Are you ready for some football? Despite it all (cool coach, no coach, new coach, football, no football, ok, yes football), it is happening. In a few hours, our Colorado Buffaloes kickoff their 130th football season tonight at 5pm @ Folsom Field (no fans, no tailgating (what?)).
Getting mentally prepared for this season feels a little bit like Alice stepping through the looking glass chasing a white rabbit. What is real today is gone tomorrow. What was unthinkable yesterday, is SOP today. Nothing can be taken for granted this season (including the season). Welcome to Covid-19 Football. Game on, unless it’s not.
Assuming nothing happens over the next three hours to cancel the game, in order for CU to beat UCLA, the Buff’s newly named QB1 Sam Noyer needs to prove his (relatively) newly named coach Karl Dorrell (KD) correct, and his former coach Midnight Mel (grrr) wrong. KD chose the Senior to start over two other likely candidates, while Mel had Noyer switch to play defense (not a ringing endorsement). We’ll see who was right. No turnovers would be a good start. CU’s defensive line (the strength of the team) will also need to play well and keep the game tight, while Noyer and the offense gets their bearings for the first few quarters.
Season Preview
Don’t expect too much from the Buffs this season. New coach, new QB, lack of practices and general lack of time for the players to buy into the program will hold this team back for the first half of the season. One to two victories this season will be meeting expectations. Everything else would be huge upside. A win against UCLA tonight could fast forward all of that though. Either way, come season end, CU better be feeling more like the King of Pop , rather than Jefferson Airplane.
“(You) want to believe…but you don’t wanna be bamboozled. You don’t wanna be led down the primrose path. You don’t wanna be conned or duped, have the wool pulled over your eyes. Hoodwinked. You don’t wanna be taken for a ride, railroaded. Seeing is believing. Am I right?”
Hobo, Polar Express
Buff Nation –
In 2019 seeing was believing. While there was still no post-season berth, signs of a rebirth and return to dominance were springing up. (Then) head coach Mel Tucker played a huge role in this. He was the type of coach you could believe in (whoops) and the type of guy you could trust (yeah, about that). Buff Nation responded to the momentum, leading the Pac-12 in game attendance. All seemed on track, until it wasn’t. In the (literal) middle of the night, Tucker struck a more favorable deal and departed for Lansing. A guy who was “all in”, “committed” and “laser focused” wasn’t really.
It’s hard to blame Tucker for leaving. One can’t really fault a guy for taking a job that doubles his pay AND allows him to return to the place where he started his coaching career. My issue with Tucker is how he gave his word to Buff Nation AFTER talking with Michigan State University (MSU), only to go back on his word a few hours later when MSU came back with more money. Tucker’s about-(two)-face(d) caught everyone off guard and left a proud yet struggling Colorado football program in a near impossible situation. The speed of departure, and relative lack of remorse, also lacked character. I found it interesting (revealing?) that in Tucker’s final 160-word statement, only 44 words (28%) were directed at CU. The rest expressed his joy for the MSU opportunity. I’m surprised he didn’t mention he was “all in” with MSU in the statement. Too soon perhaps.
Yet, as my high-school coach used to say, “I don’t mind if you get blocked, just don’t stay blocked”, what matters most right now is for CU to move past this Tucker fiasco, find it’s next head coach, and continue the re-building process. One name that has been circulating is Troy Calhoun, Head Coach of Air Force. I like it. Maybe not the sexiest hire, but Calhoun reminds me of a Tad Boyle, a man who can bring the necessary ethics, morals, loyalty and commitment (in words and actions) needed to stabilize and build a winning program.
Let’s trust that seeing really is believing in 2020 and shoulder to shoulder the Buffs find themselves in the post-season.
The hardest part of real estate investing is securing that first asset which improves the status quo. The second hardest part of real estate investing is managing that asset through TLC to the point where it becomes part of future solutions and not present problems.
The CU Buffs have the same issue. Over the past decade CU has struggle to win on a consistent basis, and in large part its been due to their inability to secure that first asset – a highly ranked recruiting class, and then parlay that class into consecutive highly ranked recruiting classes. As we know, players make plays, players win games, and in order for us to have a great team, we need great players.
This past Wednesday, Coach Tucker and the Buffs secured that first asset. One small step for the Buffs, one giant leap for Buff Nation. This recruiting class is the highest ranked (#34) CU has had in over a decade. A recruiting class chalk full of athletes who can help this team now, but more importantly, help this team continue to grow in a manner which the players become part of the solution, rather than the problem (no bowl for you). This class can help “make CU great again” (ugh, did I just say that).
This past season CU beat ASU, who in turn beat OR, who in turn won the Pac-12 title. Fuzzy math? Perhaps. Point is, CU isn’t THAT far away from being a champion. It just feels like that sometimes (all the time). Buff Nation has been conditioned like Pavlov’s dogs. Once Pac-12 play starts, we know it’s not going to end well, and rather than salivate, our stomachs begin to turn and headaches begin to creep in.
With each losing season we rack our brains trying to rationalize why it has to be the Buffs that suck. Why can’t it be some other team? To quote the Boss, perhaps Buff Nation is like a dog that’s been beat too much ‘til you spend half your life just to cover it up. Well, those days are over. With this class, this coach and all that CU already had to offer (tradition, facilities, Boulder), the trajectory for the Buffs is awesome. Buy long.
So secure your season tickets (while you still can), buckle your chin strap, and prepare to give thanks, because the quality of life(style) in Boulder just got that much better (if that is even possible – which it is – at least when it comes to football).
Final Thought
I hope you all have an awesome holiday season. It’s been a pleasure writing these Buff Nation emails for you. I love all the responses and comments. We are at the end of the beginning in this program turnaround. November wins over Stanford and Washington have proven that. Perhaps not next year (although we will bowl for sure), but in a blink of an eye (after over a decade of drought), we will arrive in the land of milk and honey and forever remember our journey to get here and won’t ever let go.
Happy Friday! I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.
Week Thirteen Review
CU 20, Washington 14
Boom! Don’t change your socks, don’t change your shirt, don’t shave. Whatever winning streak superstition you hold on to out of belief or recreation, do it. The Buffs are rolling. Last Saturday’s win over Washington marked the fifth largest upset (CU was a 14.5-point underdog) in school history. In an age where Buff Nation has little to cheer about (outside of our annual beat down of NE (gotta love it)), the last two game Colorado have given Buff Nation hope (ah, there is that word again).
This win was big. For context the Huskies WON the Pac-12 last season and have pummeled the buffs the last NINE TIMES by a combined score of 340 to 128 (an average of 24 point (rounding up). While winning is certainly better than losing (reference link from two weeks ago for clip), it was the way CU won which instills confidence that this thing (return to dominance) is happening. From kickoff to victory formation, CU won with a stout defense, hard nose running game and disciplined special teams (including arguably the best punt you will ever see in college football)…and yes, Steven Montez, he of late-night Fortnight, showed up for the second game in a row and played like a legit Pac-12 QB. He gave Buff Nation all he had in the victory and kudos to him for doing so. Yet, at the end of the day, it was the defense that reigned supreme.
Win and CU goes bowling. Lose, and the Buffs go home for the season to ponder what could have been (missed PAT vs Air Force, missed fumble recovery vs USC). Either way, the Buffs are back and on a trajectory any fan wants to see this time of year. The Buffs are playing their best ball of the season. A win at Utah tomorrow would represent the largest pre-game point spread win in CU history (the Buffs are a 28+ underdog).
Utah is legit across the board. They have several seniors on defense who will be nominated for Pac-12 honors. They also have the best QB / WR tandem in the conference and one of the best running backs. CU will have to play out of their minds to keep this game close. Inclement weather should help level the playing field. A win at Utah tomorrow would pop the top on this program. I don’t see that happening, but Tucker has this team dialed in and if CU holds Utah to similar 3rd down stats (see below) as they did Washington…oh boy oh boy oh boy…it will be an early Christmas for Buff Nation.
Final Thought
One stat from the Washington game which I had calculate by hand as I was in disbelief when I read it, the Huskies ran 17 plays on third down for a total of a negative 30 yards. Good things happen when that happens.
CU had its second and final bye of the season. It was hopefully a chance for Laviska Shenault and others to heal up for the final two games of the season.
Week Thirteen Preview
CU (4-6) vs Washington (6-4) – Saturday 8PM, Folsom Field (ESPN)
As disappointing as this season has been, it’s sad to see the season come to an end. Tomorrow evening the Buffs take on the Washington Huskies for their last home game of 2019 season. For 16 seniors this will be the last time they play on Folsom field, and probably forever. One of those Seniors is QB1 Montez whom I have often accused of being late-night Fortnight Montez rather than QB1 Montez. It’s been a long and difficult run with this guy. That said, Montez holds 35 school records and needs 300 yards passing and 1 td pass to hold those two records as well.
As infuriating as Montez has been (sometimes it feels like this is our penance), Montez STILL has one more chance to hook up Buff Nation, and for all of us to forever speak fondly of how it was in his twilight moments when he shined the brightest. A victory on Saturday would wash away all the tears. A win Saturday would usher in a new era of Buffs football. A victory Saturday would be a fitting ending to the career of a QB who holds all the records outside of the ones that matter.
Final Thought
CU currently has the 33rd rank recruiting class in the nation (and rising). This is the highest ranking in over a decade (Tucker effect). Recruiting is the life blood of any college football program. Players make plays. Players win games. Recruits want cool uniforms (check), cool facilities (check), cool college atmosphere (check), the opportunity to play (check) and a winning program so they can brag to their friends (in process). A win against the reigning Pac-12 champion Huskies on national television in front of a frenzy crowd would make a clear statement that CU is on the rise and as a recruit you can be part of something bigger than yourself. Something that will shock the world and you can be an architect in the build. Something you can tell your grandchildren about how you were a part of CU’s emergence as a football powerhouse. Winning Saturday would have a high return on victory for CU and it’s recruiting efforts.
Final Thought #2
Saturday will be Laviska Shenault’s last game as a CU Buff. While only a junior, Laviska will declare for the NFL draft. See him one last time this Saturday before you begin seeing him on Sundays.
