Buff Nation –
With over five minutes remaining in last Saturday’s CU football game, ASU failed to convert on a fourth down pass. CU took over possession and proceeded to run the ball on eight consecutive plays culminating in a touchdown and a 40-16 final score. It was a fitting end to the game. Throughout the night CU had imposed their will on ASU. They had accumulated nearly 600 yards total offense (compared to ASU’s 199). Not only did CU impose their will, they also dictated the tempo of the game the entire night. ASU was constantly out of sync on both offense and defense. This is the new era for CU football. That final touchdown with 40 seconds remaining in the game was a message to the rest of the Pac-12 that CU was back. In 2014 CU improved from being a terrible team to being a decent team. In 2015 CU improved from being a decent team to being a competitive team. In 2016 the question was can CU improve from being a competitive team to a team that knows how to win. Clearly we have our answer. CU can and does impose their will on their opponents, especially those who come into Folsom Field. It’s suddenly a tough place for visitors.
We are over half-way through the season and CU finds itself tied with Utah for the lead in the Pac-12 South. While the first seven games (CU is now 5-2) have been a joy to be a part of, it’s the remaining five games of the season which will really determine the magnitude of how special the 2016 season will be viewed. Right now, no one wants to play the Buffs. They are one of the deepest and most balanced football teams in the Pac-12. They are playing with a chip on their shoulder, and their opponents (e.g. ASU, OR) have not truly come to terms with the new normal of CU Football.
For the remainder of the season, CU will find itself in a dog-fight with USC and Utah for the Pac-12 South title. CU has the more favorable schedule (three of last four games at home), USC probably has the most talented team and hold the tie-breaker with CU, and Utah is the highest ranked of the three. CU controls its own destiny, but fans we will want to root for USC and Utah to lose a few games along the way to create some cushion. CU is ranked #26 in the nation. A win at Stanford will propel them into the top twenty. In college football it is often said “the games to remember are played in November.” That is certainly true for CU this year. The Buffs have put themselves in the enviable situation where are their remaining games are meaningful. Rankings aside, what CU wants will be won or lost on Folsom Field in November. See below for a preview.
Remaining schedule
October 22 @ Stanford. Stanford just beat Notre Dame this past weekend. This game will be a battle of two outstanding football teams. This is a Pac-12 Network dream come true. If CU can get out of this one with a win, they will run the table on the rest of the schedule finishing the season at 10-2 and looking at a new year’s day bowl game (the Holy Grail of college football).
November 3 (Thursday night) vs UCLA under the lights at Folsom Field. This game will be on national TV. The game will be a black out (fans wearing black) and it will be CU’s true national coming out party where they will soundly beat UCLA. The win will make CU bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. The fans will rush the field (similar to what transpired after the ASU game), but more importantly, the nationally televised win will be seen by high school recruits around the country (especially in CA) and it will dawn on them that CU is the place they want to play.
November 12 @ Arizona. CU should be bowl eligible by now and will be playing loose and with a reckless abandon. They will have the Pac-12 South title squarely in view and AZ will be the next team standing in its way. Expect a double digit win by CU on the road against this Pac-12 opponent. AZ has been ravaged by injuries and is the surprise bottom dweller of the conference this eyear.
November 19 vs. Washington State at Folsom Field. Both teams will be ranked in the top 25 and this is possible a preview of the Pac-12 championship match-up. The game will be sold out. CU will win in a hard fought slug-fest.
November 26 vs. Utah at Folsom Field. This one will be for the Pac-12 South Championship. Everyone will be in a thanksgiving state of mind for the wonder of the 2016 season. The game will be sold out for the second week in a row. Both teams will be ranked in the top 25 for the second game in a row at Folsom. CU will win in convincing fashion.
These coming weeks are going to be special. The Rise is real and it is happening in front of our eyes. Years from now it will be nice to say we were there. We were there when CU imposed their will on any team that stepped foot on Folsom Field grass. We were there when CU become bowl eligible for the first time in over a decade. We were there when CU won the Pac-12 South shocking the college world. These are the days. Winter is coming and ski season will soon be upon us. This special CU season will soon be a fond but distant memory. We’ll be pleased with the behavior we displayed as fans. We will be pleased that we knew that the Fall of 2016 was was special and we fully leaned into it. Let’s enjoy these days for all they are worth. Who has it better than us? No one.
Go Buffs!
Doug