What a mess. On a perfect Fall evening at Folsom field, Buff Nation turned out in force (family weekend), the Buffs offense (finally) found their groove back, yet it was all for not as the CU defense didn’t have a clue how to stop Arizona’s back-up (yup, back-up) QB. It was hard to watch and even harder to stomach. It was almost like the CU Defense missed the bus and a local high school stepped in to do their best in Pac-12 play. It didn’t look fair.
In my kid’s school, there is a concept of retaking a test for “meaningful corrections.” Basically, if the student didn’t do well the first time, they can retake the test to improve their grade. I guess the point is to make sure the student understands the concepts and not to blown up the kids grade due to a single moment of bad performance. CU needs to make some “meaningful corrections” or this season is going to blow up in our face. Not only is the Pac-12 championship now a pipe dream, even becoming bowl eligible is now in question. Bottom line is CU is too talented a team to be sitting on the sidelines come bowl season. We’ve wallowed in that waiting room before and we are not going back.
Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”. Yeah, 2017 is not turning out the way we had hope. Yeah, the season isn’t over yet and the Buffs can still make a miraculous comeback (an eternal optimist), but “the Rise” is not about the 2017 (or 2016) season. It’s about having the courage to do what it takes to get to the next level. This coming Saturday at Oregon State, the Buffs have a chance to put into action the courage it takes to be a championship football team. Let’s see if they have the courage to put the past behind them and start of new chapter in Buff Nation lore.
On Saturday night, under the lights of Folsom (no rain this time), CU has one more chance to get it right before being forced to throttle down expectations on this season. In years past, a bowl game would have been ideal. CU will be bowling this year for sure, but the ultimate objective is to win the Pac-12. In order to do that, CU needs to win the Pac-12 South. Beating AZ tomorrow will put CU right back in the driver seat. A loss will put them in a hole which will be hard to climb out of with half only six games remaining on the season.
That said, it won’t be easy. Arizona took Utah deep into the game two weeks ago. AZ is coming off a bye week (more time to rest and plan), and they have won on their last two trips to Folsom.
CU, on the other hand, is also not a team you want to underestimate. While they haven’t shown it yet this season, they are primed to break open a game with their offense. They are only averaging 26 points per game, but look for them to score a lot more than that on Saturday. CU will need to put four quarters of football together (they aren’t good enough to take a quarter off against any Pac-12 team). If they play a complete game, stay away from the turnovers and find a way to contain AZ QB Brandon Dawkins, this is a game CU should win going away.
The forecast calls for upper 60’s at kickoff (6 PM). As of yesterday, 91% of all tickets had been sold. It’s parents weekend and there is still every reason to believe that this season, like last season, will be a special one and will take CU one step closer to becoming a perennial football powerhouse. It is going to be epic. It’s time to get it right.
In a game which was supposed to be won by air, last Friday night at Mile High, CU scratched out a victory by land 17-3. It was their running game (thanks, Lindsay!) and not necessarily the, still to appear, prolific air attack which took down a surprisingly decent CSU Rams squad. Outside of a beautiful Colorado night, a flurry of flags (most which went against CSU) and the relief of once again leaving CSU in our rear-view mirror for another season, there isn’t much to be said about this game. The defense was the pleasant surprise of the night. New faces from freshman to seniors stepped up to fill the void left by the departure of eight of last year’s starters. CSU had scored 58 last week on Oregon St. With the win, CU moved up from #35 to #29 in the AP polls.
Week 2 – Preview – On to the mighty Texas State Bobcats. Um, I can tell you CU is favored by 34.5 and we’ll probably beat them by 50. I can tell you Texas State is also 1-0 (they beat Houston Baptist 20-11 last week), so this game can technically be billed as a game of unbeatens. I can tell you 90% of the 106 players on Texas State are from the state of Texas. They do have one from Colorado Springs. The Bobcats play in the Sun Belt League (one division below CU). They are considered to have the best recruiting class in their league. Their best player is linebacker Brandon London II (cool name). CU says they are not overlooking Texas State. I’m glad to hear it. A loss on Saturday would put a big dent in “The Rise is Real” mantra. CU wins this one going away. They are too good across the board to lose to a team that will struggle to find meaningful success in any of the three phases of the game.
In 2016 “The Rise” of the Colorado football program was one of the nation’s feel good stories. From worst to first in the Pac-12 South, Coach of the year, top ten ranking, and a bowl berth for the first time in a decade. There was a lot to celebrate. It was the best year in over a decade to be a Buff fan.
Yet, the reality with “The Rise” as the 2017 season is upon us, is that no one cares. It doesn’t matter. It is in the past. If the Rise doesn’t continue in 2017, it was all for not. It was just a few blissful (and awesome) Fall Saturdays in Boulder.
Thankfully the beauty of “The Rise” is that it is about an attitude. It’s about living into the belief that every day you either get better, or you get worse, nothing stays the same; so when you get up in the morning, you better get going. Starting tonight at Mile High Stadium, CU will look to keep “The Rise” alive.
If you are planning to attend, we will be tailgating in Lot C. 2:30-5:00 PM.
So, with that said, below is the 2017 season game-by-game prediction. Never Stop Rising.
Go Buffs!
Doug
2017 CU Football Season Predictions
September 1, CSU
I hate this game. It’s like playing your little brother’s team. Win or lose there is no upside. Only despair or relief. Playing at Mile High makes the whole scenario even worse. The first half of this game is a shootout. CSU comes in confident and brash. By the second half emotions have settled down and talent takes over. CU’s top-shelf offense takes over. The Rams don’t have enough players to cover the spread offense. CU wins by double digits.
CU 1-0
September 8, Texas State
How was this game ever scheduled? The blow out victory does nothing for CU’s rankings, but it does give the reserves an entire half of valuable playing experience. CU wins by 50 (yup, 50).
CU 2-0
September 15, UNC (University of Northern Colorado)
For the second week in a row pundits question CU’s motives for scheduling such a cream puff opponent. CU takes its foot off the pedal early to avoid putting up 70 points on our friends (way) up north. Half the CU fans don’t return after the halftime tailgating. They are satisfied. Besides, Washington is coming to town next week.
CU 3-0
September 22, Washington
ESPN College Gameday returns to Boulder for the first time since 1995 for this rematch of the 2016 Pac-12 Championship. In a hard fought game with very few mistakes, CU outlasts WA, putting the nation on notice that last year was not a fluke, and “The Rise” is real.
CU 4-0
September 30, at UCLA
Buoyed by their win over WA, CU enters the Rose Bowl a confident bunch. CU’s burgeoning defense shuts down UCLA and gives CU’s offense enough opportunities to put points on the board. CU prevails over a slightly over-rated Bruins team. CU has its second signature win in as many weeks. CU is rolling.
CU 5-0
October 7, Arizona
CU likes to say they play “Folsom Fast” and today CU puts on a football clinic. The Buffs are happy to be back at Folsom. CU has not lost here in nearly 700 days dating back to the USC game in 2015. CU wins in convincing fashion on a perfect Fall Saturday. Boulder is beside themselves with their football team.
CU 6-0
October 14, at Oregon St.
The fact that CU is playing on the road and looking past this game (Washington St is next week) is the only hope the Oregon St. Beavers have. Beating CU would make OSU’s miserable season. Not going to happen. After a surprisingly close first quarter, RB Philip Lindsay unloads on his offensive teammates while his teammate Afolabi Laguda does the same to his defensive teammates. They remind each other to “choose discipline” and make every play count. CU shuts out OSU in the second half and wins going away by three touchdowns. CU cracks the top ten.
CU 7-0
October 21, at Washington St
All good things must come to an end, and it does here. CU gets beat in convincing fashion by a very good Washington State team. Perhaps it’s premature visions of a Rose Bowl (or even possibly Playoff Birth), but CU plays uncharacteristically tight. This loss is written off as a “wake-up” call for the Buffs. There is still work to be done.
CU 7-1
October 28, California
Ah, the California Bears at Folsom field. Just what the doctor order to get back to our winning ways. CU plays its finest game of the season. Precise on Offense. Mean on defense. Disciplined on Special teams. CU pounds the Bears early and often. Coach Mac leaves his first teamers in a bit too long. Words are exchanged by coaches at the end of the game. CU has its sights on taking the next step in performance.
CU 8-1
November 4, at Arizona State
Last year this game was a total beat down under the lights at Folsom. CU won going away 40-16. ASU remembers and comes in with redemption on their minds. This game turns ugly under the lights in Tempe. There are no ejections, but there is a lot of spitting, fighting, grabbing and locker room conversation happening on the field. CU comes away on top. The game could have gone either way.
CU 9-1
November 11, USC
A battle tested #2 USC team comes into Boulder. ESPN College Gameday is tempted to make its second visit to Boulder but chooses the Florida State vs. Clemson game instead. No matter, as USC is too good for CU. They have the next Heisman trophy winner at QB and they have zero weaknesses on offense or defense. CU fights to the end (like they always do), but USC is a better team. USC remains undefeated. CU drops their second of the season. That is nothing to be ashamed of; there is just more work to do.
CU 9-2
November 25, at Utah
Ever since joining the Pac-12 together in 2011, the conference has pitched this as a rival game. Neither school bought into it. CU will always hate Nebraska, and Utah had…(who cares). Over the last three years, that attitude has slowly changed and culminated last year with CU and Utah playing for the Pac-12 South Championship. Once again CU’s opponent is unable to cover the fleet of top-shelf receivers, three of whom will be playing on Sundays next year.
CU 10-2
CU Bowl Prediction – Holiday Bowl – December 28, 2017 – San Diego, CA
Sometimes there are no words to accurately describe a feeling or event. What the Colorado Buffaloes have accomplished this season falls into that category. From worst to first in the conference. Arguably, one of the greatest turnaround in college football history.
The seven-win increase from last year (4 wins last year, 11 wins this year) is the single largest improvement in Pac-12 history, surpassing the Stanford Cardinal record in 1939. We are in uncharted waters. History is being made in Boulder. The records that are being broken are decades old, and we have had the uncommonly good fortune to witness all of it. Perhaps at some point over Christmas break I will try to tabulate all the records and streaks that were broken this year. There are so many of them. I feel I need something tangible to help me get my mind around what has transpired. I’m going to need closure.
The Buffs put on a football clinic against a very good Utah team this past Saturday. Prevailing 27-22 CU had long TD passes and short TD power runs. They had ten pass breakups (seemed like more), eight tackles for loss, four takeaways, three sacks, a two-point conversion stop, two fourth down stops, zero penalties (ZERO!), and a partridge in a pear tree. Unimaginable just a year ago, Saturday night under the lights couldn’t get any better.
It also couldn’t get any louder, and at least where I was sitting, you couldn’t get another body in there. Saturday was the first sell-out of Folsom since 2008, when Texas came into town. North of 53,000 fans packed the stadium to cheer on the Buffs. It was jammed. Perhaps it was the late kick-off time to give the fans ample time to get their game face on; but, either way, it was SO LOUD. The crowd was raucous. It was beautiful. Folsom field is one of the best college football venues in the country. The seating is so close to the field that the fans really do have an impact on the game.
It was the first time in 22 years that CU went undefeated at home. Going forward that should be the norm. We have some tough games slated for next year, but no longer is anything a sure thing when you travel to Boulder.
As predicted, there was a THIRD storming of the field. The PA announcer almost pleaded with the crowd to wait “One Golden Minute” before rushing the field. Yeah, good luck with that. After years of frustration, no way is a public announcement going to hold back thousands of newly empowered fans from getting close to the product they have come back in droves to support and love. Even the players were taking selfies on the field. It was perfect. CU may get fined $100,000 per Pac-12 policy for rushing the field, but the ROI on that $100,000 is enormous. I’m sure AD Rick George ran the numbers on it. On live national television, and then on ESPN sport center throughout the night, the fans storming Folsom were seen by college football recruits across the county. Looking as cool as a team could possibly look in their Gold helmets, black jerseys and black pants, the Buffs JUST WON THE PAC-12 SOUTH! How do you like me now? CU is the place to be. It’s a chicken and egg thing. Players commit to winning programs, but programs can’t win if players don’t commit. It’s a major hurdle that has blocked CU for years. That hurdle has now been demolished. CU will have a top 15 recruiting class for 2017, just ahead of Auburn, and probably a top ten recruiting class in 2018. For context, CU’s recruiting class for 2016 was ranked 66 in the nation, just ahead of Marshall (yup Marshall).
Yet, somehow the season gets bigger and better. CU plays the University of Washington Huskies on Friday in the Pac-12 Championship game in Santa Clara, CA. The day before CU played Utah, I watched The Huskies take apart the Washington State Cougars. I’m thankful I watched the game as I think I discredited The Huskies. No longer. When CU plays WA, it is going to be an epic battle. The Huskies are as balanced as CU is on both sides of the ball. They have a Heisman candidate in QB Jake Browning, who seems to do everything right, and they have playmakers all over the field. CU will need to have a strong pass rush to disrupt Browning’s; otherwise, it’s going to be a long game for CU. On Offense, CU has to do a better job of protecting the ball and establishing the running game in order to open up the passing game. The game will also pit the top two Pac-12 defenses against each other. If CU wins, it’s road trip time to Pasadena to go to the Rose Bowl. If CU loses, it’s a less glorified, yet hard earned (and exceeding expectations) road trip to San Antonio for the Alamo bowl, or San Diego for the Holiday bowl. For the time being, let’s think Roses.
This magical mystery tour continues, and we are almost out of November. No one saw this coming, but we all saw it happen, in front of our own eyes. We were the fortunate ones. Who’s Got It Better Than Us? Nobody!
