. So, yeah, we do have a chance.
On the field, CU will have to play a near flawless game and Brendon Lewis is going to have to grow up in a hurry. The (not so) secret sauce will be to establish dominance on the offensive line, find success running the ball early, control the clock and shorten this game down. IMHO Buffs show up, keep it close, but ultimately succumb to the physical nature and speed of the Aggies. That said, you can’t win it, if you are not in it, and the Buffs are definitely in it tomorrow.
Finally. The Buffs are back! Let’s get on with life as we’ve known it, and as we want it. For some reason I feel like Sinead O’Connor whining about how long it’s been since we were last at Folsom field (21 months, 14 days).
Tonight, in a Friday Night Lights (FNL) special, our beloved (but not yet feared…still working on that) Colorado Buffaloes take on the mighty University of Northern Colorado (UNC) err…need to look this up real quick…Bears. The mighty Northern Colorado Bears. In less than seven hours, under the lights of Folsom Field, all that is wrong with the world will be made right. Who’s got it better than us? Nobody!
While the UNC Bears may not be a household name, their head coach certainly is. Ed McCaffrey of Denver Broncos fame, check out his epic block in Super Bowl XXXIII , will be coaching his first college football game (fun fact: one of his sons is the Offensive Coordinator, and one of his other sons is QB1). Not to be too cavalier (recall heartbreaking losses to OSU (the day the music stopped for Mike McIntyre and staff), Montana St, Sac State and others), I just can’t see the Bears hanging with the Buffs for any extended period of time. The Buffs are focused on winning the Pac-12 championship (not happening this season, but it’s coming) and the Bears are simply focused on playing (they didn’t play last season, so literally this is their first game in 650 days).
Look for the Buffs to quickly establish the running game and dominate from the second quarter onwards (Buffs win this one by four touchdowns). The Buffs return a ton of players, have a burgeoning rock star in Freshman QB Brendon Lewis, a solid stable of running backs, corps of receivers, stout offensive line, and a defense that is ready to prove itself and lead by Nate Landman, one of the best to wear the Black and Gold. The Buffs have the potential to surprise the Pac-12 like they did last year. The challenge is six of the Buffs 12 opponents are pre-season ranked in the top 25, and also have something to prove.
Given they only play 12 games, and they need to win six for bowl eligibility (the bar of success for this season), the Buffs have no wiggle room. They have to win all the games they are expected to win (including the UNC Bears – geez that just rolls off the tongue now), and a game or two they are not favored to win and/or on the road. To put it another way, despite the talent they return, most pundits project the Buffs to finish at or near the bottom of their conference. I predict the Buffs win their six games and go bowling by virtue of wins over (UNC, MN, AZ, @CA, OSU and @UCLA).
In 2001 Boulder resident (and cul-de-sac neighbor (is that a thing?)) Jim Collins published the best-selling book Good to Great, essentially stating good companies fail to become great companies because they become satisfied and don’t have the necessary focus to become great (my words, not the authors, so don’t quote him on it).
In 2020, the Buffs have had a good football season, yet came up short on their first attempt for a great season by losing to Utah 21-38. As warned by yours truly, Utah was/is better than their record and they would stand to be CU’s toughest challenge of the season. Once team captain Nate Landman went down (such a shame) for the season, CU lost focus and packed it in. Good was good enough.
Season Finale
CU (4-1) vs #20 Texas (6-3) – Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, TX, Tuesday 12/29 7PM MT
While the Buffs stubbed their toe against Utah, the Buffs are fortunate to be in the Alamo bowl (if USC had not opted out of playing in a bowl this year, CU would have played in a lower-tier bowl against a lower tiered opponent) and now has a golden opportunity to win on national TV in it’s most coveted and competitive recruiting state against former Big 12 rival the #20 Texas Longhorns. The Buffs are a 9.5-point underdog.
The upside of winning this game would be hard to underestimate. A win could prove to be the defining moment where CU Football returned to its winning ways and earned the respect of its peers and even its own conference.
Fast forward a decade. It is January 2030 and the Buffs have been ranked each year since the final polls of the 2020 season and have been in the mix for conference and national championships on an annual basis. Someone, in their infinite wisdom, will ask the profound and deserving question, “What was the turning point? What was the defining moment when the Buffs stopped losing, and returned to greatness? It is at that time, in that moment, when those who are in know (those on this email and the rest of loyal Buff Nation), those who suffered through the Hawkins, Embree, MacIntrye saga, and Tucker betrayal can answer that question. It is those who can finally spit the foul taste of bitterness out of their mouths and can answer that question with three of the most hallowed words in the American vernacular – “Remember the Alamo!”
Final Thought
The Buffs are playing with house money. They have proven they have the right coach and a solid core group of young players. CU should go into the Alamo feeling they have earned the right to be there and play loose. The Buffs will need to establish the running game, eat the clock and shorten the game. Without Landman the Buffs will struggle to stop Texas. Limiting the number of possessions Texas gets and winning the turnover battle will help the cause. Either way, Buff Nation has a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to.
As expected, the winless Wildcats came out swinging last Saturday vs the Buffs. A victory over the upstart, undefeated Buffaloes would have been the perfect cure to an otherwise ailing Arizona season. To their credit, Arizona came out with an offensive scheme CU was not expecting and held a 13-0 lead entering the second quarter before the Buffs coaching staff could make the necessary adjustments.
The Buffs, for their part, have quickly taken on the calm, cool and collected resilience of their coach. No need to panic when Coach KD is at the helm. After taking the initial body blow, the Buffs went about their methodic dismantling of Arizona scoring 24 unanswered points led by Jarek Broussard 301 yards rushing, becoming the first player in CU history to rush for 100+ yards in the first four games of the season. Your Buffs remain undefeated on the season at 4-0, and yes, are now ranked #21 in the country. Can you dig it?
Week Six Preview
CU (4-0) vs Utah (1-2) – Saturday 10:05 am, Folsom Field (Fox)
When CU joined the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah was designated as our manufactured rival (thus playing Utah last game of every season). Few liked the idea, as it seemed forced. It is also hard to be a rival if it is not equitable. Utah has outscored the Buffs 109-35 in the last three beat downs and have won 9 of 11 games. Do not let their record fool you, Utah is legit and extremely interested in another Buff beatdown.
This game will come down to physics. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? We will find out when the Buffs #1 rushing offense squares off against the Utah Utes #1 Rushing Defense. This game very well may come down to the last possession of the game. The Buffs have a better passing attack than Utah, Noyer is going to need to return to early season form in order for the Buffs to win. At the end of the day, the Buffs will be victorious and remain undefeated on the season. Buff Nation will then quickly turn their eyes to the UCLA vs USC game. With a Buff win over Utah and a USC loss to UCLA, the Buffs would find themselves playing in the Pac-12 championship game.
Final Thought
This season will most assuredly have an asterisk next to it. What CU does this year is less about this season (although they sure are making it fun to watch), and more about establishing a foundation for this program to be competitive over an extended period. To do that CU needs top ranked recruits to commit. Polls and Bowls are what matter to recruits. Yes, cool Nike/ Under Armour jerseys, awe-inspiring venues, and competitive schedules matter, but it is the polls and bowls a recruit will brag to their high-school teammates about when they commit to CU. It’s all in front of us, and a win against Utah raises all ships in the proverbial Buff Nation harbor. Let’s not get caught watching the paint dry.
