When CU played Iowa State in 2005, my oldest brother was visiting me in Monterey, CA. It was Saturday, November 12, and we were excited to catch the CU Buffaloes vs. Iowa State game on TV. My brother was a walk-on CU football player twenty years earlier and CU had been a part of our lifeblood ever since. CU was ranked #22nd in the nation and had been a powerhouse program on and off for the past decade. Back then, it seemed like they were always playing on national TV, contending for the national title (winning in 1990) and always putting out a first-round draft pick. We loved every minute of it but took the whole thing for granted.
Against Iowa St 2005, CU was leading in the 4th quarter, but gave up two late touchdowns and eventually lost the game. My brother and I were bummed. But we had no idea that CU would not be ranked again for nearly eleven years. Not until yesterday would CU find themselves again in the national polls.
As the last seconds ticked away on CU’s total domination of OR St this past Saturday, I couldn’t help but bask in the glow of Colorado finally cracking the top 25. For many years it just seemed impossible. CU sucked too much, and other teams were so much better. Joining the PAC-12 powerhouse didn’t help. The speed of the teams (e.g. OR, Stanford, USC, ASU) was too much. It felt like watching a high school team play against a college team.
I remember watching prime time college football at home after having attended a CU blow out. Regardless who was playing, both teams looked SO MUCH better than CU. I was so jealous of those fans .It was impossible to fathom CU ever getting that good again.
And now they are. Buff Nation can once again bask in the glow of being nationally ranked and being on the other end of those beat downs. Serendipitously while CU is on the upswing, the PAC-12 South seems to be on the down swing. Teams such as UCLA, USC, ASU ,AZ and Utah suddenly seem vulnerable. Maybe, just maybe this is CU’s year.
This Saturday CU travels to LA Coliseum to play the USC Trojans. CU is a six-point underdog and has not beat USC for the past ten meetings. CU’s newly minted national ranking, while very exciting for Buff Nation, can also be a determent. We know we have a good team. Now the college nation knows it as well. This is going to make it more difficult to sneak up on teams. I give CU a 50/50 chance to win @ USC. If we win, we’ll be ranked in the Top 15. If we lose, we’ll drop out of the Top 25. Either way a strong showing against USC will be further evidence that CU is legit.
By the way, CU’s next home game is Saturday, October 15th, against Arizona State. CU has a hard time beating ASU, so this too will be a challenge. The game has been moved to 6pm, to be televised on the Pac-12 network. If CU beats USC, you will see north of 50,000 fans attending the ASU game. Assuming the Fall weather holds up, it stands to be a top ten day of the year (at least for me).
Hard to believe we are less than half-way through the season. It only gets better from here.
CU’s Coach is fond of saying, “No conflict, No story.” It’s our conflicts that make our stories. This morning the Buffs have a story. A signature program win that will mark, for years to come, when the CU Football program made it’s turn. It is a sweet moment. Last night I felt like George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This morning the air was crisper, runners were (even) more friendly, and the atmosphere smacked of wonder and possibility.
It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s been a long time. It’s been a series of conflicts. I distinctly remember sitting with my dad at Folsom Field in the waning seconds of the CU / OR game on October 21, 2011. Final score was 45 to 2, but it wasn’t even that close. It never was. OR played their second and third stringers the entire second half. It was embarrassing. CU’s starting secondary consisted of 3 freshman, 1 red-shirt freshman and 1 sophomore. Those guys weren’t even that good as seniors. All the fans were either gone, leaving, or didn’t even bother to show. My brother – who was an All-American football player at Navy – left at half. He can’t stand to watch poorly played football. On one play alone, the Buffs had two personal penalties. They had no clue. It was a waste of time for all there. In spite of it all, it was a significant moment. A singular moment in time to acknowledge where we were, where we are now, and where we want to go. I turned to my dad and told him we should stay. We should stay until the very end of the game, because some day, when we are awesome once again, we can say we were there… when it sucked. It took a lot longer than I thought it would (1,799 days to be exact). Today is that day. The program has turned.
But the win last night is not good enough. 1,799 days is too long to wait for an awesome win. Now that we have that win, we want more. We want to be great. Being great means winning often, over a long period of time.
Watching last week’s Michigan game on recording, I LOVED how the Michigan players came out of the tunnel, jumping to touch their “Go Blue” banner stretched across the field. I loved how 110,000 fans packed the stadium to see a victory. I love how Michigan is always a great team. That’s what we want in Boulder. We want teams to dread coming to play at altitude. We want teams to dread coming to Boulder, because they know they are going to lose. I want teams to dread coming to Boulder, because they know the stadium is going to be packed with fans who are passionate about the Buffs, but respectful of the tradition of great college football. We’ve waited so long for that signature program win, but now that we have it, we want more.
CU is good. They are really good. This season could be something special. Going into the game against OR, we had several questions that remained unanswered. This morning there is only one: How good can this team really be? I’m excited for the answer.
In football it’s about winning, and winning over an extended period of time. Starting this Saturday at Folsom Field at 12:30 PM, CU will begin to (re)establish that tradition of greatness for CU fans, and dread for their opponents. There will be a critical mass of those on this thread who will be at the game, doing our part. CU football will show and do theirs. Folsom field better be sold out. If not, there is still work for us to do to raise the awareness of “The Rise.” Come sundown Saturday, CU will be 4-1, and sitting two games away from becoming bowl eligible. It is a wonderful life.
The link below if for us. It is for next week’s game. It’s for this season. It’s for next season. It’s for the game 1,799 days from now. Welcome to the fight!
Last Saturday around 2:30 PM MT, on a beautiful Fall Boulder day at Pleasant View Soccer Fields, the tectonic plates of my life were about to snap into place. I was literally running between two soccer games of my kids while listening to the Buffs / Michigan game on the radio. Both my kids were doing well in their games (proud dad), I was living in Boulder (no place better) and the Buffs were all over Michigan (OMG). I couldn’t believe it. We were going to beat #4 Michigan. The Buffs had arrived. We were going to be nationally ranked and Boulder was going to get the collegiate football respect it deserved. Justice was going to be served. My life was complete.
Well, we all know the outcome. Special teams failed us. Our QB got hurt, and a couple other key injuries opened the door for MI to take control. We had it. It was right there. Marlon Brando was right. We could of been somebody. We could of been a contender.
Now, after a week of pondering what could of been, CU travels to OR. Ouch. CU will have either QB2 playing or damaged goods on QB1.. CU lost their kicker for the season, as well as their number one defensive end. Not the news one wants when one is looking to make a leap in the program.
OR is fast, and they will be looking to exploit CU’s defense by getting around the edge (they know Michigan did) If CU can stop that from happening they have a chance. If CU can’t stop OR from getting around the corner, it will be a long day.
Last week at MI, questions were answer. When CU is healthy, they can play with anyone in the Pac-12. They are vastly improved. Questions were also left unanswered. Does CU have the ability to win the big game? Can they win a game they are supposed to lose? And, unfortunately, new questions have been raised. How long before Sefo is 100% healthy again? What is CU going to do about a kicker as well as their special teams? Is CU still the same defense without Derek McCartney locking down one side of the line of scrimmage? Many of these questions will be answered tomorrow. Another week and another opportunity to have this program turn the corner. Maybe, just maybe, we really are somebody (and not just bums).
A few years back, I took my son and nephews to Legoland. On the way out they were talking among themselves saying the day was “as fun as you can get”, and “all the way fun.” Those profound words can also be used to describe the CU tailgating / game events this past Saturday. Great friends, great weather, great football. While I barely missed my prediction of 56-0 (final score was 56-7), CU, for the second week in a row looked precision sharp on Offense and relentlessly unforgiving on Defense.
CU stands at 2-0 on the season and essentially untested in how good they really are. Heading into week 3 CU ranks 9th nationally in Total Offense, 7th in Total Defense, 3rd in Passing Defense, and 2nd (yes, 2nd) in 3rd down conversions. That is simply crazy field productivity. Of course (of course there is an of course), the season remains young, but grows up in a hurry come 1:30 MT tomorrow. The Buffs play #4 Michigan @ the Big House in Michigan. This will be the largest crowed to ever see CU play live (110,000 fans). The last time CU beat a ranked team on the road, was (wait for it) at Michigan in 1994 Miracle in Michigan.
CU is a 20 point underdog for tomorrow’s game. If CU somehow figures out to win (Defense holds Michigan to under three scores, Offense converts on 3rd downs, doesn’t allow MI to substitute personnel on defense, and wins time of possession), Buff Nation will explode, CU will be ranked in the top 25 and we are looking at sell outs at Folsom field the rest of the season. In reality, keeping the loss to under two touchdowns will be still be a “moral” victory, and CU will still know the Rise is real. Should be an awesome, tough, hard fought game. CU is confident and good. MI is better and has home field advantage. Can’t wait.
For those planning the next CU home outing, the Buffs return to Folsom Field on October 1 against Oregon St. Kickoff is TBA.
That was awesome. That was a beat down. While it’s only one game and the season is still in it’s infancy, the suggested promise of what was put on display last night at Mile High Stadium is worthy of buying. CU looked like a different team. Bigger, tougher, faster, more disciplined. Their defense which boosts 9 returning starters was stifling. CSU did not find the endzone until the beginning of the Fourth quarter (the game was long over by then).
Yet, as good as the defense was, it was the new, high tempo no huddle offense which was the biggest surprise of the night. Several questions were answered early on. Can CU establish a running game. Check. Is Sefo healthy? Check. Is the highly touted receiving core as good as advertised? Check. Swing passes, pitch outs, and spread options were on display the whole night. CSU never figured it out. The 44-7 dismantling was the most dominate performance in this in-state rivalry in the past 15 years. Perhaps CU has indeed made the turn on its program and competitive college football has returned to Boulder.
Now, for chapter 2 of the season. Game #2 is next Saturday 9/10 at Folsom Field. Kickoff is at 3:30. Tailgate starts at 12:30 at St. Aiden’s church and will begin to wind down at 2:30. All are welcome.
CU will look to go 2-0 on the season playing Idaho State (IS). This should be an easy victory for CU (that sounds weird). Similar to CSU, IS won’t be able to keep pace with CU’s fast pace offense. Their defensive backs won’t be able to cover CU’s receivers. Look for another offensive explosion by the Buffaloes. On the defensive side of the ball, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pitch a shut-out.
More importantly for consideration, there are precious few home CU games. Of these, there are even fewer that are played during the pristine Fall weather. Add in an almost guaranteed Buff victory next Saturday, and game #2 represents a rare combination not to be missed. There is no place better than Folsom Field for a CU Football game on a Fall Saturday. This one is not to be missed. Hope to CU there.
