Steel yourself. For the first time in 28 years, CU will play in Fort Collins against the Colorado State Rams in a game that has seismic ramifications for this young 2024 Buff season.
In response to CSU players talking smack about the upcoming CU game, coach Prime said, “it’s personal.” I wish he wouldn’t do that. I wish Coach Prime would say nothing and treat the trek up to Fort Collins as a business trip. Leave the bling, the NIL estimates, the blenders, the celebrities, and the shiny golden coaches’ headsets (really?), back in Boulder, and take care of business on the road.
CSU just announced they will join the Pac-12 in 2025. They are coming off their first win of the season, and they know CU is not a particularly good team (not yet at least). In front of their home crowd with Boulder’s own Henry Blackburn at safety, the Rams will be playing for redemption, honor, and pride. CU shouldn’t need additional “it’s personal” motivation. CSU is right in front of their face.
Coach Prime, and the Buffs were at their best just before kickoff against TCU last year. The pre-game speech is legendary. It’s authentic. It’s organic.
Tomorrow night, CU needs to return to that raw state of desire. Play for the love of the game. Play for each other. Win the toss, take the ball and jump out to a 7-0 lead. Now is the time to throw the first punch. If not, CU may find itself sleeping among the fishes.
In Jospeh Conrad’s book Lord Jim, the protagonist prematurely abandons a sinking ship and spends the rest of the novel pursuing redemption after being shamed by his peers.
While disappointing and embarrassing, the loss to Nebraska this past Saturday does not warrant abandoning ship (although it does give us pause). A win in Lincoln was always a reach. The Buffs holding a 1-1 record at this stage in the young season was expected by many.
CU has two winnable games over the next two weeks (@ CSU, Baylor). A 3-1 record heading into BIG XXII play would provide the necessary momentum and hope for Buff Nation to hold the line, as CU’s Offensive line continues to figure out how to provide pass protection and open up some holes (football 101 in case Coach Prime is reading this blog).
If the performance continues to go south, we can meet again and see who we want to vote off the island. Until then, head up, not down. Hold the line. Love isn’t always on time.
“You ain’t a beauty, but hey, you’re alright” – Bruce Springsteen
Buff Nation –
Last Thursday, on a warm summer night, under the lights of a sold-out Folsom Field, the Colorado Buffaloes opened the 2024 football season against the North Dakota State Bison (NDST). Coach Prime and the Buffs had one job. Win the game and start getting ready for Nebraska.
The win over NDST was never going to be pretty. It did not have to be. It just needed to be a win. Mission accomplished. It wasn’t a beauty, but it was alright. The Bison will win the FCS national championship. At least, I hope they do. They are no slouch and would give any team in the Big XXII a run for their money.
While the Buffs still have questions on defense, and their offensive line played just average, they kept the main thing the main thing and secured the W. Congrats Coach Prime. You did your job.
Now, time to get serious. The University of Nebraska. The NU word is the FU word for any true Buff fan. No team in the history of Colorado’s 134-year existence stirs the innards of Buff Nation more than Nebraska. When it comes to these two teams, hate is still good.
All W’s count toward bowl eligibility, but some count more than others when defining who you are, past, present, and future. This game, more than anything other, matters the most with regards to CU’s storied history. One BNF reader shared “If we win this game and lose every game the rest of the year, it would still be a winning season…this game defines the season!”
CU will have their hands full to win this game, but I would not bet against Shedeur and Travis as they continue their magical mystery tour of being the best tandem in college sports. If CU’s offensive line shows incremental improvement, CU will win in a shootout. CU’s receiving corps is lethal. Nebraska will struggle to cover four NFL bound receivers.
Nebraska, like CU, is desperate to return to the days of glory. CU has been a thorn in their side as of late. Husker nation is placing their hope if 5-star Freshman QB Dylan Raiola who was a late decommit from GA. He played well in his first game against UTEP, but it was UTEP, so who really knows. Either way, we have two teams fighting for redemption.
A win in Lincoln will serve as the marquee victory of the young 2024 season and propel CU into bowling, if not playoff (inside voice) contention. Let’s go Buffs, in the name of love, bring the hate.
Go Buffs!
Doug
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Opponent Preview:
Nebraska Football Fun Facts:
NU Football holds the all-time NCAA record (all sports) for consecutive sellouts (#397).
On game day, Memorial stadium becomes the third largest city in NE. Folsom Field becomes CO’s 21st.
NU / CU have played 72 times over the past 125 years. A win on Saturday would give CU a four-game win streak, their longest. NU’s longest is 18 (freaking eighteen!) NU holds a 49-21-2 overall record against CU.
Nebraska had the fewest players transfer via the portal (9), while CU had the most (41).
Nebraska is one of 22 states in the Union without a professional sports team.
Just over a year ago, Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes shocked the nation by beating #17 TCU on the road in the 2023 season opener. Crazy train had left the station, and everyone was welcomed to jump on board, and over the course of the next few weeks, the entire college football world did.
A win over hated Nebraska, set up ESPN College Game Day for the CU vs CSU showdown. A bitter backyard, I am going to lacerate your kidney game ensued with the Buffs going 3-0 on the season. The Rock, Lil Wayne, Blenders Glasses were all the rage. Yet, all that glitters is not gold, and CU finished the season on a 1-8 skid unable to win the close games, nor the ones which they were up by twenty-nine points.
An offseason which saw Colorado once again lead the nation in transfer portal activity came with mixed reviews. On paper CU has significantly upgraded its offensive (which was offensive) and defensive line (which was also offensive).
CU’s skill positions (QB, WR, CB) can play with any in the BIG XII, and stand a good chance of cracking a game open if given the opportunity. That opportunity, the secret sauce of the 2024 season, lies in the Buffaloes offensive line providing a couple more seconds of protection to QB1. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are touted to be two of the top ten picks in the 2025 draft. That combination on offensive can cause significant problems for defenses given the time. Coach Prime claims he has another six players who should get drafted as well. With that type of talent, CU should win between 7-9 games this year.
So, it begins again, tomorrow night in a rare Thursday night game at Folsom Field vs the North Dakota State Bison (yup, the Buffaloes vs the Bison). The Bison are 60-11 in the past five seasons and make a living off of getting paid by bigger schools to go on the road and wreck their host’s season. CU would be well served not to look past the Bison in prep for Nebraska next week. Win, and CU stands a good chance to go 4-0 on the season and be bowl eligible by Halloween (best case scenario). Lose and the ceiling will cave in on the CU football program and it will take all season to crawl out of it (worst case scenario). I doubt there is an acceptable middle ground. So, there you have it. Coach Prime claims he is a winner and has won at everything he has done in his life. Excellent. Win tomorrow night please.
Go Buffs!
Doug
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Opponent Preview:
The NDSU Bison are based in Fargo, North Dakota, and part of the FCS Missouri Valley Football Conference. The “Thundering Herd” are the all-time winningest football program in FCS history which included 17 National Championships (9 at the FCS level). The Bison are led by seasoned QB Cam Miller, and pride themselves on sound tackling and a strong running game. They play old school, basic blocking and tackling football. Sounds about right coming out of the plains of Nebraska, err North Dakota.
“We just simply, truly don’t know how to win yet.” Coach Prime (post-game Arizona press conference)
Buff Nation –
Winning is an art form which is a byproduct of being competitive. While the latter doesn’t guarantee the former, it’s the former that is the ultimate measure of success in college football. This past Saturday, CU was once again competitive against a ranked opponent but failed to win, losing by three in the last seconds (34-31). The loss was the third in a row where one could argue CU should have won rather than deserved to lose.
In his fifth century BC military treatise – The Art of War – Sun Tzu calls out several aspects of a military campaign a general should consider before and during battle. One of those aspect is the ability to observe and adapt. Of all the aspects of the game which are most frustrating about these Buffs, is the ability to perform at a high-level at the end of the game. Essentially garnering everything which has been exposed and learned during the game and leverage that information to secure a victory.
Thankfully, the season is not yet over, and CU has another opportunity to impose their will. Similar to CU, their next opponent, Washington State, has been struggling of late. Both these teams will be looking to stop the hemorrhaging. Even on the road, I believe CU wins this game. Despite the consecutive heartbreaking losses, they will perform. To quote yet another philosopher, that which does not kill you makes you stronger (Nietzsche). CU is not dead yet. Tonight, we will see if they are indeed stronger or if indeed the season ends prematurely without a bowl bid.
Winning is an art form. Some programs have it. Some do not. CU had it for many years and then lost it for many years. These 2023 Buffaloes have shone a light on what winning can look like once again. It’s learning how to win, which remains elusive. It’s an art form. One learned over through hard work and commitment to the trade. For CU, may that hard work and commitment pay off tonight with a victory over the Cougars. Time to make Sun Tzu proud.
