“Don’t shove me…I’m tired of being shoved.” Will Kane (High Noon)
Buff Nation –
In 1952, the Academy Award-winning movie High Noon, starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, made its debut. A story about the difficulty of standing one’s ground, especially when all have abandoned you, has been claimed to be the favorite movie of multiple US Presidents, including Harry S Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Bill Clinton (who reportedly showed the movie 17 times during his tenure in the White House). In a movie that plays out in real-time (think Jack Bauer -24), the clock is literally ticking while a noon train filled with a gang of gunslingers brings trouble. In a life-and-death circumstance, the cast of characters vet through their options and ultimately make their final answer.
At (high) noon this Saturday, the almighty (especially next year) Colorado Buffaloes, kick-off their final home game of the season against the upstart Arizona Wildcats. Arizona has beaten three ranked teams consecutively in the last three weeks earning their own top-25 ranking (#21), their first since 2017. I couldn’t prove it out, but this may be the first time an unranked team has beaten three ranked teams in three consecutive weeks (fun fact(ish)).
While CU doesn’t stand alone (it’s a sell-out game), they do face their own proverbial showdown, a final shot (no pun intended) at proving their character in front of their home crowd. The 2023 Buffs have already proven they have heart and can compete. Point differential in games lost last year was 32.4 (over four touchdowns!). Point differential in games lost this year is 13. The only game CU has not been competitive is the loss at Oregon. Take out that blow out point differential and the average margin of the four other losses this season is 7.3 – basically a touchdown (one possession!). It may not feel like it, but in nearly every game they have played this season, they have been right there. Yet, more is required. Especially tomorrow, at home, in front of the Buff faithful for the last time of the season. Not only does Gary Cooper take a courageous stand in High Noon, but he also delivers in his action by being the last one standing in a Hollywood classic gunfight. This Saturday, it’s time for the Buffs to not just take a stand but be the last one standing. The clock is ticking, and the Buffs better be loaded for bear.
“Don’t be sad …cause two out of three ain’t bad.” – Meat Loaf
Buff Nation –
With two-thirds of this inaugural Coach Prime football season in the bag, our Colorado Buffaloes sport a 4-4 record. Three more wins than all of last season and two games shy of bowl eligibility with four games still to be played. These 2023 Buffaloes have exceeded the expectations of the college football pundits and most of Buff Nation.
Yet, heading into the third and final part of the season, Buff Nation is on edge. Losing three of the last four, including the inexcusable loss to Stanford, along with the perception that CU is getting worse rather than better, Buff faithful are left scratching their heads and biting fingernails unsure if bowling is in our future. The final home stretch looks daunting. CU will be the underdog in all of the games. While (a finally healthy) Travis Hunter possesses the ability to change the tenor of a game on any given play, and Shedeur continues to dazzle in his ability to with-stand constant pressure and pounding (he’s the most sacked quarterback in the nation), and even the defense seems to be finding a clue, win number five will remain elusive until the Buff string together a complete game. Something they proved incapable of doing since the victory over Nebraska in early September.
Tomorrow night under the lights of Folsom Field (8pm Kickoff / 4:30 PM tailgate), the Buffs have their next opportunity to get back in the win column when they take on the #16 Oregon State Beavers. I still believe CU is capable of putting forth their breakout game, and their best opportunity is these next two home games. Win tomorrow night, and CU will go on to beat Arizona the following week and earn Coach Prime the coach of the year award. Lose, and CU will continue to slip into wait till next year mentality.
In their 37th year of existence, the Denver Broncos were still seeking that ever elusive first Super Bowl Lombardi Trophy. The date was December 7, 1997 and the Broncos had just lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers forcing the Broncos into a Wild Card spot for the playoffs, rather than the possibility of a #1 seed. The road to the Super Bowl now ran through the Jaguars, Chiefs and Steelers, all teams the Broncos had recently lost to. Within minutes after the loss to the Steelers, all-pro linebacker Bill Romanowski was quoted as saying to then Coach Mike Shanahan, “We’re just going to have to do it (get to the super bowl) the hard way.” All Broncos fans know the rest of the story. The Broncos went on their revenge tour and won their first franchise Super Bowl a month later.
Coming into the 2023 season, the goal for the Colorado Buffaloes was to earn bowl eligibility (six wins). Early season success made the appearance of this goal a slam dunk (to mix sports metaphors). Losing three of the last four, and especially blowing a 29-point lead against Stanford, has now made this goal significantly more daunting. Rather than win one of the next five games, the Buffs need to find a way to win two of the next five. The challenge lies in the caliber of their opponents. Three of the five remaining opponents are ranked (UCLA #23, OSU #11, and Utah #13), and the remaining two were either recently ranked (WSU) or have dramatically upped their game in the last few weeks (AZ). Stealing of these games, ok. Stealing two, doubtful. Similar to the Broncos of ’97, I would like to think Sheduer and Shilo came up to their dad after the Stanford game and said, “We’re just going to have to do it the hard way”. No fear, no trepidation. Just the mentality of getting back to the business at hand.
After having a bye last week and a chance to lick its wounds and take stock of the character of the team, CU takes on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, this Saturday evening. UCLA is favored by 18 points, boasts the nation’s #11 total defense and #17 total offense. There are no weaknesses for CU to exploit. If CU has an advantage, it lies in the fact that CU has had two weeks to prepare, their backs are against the wall, and Travis Hunter should be at full strength. A win will exercise all the lingering Stanford demons, a loss will increase the fodder of the Coach Prime haters. CU will have to play a perfect game to beat UCLA, something CU has proven they are incapable of doing thus far in the season. For all the pomp, circumstance, and crazy train excitement this team has delivered to Buff Nation this season, now is the time to deliver again. Do not go off silently into the night. Let’s get this crazy train back on track. We are ready to believe again.
“You’re absolutely right Mr. Spicoli, it is our time.” Mr. Hand – Fast Times at Ridgemont High
It’s been five years since the Buffs have been favored by double digits over a power 5 school. Buff Nation will recall it was that game, on October 27, 2018, where CU gave up a second half 28-point lead and lost to the (then) lowly Oregon State Beavers 41-34 in overtime. It was one of the biggest chokes in college football history, a black eye to a storied Colorado football program, and led to the firing of Coach Mike MacIntyre 22 days later. Ironically that loss set off a chain of events that led to the hiring of Coach Prime five years later.
Tonight, CU enters Folsom Field as an 11-point favorite to beat the Stanford Cardinal. Win, and CU is one victory away from becoming bowl eligible, which while Coach Prime says is not the goal of the CU football program, it is the goal of Buff Nation and would mark a remarkable, fantastical, nearly unimaginable successful season.
Coach Prime may be coming, but Buff Nation has always been here. For years we’ve shown up and been treated to sub-par football. We have been forced to sit through blow outs (or opt to leave early). No longer. Tonight, under the lights of Folsom Field, this is our time. This is what we have been waiting for. We are favored, we have the better team, and we have the biggest upside. It’s all in front of us, and tonight, well tonight we reap what we have dreamt about for seasons – a competitive team with a chance to return to national prominence.
While CU’s undefeated Cinderella season ended a few weeks ago, the Buffs remain the darling of the national media and the number one college football story. Coach Prime expressed disappointment that the Stanford game would have a 10 ET (8 MT) kickoff, on Friday nonetheless, but College football is ruled by the pursuit of the dollar, and recent history shows you can put the Buffs on at anytime of day or night and they will draw record eyeballs.
This is an enviable position to be in. The school makes money, the players gain followers, and Buff Nation continues to bask in the attention. In order to stay in that spot light, CU is going to have to pull a James Francis Ryan and earn it. To stay in the good favor of America, the Buffs are going to have to beat Stanford. If there is one thing we know about this country, it’s that America loves a winner. Coach Prime knows this. There is no excuse. CU must win.
“If you can’t see what’s coming with (Colorado) Football, you’ve lost your mind.” – Coach Prime
Buff Nation
On a perfect fall weather day at Folsom Field, no one was leaving because everyone was believing. With multiple chances to lay down (down 21-0 in first quarter, 34-14 at half and 41-14 deep into the third quarter), the CU Buffs stood their ground as did the 54,000 white-clad, sold-out Buff Nation crowd. When the clock struck double zeros and the Buffs were on the short end of a 48-41 shoot out against #8 USC, the sense of what was to come was stronger than what could have been. The time for watching the game sitting down, let alone leaving early is over (except for my brother who never really followed anyone’s rules). These Buffs are now standing room only, staying till the end entertainment.
For all the joy, celebration, and attention the Buffs have received this year, they are still a team without an identity. Akin to my college roommate’s band aptly named “Identity Crisis” purely because they couldn’t think of a better name, entering week six of this season the Buffs face their own identify crisis. The defense has yet to jell, and the rushing game has proved inconsistent, and in spite of the exceeding expectations, we don’t know how good this team is.
In college football, the identity of the team represents who they are, and how they proceed with taking care of their business. Respective fan bases embrace and take on that identity. One thing leads to another, and sold-out games become the norm, and “free tickets” become a thing of the past. Get it right, and it’s material for Hollywood movies and dominant football programs. Get it wrong and wallow in mediocrity like so many schools do year in and year out, CU being the biggest violator of the bunch.
This coming Saturday afternoon, CU travels to Tempe to play the Arizona State Sun Devils. The ASU game represents a defining moment in the season. Win, and we are almost assured of a bowl eligible season (win two of out three with Standford, UCLA, and AZ). Yet, it’s never easy to win on the road, especially with a team that was 1-11 last year. Tempe seems particularly elusive given the 1-6 record CU holds in Tempe.
Who do you say I am? These were the monumental words Jesus asked his disciple Peter, to determine whether he believed. On Saturday, CU will be able to answer for themselves who they are. A team that doesn’t lay down, a team that takes care of business on the road, a team that is changing the two-decade old dialogue about Colorado Football.
Who do YOU say I am? Buff Nation says you will beat ASU by double digits, earn bowl eligibility in 2023, and…in 2024…win the Big 12 championship and contend for the national championship. That’s who we say you are. We are CU!
