In 2001 Boulder resident (and cul-de-sac neighbor (is that a thing?)) Jim Collins published the best-selling book Good to Great, essentially stating good companies fail to become great companies because they become satisfied and don’t have the necessary focus to become great (my words, not the authors, so don’t quote him on it).
In 2020, the Buffs have had a good football season, yet came up short on their first attempt for a great season by losing to Utah 21-38. As warned by yours truly, Utah was/is better than their record and they would stand to be CU’s toughest challenge of the season. Once team captain Nate Landman went down (such a shame) for the season, CU lost focus and packed it in. Good was good enough.
Season Finale
CU (4-1) vs #20 Texas (6-3) – Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, TX, Tuesday 12/29 7PM MT
While the Buffs stubbed their toe against Utah, the Buffs are fortunate to be in the Alamo bowl (if USC had not opted out of playing in a bowl this year, CU would have played in a lower-tier bowl against a lower tiered opponent) and now has a golden opportunity to win on national TV in it’s most coveted and competitive recruiting state against former Big 12 rival the #20 Texas Longhorns. The Buffs are a 9.5-point underdog.
The upside of winning this game would be hard to underestimate. A win could prove to be the defining moment where CU Football returned to its winning ways and earned the respect of its peers and even its own conference.
Fast forward a decade. It is January 2030 and the Buffs have been ranked each year since the final polls of the 2020 season and have been in the mix for conference and national championships on an annual basis. Someone, in their infinite wisdom, will ask the profound and deserving question, “What was the turning point? What was the defining moment when the Buffs stopped losing, and returned to greatness? It is at that time, in that moment, when those who are in know (those on this email and the rest of loyal Buff Nation), those who suffered through the Hawkins, Embree, MacIntrye saga, and Tucker betrayal can answer that question. It is those who can finally spit the foul taste of bitterness out of their mouths and can answer that question with three of the most hallowed words in the American vernacular – “Remember the Alamo!”
Final Thought
The Buffs are playing with house money. They have proven they have the right coach and a solid core group of young players. CU should go into the Alamo feeling they have earned the right to be there and play loose. The Buffs will need to establish the running game, eat the clock and shorten the game. Without Landman the Buffs will struggle to stop Texas. Limiting the number of possessions Texas gets and winning the turnover battle will help the cause. Either way, Buff Nation has a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to.
As expected, the winless Wildcats came out swinging last Saturday vs the Buffs. A victory over the upstart, undefeated Buffaloes would have been the perfect cure to an otherwise ailing Arizona season. To their credit, Arizona came out with an offensive scheme CU was not expecting and held a 13-0 lead entering the second quarter before the Buffs coaching staff could make the necessary adjustments.
The Buffs, for their part, have quickly taken on the calm, cool and collected resilience of their coach. No need to panic when Coach KD is at the helm. After taking the initial body blow, the Buffs went about their methodic dismantling of Arizona scoring 24 unanswered points led by Jarek Broussard 301 yards rushing, becoming the first player in CU history to rush for 100+ yards in the first four games of the season. Your Buffs remain undefeated on the season at 4-0, and yes, are now ranked #21 in the country. Can you dig it?
Week Six Preview
CU (4-0) vs Utah (1-2) – Saturday 10:05 am, Folsom Field (Fox)
When CU joined the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah was designated as our manufactured rival (thus playing Utah last game of every season). Few liked the idea, as it seemed forced. It is also hard to be a rival if it is not equitable. Utah has outscored the Buffs 109-35 in the last three beat downs and have won 9 of 11 games. Do not let their record fool you, Utah is legit and extremely interested in another Buff beatdown.
This game will come down to physics. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? We will find out when the Buffs #1 rushing offense squares off against the Utah Utes #1 Rushing Defense. This game very well may come down to the last possession of the game. The Buffs have a better passing attack than Utah, Noyer is going to need to return to early season form in order for the Buffs to win. At the end of the day, the Buffs will be victorious and remain undefeated on the season. Buff Nation will then quickly turn their eyes to the UCLA vs USC game. With a Buff win over Utah and a USC loss to UCLA, the Buffs would find themselves playing in the Pac-12 championship game.
Final Thought
This season will most assuredly have an asterisk next to it. What CU does this year is less about this season (although they sure are making it fun to watch), and more about establishing a foundation for this program to be competitive over an extended period. To do that CU needs top ranked recruits to commit. Polls and Bowls are what matter to recruits. Yes, cool Nike/ Under Armour jerseys, awe-inspiring venues, and competitive schedules matter, but it is the polls and bowls a recruit will brag to their high-school teammates about when they commit to CU. It’s all in front of us, and a win against Utah raises all ships in the proverbial Buff Nation harbor. Let’s not get caught watching the paint dry.
When the University of Spoiled Children canceled their game against the Buffs due to covid, Colorado suddenly found itself preparing instead for San Diego St. With only one practice to prepare, the Buffs effectively shut down the Aztecs holding them to 155 total yards, showing once again that this Buffs coaching staff knows their stuff. Linebacker Nate Landman (#53) played (is playing) out of his mind and is getting national attention. If you get a chance, watch his play. His relentless, violent, yet fluid play continues the tradition of a long line of outstanding CU linebackers (the best of which is one a recipient of these Buff Nation emails (way to go Barry!)).
Week Five Preview –
As of right now (Friday afternoon), the game with the Arizona Wildcats (5PM MT Saturday, in Tucson) is still on. Let us all pray it stays that way. Rarely are the Buffs sitting in the proverbial catbird seat as they are right now. A) CU is favored (AZ is not that good and their offensive line is quite poor), B) A win ends several undesirable streaks (see Final thoughts below), C) CU is staring down a shot at the Pac-12 title. D) Continued success begins to become contagious. Look for Coach KD, QB1 Noyer and Landman to keep this relatively young upstart Buff team focused on fulfilling their potential, and not just satisfied with exceeding expectations (which they have already done). CU wins in a close game (Arizona will play desperate), and all will continue to be right with Buff Nation.
Final Thought – When a program like ours has underperformed for an extended period of time (i.e. one winning season in the last fourteen years), and then experiences a rise from the ashes type of season like the one we are in now, streaks are bound to end. Here three undesirables that end tomorrow with a win over AZ:
1) 788 days (10/7/18) since CU was last ranked in Top 25 – CU will be ranked with a win
2) 1,435 days since last bowl appearance (12/29/16) – CU will go bowling with a win
3) 1,482 days (11/12/16) since CU last beat Arizona – CU will beat Arizona with a win
When CU beat a 5-point favored UCLA team in week one, it was safe to consider that an anomaly. When CU beat a 9-point favored Stanford team in week 2, one is forced to consider this a possible trend. While too early to tell, perhaps Coach KD is building something he always knew he could, while most of us wait on the sidelines. Fool me once…
Week Three Preview – By The Numbers
Zero
Zero games scheduled for this week. The ASU Sundevils have not really figured out this Covid thing yet. The last time CU had a game canceled was in September 2013 due to the Boulder floods.
One
One QB to rule them all. Sam Noyer is the man and proving that Midnight Mel has as much difficulty evaluating QBs (he was forced to swap out QB’s last week at MSU as well) as he does determining whether keeping his word is worth the trouble.
Two
Two game winning streak for the Buffs. Against Pac-12 opponents nonetheless. Sko Buffs!
Three
Three top 25 votes received by the Buffs. Yup, top 25 baby!
Four
Four years since our last bowl appearance. Yup, getting ahead of ourselves.
Five
Five points by which CU will beat the Trojans next week Saturday 11/28. Yup, way over our skis now. CU has NEVER beaten USC. EVER. Why not this season? Anything goes anyway. If that happens, CU goes on to win the Pac-12 South, goes on to a bowl game and Coach KD wins Pac-12 coach of the year. In a year when almost everything else has sucked, 2020 could be the year CU Football returns to Boulder (and this time to stay). We deserve this.
Last week’s game against Arizona State was canceled due to Covid-19. Pac-12 had not yet instituted its new policy of allowing non-conference games to be played. CU remains at 2-0
Week Four Preview
Perhaps it wasn’t covid that caused our coveted game against the USC Trojans to be cancelled. Perhaps it was our former AD Mike Bohn, now AD at USC, and knows the Buffs are back and didn’t want to facilitate the turn around of the program by fielding a USC team primed for the taking. So, in lieu of Trojans, the Buffs get Aztecs (San Diego State (SDSU)) at Folsom field at 1PM today. Here’s what you need to know about today’s opponent:
∙ They play in the Mountain West (same conference as Colorado State)
∙ Their Friday game against Fresno State was canceled due to Covid, so they have had a bit longer lead time to prepare for the Buffs.
∙ When they run the ball well, they win. When they do not, they lose. They are 3-2.
∙ They have gone to bowl games the last ten year (the Buffs have gone once (puke)).
∙ The first and only time these two teams met was 9/7/2002 (a 34-14 CU win)
∙ CU will eventually win this game in convincing fashion. At the end of the day players make plays, and players win games, and CU has the advantage when it comes to talent level. Keep an eye on CU receiver Brendon Rice (son of NFL Hall of Fame Jerry Rice). He is a true freshman, and already making a name for himself. The key to a Buff victory today will be whether CU’s offensive line can continue to dominate. No reason to believe they cant’. Expect CU to rush for nearly 200 yards.
Final thought
SDSU’s opponent next week is CSU. I couldn’t find it in a quick search, but curious who the last team to play CU and CSU in back to back weeks. When the sun doesn’t rise till 9:30 am in Soldotna, AK (where I am spending thanksgiving with my sister and brother), one has time on their hands to ponder these things (so you don’t have to).
Our Buffs are 1-0 and Pfizer is close to getting a Covid-19 vaccine. Coincidence? Probably, but still, the Buffs are 1-0! The Buffs coming out and punching the Bruins in the mouth help put to bed bitter memories of Midnight Mel and sad memories of ill-prepared Buff squads under MacIntyre. A sample size of exactly one game, yes, but still.
QB1 Noyer appears to be the right man for the job and may prove Coach KD has a better eye for QB talent than The Duke. The Buffs also appear to have a swarming defense led by Nate Landman who stands to have a monster season.
But, at the end of the day, here’s the thing (and it always has been the thing), anytime you can move a man from point A to point B against his will, at will, it’s going to be a favorable ending on the scoreboard. Last Saturday night, CU’s offensive line set the tone for the game, and while CU’s defense struggled with coverage adjustments and consistently gave up big plays, as a Buff fan, it was comforting to know UCLA wasn’t going to be able to stop CU’s run game (damn Bussard, where did you come from?). Good things are in store for CU if their offensive line can keep establishing dominance on the line of scrimmage.
Week Two Preview:
Today CU takes on the Stanford Cardinal (singular, not plural) at 1:30 on the road. This college season remains on the brink (six pac-12 teams had their games canceled last week), and CU needs to continue taking advantage while they can, to help this young squad grow. Stanford will have its starting QB and top receiver back, both who sat out of last week’s 14-35 loss at #11 Oregon (due to a False-Positive covid test nonetheless).
CU must find a way to get more pressure on the QB (the Buffs had only one sack last week), and contain Stanford’s potent run game. On the offensive side of the ball, CU will need to give Noyer time to throw (CU’s rushing attack is now on tape for Stanford review) and the Cardinal will be crowding the box. The return of CU’s top receiver KD Nixon will give Noyer and OC Chiaverini (who called an excellent game last week) more offensive options.
Final Thought:
CU stands a good chance of going 2-0 on this bizarre season. They appear to be extremely well coached on both sides of the ball, have a budding 5th year senior QB hungry for his opportunity, an apparent star running back, and a hefty offensive and defensive line. Get that cocktail mix right, and CU should have a season which Buff Nation can be excited about.
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.
